Miguel Moran
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Writing For
TheSixthAxisLatest Reviews
Before nerd culture went mainstream, and everyone was into or aware of anime in all its forms, there was what anime die-hards called The Big Three. It was the three iconic and long-running shonen action manga & anime series that were mainstream titans compared to any other series – Naruto, One Piece, and Bleach. The first two have had a healthy variety of video game adaptations over the years, but Bleach has never truly had its moment in the sun. A number of middling arena fighters have come and gone for the stylish and edgy series, but Bleach: Rebirth of Souls aims to be a breakout hit by combining a reverence for the origins of the series with the sleek underground futurism of it’s recent anime revival seasons, all bundled together in what is easily the most inventive anime arena fighter I’ve played in years.
When you love something a lot, it can be hard to see it change. The Atelier series has held onto a pretty strict and consistent style and vibe for over a decade of yearly entries. Yet, in the opening hours of Atelier Yumia: The Alchemist of Memories & the Envisioned Land so much of that has changed. The style is sharper, the vibe is a bit more serious, and the titular alchemist doesn’t even own a giant cauldron! I was shook by these changes at first, since they betrayed that cozy, slice-of-life, Kiki’s Delivery Service-adjacent tone that made me fall in love with the series. Dozens of hours, hundreds of battles, and thousands of alchemy sessions later, I can confidently say that this is an incredible step forward into the exciting unknown for the Atelier franchise.
I’ve only ever known the Suikoden series as the JRPG where you can recruit like a hundred different characters. I always loved the idea of that whenever I heard it, but the closest I came to actually playing them was with being tempted by the recently released spiritual successor Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. With Konami setting out to revive their entire gaming catalogue, though, it was only a matter of time before Suikoden was brought back into the spotlight. I’m thankful it was, and that this two-for-one HD remaster gave me the kick I needed to finally dive into a pair of unsurprising but thoroughly enjoyable old-school JRPGs.
Tales of Graces f Remastered represents the absolute best of what the Tales series has to offer - and this version is easily the best way to experience such a charming and fun JRPG.
Gestalt: Steam & Cinder is a charming metroidvania with a unique world that's ultimately undone by its overstuffed and underwhelming storytelling.
Anger Foot is loud, gross, punishing, and funny as hell. It's a crime-fueled fever dream sprinkled with moments of genuine silly sincerity, and it's all connected by fast and fun foot-first combat that I couldn't get enough of.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails through Daybreak is the spark that this series needed, and an incredible new chapter for such an iconic franchise. The shift in tone for the story and the addictive dual-mode combat had me hooked from beginning to end. If you play any game in this series, make it this one.
V Rising is a delicious duo of survival-crafting and action-RPG fun that puts the best of both worlds together without making either side fall flat.
A fun, feline-driven adventure that's only partially held back by it's issues with corny writing, clunky controls, and a few too many hoodie-shaped cat hats.
Berserk Boy is a love letter to classic platformers, but in combining its inspirations together it carves out it's own path as an incredibly promising new game and, hopefully, the first entry in an unforgettable new series.