Tech-Gaming Technology, Gaming, and Culture

From appearances from the Phantom Thieves of Hearts and The Straw Hat Pirates, this week’s new releases offer much needed simulations of socialization. Beyond Persona 5 Royal and One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4, classic titles ...

With an intriguing mix of sixteen-bit style and the inclusion of Japanese folklore, Kemono Heroes is a distinctive and appealing action-platformer that can support one to four players.  Recently, NIS America acted rather uncharacteristically. Known ...

Despite a pace that periodically plods along, SeaBed’s multiple perspectives and explorations of relational complexities delivers distinction. It’s always refreshing when an upstart defies the rules of convention. And that’s exactly the case for Japanese ...

Will the Latest Entry in SEGA’s Charismatic Franchise Finally Be the One to Win Over Western Audiences?  In Japan, Sakura Wars remains a dominant property, with Oji Hiroi’s manga spurring five main games, a multitude ...

Tougher than a Four Dollar Steak ‘Trial and error’ based gameplay isn’t for everyone. For some, approaching a puzzle and attempting new techniques until a solution is found can be frustrating. If you’re the type ...

Every Great Shooter Needs a Hook Nearly all revered shoot ‘em ups have at least one signature mechanic. Defender’s bi-directionally scrolling battlefield brought area management to the genre, while Bangai-O’s incorporation of gravity and dual ...

Sure, we are all going through tough times right now, but releases like Doom Eternal, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Half-Life: Alyx are poised to raise spirits. Beyond those titles, a number of re-releases are ...

The Phantom Thieves Are Back With a slew of sequels and spin-offs across its twenty-four year legacy, the Persona series remains remarkably relevant. Much of this vitality is rooted in the franchise’s ability to balance tradition with ...

An Obstinate Undertaking Table-top games are precarious efforts, habitually offering a precarious balance of strategy, chance, and spirited rivalries. Adapting these analog efforts into digital games presents a whole new set of obstacles. It’s not ...

Roguish Fun with a Difference With attributes like procedurally generated levels, permanent death, and a steady flow of ability augmentations, the roguelike has become a dominant sub-genre. But its popularity has also cultivated a legion ...