Sony

For some, the Japanese role-playing game has lost some of its luster, with critics claiming that contemporary titles use formulaic plotlines to goad gamers into action. But that claim could hardly be leveled at 2011’s ...

Robert’s Take: Over the last few years, development teams have embraced the potpourri method of game design, combining an assortment of familiar genres together in an effort to create a distinctive new experience. But much ...

While progressive representations of female characters remains a stumbling block for the game industry, few emphasize the handful of exemplary efforts. In the genre of the Japanese role-playing game, Gust’s Atelier franchise has long been ...

Not long ago, the shooter was one of the most visceral and engaging genres around, consistently delivering frantic firefights that outmatched the best summer blockbusters. But over time, those once-invigorating action sequences began to lose ...

After over two years, the BlazBlue series has finally returned. BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma (or BB:CP for short) is the latest in Arc System Works’ excellent 2-D fighting game franchise. Released just a few short months ...

Not long ago, it was nearly impossible for Westerners to play a localized visual novel. As former Nippon Ichi Software president (and now CEO of Idea Factory International) Haru Akenaga once explained, SCEA wasn’t interested ...

The on-rail shooter genre is a particularly contentious genre. While some take pleasure in the adrenaline rush derived by using potent weaponry to plow through processions of angry foes, others have little patience for linear ...

Although Nippon Ichi’s internally developed titles span a wide swath of genres, they habitually abide by one near-universal principal. While seemingly simple on the surface, each game conceals an enormous amount of intricacy. The latest ...

While online gaming forums might be fueled by contention, there’s one premise that almost all players maintain: our games have become dramatically easier over the years. Whereas failure could once be measured by the rapid ...

Pundits who claim that the plotlines of Japanese role-playing games have atrophied into a puddle of tired tropes likely overlooked 2010’s Hyperdimension Neptunia and its two sequels- subtitled Mk2 and Victory. Throughout the imaginative franchise, ...