October2018
Review Disgaea 1 Complete - Dishing Out 1,000 Damage Never Looked So Good
DOOD! What a remake!
Walk in the shoes of Daemon Prince and antihero Laharl as he awakens after the passing of his father in hope of fighting for the title of Overlord of the Netherworld. In this remake of Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, Nippon Ichi Software spoils us with reworked graphics and a new 'Etna Mode' all carefully intertwined into the same...
September2018
Review Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk (PS4)
Tractie-cal warfare
Nippon Ichi’s latest release Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk is a first-person dungeon crawler where you play Tractie – that is, the Tractatus de Monstrum – a mysterious book with a soul trapped inside, able to communicate by filling out its pages. Tractie is under the control of a witch named Baba Yaga, or Dronya as...
April2018
Review The Witch and the Hundred Knight 2 (PS4)
A witch's curse
A year after its Japanese release, The Witch And The Hundred Knight 2 has finally made it to Western consoles. Following the story of sisters Amalie and Milm, you play as the Hundred Knight – a doll brought to life by witchcraft to do the evil bidding of the young witch who has taken over Milm’s body after she contracts Witch’s...
June2017
Review Cladun Returns: This is Sengoku! (PS4)
Katana and mouse
Cladun Returns: The Is Sengoku! is a fast and sometimes fun little dungeon crawler. The sprite-based title serves up stages that can each be completed in just a few minutes, and there are plenty of ways to enhance your character, resulting in a surprisingly rewarding experience. For quick stints of exploration and action you can't...
April2017
Review A Rose in the Twilight (PS Vita)
The rose beyond the wall
Nippon Ichi certainly knows how to tell gruesome tales featuring adorable looking young girls! The creators of Yomawari: Night Alone have returned with a brand new puzzle platformer, A Rose in the Twilight. It's a tale of innocence, friendship, and blood. A young girl with a thorn upon her back awakens in the rubble, deep...
October2016
Review Yomawari: Night Alone (PS Vita)
Horror never looked so cute
Yomawari: Night Alone tells the haunting tale of a girl, seemingly alone, trying to find her sister and lost dog Poro in her small town. As our heroine's adventure beginss, it's clear from the offset that the town is haunted, and she must go on her quest without being caught by the many ghosts that roam the streets...
February2016
Review The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition (PS4)
It's a remastered kind of magic
By the pricking of our thumbs, something remastered this way comes. Yes, Nippon Ichi Software – the developer of the superb turn-based strategy role-playing Disgaea franchise – has decided to polish up its real-time battler The Witch and the Hundred Knight, adding Revival Edition to its already lengthy name on the...
September2015
Review Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance (PS4)
Revenge is a dish best served on the PS4
In a genre that prides itself on balanced gameplay and character building, you can always count on the Disgaea franchise to be the outlier in the strategy role-playing realm with its ability to not take itself too seriously. If you've played previous instalments, you'll know that a wacky cast and...
March2015
Review The Awakened Fate Ultimatum (PlayStation 3)
Fateful random encounters
The conflict between Heaven and Hell is a theme often explored in video games. Is Heaven really made up of pure righteousness, and conversely is Hell really founded solely on black malefic intent? The eternal struggle of good and evil, polar opposites clashing against one another in a battle to the death – it can all be...
February2015
Review htoL#NiQ: The Firefly Diary (PlayStation Vita)
Fly away
With a title like htoL#NiQ: The Firefly Diary, this latest PlayStation Vita puzzle platformer seems like a strange fit for the Western market. However, niche publisher NIS America has made its name by bringing quirky little curios overseas, and Sony's handheld is certainly a haven for the unusual. The game sees you controlling fireflies –...
September2014
Review Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited (PlayStation Vita)
On the move, dood!
When someone mentions “hardcore gaming,” your mind probably either springs towards the image of an overweight shut-in with poor hygiene and an obsession with the evils of Call of Duty or, failing that, one of those Korean chaps who inexplicably play Starcraft for six weeks straight. You probably don’t think about a cutesy...
June2014
Review Battle Princess of Arcadias (PlayStation 3)
Such a peach
Being a princess is overrated. You’ll soon wear out your waving hand, you have to speak to poor people (which even poor people hate doing), and the occasional gifted helicopter from the in-laws does little to take the edge off. Being a battle princess, alternatively, is a completely different affair. It means you get to go out and hit...
April2014
Review The Witch and the Hundred Knight (PlayStation 3)
Swamp thing
Nippon Ichi Software has a reputation for the absurd and strange, and while The Witch and the Hundred Knight initially seems poised to continue that trend successfully, the game’s humour soon turns dark and indignant – and its minor flaws begin to stack. Make no mistake, there’s a solid action RPG hidden beneath this title’s...
October2013
Review Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness (PlayStation 3)
Explosive penguins, dood!
Strategy RPGs aren't usually known for their humour. Sure, Fire Emblem: Awakening inspired the odd chuckle, but for the most part, devising grid-based battlefield attacks is serious business. Disgaea D2: A Brighter Darkness on the other hand is chaotic, nonsensical, and absolutely mad – and we mean that in the most...
Review The Guided Fate Paradox (PlayStation 3)
Fate fighter
The Guided Fate Paradox starts incredibly slowly. Tutorials hold your hand for the first hour, with only a mere sliver of actual gameplay putting in an appearance. Even when it's over, there's still more to learn, although these intricacies are thankfully taught through a staggered approach over time. This initial phase is also thick...
