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 ...
Read More »Mugen Souls Z Review
Undoubtedly, 2012’s Mugen Souls had its share of problems, burdened by longwinded dialog sequences, an abysmal framerate, and a battle system laden with convoluted mechanics which rarely enhanced the role-playing experience. But look past these ...
Read More »Bound by Flame Review
Most studios with a twenty-person team wouldn’t dare to tackle the type of expansive role-playing experiences offered by gargantuan developers such as BioWare, Bethesda Softworks, and Blizzard Entertainment. Yet, Paris-based Spiders has never seemed to ...
Read More »Child of Light Review
When franchises such as Final Fantasy, Phantasy Star, Suikoden, Grandia, and Lunar became embraced by global audiences amidst the 1990s, many believed that these engaging JRPG experiences would influence the output of North American and ...
Read More »Star Wars Pinball: Heroes Within Pack Review
In 2008, Zen Studios released Pinball FX, a prodigious title which strove to adapt the nuances of the cherished pastime into video form. While most critics praised the game’s ball physics and online functionality, many ...
Read More »Ragnarok Odyssey ACE Review
When the original Ragnarok Odyssey was released in October of 2012, the PS Vita’s library lacked a Monster Hunter-esque game. Now that consummate contenders such as Soul Sacrifice and Toukiden: The Age of Demons have ...
Read More »Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition
“It is a general truism of this world that anything long divided will surely unite, and anything long united will surely divide.” The opening lines of Luo Guanzhong’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms encapsulate not ...
Read More »The Witch and the Hundred Knight Review
While Nippon Ichi Software has found continued success in the strategy role-playing stylings of the Disgaea franchise, the company has persistently tried to broaden their output. From a pair of Prinny-lead platformers as well as ...
Read More »Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z Review
A decade after its release, Ninja Gaiden remains the quintessential reimagining. Transforming the eight-bit platformer into a hyperkinetic hurricane of violence, weapon-based combat, and nimble ninjutsu, director Tomonobu Itagaki established many of the tenets of ...
Read More »Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky Review
As successful game series spawn sequels, the push toward conceptual innovation becomes stronger. But one of the tragedies of this ambition is when imprudent mechanics are shoe-horned in to offset stagnation. Too often, these ill-developed ...
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