The late 90s were a great time for video games as a whole. Instead of focusing on certain franchises that were sure to sell well, developers worldwide were constantly attempting to innovate established genres. Squaresoft, now Square Enix, was among the Japanese developers more willing to experiment, dipping their toes in many different genres, including the fighting games genre, with series like Tobal and Bushido Blade. The latter, despite only being comprised of two entries, is still well-regarded today for having managed to create an experience centered around 1-hit-kill mechanics that worked surprisingly well, and very few games managed to […]

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V Rising is a game that requires little introduction. Originally released as an early access title back in 2022, its balanced mix of action role-playing games and survival mechanics made it an instant hit and a game that fans of both genres would like. After two years of updates, which refined the experience and added more content and mechanics, V Rising is finally out of early access with the 1.0 update. While the update doesn't introduce any critical change to the core experience, the additional content, open-world improvements, and quality-of-life enhancements make for an even better game that will likely […]

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Chinese manufacturer Manba may not be among the better-known gaming peripherals manufacturers, but it has been slowly making a name for itself with a range of solid controllers, Nintendo Switch, and VR headset accessories like charging stations. Following the release of a multi-platform mini controller, a set of great looking Switch Joy-Con and controller with turbo function, the manufacturer has now released a more advanced controller called the Manba One controller, a solid controller with hall effect sticks, unique features, and additional accessories that are usually sold at a much higher price. The Manba One controller doesn't attempt to reinvent […]

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Dead Island 2 is far from one of the best games released in 2023, but the combination of a wacky yet engaging story and fun zombie-slaying gameplay made it worth a play for those looking for something compact and a little mindless to play. Following last year's Haus expansion, which added very little to the experience, the second entry in the series developed by Dambuster Studios has been expanded further with the SoLa DLC, which is a little more worthwhile than the previous expansion despite not really shaking up the base game's formula a whole lot. The Dead Island 2 […]

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The reveal of Surgent Studios' Tales of Kenzera: ZAU in late 2023 made more than a few heads turn with its setting inspired by African Bantu tales and colorful visuals, which made it easy to look past the fact that the game was yet another Metroidvania, a genre that went from being extremely niche to being pretty much everywhere nowadays. While the game objectively doesn't really push the boundaries of the genre forward, reiterating mechanics and features seen in countless other games, it is undeniable how Zau's adventure in the treacherous lands of Kenzera is a solid debut for the […]

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While not as well known as those made by Japanese game creators such as Hironobu Sakaguchi and Yuji Horii, creators of the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series, respectively, the contributions to the JRPG genre made by Yoshitaka Murayama with his Suikoden series cannot be understated. Leaving Konami shortly before the release of the third entry in the series in 2002, Murayama-san seemed to have left JRPG behind for good, only working on The Alliance Alive scenario. Still, somewhere along the way, his love for the genre must have sparked anew, as his studio Rabbit & Bear Studio revealed Eiyuden […]

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Outcast is a game that many may not have heard of, but it is among one of the most influential games ever made. The game created by Appeal featured many of the mechanics that would go on to influence future open-world games, as well as a very unique atmosphere that actually made players feel like protagonist Cutter Slade, stranded on an alien planet desperately trying to find a way back home. A long time has passed since late 1999, but fans of the game got the chance to return to Adelpha with the 1.1 version and then the Second Contact […]

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Among the classic KONAMI franchises the Japanese publisher neglected the most in the past few years is the Contra series. Among the originators of the run-'n'-gun genre, over the years, the series failed to achieve the massive success of the original arcade game released back in the late 80s, and the many twists of the original formula featured in the sequels were not enough to make Contra a household name in shooter games among a younger generation of gamers. As KONAMI, which is now bringing back many of its core franchises, must have finally realized that Contra is at its […]

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