Ys Seven’s Aisha shows what happens when power changes hands

August 30, 2017September 7, 2017 Jenni Lada 0

What happens when the torch passes from one ruler to another? In some video games, we get an idealized order of events when succession takes place. Perhaps a hero vanquishes a corrupt ruler, an heir that is much better suited to the task steps up and everything is suddenly well again. With Ys VII, we get a slightly more realistic take on events. When the worst happens in Altago, things don’t go from a king to the preferred heir.

What should people know about Yakuza?

August 22, 2017August 21, 2017 Jenni Lada 0

2017 is a big year for the Yakuza series! Yakuza 0 was released back on January 24, and now Yakuza Kiwami is coming to the PlayStation 4 on August 29. Now is the perfect time to get into the series. But before people do, they may be wondering what they should know about these games. Cue an extensive explanation!

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Suikoden uses Jeane to build a mystery

August 10, 2017August 6, 2017 Jenni Lada 3

Suikoden is a series with more than a few recurring characters. There are many explanations for these recurring cameos. Some of the people are True Rune holders, which essentially grants them a form of immortality. (Though not invincibility.) In the case of Viki, it appears her Blinking Rune frees her from the binds of space and time. And then there’s Jeane. Jeane has appeared in all five numbered Suikoden games, as well as Genso Suikogaiden Vol. 1 and Suikoden Tactics. Even though these take place across across a substantial period of time, she is eternal and unchanged. What’s going on?

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Suikoden’s True Runes meld gameplay and lore

August 9, 2017August 6, 2017 Jenni Lada 0

When it comes to games, storytellers go out of their way to make excuses for why particular people or groups of people are somehow the chosen ones destined to save a town, kingdom or world. There is McGuffin that explains everything and makes it okay. Suikoden is no different. It has a True Rune mechanic that always offers a plausible excuse for why ingénues are suddenly leading entire armies and deciding the fate of a nation. These True Runes act as an origin story, make ordinary people extraordinary and even provide a reason for entire wars.

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Suikoden’s Viki takes an obligatory mechanic and makes it extraordinary

August 8, 2017August 8, 2017 Jenni Lada 2

Teleportation mechanics aren’t uncommon in RPGs. These sorts of games can have huge worlds, which makes manually walking to places an unwelcome prospect. In some situations, there’s a simple spell that lets you instantly return to important places. Suikoden takes that idea and improves on it. Each of the numbered installments in the main series calls upon Viki, a young woman with an extraordinary rune, to add a little something extraordinary to an otherwise ordinary mechanic.

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What should people know about Suikoden?

August 7, 2017August 9, 2017 Jenni Lada 0

Whenever people talk about RPG series they would like to see make a comeback, Suikoden is often among the titles named. This Konami turn-based series is known for its massive character rosters, underdog stories where a newly form army challenges and triumphs against an established, opposing force and overarching storylines and concepts. It might be a little daunting, attempting to determine how to get into such a series. Well, we’re here to help you get into Suikoden!

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A beginner’s guide to Bokujou Monogatari: the best Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons games to play

July 17, 2017August 21, 2017 Jenni Lada 2

The Story of Seasons series has reached quite a hallmark in regions outside of Japan this year. It has celebrated its 20th birthday! With the Bokujou Monogatari split happening in 2014, with Marvelous deciding to have XSEED work on localizations of future entries while Natsume retained the “Harvest Moon” name and began using it on a line of original games, it may be difficult to follow the course of the series. We’re here to help you figure out which farming simulations might be right for you.

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The weird world of Danganronpa: a starter guide

July 10, 2017August 21, 2017 Jenni Lada 0

2017 is a big year for the Danganronpa series. The first two games made their way to the PlayStation 4, Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls showed up on the PlayStation 4 and PC, a tech demo made its way to the PlayStation VR worldwide and the third installment is showing up everywhere in every region this year. This means it is a good time to consider enrolling in Hope’s Peak Academy. School is in session!

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The proliferation of Persona-likes

July 7, 2017June 30, 2017 Jenni Lada 1

When Atlus released Persona 3, it hit upon a formula that resonated with people. Players were doing the typical “save the world” thing, but in a modern environment that required them to also interact with other people and maintain something of a normal life when they weren’t involved in dungeon-crawling and life-or-death battles. In the years since, we’ve seen multiple games that attempt to capture the magic of the Persona series.

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