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The twenty-first century ushered in a tonal shift for Japanese role-playing games. Previously, protagonists were habitually plucky and perpetually cheerful. They accepted their world-saving role without much opposition. But the tumultuous geopolitics of the new ...

Context is an oft overlooked constituent in gaming. While 2009’s The Saboteur replicated the familiar driving and destruction mechanics of the sandbox-action title, it was the colorful recreation of Nazi-occupied Paris which transformed the game ...

Base building in real-time strategy titles is often a thankless affair. With the release of Siegecraft Commander for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, developer Blowfish Studios attempts to inject the unappreciated chore with ...

For years, musou games were mocked by critics and consumers alike. Both groups viewed franchises like Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors as repetitive, tedious treks, where players button-mashed their way to victory. At certainly at ...

Quite often, Western dystopia is rendered in a very distinct manner. Outdoor settings are often sun-beached and desiccated, dotted with the rotting remnants of a once-industrious society. Whether the context is Borderlands, Homefront, or the ...

Veteran gamers might recall the industry’s puritanical era. It was a bewildering time when Nintendo tweaked RGB levels, converting Mortal Kombat’s bloodshed into a sweat-splashing romp complete with family-friendly finishing moves. Even the seemingly innocuous ...

With Guitar Hero Live making its way to bargain bins, reports of underwhelming sales of Rock Band 4, and critical and commercial indifference toward the PS4 remake of Amplitude, signs point to the rhythm game ...

The release of 1983’s Dragon’s Lair validated the game industry’s infatuation with Hollywood animation. The title, as well as 1984’s Space Ace, demonstrated that coin ops weren’t limited to pint-sized, pixelated, protagonists. Instead, both games ...

Over the past few years, Zen Studios has been converting entertainment properties into pinball form, with works like Star Wars,  South Park, and Aliens all getting their own steel-orbed interpretations. But before adapting films and ...

Last year’s Winged Sakura: Mindy’s Arc blended visual novel exposition and tower defense mechanics, forming an appealing blend of genres. With the release of Winged Sakura: Demon Civil War, the eponymous studio has created a ...