The idea of visual novels in virtual reality has always intrigued me. Taking a genre mostly made up of 2D sprites and massive amounts of text, and turning it into an immersive experience that actually allows one to interact with the characters and the story around them. I had my first taste of this a
It’s always interesting to look back at a long running series and see how its changed through the years. Final Fantasy going from turn-based fighting to its “Active Time Battle” style, now experimenting with real-time nowadays. The Tales series taking the same basic battle engine and putting new spins on it with each new entry.
When the original Atelier Ryza launched in the west a little over a year ago, it brought a few changes to the well-established series beloved by fans. With a more action-focused battle system, simplified alchemy systems, a stronger focus on plot, and a touch more fanservice than usual, Ryza went on to be one of
It has arrived: the end of the year. A year that felt simultaneously gone in a flash yet unbearably long. It sure has been an…interesting…start to a new decade. In gaming, though, the year has been crazy. A brand new console generation has begun, and people are still struggling to be a part of it,
For most people, the controller that comes packed in with their gaming console is all they will ever need. After all, it’s the controller a console is built to work with – why would they need anything but the standard? But for some, they want more out of their controller. More buttons, customization options, a
What we have here today is a game that is purposely difficult. One that straight up tells you that it’s difficult when you select a new game. Combat is methodical, relying on reading your enemy. Healing is done by resting at bonfires found throughout the world.
When a game you create suddenly strikes it big and gains a sizeable following, what do you do next? Do you continue to produce content for it? Do you create a direct sequel, or another game in the same style? Or do you go in a completely different direction and make something else entirely?
If there’s one piece of gaming kit that I’m willing to drop stacks of cash on, it’s a quality headset. I’m no audiophile, but sound quality in games and music is still incredibly important to me…perhaps due to my background in music and radio.
I’ve spoken much in past reviews about how games in long-running genres or popular series need to do something unique to stand out. Put a twist on a formula, introduce some new mechanics, something to keep fans coming back entry after entry. Admittedly, that’s a personal preference. Some gamers prefer to stay in their comfort
Sekai Project is one of the more well-known translators and published in the past decade’s uprising of visual novels in the west, along with a number of Japanese indie games from other genres. Until recently, though, most of the company’s projects had been focused mostly on PC.
Oddworld – a relatively popular franchise that was pumping out relatively well-received games in the late 90s and early 00s. A franchise that I’d never really had any experience with, but seemed to have some decent popularity in the gaming sphere.
What kind of creatures would drive you to the brink of insanity? Giant squids the size of a house? Cthulhu itself rising from the depths to break your mind? A housecat whose piercing gaze cuts through to your very soul? According to a team of indie developers, none of the above. Rather, they envision a
To kick off this year’s Tokyo Game Show, indie publisher Playism held their own press conference to showcase all of the games they’re publishing as we enter the next generation. Here’s everything that was shown in the two-and-a-half-hour long event. Bright Memory and Bright Memory: Infinite Bright Memory, the impressive indie FPS known for being
I’m a huge fan of incredibly dense, complex stories. Ones that require active thinking from the reader to keep track of them, as they weave multiple narratives together. Ones that keep me thinking of them long after I’ve put down the book or controller, putting pieces of it together in my head.
Which flavor do you like your strategy game in? Do you lean on the turn-based side, with the Fire Emblems and Disgaeas of the world? Or perhaps you like something a bit more…active? In that case, you’re probably diving into the real-time strategy (RTS) pool, with the Starcrafts and Warcrafts and what have you. It’s
There are some creators where one just knows exactly what kind of game they’re going to get from them. Kenichiro Takaki is one of those creators. If Takaki’s name is attached to a project, one can typically expect…well, lots of fanservice. Fanservice that crosses so far over the line of “offensive” that it wraps right
Video games are finally becoming an accepted format to tell involved, intimate, and personal stories. At least, it seems that way to me. What was once the exclusive realm of film and literature appears to finally be normalized in the gaming medium, which has long been questioned on artistic merit (and whether it has any).
THQ Nordic has made a name for itself in recent times for reviving and remaking cult classic games and franchises. From reviving the Darksiders franchise to working on remakes of SpongeBob SquarePants: Battle for Bikini Bottom and Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning, this studio seems determined to bring oft long forgotten titles back into the modern
The Rock of Ages franchise is already a pretty creative mashup. Blending Super Monkey Ball-esque action and tower defense, it’s hard not to use the work “unique” when describing it.
Have you ever watched a horror movie and found yourself rooting for the murderer/stalker/creature killing all of the main characters? Perhaps the characters you’re “supposed” to cheer on are all unlikable…or maybe you just enjoy watching buckets of blood being poured on your screen. Well then boy howdy do I have the game for you!
