Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Heart of the Forest opens with surreal dream sequence. The text on screen depicts a primal time, a forest unchecked by human hands, and a palpable force of nature seething…
October 13, 2020 | 12:00 EDT
It isn't quite clear how or why a game like Doraemon: Story of Seasons came to be, but that doesn't mean that it isn't absolutely wonderful. To those who don't know, the Story of Seasons series are a…
September 18, 2020 | 11:00 EDT
Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning exists more as a footnote in the industry than a game. An ambitious project spearheaded by a famous baseball player to make the next greatest touchstone of interactive…
September 7, 2020 | 11:00 EDT
These days it seems like turn-based RPGs are a dime a dozen, just as much as they were in the early days of gaming. Nostalgia is currently ruling the day so many developers have tried to adopt retro…
September 7, 2020 | 09:00 EDT
I put my fair share of time into Remnant: From the Ashes, and I found it to be a pretty good Soulsborne shooter when I reviewed it last year. It had some problems, like repetitive boss battles and…
August 20, 2020 | 10:00 EDT
Some games are all about a grand, epic adventure. In this Littlewood review, I'll be exploring a game that approaches the classic fantasy narrative from a different perspective: what happens when you…
August 11, 2020 | 01:00 EDT
If there's one thing most modern Pokemon titles seem to lack, it's a strong post-game. Sure, if you're a competitive player, you can go wild. For those like me who just prefer to explore the region…
June 23, 2020 | 10:30 EDT
When it comes to expressing ideas outside the norm, video games have a distinct disadvantage compared to movies, books, or other artistic mediums. While more visual productions can conjure whatever…
May 22, 2020 | 12:15 EDT
“The sea has never been friendly to man. At most, it has been an accomplice of human restlessness.” Those are the words of Joseph Conrad in Heart of Darkness, the same words that appear when Sunless…
May 6, 2020 | 11:00 EDT
There's something so appealing about cyberpunk cities. Maybe it's the super futuristic, yet familiar look of all the neon skyscrapers. Perhaps we have a macabre interest in the destitute as the…
April 28, 2020 | 11:00 EDT
Contemporary media tends to romanticize the medieval era. Perhaps it’s the relationship with a fantasy setting, but don’t let the quests for glory, kegs of mead or reasonably priced brothels fool you…
March 6, 2020 | 01:00 EST
At first glance, Ciel Fledge: A Daughter Raising Simulator seems like an eclectic blend of game genres and themes. It aims to combine life simulators, turn-based RPGs, and visual novels into an epic…
February 20, 2020 | 09:00 EST
Nintendo crossovers are weird. Someone had the unhinged idea to combine everyone's favorite Italian plumber with insane, anthropomorphic rabbits with Mario + Rabbids. It was well-received, and the…
February 6, 2020 | 12:00 EST
Dragon Ball Z is a great series. It's been over twenty years since it ended, yet we're still seeing new merchandise and home media releases. Even now a new series, Dragon Ball Super, is capturing the…
January 27, 2020 | 11:00 EST
No reviewer should approach a game with preconceptions. That being said, it’s hard to stay impartial when Rune II is released on November 12 only for its developer, Human Head Studios, to close its…
December 13, 2019 | 11:00 EST
Pokemon has always been a franchise with one foot in the future and another in the past. While one steps forward into new features, the other stays rooted in antiquated game mechanics, until the…
November 20, 2019 | 12:00 EST
What is it about role-playing games that drives us to passion? It seems more than any other genre we have RPG players and developers wear their hearts on their sleeves with ease, to the point of…
October 27, 2019 | 04:49 EDT
A game like Disco Elysium is incredibly difficult to review. On the one hand, it's a unique experience that can transform into something memorable. On the other, it's a time sink filled to the brim…
October 24, 2019 | 11:00 EDT
GreedFall, the latest from French developer Spiders, is the type of game you can’t help but root for. Known for creating unique RPG games for a small budget, their reputation as an almost BioWare-…
September 25, 2019 | 11:00 EDT
It took a good while before I realized that DON'T GIVE UP: A Cynical Tale isn't an RPG in any sense of the word. In fact, it wraps itself in the trappings of that genre so thoroughly that it fooled…
September 24, 2019 | 12:00 EDT
The reign of King Austin chronicles many strange occurrences. King Austin reformed the Church and became the Pope, ordaining anyone he pleased. His time as the monarch of England lists records of…
September 5, 2019 | 12:00 EDT
Sometimes, it can be fun to review a bad game. When a game is good, you need to really throw yourself into deep analysis. When a game is bad, you can just run through it and revel in the mess. The…
September 4, 2019 | 01:30 EDT
I think Stranger Things’ biggest contribution to fiction is repopularizing the Spielbergian “kids on bikes” trope. Now we can all revisit that innocent time when unsupervised children uncovered lost…
August 27, 2019 | 01:01 EDT
Remember the old Minecraft days? Back when you had to find recipes, uncover items, and survive on your own without the help of a tutorial? Sure, you had the internet to search for things, but there…
August 26, 2019 | 10:00 EDT
Playing through some games can be a roller coaster. When you go in with low expectations, finding something truly enjoyable can be great. Even games for which you have no expectations can end up…
August 21, 2019 | 11:00 EDT
Remnant: From the Ashes certainly feels like a Soulsborne with guns. From bonfires and foggy doorways to brutal bosses and dodging, it’s got it all. Remnant does take a few liberties by including an…
August 20, 2019 | 04:00 EDT
The Persona series has been around the block when it comes to spin-off titles. From dancing to fighting, everyone’s favorite persona users have shown off a variety of unexpected talents. Persona Q2:…
June 3, 2019 | 10:30 EDT
For years, Image & Form has been using their quirky robot-steampunk universe as a platform. In this world, they can make whatever game they want in whatever genre they feel like. From a Terraria…
April 23, 2019 | 01:00 EDT
It’s much more difficult to end on a high note than to make a great first impression. The base experience of Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire was an innovative and refreshing take on the traditional…
February 20, 2019 | 12:00 EST
Both my reviews of Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire and its first DLC Beast of Winter were quite positive. Seeker, Slayer, Survivor is the second DLC, released along with the 3.0 patch back in…
January 25, 2019 | 12:00 EST
The world of The Witcher stands out as a subversion of fantasy tropes. Sapkowski took Tolkien’s legacy and turned it on its head, conjuring a more cynical and naturalistic vision of medieval fantasy…
November 5, 2018 | 02:00 EST
I love the Call of Cthulhu pen and paper game. It's one of the very few tabletop roleplaying games to keep my attention. I could tell stories all day of Dr. Jack Copper, my character who went a…
October 29, 2018 | 08:00 EDT
World of Warcraft and nostalgia are inextricably linked. Often, longtime players remember in-game locations as they would childhood homes. In the real world, places such as these change: they are…
August 25, 2018 | 01:00 EDT
In my review of Deadfire, I wrote about the inevitability of chaos and entropy. Later I was eager to learn more about the first DLC in an interview with Game Director Brandon Adler. Beast of Winter…
August 17, 2018 | 12:00 EDT
The world of video games thrives on its 'epic nature.’ You have ‘epic narratives’ and ‘epic moments’ wrapped in ‘epic presentations,’ with all the flashiness that befits a Twitch generation. In a…
August 3, 2018 | 02:00 EDT
“The Deadfire is a maelstrom of competing interests and clashing powers,” one of your wisest companions will tell you at some point. “Someone needs to bring order to the chaos.” Try as you might,…
June 25, 2018 | 12:00 EDT
The Swords of Ditto teaches you two things: 1) you learn from your mistakes, and 2) junk food actually enhances your overall well-being. Who’da thunk? In this inventive action RPG, you not only call…
April 24, 2018 | 10:00 EDT
The Adventure Pals embarks with an optimistic boy accompanied by a giraffe and a whimsical pet rock. ‘Twas Wilton’s birthday when out of the blue, his Papa was abducted by Mr. B – a madman who…
April 14, 2018 | 01:00 EDT
The second game from Tokyo RPG Factory, Lost Sphear promises a return to the "golden age" of RPGs while still improving on the criticisms of I Am Setsuna. Channeling elements of Chrono Trigger, …
February 1, 2018 | 01:00 EST
Iron Chef combining with Guardian Heroes sure sounds like a recipe for success, and that's just what you get with Battle Chef Brigade. In this Battle Chef Brigade review, I'll explain why you have to…
December 24, 2017 | 01:00 EST
The Pokémon franchise is one those series that is nearly critic-proof at this point. For 21 years, the series has been a critical and commercial darling; the third major god in the pantheon of…
December 13, 2017 | 11:00 EST
The best open world games allow you to weave a path through the world and create your own adventure. The stories you create become the lore of the game. These experiences are what you tell your…
December 4, 2017 | 09:00 EST
The recent talk about difficulty and journalists is one that is baffling to me, as the point of a video game is, first and foremost, to always have fun with it. Difficulty is always hard to gauge…
November 16, 2017 | 09:00 EST
Light Apprentice - The Comic Book RPG is a charming package on the surface. Its approach to potential customers is spearheaded by its comic-book-like aesthetic, which admittedly has its appeal. The…
November 11, 2017 | 09:00 EST
Have you ever played a Tabletop game with other people? Say, a Dungeons and Dragons campaign with a particularly skilled Dungeon Master? A DM so dedicated to the craft that every direction and piece…
October 17, 2017 | 09:00 EDT
Three years ago, Supergiant Games asserted itself as one of the premier indie developers of this console generation with the release of Transistor. Now, with their newest game Pyre, I believe they…
July 28, 2017 | 09:00 EDT
I have a strange love for spelling games, especially ones that mix in some RPG elements. About a year ago, I gave Letter Quest a shot but ultimately found it kind of lacking. However, the itch to…
May 23, 2017 | 08:00 EDT
A lot has been said about Breath of the Wild these last few weeks. Some call it one of the best games to ever release, others say it's a game that doesn't live up to its inflated hype, making what is…
March 26, 2017 | 11:00 EDT