Having developed the acclaimed Atelier, Ar Tonelico, and Ciel Nosurge series, Nagano-based Gust seemed to find contentment in the creation of turn-based role-playing games. As such, the release of Nights of Azure (Yoru no Nai ...
Read More »Yomawari: Midnight Shadows review
Growing up in the U.S., I was habitual visitor of haunted house attractions. But, after inching my way through dozens of these scare shacks, I was able to distinguish a formula. Moments of calm frequently ...
Read More »Raiden V: Director’s Cut review
In the shoot-‘em-up pantheon, every prodigious title has a distinguishing play mechanic. R-Type is built around a fascinating risk/reward where players can augment their offensive output by abstaining from fire, accumulating energy in their wave ...
Read More »Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle review
Pugnaciousness doesn’t have to rooted in quarter-circles and z-motions. While the finger gymnastics required by the Street Fighter, Guilty Gear and BlazBlue franchises are an apt substitute for conveying martial art mastery, they’re not the ...
Read More »Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online review
Amidst most of the twentieth century, the term, ‘simulacra’ typically implied inferiority. A painting based on a photograph was separated from its source material by two degrees, and subsequently would lose some of its essence ...
Read More »Pinball FX 3 review
Although originally released seven years ago, Pinball FX 2 might not seem to be in dire need of a sequel. Certainly, the need for a follow-up has been quelled by Zen Studio’s commitment to the ...
Read More »Splasher review
What is the concept? Like any prodigious platformer, Splasher is elevated by tautness and nuance during navigation. Control of your purple-haired, hooded protagonist is precise, permitting players to execute the springs required to leapfrog across ...
Read More »Blue Reflection review
Since 1997, Gust has crafted eighteen entries in the acclaimed Atelier franchise. Almost all of them have focused on a young women’s journey toward self-actualization, as she grows from kind-spirited klutz to an accomplished alchemist ...
Read More »Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash review
Much like artists like Peter Paul Rubens, Francisco Goya, and Édouard Manet, Senran Kagura creator Kenichirō Takaki is obsessed with the female form. But unlike the painters of yesteryear, Takaki-san’s canvas is a console connected ...
Read More »Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony review
In one of Hollywood’s best meta-analyses, Scream 2 explained the difficulties of crafting a slasher film sequels. Identifying larger body counts, more elaborate and gruesome death scenes, and the apparent immortality of the franchise’s bad ...
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