The Blog

Ever since reading “History of the Necronomicon” years ago, I have been fascinated with H.P. Lovecraft’s stories, even though I don’t like horror. Dagon: Complete Edition is a brief glimpse at those stories, with four very short tales presented with almost null interaction, but with great voice acting and an art direction that conveys greatly the vision of this prolific New England writer.

As a huge fan of the Karate Kid franchise, I was looking forward to experiencing Street Rumble. Sadly, this beat-em up based on the first three movies from the 80s feels incomplete, most likely due to budget reasons, as the work from the developing team was mostly good but very limited.

Playing Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven for the past weeks has allowed me to experience an RPG that will remain in my collection of gaming greats, alongside giants like Xenoblade Chronicles and Final Fantasy IV. It’s a beautiful game with an ambitious story told over centuries, presented with the finest music, gorgeous locales and a truly engaging battle system. Simply put, Revenge of the Seven is pure RPG greatness.

Although not the first of its kind, the success of Persona 3 and its sequels paved the way for developers to try their hand more often at RPGs with dating elements. Eternights is the latest game to hit the Nintendo Switch that combines both elements, but to an uneven degree of success. Players will find joy in an entertaining cast, with very touching or hilarious moments, and a fun combat system, but may be displeased with its frequent sophomoric humor, dull dungeons, and confusing story.

“And it don’t take money, don’t take fame

Don’t need no credit card to ride this train

It’s strong and it’s sudden, it can be cruel sometimes

But it might just save your life

That’s the power of love”

Just like Huey Lewis and the News said it in “Back to the Future”, the power of love is a curious thing – and that’s just what Gu Yi, the main character of “Love Is All Around,” gets to experience in a very fun and extremely well-produced FMV dating sim, full of secrets, great acting, and engaging events.

Learning Japanese is probably the dream of many video game fans like me. Being able to play a game in its original language, while fully understanding all those small details and idiosyncrasies that get lost in translation, is a beautiful goal to strive for. Also, since Japanese is one of the hardest languages to learn, every little step towards our goal of fluency is vitally important. Shashingo: Learn Japanese with Photography is a game that will aid anyone with a basic understanding of Japanese to increase their vocabulary while having fun exploring small but very representative Japanese streets.

Gaming can be an intimidating hobby for newcomers, as many games expect you to be familiar with all the fundamentals of a given genre. Therefore, titles with simple mechanics become very important as they allow new players into the scene. Elrentaros Wanderings is one of those games, as it presents a very basic introduction to loot-based games, without ever getting too complicated, while also creating the basic feeling of why that genre is loved by many.

From time to time, you stumble upon a game, an experience, a story that is presented in such an impeccable and pristine way that it sticks with you for a long time. Emio: The Smiling Man is that type of rare jewel that is worth every second of your time. With brilliant storytelling, realistic characters, wonderful moments, and almost perfect presentation, Emio is a masterpiece that every person must experience.

Before the universally acclaimed Luigi’s Mansion 3, we got to experience a fantastic adventure in Dark Moon on the 3DS: a game that used to its fullest the 3D effect to create an immersive environment. Now, with a fresh coat of HD paint, the title remains as fun to explore as ever, together with a very expressive Luigi.

The Nintendo Switch has been home to great turn-based strategy games like Fire Emblem, Advance Wars, and XCOM. Joining these giants is Capes, a fantastic game with a gritty story that will keep you glued to your screen not only due to its smart and addictive gameplay, but through its unexpectedly deep and contemporary narrative.

One of the greatest elements of videogames (and life) is that a surprise may come out of nowhere and brighten your day. A 2D platformer that evoked the same emotions I felt when playing Super Mario Galaxy for the first time, Promenade is a euphonic symphony that hits all the right notes by combining accessibility, challenge, enjoyment, and never-ending creativity.

Splatoon made a splash by turning the online multiplayer shooter on its head through creating a chaotic, yet extremely strategic experience. The single player component of the Splatoon games has always been a highlight, since it takes elements from the multiplayer part and uses them in exceptionally creative and fun ways. Side Order is no exception, illustrating its theme of Chaos versus Order as a roguelite where even the smallest change can provide a completely different and entertaining challenge while climbing the Spire of Order.

Memories are precious; they help us define what to do, who we are, what we want… Another Code: Recollection brings to the Nintendo Switch two games that focus on the value of memories and that, after completion, will leave any player full of everlasting, and touching, albeit slightly poignant, feelings.

Congratulations to Team Solo on winning the Frosty Fest by completing destroying the competition (myself included as a Team Family member).

One can only wonder if Team Friends and Team Family were too busy hanging out and chilling with people while Team Solo focused on the win…

One could argue that soccer (or football outside the US) is the most popular sport in the world due to its simplicity. There is no need for special equipment, as anything kickable can be a ball and any place can be a playing field. In the case of FM24 Touch, we see a completely different side of the beautiful game through a complex and absolutely addictive management experience that will deeply satisfy fans who yearn to control every behind-the-scenes aspect of the sport.