Persona 4 Golden isn't like other RPG games. In fact, I can't think of anything that comes close to matching the levels of depth and accessibility that are perfectly blended together in Atlus' masterpiece. Part highschool murder mystery, and part dungeon crawler, Persona 4 sets you out on an unforgettable adventure where you must stop a serial killer and uncover the truth behind a supernatural television channel.
Read more
For a show that largely revolves around the magic powers of a penguin shaped hat, Mawaru Penguindrum actually leaves you with a lot to think about. It has a strange mix of fantasy and reality, wrapped up in a visually stunning package that is thematically complex and full of symbolism. Whilst not without some pretty major flaws, this is an ambitious show that for the most part is great fun to watch.
Read more
Phantom Breaker Extra is a 2D fighter by Japanese developer 5pb. Whilst at a glance similar to the likes of BlazBlue and Guilty Gear, it doesn't take long to realise that this game fails to match the quality I'd almost began to expect as a standard for the genre. In fact, 5pb's latest title reminds us that Arc System Works have been spoiling us with fighting games these last few years, and Phantom Breaker Extra is both underwhelming and unenjoyable.
Read more
I think people love videogames without even knowing why. They're just great. What I love is how they manage to make things we wouldn't do/have fun doing in real life enjoyable. Of course someone will try and tell you that Grand Theft Auto makes people want to kill each other, but if that's the case does Super Mario make you want to take mushrooms and jump on turtles? What you're actually doing in a videogame usually has very little to do with the enjoyment you are experiencing, and to try and demonstrate this here's five games with different examples of the fun you can have in a videogame sewer.
Read more
I'm really not quite sure what to make of the Tales series. The games have always been of an inconsistent quality, and all have failed to surpass the first title I played; Tales of Symphonia. Still, every new release has me excited at the prospect that it might, just might, recapture the brilliance I know the series is capable of. Unfortunately Tales of Xillia fails to even reach the levels of mediocrity that these games usually at least achieve.
Read more
In Dangan Ronpa a group of highschool students are forced to compete in an evil game where the only escape is murder. Sound familiar? Dangan Ronpa isn't even the only 'Battle Royale' esque story I've reviewed this week , but it certainly has more than enough originality underneath it's familiar surface. In fact, it's borrowed elements are all executed perfectly, and Dangan Ronpa is so good that it largely exceeds that which it takes influence from.
Read more
When it comes to anime shows about large robots fighting, you won't be looking around the genre long before you come across Code Geass. In fact, if you're looking for recommendations in general then this is a name you're likely to hear even before someone tells you to watch Death Note or Fullmetal Alchemist. Code Geass is already a classic, and it's one you probably won't want to miss.
Read more
Tatsuhiro Satou isn't your ordinary protagonist. In fact, Welcome to the N.H.K isn't your ordinary anime. It's firmly based in reality, a crushing reality where things don't work out and people are unhappy. It's still a fun, charming and likeable show, but its characters have some serious problems and when they try and overcome them it isn't easy. I'm not sure if there's an opposite to Deus Ex Machina, but if there was then this would be it. Welcome to the N.H.K.
Read more
I think we can all agree that, on occasion, we might rely on our mobile phones a little too much. I'd probably rely on mine slightly more if it had access to ¥10, and Juiz; the concierge who can fulfil any request, for a price. Eden of The East is, at its best, a digital fable that ambitiously tries to mix science and romance, and it might have succeeded if it wasn't for a few major flaws.
Read more
When Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas was released on the PlayStation 2 back in 2004 it was certainly the biggest GTA ever made. But such a game taught us that bigger is not always better, and it would appear that Rockstar North has approached the challenge of every subsequent GTA with caution. It's taken them five years to craft the sequel to one of the most iconic and well loved games of the generation, but is Grand Theft Auto V enough to satisfy those use to the ridiculously high standard set by the series? Honestly? Yeah.
Read more