A home[land] away from home

The warm earthy tones of this online-enabled GameCube RPG released in 2005 by Chunsoft may look like they're a world away from Phantasy Star Online's laser swords and bright colours but underneath the artistic design the two are, at least in spirit, closer than they may appear: Both were created primarily to be a console … Continue reading A home[land] away from home →

Change is bad. And good. And necessary.

PlayStation cutscene 'em up Metal Gear Solid was a legend in its own lifetime, selling millions of copies worldwide and responsible for a huge shift in mainstream gaming's attitude towards how games could play and the sort of weighty subjects their plots could tackle. It made "stealth action" mainstream in a way Tenchu, released the … Continue reading Change is bad. And good. And necessary. →

Before where it all began

I thought that title was the best way to sum up Resident Evil 0, the 2002 GameCube release that finally fused all the tank-controlled trappings of Capcom's survival horror trendsetter with the most notable gameplay systems from their earlier and oft-praised Famicom 1989 title Sweet Home, a balance the series had been trying to find … Continue reading Before where it all began →

An unforgettable adventure

[A short note before we start: At the time of writing Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is roughly seventeen years old and I feel fair game to discuss freely without dancing around any particular themes or plot points... however it's also just a few weeks away from receiving a HD "remaster" (try not to mind the … Continue reading An unforgettable adventure →

Dancing May Cry

Hey, tank controls! I know those! And having to choose between moving and shooting? That's just like most of my favourite Resident Evils (and the other one)! Just one question: How the heck do you make a good action game starring a slinky mercenary when you're using a control scheme that, fundamentally, isn't all that … Continue reading Dancing May Cry →