Octopath Traveler 0 (PS5) Review
Standing before me is a psychopath playwright and his significant other who just so happens to be his leading actress in his plays. He triumphantly turns to me (the player) and announces that both he and a child have taken a poisonous elixir and the actress (the mother of the child) has only one drop of antidote. She must now choose to save the marvelous playwright or…her currently unconscious son...[Read More]
Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Review (PS5)
It’s good to see a company treat an old IP like a new one, and with so much care. This past week, ARTDINK and Square Enix released Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake for consoles, and I tell you, folks, this is one gorgeous and fun set of games. Improved in this remake are the graphics, which set a new standard for how 2D isometric games should look, as well as quality-of-life features that shou...[Read More]
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles (Nintendo Switch 2) Review
It’s been far, far too long since we have seen a Final Fantasy Tactics game. We’ve been drip-fed some tactical RPGs in the form of TRIANGLE STRATEGY and Unicorn Overlord over the past few years, but beyond that…very little. The last Valkyria Chronicles title came out in 2017. Disgaea 7 was released in January of 2023, Fire Emblem Engage one month later, and Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp a few mon...[Read More]
Triangle Strategy Review (PS5)
Way back in 2022, Will Silberman wrote a wonderful review for Triangle Strategy. It hit all the major points in Will fashion and did a great job of breaking down the ins and outs of the gameplay. In short, Will loved the game and was one of the first to identify how complex and wonderful the design of it was. Now, it’s 2025, and developer Artdink’s game has been released on the PlayStation 5, and ...[Read More]
Final Fantasy XVI Review (Xbox Series X)
Okay, Interwebs, we’re about to have an uncomfortable conversation about how you all think when it comes to console releases. Consoles will never be better than PCs. Never. Ever. People will not look at a console and say, “Wow, I wish a PC did that.” That will never happen, so you have to accept it, stop comparing it, and move on. Standards are not as high and pure as PC releases. The quicker we a...[Read More]
SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered Review
The moment after the developer and publisher credits faded after booting up SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered, a battle played out. It was in-engine. A light HUD in the lower-right corner indicated I could speed up time or pause or go to the title screen. I watched a party of mages attack a group of soldiers on a grassy field. Dialog bubbles blooped into existence. Was I controlling this? My finger hesit...[Read More]
Square Enix announces Fantasian Neo Dimension update
This is still one of the prettiest games I played in 2024. Glad that Square is keeping up with its updates, as it deserves some good love. Anyway, enjoy the official update UPDATE below. SQUARE ENIX just announced that FANTASIAN Neo Dimension, the single-player RPG from legendary game Producer Hironobu Sakaguchi and renowned Composer Nobuo Uematsu, received a new patch that provides some exciting ...[Read More]
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth (PC) Review
Up until this past month, I’ve been blissfully unaware of Final Fantasy VII’s significance in the personal sense. I’ve never played it, as I was not an original PlayStation owner. I understand its significance in the broader sense thanks to my watching Let’s Plays and such, but in no way do I have the same familiarity with Cloud Strife and Sephiroth as many other players. To that end, I don’t own ...[Read More]
Fantasian Neo Dimension Review (PS5)
Have I missed RPGs over the years? Like, were there ever this many in a single year? I feel like 2024 has been the year of MMORPGs and turn-based RPGs. We have had a lot of them and reviewed most of them. Anyway, maybe I’m just getting old and don’t remember previous years like this. Maybe all those E3 trips had my brain store away a bevy of RPGs that I came in contact with. Who knows? Who cares? ...[Read More]
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Review (PS5)
Part of me is praying that SEGA will wake up one day and get a bee in their bonnet to remake Phantasy Star I-IV. I will then know that it is end times and nothing in life could improve. Anyway, the dream lives on, so Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake must do. And don’t mistake that last sentence as disappointment, not in the least. The last few weeks that I have had the pleasure of playing DQIII HD-2D...[Read More]
Deck Nine and Hannah Telle Talk Life is Strange: Double Exposure
Last month Life is Strange: Double Exposure released, continuing the story of Max Caulfield, a girl with the ability to manipulate time. When Life is Strange first debuted in early 2015, developer Dontnod Entertainment used the popular episodic narrative structure to provide players with a different kind of story. Max was a normal high school girl going through the tumultuous period of growing up....[Read More]
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth gets a PlayStation 5 Pro update
Well, that’s pretty. Alongside the launch of PlayStation 5 Pro, FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH has received a brand new update which brings several improvements and additions, including the new Versatility Mode, for players on the brand-new console. One of the most acclaimed FINAL FANTASY games of the century and recipient of over 110 perfect review scores, FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH is PS5 Pro En...[Read More]