4 months ago
0

Review: Granblue Fantasy Versus: Rising

Granblue Fantasy is a mobile browser-based gacha JRPG that has probably already provoked some reactions in you just by placing those words adjacent to one another. What is slightly more surprising, however, is that this is a game that has been running since 2014 with a dedicated fanbase and a design ethos that has even
4 months ago
1

Hands-on with Final Fantasy XVI Echoes of the Fallen DLC

Last week, Square Enix surprised us not only with a trailer for the two pieces of DLC announced at PAX West earlier this year, but also released the first of them the same day! Echoes of the Fallen is the first of two pieces of DLC for Final Fantasy XVI and takes players to the
4 months ago
0

Review: A Highland Song

Out of all of the (probably too many at this point) games that I play, there are two genres that I always get excited for: rhythm games, and games that draw emotions out of my cold dead heart. One is a fun way to jam out to great music while testing my button pressings skills,
4 months ago
0

Review: KarmaZoo

As I’ve spent the past several years as a reviewer, I’ve increasingly grown to think of games as broadly belonging to one of two categories. The first category are games that basically wear their hearts on their sleeves. Within the first half-hour you have seen most of the game’s core loop and ideas, and you
4 months ago
0

Review: Turok 3: Shadow of Oblivion

Way back in the late 90s, I had many a fond memory of playing Turok 1 and 2 on my N64. Naturally when they were remastered I had to pick them up, but I never did play Turok 3. Now it’s finally getting a remaster of it’s own, and it was finally time to see what I had been missing all these years.
4 months ago
0

Review: Of Blades & Tails

There are a few types of games that will always grab my attention. Old-school CRPGs, games with retro aesthetics, stories with cute critters embarking on fantasy adventures… so it was inevitable that I’d take a look at Of Blades and Tails. Developed by Felix Laukel and published by Pineapple Works, Of Blades and Tails promised tactical turn-based action and exploration, but I just had to ready my sword, dust off my armor and see for myself how it held up.
4 months ago
0

Hardware Review: Nacon RIG 900 MAX HX Gaming Headset

Not too long ago, I covered a then-recently released RIG headset, the 600 PRO HS. One of the cheaper items in the product line, it was pretty good, but a step back from some of their past models. Now, as we approach the holidays, I had the opportunity to look at Nacon’s highest end headset:
4 months ago
1

Review: Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Like many folks in the fandom, the arrival of Yakuza 6: The Song of Life seemed to signal the end of the story arc for one Kazuma Kiryu. Since then, the franchise as a whole has been far from dormant. We were introduced to Ichiban Kasuga in Yakuza: Like a Dragon in the main series.
4 months ago
2

Review: The Last Faith

Nothing beats getting stuck into a great metroidvania. The non-linear exploration, the progression of new abilities, challenging boss fights—when prepared properly, all of these elements confect one of gaming’s most satisfying, addicting experiences. The appreciation I have for this genre is on my mind with every metroidvania I play, but it’s especially true for those
4 months ago
0

Review: Yohane the Parhelion: BLAZE in the DEEPBLUE

There is a recurring theme for me in taking reviews for games that are spinoffs of series I know nothing about. Yohane the Parhelion: BLAZE in the DEEPBLUE, aside from having the probably most overwritten title I will see all year in my review queue (it has very little time left in the year to
5 months ago
0

Review: Astral Ascent

So, hey, that game Hades is pretty good, huh? Like, everyone liked it. Don’t pretend you don’t know that’s why we have a nice big rush of games that are cashing in on the whole roguelike thing. You know it, I know it, a variety of stray cats know it. And most of them are…
5 months ago
0

Review: This Bed We Made

Does anyone remember playing those old Nancy Drew mystery games for Windows? The thrill of solving a mystery? The daunting task of investigating suspects and poking around for clues? I used to *love* them and have to admit that I end up comparing every mystery game I play to them in some way or another. However,
5 months ago
1

Review: Roboquest

Sometimes my reviews require a fair number of caveats. That’s just good practice, in my mind. It’s a good thing to make it clear if you are predisposed to not particularly like a game or predisposed to like it, that sets out a baseline. If I say that I wasn’t really inclined to like something
5 months ago
0

Review: Jusant

A couple months have gone by since I had the opportunity to preview Jusant, the latest release from developer Don’t Nod. The demo wasn’t a complete homerun, particularly when it came to the more straightforward elements of its storytelling, but I left the experience heavily enticed by the game’s beat-by-beat climbing gameplay and unique atmosphere.
5 months ago
0

Review: Hello Kitty and Friends Happiness Parade

Sanrio is a company that, in many respects, requires no introduction. You would be hard pressed to find someone who didn’t at least have vague knowledge of the existence of Hello Kitty, the company’s most popular marketing mascot. This goes double if said person was around throughout the 1990s, when the character had a particular
5 months ago
0

Review: Gordian Quest

There was a time – and I remember it quite well – when not every single type of game got stapled to an RPG. I don’t even feel like it was all that long ago. It’s not as if no one loved RPGs or anything, but it was a reality that it was something of
5 months ago
0

Review: World of Horror

World of Horror is something I honestly had thought was already out. I have a number of friends really into horror, and I heard nothing but good things about it back when it first entered early access. Surely this was an already finished game, I thought. Apparently despite how good it already was, there were still more the team wanted to add. Now I had a chance to sit down with the finished product and see if it was really worth all the hype.
5 months ago
0

Review: The Jackbox Party Pack 10

It’s hard to deny the equalizing factor of the Jackbox Party Pack series. Regardless of the personalities of those present or overall friend dynamic, the games typically always feature some neat gimmicks that allow for just enough input to foster player creativity and generate a plethora of inside jokes. And infusing alcohol in the mix?
5 months ago
0

Review: Hellboy: Web of Wyrd

If you ask gamers of a certain age about content based on comic book properties, you’re probably going to get a mixed reaction. That reaction is justified because of who might be holding onto the IP to make it into a game. This might sound strange given that the latest sequel to Insomniac’s Spider-Man (which
5 months ago
0

Review: Final Fantasy XIV Patch 6.5 Growing Light

We’re moving away from the narrative that has taken up the 6.x patch cycle of Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker! Patch 6.5, Growing Light wraps up our time in the void as we get our first, strong hints of what we can expect in Dawntrail. We have four reviewers, five categories, and a maximum score of