MAGES Game Reviews
Smells like teen...MURDER?!
Has there ever been a horror movie that's used elevator music successfully as its entire soundtrack? We mean a reasonably good one. Any suggestions? It almost seems there may be something tonally mismatched about the idea — unless you're going for comedy — and, honestly, when playing Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom...
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...
Review Chaos;Head Noah (Switch) - A Great Localisation Of The First 'Science Adventure' VN
Dive into the delusions of the ultimate otaku
There are two ways that life goes for visual novel protagonists. Either they wake up in a world where all their classmates are beautiful anime girls who want to jump their bones, or they find themselves in a twisted supernatural murder mystery. Unfortunately for Takumi Nishijou, the protagonist of...
Hestia still bestia?
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? - Infinite Combate is a video game adaptation of the popular Japanese light novel, manga and anime series Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, also known as 'Danjon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darō ka', or 'DanMachi' for short to Eastern and Western fans...
Mini Review STEINS;GATE: My Darling's Embrace (Switch) - A Typical Dating Sim With Series Trimmings
Just another Switch Dating Sim?
The Steins;Gate series is famous for several things: having a time-bending narrative, a dark world and engaging characters presented in a non-linear traditional visual novel format. It’s safe to say that it's a far cry from the deluge of other visual novels present on the Nintendo eShop, so is Steins;Gate: My...
Mini Review STEINS;GATE 0 (Switch) - A Classy Follow-Up For Veterans Of The Original Visual Novel
A timey-wimey sequel
Let’s not beat around the bush, Steins;Gate is a very well acclaimed visual novel, and this follow-up, Steins;Gate 0 is a worthy entry into the main series. Adopting the same format, world and style as the original Steins;Gate, those looking for a lengthy time-twisting visual novel will not be disappointed. The story takes...
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...
Review Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive (Switch eShop)
A modern brawler
As much of a blast as old school beat em’ up video games like Streets of Rage, Double Dragon and the River City Ransom series are to play, new titles under this same banner often fail to modernise the classic genre – instead choosing to rely purely on nostalgia to fuel the fun. Although this is very much a design choice, it...
