February2024
Sweet little mystery dungeon
It’s nearly guaranteed that during any online discussion about a game of the ‘rogue’ genre, at least one sweaty person will eagerly emerge from the woodwork to say, “Well, ackshually, this game is a roguelite, not a roguelike.” Eyerolls aside, the distinction isn’t without merit, though ‘pure’ roguelikes...
September2023
Review ANONYMOUS;CODE (Switch) - A Spellbinding Sci-Fi Visual Novel In A Flashy Package
A game worth saving (and loading)
For much of the time that Science Adventure fans have known of its existence, Anonymous;Code has been more of a waiting game than, well, an actual game. First announced all the way back in 2016, this sci-fi-heavy visual novel was smacked with delay after delay until it finally saw a Japanese-exclusive release on...
June2023
So mysteriful
Following up on the Danganronpa series was always going to be a tricky proposition. With its deceptively simple 'Killing Game' premise, its huge cast of eclectic characters, and its often overwhelmingly macabre atmosphere, it’s no wonder Spike Chunsoft’s visual novel franchise became such a hit with players worldwide. Naturally,...
October2022
Review Chaos;Child (Switch) - A Stand Out 'Science Adventure' VN That's Compelling And Gruesome
Find the truth behind a whole new set of grizzly murders
The Science Adventure series of visual novels usually don’t share much in common aside from a shared universe and an unusual naming convention, but Chaos;Child is the most direct sequel the series has seen so far. Set six years after the events of Chaos;Head Noah, this game offers a similar...
June2022
Review AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative (Switch) - Another Very Fine Murder Mystery
An AI in your Eyeball
It is hard to beat a good murder mystery. The classic battle of wits between the detective and killer makes for perfect tension and AI: The Somnium Files – nirvanA Initiative takes advantage of this established formula to give players a fun mystery with plenty of twists and turns, keeping them engaged through the closing...
November2021
Review Danganronpa Decadence - A Twisted, Vulgar, Breathtaking Package
Absolute Decadence
The Danganronpa franchise is a twisted, vulgar little thing. Rife with problematic politics, egregious erotic fanservice and some truly breathtakingly ill-judged swings at far heavier themes than it really has any right to tackle, it is in many ways a reprehensible, amoral and quite appalling series of games. And it’s bloody...
Review Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp - Fanservice Aplenty, But A Total Grindfest
A Killing Game for your wallet
As we've established previously, Danganronpa is pretty skeevy in its narrative. Thankfully, though, it has managed to avoid bringing said skeev outside of its world, outside of the fictional space that makes it somewhat more palatable. Danganronpa S: Ultimate Summer Camp, unfortunately, rather breaks that promise. The...
A real Class act
Everything was leading up to this. Danganronpa. Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair. The anime Danganronpa 3: The End of Hope’s Peak High School. Even the god-awful, mercifully not re-released for Switch Ultra Despair Girls. It has all lead to Danganron
Review Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair Anniversary Edition - More Deliciously Nasty Murder Mystery
Nagito you will never know, anything about my home
It’s Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, and this time it’s on a tropical island. Now, being a sort of anime-ish game, you’d think that means the variously endowed female cast taking their turns to show up in swimsuits in a somewhat desperate parade of fanservice, and you’d be right! Danganronpa...
Havoc go if you think you're hard enough
The Danganronpa franchise is a twisted, vulgar little thing. Rife with problematic politics, egregious erotic fanservice and some truly breathtakingly ill-judged swings at far heavier themes than it really has any right to tackle, it is in many ways a reprehensible, amoral and quite appalling series of games...
March2020
Review Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX - Fun, But Only In Short Doses
Titled Zangoose Game
When it comes to Pokémon spin-offs, the Mystery Dungeon series is probably the lengthiest. For every short-lived game like Pokémon Dash or Pokkén Tournament, there’s a Mystery Dungeon title offering potentially hundreds of hours of gameplay. Of course, whether you’d actually want to play one of them for hundreds of hours...
October2019
Revisiting a visual novel trendsetter
Yu-No: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of this World might not be a catchy title for a Japanese visual novel, but this remake of the beloved PC-98 classic is an important watershed for the genre as a whole. Originally released in 1996, Yu-No tells the tale of Takuya, revealing the nature of his father’s...
September2019
Review AI: The Somnium Files - Another Gem From The Creator Of The Zero Escape Series
Insane in your membrane
AI: The Somnium Files sees the return of Kotaro Uchikoshi, director of two of the excellent Zero Escape visual novels, as he takes us on a madcap sci-fi adventure through the inner workings of a super-secret branch of ABIS Metropolitan Police Department on the chase of a potential serial killer using PSYNC technology. This...
June2018
Review PixelJunk Monsters 2 (Switch eShop)
Turning defence into a Tikiman
PixelJunk Monsters first appeared in 2008 and was instrumental in Kyoto-based developer Q-Games and talisman Dylan Cuthbert establishing a ’brand’ that would spawn several titles across different genres. After taking a break to develop the glorious remake Star Fox 64 3D on 3DS in 2011 as well as releasing Monsters...
August2016
Review Zero Time Dilemma (3DS)
Closing time
Imagine you're out jogging, near home, on your usual route. You come to a fork in the path where you always turn right, but just before you do you spot a snail making its way across the sidewalk. You swerve left to avoid it, and head down the left route for the first time. What would you find there? What could happen to you? How could...
November2015
Review Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon (3DS)
Gotta recruit 'em all
Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon is very much a rollercoaster ride, frequently oscillating between highs and lows. Just when you think you can't bear the tedium any longer something interesting happens that pulls you right back in. On the other hand, just when things are starting to get good it levels off and you're forced to...
May2015
Review Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains (3DS)
Sie Sind Das Spiel, Und Wir Sind Die Spieler!
When Attack on Titan hit the anime airwaves in 2013, it became an instant phenomenon. Originally a manga by Hajime Isayama, its popularity spawned several spin-off series, light novels, an upcoming live-action film, and even a rather creative photography trend. With intense action and a dystopian,...
April2015
Review Etrian Mystery Dungeon (3DS)
Sharing the Wonder
Since its début back in the DS days, ATLUS' Etrian Odyssey series has been well-represented in the West, with every main entry, an ongoing run of 'Untold' story-driven remakes and the magnificent mashup Persona Q all making their way to eager European and American gamers. The Mystery Dungeon games - while equally well-known in...