You can always improve a game concept by adding cats and an onslaught of cat-themed puns. Always. The latest example of this is Cat Quest, a small, straightforward open-world RPG that finds plenty of charm in its feline persuasion. Cat Quest starts as many a game does, with someone close …
RPG
I’m one of the few people in the world who wasn’t taken with Horizon Zero Dawn. It’s an incredible technical achievement and a game with a fascinating premise, but for me, none of the story, characters, or game systems really lived up to that potential. I’d hoped that a big …
It’s always interesting when a Japanese developer takes on a Western-style RPG or vice versa; that combination of influences is how we get brilliant games like Dark Souls and Child of Light. A few years ago, Capcom released their take on a Western-style RPG in Dragon’s Dogma. The game offered …
The Western debut of Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection is one of the most delightful surprises of the year. It’s a localisation of Zwei II, one of Nihon Falcom’s lesser-known titles and a game that, having originally released in Japan in 2008, is almost a decade old. I can’t imagine there …
When it first came out a couple of years ago, Pillars of Eternity was widely praised, and for good reason. Many a game tries to capture the magic of Infinity Engine games like Baldur’s Gate, but more often than not, it’s a superficial homage that begins and ends with an …
I have a weird relationship with tactical RPGs. I don’t dislike them as such, but most of the time when I enjoy a TRPG it’s in spite of the genre’s unique qualities, rather than because of them. I’ve played plenty and enjoyed plenty of them, but I tend to find …
RPG Maker Fes may not have the power or commercial possibilities of its PC bretheren, but it’s still a great, easy introduction to the world of game making. My first experience came with RPG Maker 95, back around the dawn of the 21st century. There was no official English release, …
Final Fantasy XII polarised fans when it came out a decade ago, but it’s undoubtedly one of the series’ best. The Zodiac Age gives it a new lease on life. When Final Fantasy XII first came out in 2006, I was one of the many people who really didn’t like …
I’d never really thought about before I heard about Drifting Lands, but RPG and shoot ‘em up are two genres that should go together really well. Take the hectic action of a shmup and layer RPG loot and progression systems on top of that, and you’ve got a fresh new …
Compile Heart is best known for its comedic, fanservice-heavy games like Hyperdimension Neptunia and Omega Quintet, but it’s known to wander down a slighter more serious paths from time to time. Dark Rose Valkyrie the latest attempt to do so, and it might be the studio’s darkest tale yet – …