The original Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII is a game I remember most fondly. Not only because of my love for Final Fantasy VII and its world as a whole, but because it represented a turning point of sorts in the way that I consumed games. Crisis Core was one of the first I was able to import from Japan thanks in part to the delay between the Western release, and the emergence of easier ways to obtain said titles overseas. Of course, times have changed since then and the era of simultaneous worldwide releases is forever upon us, but that wasn’t always the case. So armed with my copy of Crisis Core in Japanese, my PSP would become its exclusive home for a long time as I played and played and played through it some more. By the time the English version did roll around, I’d completed Crisis Core several times over and there really wasn’t any specific need for me to dive back in again. There wasn’t anything specifically different about the game that warranted a sixth or seventh go at it. Until now. Fast forward 15 years (yes, that’s fifteen whole years) since the original PSP release and Square

To say I was excited to play Tactics Ogre: Reborn is an understatement. I’ve been a long-time fan of the original as well as its 2010 remake, having played both extensively. When I was given the opportunity to play Tactics Ogre: Reborn a few days ahead of its release, I was eager but cautious nonetheless. The marketing behind it largely touts Reborn as an updated version of the PSP version but also promises revised battle mechanics and other changes like full voice acting and a remastered soundtrack.  After spending plenty of time and ruminating on the overall experience, I’m pleased to say that Tactics Ogre: Reborn is a remaster worthy of its title as a new spin on a beloved Square Enix classic, and a wonderful entry point for newcomers. However, as much as I enjoyed Reborn, I think it’s important to note to those more familiar with the original games, much like myself, might find the mechanical overhauls slightly less enticing for a revisit.  The first thing to note is that the story remains largely unchanged aside from a spanking new translation. Tactics Ogre: Reborn follows a youth named Denam who works in a local resistance group attempting to fight against

Triangle Strategy is an interesting little gem. When it was originally announced for Nintendo Switch, there was measurable elation. The game was revealed following the release of Octopath Traveler, which paved the way for an incredible style that married both 2D and 3D elements together in a modern vehicle. In a time where pushing visual fidelity continues to be all the rage, there was something to be said about Square Enix returning to their roots - albeit in a way that expands beyond the typical pixel remake or upscale remaster. For those unaware, it’s dubbed the “HD-2D” style because pixel graphics of old are given the high-definition treatment with some added 3D elements. Producer Tomoya Asano and team took those elements further with Triangle Strategy, creating a new tactical role-playing game that also aimed to call back to the days of Final Fantasy Tactics. Triangle Strategy satisfied those expectations and more when it released earlier this year. We covered the lot of it in our original review, noting that it was delightful, impressive and in all the ways that matter a top contender for one of the best games of 2022. That is of course, all well and good but there were

Star Ocean is a strange series with a strange history. 1995’s original Star Ocean did not reach the West for over a decade, but its 1998 sequel, Star Ocean: The Second Story, made it overseas just fine. People loved, and continue to love, that game. It felt like studio tri-Ace took the ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ approach to game design — here was a Japanese role-playing game with an outstanding degree of depth in its every core mechanic. It is a brilliant RPG, from its characters to its combat to its wealth of choices. The franchise has had a decidedly checkered reputation since. Many, including myself, mostly adore the third one. Its late-game plot twist, however, has seemingly left a not-inconsiderable subset of the fandom with narrative-related trust issues ever since. The fourth entry marries an excellent battle system to one of the most disastrous casts of characters to grace the gaming medium, and when the fifth arrived six years ago, it was so mediocre that I feared Star Ocean would be put on ice indefinitely. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, a sixth Star Ocean was announced — subtitled The Divine Force — with what appeared to be a

Valkyrie Elysium came as something of a surprise when it was announced in March of this year. Twelve years after Covenant of the Plume and sixteen since the last numbered entry Silmeria, the latest entry in the series was to be developed by Soleil instead of tri-Ace, undoubtedly busy with the forthcoming release of Star Ocean The Divine Force. With so much distance since the previous entry and another developer taking the reins, it felt natural to have some concerns — especially when Elysium is an action-RPG proper instead of a turn-based affair like its precursors. If anything Valkyrie Elysium is aptly-named in a sense that it’s not going for the same things as Profile, despite the window dressing. Really, it’s something of a re-introduction to a fantasy world inspired by Norse mythology, disconnected from the one Lenneth and Alicia inhabit. Many of its elements are an adaptation of Profile’s mechanics to an action-RPG combat that feels like a cross between Kingdom Hearts II and NieR Automata. More on this a bit later, but Soleil is largely successful in creating something that feels good to play first and foremost. To set up the story: after losing a battle against Fenrir, Odin retreats

I have a confession to make. I hate it when historical documentaries include scenes with actors and/or junior production staff reenacting important moments. It undercuts the two key reasons I’m watching — to learn stuff and to pretend I’m smart whilst doing so. Plus, come on, I mean, they look like cosplayers at the Renaissance Faire. Nothing against that, but again, who are you trying to impress here?  The DioField Chronicle is kind of like a historical documentary peppered with cosplaying Renne Faire volunteers. Also, there’s gameplay. We’ll talk about the gameplay, don’t worry. Gameplay is important in video games; it’s right there in the name. But first, indulge me further on this rant, won’t you? Or just skip ahead, but I promise, this is relevant. I think. There is a captivating world here. You can read about it in the library. Characters discuss it, occasionally at length. Seriously, it’s a rock-solid foundation. Good lore. Nothing especially original, perhaps, but it gels, and I had a great time flipping through the progressively larger in-game codex.  "The future may seem bleak, but at least the guy who compares our game to turkey was too slow in writing this to show up on Metacritic." Troublingly, the

Back when I reviewed Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars in October of last year, I had no idea that nearly a year later, I’d be reviewing its third entry. At this point, some might ask if the sequel fatigue has settled in and to that, I’d have to admit that it’s complicated. The series is very much a “love it or hate it” scenario given how much of the gameplay flow carries over.  While its sequels are largely faithful in their adaptations of the foundations laid out by the first entry, The Forsaken Maiden introduced more additions to its battle system and a much more fleshed-out story that better suited its storytelling angle of hopping from island to island making a substantial enough improvement despite some balancing issues towards the end and a random encounter rate that meant constant battles back to back which broke up the pacing. However, the fairly quick production schedules beg the question: What does The Beasts of Burden do to help relieve the sequel fatigue? Ultimately, while the third entry does help address some issues with some new depth given to its gameplay systems, several of its other elements like the story end up having

At long last, it’s finally here. Nearly 28 years later, Live A Live has finally been localized in all of its glory, wrapped up in a brand new package as one of Square’s many plans for remastering old content that missed the broader global market in years past. It’s a welcome effort considering the love and care put into it and the merit in making former media that was legally inaccessible open to a much broader demographic. Before I get into what this remaster brings to the table for fans both old and new, I’d like to address the importance of reintroducing a title like this to the current gaming era. It’s a move that I hope pays off not only because of the legacy Live A Live represented at the time of its release but also because of what it represents now as a zeitgeist of early 90’s experimental game design in an era of gaming that feels increasingly corporatized in terms of game production. Yet because of its previous exclusivity, it’s a title that often feels neglected in the pantheon of more “influential” titles at the time such as Final Fantasy VI when it rightfully deserves its place in that

“I'm here to kill Chaos.” In the history of Final Fantasy’s numerous spin-off titles, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is certainly one of the strangest conceptually. Set before the events of the original Final Fantasy, Stranger of Paradise is a prequel nearly 35 years later with entirely different gameplay to boot. Helmed by the ever-ambitious Tetsuya Nomura and series veteran Kazushige Nojima along with a beautiful score by Naoshi Mizuta, Stranger of Paradise’s development by Team Ninja might’ve come as a surprise for many but after finishing the game, I’m glad to say their style is more than welcome. It only makes sense that Nomura’s “story of an angry man” has the gameplay intensity to match it and given Team Ninja’s work with the Ninja Gaiden series and more recently, the Nioh series, it feels like a perfect fit. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin is experimental, unrelenting, and chaotic to say the least. But more than that, Stranger is ambitious in its attempts to connect itself to the world of Final Fantasy and while disjointed in the presentation of its story, somehow manages to wrap it all up in a way that’s unlike anything I’ve witnessed in the series

There's a moment early on when Leena, Serge's childhood friend with ample romantic undertones, ponders what their lives might be like in 10 years, or even 20 years. She wonders if they'll remember this conversation when their whole worlds have inevitably shifted to accommodate the rigors of full adulthood. Her queries help to set the tone of an ambitious, adventurous, and sometimes frustratingly ambiguous tale. I first played Chrono Cross, and thus encountered this scene, on August 15th, 2000. It was the day of the game's North American launch, and I had turned 13 exactly one day beforehand. Leena's thoughts held real weight for me. In a decade, I'd be 23. What would that be like? I could scarcely imagine. Tag in another ten years, and 33? Goodness gracious, isn't that how old Char Aznable was when he evaporated into magical green pixie dust in Mobile Suit Gundam: Char's Counterattack? It was unfathomable that I'd live that long, and that my body would take on a shape befitting the achievement. As it happens, it took longer than 10 years for Chrono Cross to make its triumphant return. It took a little over 20, in fact. Here I am, then, replaying this