While Nippon Ichi has enjoyed sustained success with the Disgaea franchise, the Gifu-based publisher/developer has often struggled to cultivate another hit. Sure, Spike Chunsoft’s Danganronpa games has earned critical and commercial acclaim and NIS America gradually nurtured stateside appreciation ...
Read More »The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth review
Rogue-likes typically task us with delving into dangerous dungeons filled with enraged foes and just enough assistive loot to sustain the whole expedition. Undoubtedly, 2011’s The Binding of Isaac challenged the blueprint. Although the action-based ...
Read More »Valkyria Chronicles Remastered review
Remasters are marketed as definitive editions that harness the power of newer hardware. But all too often, they’re disappointingly slapdash ports intended to do little more than pad a publisher’s coffers. From the Jak and ...
Read More »New Game Releases: May 12th-18th, 2016
Remasters, re-makes, and returns of beloved properties continue to dominate this week’s schedule of new game releases. With familiar titles like Doom, Homefront: The Revolution, Valkyria Chronicles Remastered, Wild Arms 3, and The Legend of ...
Read More »MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies review
2011’s Hyperdimension Neptunia offered an allegorical battle between four anthropomorphized consoles, who fought to become the reigning goddess of a realm called Gamindustri. The franchise mushroomed in popularity, spurring a secession of sequels, remakes, and ...
Read More »Aliens vs. Pinball review
Few cinematic monsters are as fearsome as H. R. Giger’s Alien. Originally conceived for Ridley Scott’s eponymous film, the creature was a nightmarish amalgam of snake and skeleton, outfitted with lethal claws and a dagger-like ...
Read More »Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse (PS4) review
WayForward Technologies has often been the redeemer of the licensed game, offering impressive interpretations of film and television tie-ins, as demonstrated by Thor: God of Thunder, Aliens Infestation, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold ...
Read More »Early Access with Avalon Lords: Dawn Rises
Ever since Microsoft bought and subsequently dismantled Ensemble Studios, there’s been a cavernous hole in the heart of many real-time strategy aficionados. Sure, for combat-centered maneuvers, StarCraft II is an indispensable title, but for those ...
Read More »New Game Releases: May 5th-11th, 2016
With appearances from notables like Nathan Drake to Bald Bull, this week’s schedule of new releases offers a number of famous faces. But beyond Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and an eShop offering of Super ...
Read More »Ray Gigant review
In Outliers, author Malcolm Gladwell popularized the 10,000 Hour Rule, which suggests that expertise emerges from “determined practice”- a system that continually pushes a skill set as much as possible. Gladwell’s attributes the success of ...
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