Where we talk about JRPGs and WRPGs, the games they've made in the past, and the difference between indie games and doujin games
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Where we talk about yuri and moe in Japanese games, influences on their work, and their latest game
10/14/2017 0 Comments Light Seeker Gameplay and Review
A Highly Detailed Open World Alpha
GamePlay Video
Game Review
Where we talk about the background of the Circle, the differences between "indie games" and "doujin" games, and the reasons why small Japanese indie devs don't go mobile
In this week's interview, I talk with Japanese indie game developer Hekiraku-ya about the design challenges and development cycle of their first game, ITOYUI. An early demo of the game was initially released at Comiket 91, while a newer version with more features was released at Comiket 92. This interview took place over a few weeks just prior to and after C92.
9/22/2017 0 Comments ITOYUI Game Review (C91 ver)
A Horror-Themed SPRG In Initial Development
Gameplay Video
Game Review
ITOYUI is a short one-stage SRPG that first appeared at C91. This version is basically a proof-of-concept that demonstrates the atmosphere of the game, its style, and future features. An updated version that includes expanded features was released at C92.
In the C91 version of ITOYUI, players battle a few monsters by summoning allies of their own. There are three types of allies to summon, and they are the only way the player can attack enemies -- the main character cannot directly attack.
The enemies are made of yarn and summoned allies reminiscent of marionettes, hinting, possibly, at the overall aesthetic of the game. As there's nothing outside of this one stage, however, this is pure speculation, although my interview with the developer suggests something like this through the other, yet to be implemented, abilities of the main character.
The C91 demo is short, but I certainly plan on playing the C92 demo to see where the game is going.
A Dystopian Platformer whose BGM is Anything But
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Game REview
Link: The Unleashed Nexus is a 3D action adventure game whose emphasis in the demo lies primarily on the adventure over action elements.
Its design will be familiar to players of DMC: Devil May Cry or Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 in that progression through each area requires special abilities that are gained, practiced, and (hopefully) mastered before being able to move on. This design feature has a long history, and can be seen in series such as the original Zelda, Metriod Prime, or The Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver games.
Where we talk about exeCUTE's members and their roles, what places Japanese indie developers can showcase their games, and the Comiket application procedure
This week's interview is with Japanese indie developer exeCUTE. This small development team has been around since 2011 and showcased their games at events such as Comiket and Digital Games Expo. They have produced one full game called Fantasy of Alice, a turn-based strategy, and is in the process of developing a second called Rasetsu, an ARPG.
Part 1 of the interview discusses the influences on the demo of Rasetsu, touches upon the JRPG and WRPG divide, and offers some teasers as to what will be included in future versions.
An ARPG with a Musou Feel
Rasetsu: Legend of the Demon Seal is an ARPG that plays like Ys and spawns monsters like a musou game. The demo released at C91 has quite a few developed stages, making it much longer than most other demos commonly found there. Based on this, my video review this week is a mixture of real-time gameplay and selected scenes with commentary.
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