Nova Crystallis

With the recent release of much-anticipated Action RPG Oninaki, Tokyo RPG Factory - the leading minds behind 2016 release I Am Setsuna--tuck another game under their belt. However, unlike breakout hit Setsuna, Oninaki leaves much to be desired. The story starts out strongly, player taking on the role of a Watcher named Kagachi as he ferries souls from the lands of both living and dead, gameplay switching from one world to the other with an initial ease I found captivating.…

With just months shy of the first game's three year anniversary, Dragon Quest Builders 2 has arrived on western shores - primed once again to fulfill every sandbox player's needs. Having played and reviewed the original to completion, a sequel certainly piqued my interest. Could they freshen up the formula? Or would it be more of the same? Moving on to the game world, Dragon Quest Builders 2 finds itself set in Torland where you the hero has to now deal…

Final Fantasy XIV is a massively multiplayer online role playing game that originally released back in September of 2010. However, due to a lot of extreme issues that made the game nearly unplayable, it took the combined efforts of director/producer Naoki Yoshida, his development team and the community of devoted fans to bring the game back from the brink of destruction and become what would be called Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. This "revamped" version would launch in August…

Combining popular Final Fantasy themes with famous Walt Disney films, the Kingdom Hearts series has captivated the gaming world since it’s original release back in 2002. There wasn’t anything quite like it at the time, and if I’m being honest, there still isn’t anything quite like watching Donald Duck face off against Final Fantasy 7’s Sephiroth set to the backdrop of Disney’s Hercules. And somehow, Square Enix and the Walt Disney Company have made this bizarre combination work, so much…

Originally released worldwide back in 2009 for the Xbox 360 and Windows PC later that same year, The Last Remnant is a stand-alone title from Square Enix with unique gameplay elements, large scale battles and charming characters. The game follows the story of a young man named Rush Sykes, who desperately searches for his sister in a world on the border of full scale war over the control of ancient, magical artifacts known as Remnants. I didn’t have the chance to…

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is the third and final installment to the new and reimagined prequel trilogy of the Tomb Raider franchise originally released back in 1996. Following the story of Lara Croft as she uncovers the mysteries surrounding her father’s murder, she accidentally unleashes a Maya Apocalypse in a desperate attempt to keep a dangerous artifact out of the hands of Trinity; a military organization determined to control the fate of the world using ancient and powerful relics. I…

Around over a decade ago now Dragon Quest VIII was first released on the PlayStation 2.  At that time, I didn't know much about Dragon Quest.  My cousin had bought the game in order to get the Final Fantasy XII demo that came with it but he never really got into the game.  I asked him if I could borrow it to play it and he pretty much just gave it to me.  I remember when I first started playing…

It's been almost two months since the launch of Final Fantasy XV's release on the PC, so it's about time I got around to giving it a review. This review will mainly look over the specifics with the PC edition. Instead of reviewing the story content, I will be taking a look at the port to PC, what it's capable, as well as a brief look into what's ahead for the PC edition. Graphics So, how does the game look?…

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT has to be Square Enix’s most ambitious attempt on this branch of the franchise yet. Developed by Team Ninja, who is responsible for the Dead or Alive series, it shows some merit in the form of three-versus-three combat that requires for coordinated team play to secure victory. Initially released for Japanese arcades in 2015, it seemed like a promising successor to both the original Dissidia title and the follow-up, Dissidia 012. While the console version of…

Tokyo RPG Factory’s first game, I Am Setsuna, was hit or miss. Using Chrono Trigger as its palimpsest, I Am Setsuna borrowed structural elements, character inspiration, abilities, and the famous double and triple techniques from the classic SNES title. This is not a bad thing, but it drowned these aspects in overly complicated systems and standoffish writing. I Am Setsuna is not without its moments or merits, and it certainly charmed me, yet I found it lacking in some respects (you…

After Episode Gladiolus and Episode Prompto, I wasn't really sure if Final Fantasy XV's post-release scenario DLCs could hit the story mark. Solid gameplay and great soundtracks, but Episode Gladiolus didn't offer much to its titular character and even less to the overall story. Episode Prompto flailed in another direction, burying exploration of his insecurities under a slew of important-sounding but actually-irrelevant plot twists. I felt it was emblematic, in a way, of the mothership game's storytelling stumbles. The multi-player expansion Comrades, which…

Star Ocean The Last Hope International recently received a re-release that included a visual upgrade in the form of Star Ocean The Last Hope 4K and Full HD Remaster. This title includes all of the features bundled into the PlayStation 3 release of Star Ocean The Last Hope International and is a good introduction to the series for newcomers looking to explore earlier installments of the franchise. While elements of the story haven’t aged remarkably well, Star Ocean The Last Hope…

The road to a high-definition version of Final Fantasy XII has been a long one but it's finally here. Square Enix's release of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age brings the modern classic to a new era and with it, perhaps a chance for redemption in the eyes of fans who may have passed it up the first time around. Getting right into it, The Zodiac Age is a hefty package for the price. For the first time, Western players are…

The second of Final Fantasy XV's paid post-release DLC packages is "Episode Prompto", and features the character in a playable role in a side scenario meant to be a companion to the mothership title's plot. Each episode, like March's Episode Gladiolus, features a character and a unique gameplay style. This time, as Prompto is a prolific gun-wielder, the format is a third person shooter. Before we start, know that we'll be talking spoilers for the later half of Final Fantasy XV…

NieR: Automata is one of my favorite games this generation. Heart-rending tragedy and endearing comedy haunt Yoko Taro's universe and the memorable characters that inhabit it. The incredible soundtrack, the synesthetic marriage of well-designed gameplay elements, everything comes together so coherently -- so brilliantly -- that I still find myself thinking about the game in some way on a daily basis. Oh hey, now there's even more... This week brings us a new paid DLC titled "3C3C1D119440927" that's available for the PlayStation…

DRAGON QUEST HEROES II is yet another series spinoff that’s graced shores outside Japan, in what seems to been a plentiful last few years for the franchise’s faithful hoping to see more games on a home console. While the absence of a Dragon Quest X localization pangs, you won’t find yourself without a few good games that faithfully carry the series aesthetics down some interesting avenues, like the clever and lovely Dragon Quest Builders. The second collaboration between Square Enix and…

Since Final Fantasy XV's launch last November, there have been a multitude of free updates to the game that either add features or have a bit of fun. "Episode Gladiolus," however, is the first paid story DLC that's out after the original box. Two more featuring Noctis's chums are coming too: "Episode Prompto" in June and "Episode Ignis" sometime this year. While a lot of games that employ a similar post-launch DLC structure, FFXV plans to have unique gameplay types based…

NieR Automata is a brilliant game, and I’m still in a semi-stupor that it’s actually a thing that exists. The original NieR, which released on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 back in 2010, wasn’t reviewed in the highest regard. Most of the complaints were about the gameplay and combat, though praise was given to the unconventional story presentation and excellent score. The sum total earned it middling marks, and sadly, the game was overlooked by many. It seemed like NieR's…

With the road to Kingdom Hearts III still shrouded in darkness, Square Enix has seen fit to put out another HD collection to hold fans over with Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue. A mouthful, I know, but it's the final piece of the puzzle needed before the series can continue - or so we hope. Here's what you need to know: packed inside this release is a story told in three parts. An HD remaster of the original…

A lot’s happened in 10 years but we’re finally here. Final Fantasy XV is real, it’s in our hands and we’ve played it to completion. It’s kind of hard to believe. Armed with a wonderful soundtrack, a big open world and an action-based battle system, Final Fantasy XV represents a big step for the series. After years of expectations, troubled development, a generational leap and staff changes along with a host of other difficulties and delays the game has shaped up…