Pokemon Legends Arceus is, in a word, surprising. The latest entry into this storied and occasionally controversial series better embodies the fantasy of catching Pokemon than any other game to date, but falls just short of brilliance. This semi-open world adventure presents a promising new direction for its stagnant franchise, …
Every time I review an Atelier game, I always seem to wind up talking about their laid-back charm and how wonderfully uplifting they are. That may be partially due to a lack of creativity on my part, but it’s most just because… well, it’s consistently true. Gust has spent decades …
Between Touhou Luna Nights and Record of Lodoss War -Deedlit in Wonder Labyrinth-, Team Ladybug is onto something: with the right foundation, just about any property can make a compelling metroidvania. Case in point: I didn’t know a whole lot about Record of Lodoss War going into Wonder Labyrinth, and …
From Dingodile to Roadhog, from Saxton Hale to the inhabitants of Pandora’s moon in Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, Australian characters in videogames often lean heavily into caricature. And fair enough, too—for a culture where sarcasm is the standard way of talking, where the most severe swears are used as everyday greetings, …
“Dynasty Warriors mashed up with Romance of the Three Kingdoms.” That’s the elevator pitch for the Dynasty Warriors Empires spinoffs—the turn-based strategy of Koei Tecmo’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, but with battles playing out in Dynasty Warriors action-strategy fashion, instead of simply icons on screen to show you …
If you’re feeling sleepy and need a quick jolt to wake you up, a quick round of Crimzon Clover: World EXplosion is a good way to go. It’s an assault on the senses even by bullet hell standards, with so much brightly-coloured plasma and so many shiny gold medals filling …
Want the satisfaction of a turn-based strategy game, but without the huge time investment they typically ask of you? The Hundred Year Kingdom has your back. One hundred turns, one hundred years—that’s all you get to build a thriving civilization from nothing. A single game will rarely run more than …
Journey to the (Forbidden) West Full disclosure: Horizon Zero Dawn is my favourite game of all time. The first chapter in Aloy’s epic tale, set in a post-post-apocalyptic world, is a beautiful marriage of science fiction plotline and tribal-esque combat using unique, primitive weaponry. After finishing the Frozen Wilds DLC, …
The Tecmo Bowl comparisons are inevitable, and while its inspirations from Tecmo’s groundbreaking game are clear, you’d be mistaken for thinking Retro Bowl is a simple throwback to a bygone era. Beneath its nostalgic homage is a game that combines deep on-field strategy and team management with the pick-up-and-play ease …
If there’s one thing you can say about Edge of Eternity, it’s that it’s not lacking ambition. While most indie JRPGs tend to go for nostalgia and classic appeal, here’s one that seems to take its inspiration more from the likes of Xenoblade Chronicles as it shoots for graphical splendour, …
