25 Sep 2017
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Review: Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony

Dude, Not Funny The envelope of comedy can cover a massive range of themes and styles. In everything from satire to screwball, the end goal is to present a topic in a way that makes an audience laugh. Of course, what people find funny is subjective – I love stand-up comedy, while my roommate finds
21 Sep 2017
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Review: Mary Skelter: Nightmares

Cashing In Desire The idea of the “obligatory sex scene” is a fairly well-known one in the realm of film. Sex sells, after all, which means Hollywood is apt to include a few moments of the hero and heroine gettin’ it on if it will help get more people into theaters, even if the scene
20 Sep 2017
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Review: Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth

This week, I return to the charming Ainu fantasy world of Utawarerumono for Mask of Truth, the follow-up to Mask of Deception, which I reviewed back in June. Have caution, as this review will contain spoilers from the previous title. Foreword This review is very late—partly because it’s the final game in my backlog and partly because I
17 Sep 2017
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Review: Warriors All-Stars

Copy and Paste When designing a game, out of the slew of decisions you have to make, one of the most basic comes at the very beginning: do you create something brand new, or stick to a proven formula? The former comes with a lot of risk. Creating something new means relying on your own
11 Sep 2017
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PAX West 2017 Quick-Look: Middle-Earth: Shadow of War

When I’m out at gaming conventions, I usually tend to spend my time amongst the indie booths and displays from small studios. It’s usually the best way to play more games – everyone else is waiting in the two-hour-long lines at the AAA booths, leaving little-to-no wait elsewhere. While my gaming tastes usually lend well
10 Sep 2017
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PAX West 2017 Quick-Look: Legrand Legacy

“A love letter to gaming’s past.” Various permutations of that phrase pop up when a developer is purposely trying to create a “retro” style title, said either by the developer itself or us journalists writing about them. In the case of indie studios, “gaming’s past” often seems to refer to one thing: the 8- or
7 Sep 2017
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PAX West 2017 Quick-Look: Necrobarista

Narrative-driven adventure games or visual novels don’t tend to be very common on the floor of a gaming convention. A lengthy story doesn’t lend itself to a short demo, after all, and the general masses are more likely to be attracted to the shooty-jumpy-actiony game that gives you a full experience in five minutes. However,
5 Sep 2017
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PAX West 2017 Quick-Look: Square Enix

The flood of game creators and fans is beginning to subside at the Washington State Convention Center here in Seattle as this year’s PAX West conference comes to a close. Both Fusionx and myself were in attendance this year, and we thought the best way to kick off the conference would be to meet up
3 Sep 2017
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Review: White Day: A Labyrinth Named School

This week (after an unfortunate delay), I got some alone time with White Day: A Labyrinth Named School. I’m a big fan of the horror genre, so it surprised me to learn that this cult classic from South Korean developer Sonnori had eluded me for so long despite being resurrected several times since its original release
2 Sep 2017
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Review: Ys Seven [PC]

Ys Seven is the seventh game in the popular Ys franchise, released for the PSP back in 2010. Why am I reviewing a seven year old game? Because I haven’t played it before and nobody says I can’t, that’s why! …oh, and there’s a new PC release with enhanced graphics out now on Steam.
31 Aug 2017
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Review: Yakuza Kiwami

Flashback To The (Future)Past  I’ll be completely honest here: the original Yakuza totally flew under my radar when it was released on the PS2 in 2006, and I start to regret that the more I sink my teeth into the recent revitalization of the beginning of the franchise. I found myself picking up Yakuza 0 earlier this
30 Aug 2017
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Review: Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana

Everyone Wants a Taste Releasing games internationally can be complicated. Dealing with music rights, different ratings systems, and occasionally having to alter the game to make it “acceptable” for the market it’s being released in, there’s quite a lot of work that can go into releasing across borders.
25 Aug 2017
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Secret of Mana 3D Remake Announced

  Square Enix announced today that Secret of Mana will be getting a full 3D remake that will drop next year on February 15th. Originally released in 1993, the game will see upgraded gameplay and a newly arranged score. The game will be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Steam. Those who pre-order will
24 Aug 2017
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FFXV Getting Assassin’s Creed Event

  Yes, you read the title right! From August 31 to January 31, players will be able to participate in the Assassin’s Festival in Lestallum. The special event will feature some of the core mechanics from the Assassin’s Creed series as you can see in the trailer above. Special Assassin costumes will also be available,
22 Aug 2017
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Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition Announced

  Today, Square Enix announced that a new Final Fantasy XV title will be coming to iOS, Android, and Windows 10 devices later this year. FFXV Pocket Edition will feature the same story as the console (and soon to be PC) version of the game with an art-style more suited for mobile devices. The game
22 Aug 2017
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Final Fantasy XV Coming to Windows Next Year

  Square Enix has announced that they’ll be releasing Final Fantasy XV next year on Windows.  The game will utilize quite a bit of Nvidia tech including Flow, Hairworks, ShadowWorks, Turf Effects and VXAO. There will also be support for Nvidia Ansel and ShadowPlay Highlights. The PC version will also be compatible with native 4K
22 Aug 2017
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Review: Masquerada: Songs and Shadows

The Need to Interact Video games have never really been known as a story-telling medium…but that doesn’t stop writers from trying. We have gotten some truly excellent stories in the game format. However, there is one tiny snag that writers may hit when attempting to develop a story-forward game: the need (or desire) for gameplay.
18 Aug 2017
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Dissidia Final Fantasy NT Launches January 30th

  Square Enix has announced that Dissidia Final Fantasy NT will be released on the PlayStation 4 on January 30th next year. There’s an Ultimate Collector’s Edition available through the Square Enix Online Store for $189.99 that includes a Warrior of Light bust, a 15 piece soundtrack, an 80 page artbook, a special steelbook case
15 Aug 2017
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Review: Original Journey

Hand Drawn Roots As game graphics become more and more advanced, we’re seeing a growing trend in games attempting to differentiate themselves in ways other than having the most realistic high resolution graphics possible. We’ve seen a rise in retro-style pixel art, amazing works experimenting with the use of color or black & white, and
9 Aug 2017
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Review: The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel [PC]

Leave the Work to Others If you ask what the best gaming machine currently around is, you’re bound to hear many many people reply with “PC.” What was once the home of tech hobbyists and niche gamers just a touch over a decade ago is now seen as the premier mainstream gaming system. With game-capable