Not long after the turn of the millennium, a prominent site referred to Digimon as the “poor man’s Pokémon”. As a follower of the anime and game franchise, I found this remark to be painfully ...
Read More »Atelier Escha & Logy Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky
As successful game series spawn sequels, the push toward conceptual innovation becomes stronger. But one of the tragedies born of this ambition happens when imprudent mechanics are shoe-horned in to offset stagnation. Too often, these ...
Read More »The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel review
Only a few years ago, the console role-playing game seemed to be in peril, its existence whittled down to a few decisive hit points. Pundits predicted that a combination of escalating production prices, dwindling audiences, ...
Read More »Earth Defense Force 2: Invaders from Planet Space
It may come as a surprise to some, but the Earth Defense Force series didn’t actually start with the Xbox 360 cult-classic, Earth Defense Force 2017. In truth, 2017 was the third main-line EDF game from ...
Read More »Dynasty Warriors 8 Empires (Vita) review
There’s a good reason why interactive interpretations of Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms have been largely confined to consoles: portables struggle to deliver Dynasty Warriors’ frenzied action. While sedentary systems have the power ...
Read More »Superbeat: Xonic review
Lately, portables have received a steady stream of rhythm games, between Hatsune Miku’s trio of titles and Rise Kujikawa’s return to the entertainment world in Persona 4: Dancing All Night. PS Vita owners can add ...
Read More »The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC review
The modern Japanese role-playing dazzles the eyes and ears with sumptuous visuals and stirring, symphonic soundtracks, but it can often leave the heart feeling a bit empty. As such, it’s not surprisingly that there’s a ...
Read More »Norn9: Var Commons review
If the otome emerges as a successful sub-genre in Western media, at least some credit must be given to Aksys Games. From a trio of releases in the Hakuoki series across the PSP, PlayStation, and ...
Read More »Code: Realize Guardian of Rebirth review
Not long from now, the last PS Vita will roll off of the production line, signifying the inevitable end for Sony’s handheld. Undoubtedly, the device will leave a contentious legacy. Many will lament Ken Levine’s ...
Read More »Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax review
Skepticism toward a fighting game with characters culled from other genres and mediums is perfectly natural. For every praiseworthy effort like Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, there seems to be an equal number of mediocre cash-ins ...
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