[WEEKEND GAMING] Steampunk JRPGs, Dangerous Jewelry, and Chatting With Friendos!

I started the week off by diving into a brand new JRPG, being Sega's soft reboot of Sakura Wars on PS4. I'm familiar with the series, having imported one of the games on the Saturn and Dreamcast, though purely for collection purposes. I played a friend's copy of the Wii game for a few hours …

[REVIEW] The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III (PS4)

There aren't many series in the realm of role-playing games that feature titles with continuous narratives. Final Fantasy, Persona, Dragon Quest... most, if not ALL of the new releases from these major players typically arrive as stand-alone experiences. Therein lies the rarity of The Legend of Heroes universe -- which contains three unique series under …

[REVIEW] Langrisser (PS4)

When NIS America published a pair of Langrisser remasters in a single package, I debated whether or not I wanted to review them together since it's the only way they can be purchased. However, they're two different games, so here we are. For those unaware, Langrisser is a series of strategy RPGs that initially released …

[REVIEW] Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (PS4)

Although I'm a big JRPG guy, I'm still fairly green when it comes to the stuff Nihon Falcom puts out. I absolutely adored Tokyo Xanadu Ex+ and the first two games in the Trails of Cold Steel universe, but Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana was ultimately my maiden voyage in their action RPG series. And …

It’s the Freakin’ Weekend! What Are You Playing?

With SeaBed out of the way (and reviewed here *nudge nudge*), my free time has been absolutely consumed by two different JRPGs. Langrisser I & II (PS4) This remastered collection of the first two games in the strategy RPG Langrisser series (the first was released in English under the name Warsong on the Sega Genesis!) …

It’s the Freakin’ Weekend! What Are You Playing?

Another Friday in self-isolation, yeah? What's on your plate this weekend? For me... SeaBed (Switch) This immaculately-written visual novel has become my current obsession. It focuses on the life of a woman experiencing hallucinations of her former lover, who mysteriously disappeared during a vacation overseas. The story is told nonchronologically, so it's a treat piecing …

[REVIEW] The Alliance Alive HD Remastered

Barring a handful of games, I was admittedly distant from the Nintendo 3DS library -- even more so once the Switch released. Even as a fan of JRPGs, the handheld's bread and butter, I barely paid attention to it since I was already buried under the backlog of my PlayStation Vita. So it goes without …

[REVIEW] Dragon Star Varnir

I don't think any developer or publisher out there churns out the number of quality JRPGs that the folks at Idea Factory and Compile Heart do at such an alarming rate. Though mostly known on the outside for their hilariously endearing Neptunia series, Idea Factory has graced the PS4 with some excellent stand-alone RPGs over …

[REVIEW] The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel (PS4)

Back in December of 2015 -- well into the current generation of consoles -- The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel released on the PS3 and PlayStation Vita. Many folks championed the game as one of the best JRPGs on their respective consoles, but some, like myself, never got around to it until recently. …

[REVIEW] Disgaea 1 Complete (PS4)

Disgaea 1 Complete Developer: Nippon Ichi Software Publisher: NIS America Available on: PS4 (reviewed), Nintendo Switch Price: $49.99 USD Fifteen years ago Disgaea: Hour of Darkness introduced Nippon Ichi Software's brand of dark-humored role-playing games to the PlayStation 2 audience. It was a new take on the strategy RPG formula popularized by the likes of …