(s) Archive
2024-12-29
Aleks Franiczek The original NES/Famicom version of Dragon Quest III is such a legendary game that I decided itās the version I would spin for this podcast. To ground myself in historical context, I also dabbled in the original versions of its two predecessors beforehand. This turned out to be a good move for appreciatingā¦ Read More »
2024-12-22
RPGs are winning big at game award shows in 2024. Letās first take a second to bask in this. The first major showing was the Golden Joystick Awards, hosted by the ever-charismatic Ben Starr (you know him as Clive Rosfield fromĀ Final Fantasy XVI). These fan-voted winners included multiple nods for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth,Ā including storytelling,ā¦ Read More »
Jono Logan Do you remember the experience that solidified your love of video games? For me, it was The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past on the Super Nintendo. When released in the early days of the SNES, it exemplified everything this new generation of 16-bit gaming could be. Building on everything foundā¦ Read More »
2024-12-17
I think I might say this every year, but 2024 sure has been a great year for RPGs, hasn’t it? Sure, a few games have dominated the conversation, but there is just so much quality, depth and breadth throughout the genre that I truly do think it might be one of the best years fromā¦ Read More »
Here we have some remasters that this author might be chomping at the bit to play, new entries in some long-running franchises, and some indie releases we’re chomping at the bit to play. We also have a couple of late bonus entries that we just had to include! Monster Hunter Wilds (February 28th) Writeup byā¦ Read More »
We’re on to part 2! There are plenty of excellent remasters here, an early game that might have been in Games of the Year if the full one wasn’t releasing next year, and at least one game in a long running franchise that is so unbelievable that it’s downright perfect. Fable Writeup by Aleks Franiczekā¦ Read More »
2024-12-15
āIf we lived forever, maybe we’d have time to understand things. But as it is, I think the best we can do is try to open our eyes and appreciate how strange and brief all of this is.ā – Edith Finch Warning: This article spoils the heck out of this game. Want some spoiler-free coverage?ā¦ Read More »
2024-11-06
Slay the Spire needs no introduction. The first deckbuilder super success, Mega Crit took the indie sceneāand mainstream audiencesāon a stat- and card-infused journey through odd, twisting caverns, and even stranger enemies. Of course, cards werenāt invented on computers. So, rather than taking something traditionally held in peopleās hands and implementing it into software, Megaā¦ Read More »
2024-11-02
Campaign Ends: November 7thPlatform: Windows, macOS, and Linux. Stretch goals may add a Switch port, per Nintendo’s approval. Nightmare scenario: you enroll in a prestigious new school, ready for a fresh start with exciting academic subjects that you know absolutely nothing about when a hideous mix-up forces you into the role of the school principal.ā¦ Read More »
2024-10-29
Michael Sollosi This is awkward. I’ve been a vocal disdainer of Kingdom Hearts video games for over 20 years, and my feelings on the series didn’t change much when I finally finished the first one in early 2019. But now I’ve played a second Kingdom Hearts game, and it’s good. I approached Kingdom Hearts IIā¦ Read More »
2024-10-25
Character design is something I’ve been particularly interested in since I started gaming. I’m always fascinated to see concept art from various stages of development to get an idea of how a particular character’s appearance evolves over time. If a game I love has an art book, you might as well take my money now!ā¦ Read More »
2024-10-16
At the end of this month, Square Enix will publish a full-scale remake of a classic SaGa title, Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven. Alongside our hands-on preview based on the available demo, which gave fans a glimpse of what this remake offers, we had the opportunity to present questions to Shinichi Tatsuke, whoā¦ Read More »
2024-09-28
Beware! This article contains spoilers for NieR: Automata. This August, I had the pleasure of attending and presenting at Replaying Japan, an academic conference bringing together Japanese and non-Japanese scholars to share research related to Japanese games and the culture surrounding them. This yearās conference took place at the University at Buffalo, SUNY (North Campus)ā¦ Read More »
2024-09-24
Whenever a new Metroidvania with RPG elements is announced, I do a little happy dance in my imagination.
2024-09-18
[Note: This feature is intentionally spoiler-heavy, and assumes cursory knowledge of the DrakenNieR universe. This article aims to give players who missed their chance to play NieR Re[in]carnation a synopsis of the game’s three story arcs.] In 2021, live service mobile game NieR Re[in]carnation launched to mixed reviews. The ensemble cast approach and setting whichā¦ Read More »
2024-09-06
Audra Bowling I still have fond memories of my first Dragon Age: Inquisition playthrough, so I was thrilled when the opportunity to revisit the game right before the looming release date for Dragon Age: The Veilguard presented itself. Iāll always have a nostalgic soft spot for BioWare games, and I am pleasantly surprised to findā¦ Read More »
2024-09-04
I may likely qualify as a Final Fantasy fanboy. The first console games I played are from the series, and Iād list a couple as my favourite games of all time. I must admit, somewhat controversially, that I havenāt ever completed (or in some cases played at all) Final Fantasy I through VI. I knowā¦ Read More »
2024-08-28
As part of the Atlus event where we got to play a large portion of Metaphor: ReFantazio (don’t miss my preview of the first four hours with the game!), we also got to participate in a question-and-answer session with a few of the developers. Producer Junichi Yoshizawa, Lead Scenario Planner Yuichiro Tanaka, Lead Daily Systemsā¦ Read More »
2024-08-26
Some heroes go unsung. Masashi Hamauzu stands as a stark example of this. Heās composed part or all of manyĀ Final FantasyĀ soundtracks you love (most notablyĀ X,Ā XIII, and theĀ Final Fantasy VII remake project). Sadly, these contributions become overshadowed by the star power of Uematsu, Soken, and Shimomura. Hamauzu provided a potent reminder of his legacy with anā¦ Read More »
2024-08-23
Mental Health Awareness Month occurs in May, and wow did it pass quickly this year. It hardly seems like enough time for a topic so vital for so many. Beyond this, addressing mental health need not be limited to a specific month, especially when we as a society sorely need to shift our view andā¦ Read More »
2024-08-10
A Message From the Stars I must have been sleeping onĀ AllPlayĀ pre-pandemic, or theyāve just grown tremendously since then. Initially a luxury board game table developer, AllPlay has leaned heavily into publishing board games that they describe as āapproachable and easy to learn,ā which I agree with, except for our first title:Ā A Message From the Stars.ā¦ Read More »
Do you enjoy tea? What about escape rooms? Interested in the logistics of actually manufacturing a game? What about LGBT non-profits and queer friends who play and make games? Origins has all of that and more. Tea Punk Teas In years past when weāve covered Origins, we discussed the odd and novel businesses surrounding soapsā¦ Read More »
Origins is so much more than just board gaming with strangers and buying the latest and greatest. You can meet your favorite designers and chat with them! Imagine going to ye olde E3 and having a chance to talk with Hideo Kojima or Shigeru Miyamoto. With a wealth of guests and board gaming celebrities toā¦ Read More »
Iām a medium-to-heavy board gamer. I donāt turn my nose up at any game, but if I had my way, Iād be chompinā on an intense, complex, multi-hour battle for first place. That said, short, snappy games have their place, especially depending on who I have over. 5-Minute Dungeon contributes nicely to a shorter experience,ā¦ Read More »
Origins Game Fair, as suggested in our feature last year, seems to be undergoing some changes. If youāre an Essen or GenCon attendee, you might not know what Iām referencing, as these conventions seem to have bounced back to normal since the pandemic, per my conversations with others this year. The ābig boysāāCGE, Rio Grande,ā¦ Read More »
