Tags: Games, Reviews

Co-Op is a Must in Dragon Marked for Death [Review]

When I first showed Dragon Marked for Death to one of my friends, it was quickly deemed “the most Inti Creates game” they’ve ever seen. That’s a pretty apt description for what is, indeed, a very Inti Creates sidescroller, which will only mean something to …Read more »

The World Next Door Game Hints at Something Greater [Review]

March 27, 2019

Joseph Luster

Developed by Rose City Games, The World Next Door is perhaps best known around these parts as VIZ Media’s first foray into video game publishing. The narrative-focused action-adventure delivers on a few levels—especially in terms of its world design, character art, and some of the …Read more »

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes Writes a Ridiculous Love Letter to Indie Games

January 16, 2019

Joseph Luster

Game director and producer Goichi “Suda51” Suda has never been afraid of utterly demolishing the fourth wall. His No More Heroes series is as much about playing with the idea of action games, and video games as a whole, as it is about being an …Read more »

New Game! [Review]

July 7, 2018

Shaenon K. Garrity

Aoba, a petite young game designer fresh out of high school, starts work at a video game company with full fangirl enthusiasm. Her coworkers represent a spectrum of geek types: an otaku animator who collects figurines and waves swords around, a shy artist who can …Read more »

[Review] Evangelion: Legend of the Piko Piko Middle School Students

September 13, 2017

Che Gilson

The familiar characters Shinji, Asuka, and Rei are the top students at NERV, a middle school that trains Evangelion pilots for the day when giant mysterious life forms come to invade Earth. And since the only thing middle schoolers care about are video games, they …Read more »

Attack on Titan Review & Gameplay

December 7, 2016

Joseph Luster

Before we get into the review, which appears in the latest issue of Otaku USA magazine, we have some bonus content! As promised, here's some hands-on Attack on Titan action from the OTAKU USA PLAYS series! When you have a series that already has its …Read more »

[Review] Bravely Second: End Layer

August 24, 2016

Brittany Vincent

The Bravely Default series to date has suffered from several issues over its shelf life, many of which harken back to a frustrating second half of the game. While the inventive job system is engaging and open even to new players, the second half is …Read more »

[Review] Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir

August 19, 2016

Joseph Luster

When Odin Sphere was first released for PlayStation 2 in 2007, it introduced players to the gorgeous, hand-drawn world of developer Vanillaware. Even if you didn't appreciate the gameplay, you could surely appreciate the artistry that went into it, thanks in no small part to …Read more »

[Review] Dead or Alive Xtreme 3

August 9, 2016

Brittany Vincent

The Dead or Alive Xtreme games have always been mired in controversy, but for what? Because we should be made to feel bad for playing games that feature women in bikinis? The only true reason they should ever be pooh-poohed is their lack of content …Read more »

Uppers Beat ‘Em Up Hits Hard on Vita

August 3, 2016

Joseph Luster

When I first started playing Uppers, a few specific moments pushed me right into recommendation mode. Apparently all it takes to get me excited is the ability to dunk punks into manholes and uppercut them into helicopter blades, and Uppers offers those activities and much …Read more »

[Review] Kingsglaive Makes the Case Final Fantasy XV Will Be Worth the Wait

July 28, 2016

Alexandria Hill

For longtime fans of the franchise, Final Fantasy XV has been a frustrating albeit highly-anticipated game since its introduction as Final Fantasy XIII Versus in 2006. However, fans have become more positive about the ten-year wait since Square Enix announced the Final Fantasy XV Universe …Read more »

[Review] Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam

April 20, 2016

Brittany Vincent

The Paper Mario and Mario & Luigi series have their roots in the Super Nintendo classic Super Mario RPG , and each entry has taken us on a bright and magical journey. I’ve always been fond of the two series as they stand in stark …Read more »

[Review] Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen

April 16, 2016

Dave Riley

This is a quaint little game about climbing a cyclops like an oak tree and putting out its single eye with the stab of a fiery dagger. The added power of a PC cleans up the graphics a bit at the edges, and new hotkeys …Read more »

[Review] Final Fantasy Explorers

April 13, 2016

Brittany Vincent

Although in Japan Final Fantasy has always had to compete with other big name RPGs, until recently it was the JRPG in the West. However, lately we’ve been seeing other series from Japan getting the push that used to be reserved for only the biggest …Read more »

Japan’s Lamest City Gets Indie RPG

March 14, 2016

Fernando Ramos

It always sucks to be second banana. Tokyo’s immediate neighbor, Saitama, hardly ever gets a break in the Japanese psyche, seemingly condemned to be a punchline – sometimes literally, as in the case of One Punch Man ’s comically bland protagonist. Some of our more …Read more »