The term ‘Galápagos Syndrome’ was coined to describe an intriguing situation that emerged with Japanese mobile phones. These wondrously evolved devices were undoubtedly some of the best phones on the market. But they weren’t compatible ...
Read More »SpellForce 3: Soul Harvest review
With a trio of main iterations and multitude of expansions across a sixteen-year history, the SpellForce franchise has a robust legacy. But despite a bountiful number of outings, the real-time strategy/role-playing hybrid hasn’t truly garnered ...
Read More »Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth review
Critics and players often advocate for creative autonomy, a climate where developers can craft games with a minimal amount of audience involvement. Inversely, attentively listening to an enthusiastic fanbase can often reveal issues that studios ...
Read More »Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland review
Occasionally, games can seem like a jumble of ideas, with little sense of unity. Or perhaps, efforts like the recent release of Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland happen to blend ideas together so seamlessly, ...
Read More »Death end re;Quest PC review
There’s a multitude of games built around the hypothetical. Each offers a succinct, moderately thoughtful response to imagined scenarios like apocalyptic situations, or geopolitical predicaments. But Toshima-based Compile Heart habitually digs deeper. From Hyperdimension Neptunia’s allegory ...
Read More »Nelke & the Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World review
Few role-playing franchises are as plentiful as the Atelier series. Dating back to the 1997 release of Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg, the prolific property is comprised of eighteen successors, sixteen spin-offs, as well ...
Read More »The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel (PS4) 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 »The Caligula Effect: Overdose review
Japanese role-playing aficionados know that allegory is a frequent storytelling strategy. Whether it’s Hyperdimension Neptunia’s spirted take on game console competition or the Persona series’ ruminations about our inner psyches, there’s something rather potent about the technique. Pleasingly, ...
Read More »Death end re;Quest review
There’s a multitude of games built around the hypothetical. Each offers a succinct, moderately thoughtful response to imagined scenarios like apocalyptic situations, or geopolitical predicaments. But Toshima-based Compile Heart habitually digs deeper. From Hyperdimension Neptunia’s ...
Read More »Etrian Odyssey Nexus review
Always a Tough Act to Follow Technology is often used to automate simple tasks. It’s engineered to remove tedium, so users can focus on more interesting elements. But 2007’s Etrian Odyssey cleverly challenged this assumption. ...
Read More »