October 20, 2015 · Game Reviews
It’s strange how a developer that underwhelms in one genre can totally deliver in another. The example I’d usually cite is 5pb, who made the sub-par fighting game Phantom Breaker, screwed up their port of CAVE’s DoDonPachi DaiOuJou, and then made Steins;Gate – one of the most gripping and intelligent visual novels I can think of. But Dontnod Entertainment are now also proof that creating an immersive and interactive story is a completely different skill to making a solid action game. Life is Strange is from the makers of Remember Me, and whilst that was a game that could ironically be described as forgettable, the same is certainly not true for their latest title.
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October 8, 2015 · Guides, Retro
The Sega Saturn is a misunderstood console, and one often overlooked. Whilst SEGA’s system didn’t enjoy commercial success, strong sales are rarely an indicator of quality for either a system or its games. Put simply the SEGA Saturn is one of – if not the most, underrated console there is, and if you’re ready to explore its varied library of classic games then read on.
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October 2, 2015 · Articles
Last Sunday I went to EGX, the UK's biggest videogame show. As someone who likes videogames quite a lot I enjoyed this chance to play all the ones that aren’t out yet, and after a few days recovering from all the free energy drinks I'm just about ready to recount my experience in full.
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September 12, 2015 · Game Reviews
There are certain things you can expect from a Metal Gear Solid game, or at least I thought you could until now. Five games in and many of the conventions that have defined Heido Kjoima's iconic series are notably different in his latest title. But different doesn't mean bad – and the focus on sharp mechanics and unique open world missions creates an astoundingly deep, involving experience with plenty of immersive new traits.
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September 8, 2015 · Anime Reviews
A space time rift has opened up over New York and the city is now co-inhabited by aliens and humans. This is the premise of Blood Blockade Battlefront, and it’s a set up that works well for delivering the endlessly strange and bizarre encounters that the anime powers through in its twelve episode run. This introduction to Hellsalem's Lot is a fast-paced and exciting journey into a unique world, and makes for the most compelling anime I’ve seen in quite a while.
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September 2, 2015 · News
It's bad when you forget your own birthday right? Last week Dracula's Cave turned two, and although I’m a little late to the party hopefully there's still time for a quick celebration.
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August 12, 2015 · Game Reviews
Simply going on quantity Rare Replay sets a new standard for the compilation videogame. The collection is made up of thirty titles spanning a length of time not far off the entire duration of videogame history. Beginning with Jetpack in 1983 and ending with Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts in 2008, it moves from retro to modern and strikes an interesting balance between old and new games.
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July 31, 2015 · Anime Reviews
Psycho-Pass: The Movie is in two ways an obvious return to form after getting sidetracked in its second series. The film brings back writer Gen Urobuchi and character Shinya Kogami, both who’ve been missing since the events of series one. But its hour and a half runtime doesn’t prove long enough to explore any of the complex issues that have been lingering in the background for a while now, and whilst the film is fun in a conventional way, it doesn’t fully realise the potential of the franchise.
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July 27, 2015 · Dracula's Book Club
Armada is the story of a high school nerd whos talent at videogames thrusts him into a life–changing adventure full of old pop culture references. If this sounds like the same components that made made up Ernest Cline’s first novel, Ready Player One , it’s because it is. Of course being a near carbon copy of a great book certainly has its merits, but at the same time Armada often ends up highlighting its own flaws by referencing and borrowing from both Cline’s debut and other works so eagerly.
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July 22, 2015 · Game Reviews
F-Zero GX was developed by the video game equivalent of a supergroup. Ten years previously the idea of Mario and Sonic developers joining forces to create the fastest and most intense racing game ever made would have been considered about as likely as Sony and Microsoft teaming up today to end world poverty. Oh, and Namco were along for the ride too. The collective genius of these insanely talented people resulted in a unique and masterful game, and twelve years later it's still at the top of its genre.
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