QCF: Dragonborne

t isn’t too often that you see a brand new Gameboy game released, let alone in the same year that we see next-generation hardware launch but that just goes to show just how powerful the how well Nintendo’s trademark handheld still holds up.

Despite the strength of the Game Boy’s legacy though, some novel ideas, as unique as they may be, can still find a way to disappoint even the most open-minded of players—that’s Spacebot Interactive’s Dragonborne.

While this new top-down RPG adventure does an admirable job of paying tribute to the Game  Boy classics that came before it, Dragonborne’s individual spin on these familiar tropes ends up being nothing short of tedious at best, and just plain boring at worst.

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QCF: Takeshi & Hiroshi

 know it may sound a bit silly, especially when you think about the importance of roles like Fire Fighters and Surgeons but, it can be argued that Video Game Developers are among some of the biggest heroes of modern society (this can honestly be said about all creatives, but stick with me, I’m going somewhere with this.)

The worlds they can weave, with designs that are teeming with a sense of wonder that bewilders and empower anyone looking for an experience to escape to; Game Developers offer an invaluable service, and for one aspiring designer-in-the-making, it’s the one gift he can give to an ailing little brother.

In a story where your passion can be someone’s entire world, enter Takeshi & Hiroshi; an interactive novel from Oink Games that’s packed with a lot of heart, a surprising amount of gameplay depth, and the regrettable snag of ending way too soon.

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QCF: Volta-X (Steam)

hen I first viewed Volta-X, I was drawn in by the art style; a blending of giant robot battles mashed together with Japanese monster movies and Saturday morning cartoons. But once I started playing the release from GungHo Online Entertainment America, I felt that the game was difficult to understand, and even harder to define. After my twenty plus hour initial playthrough of the game I can say that I still can’t quite define what it is, and unfortunately with a lack of community to battle and a UI that leaves plenty to desire, that may keep other players away from what could be a fantastic, albeit grindy RTS / RPG hybrid.

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QCF: Broken Lines (Steam)

hen deciding to review Broken Lines I was unsure why I was so interested in playing it. I am not good at all at strategy games of any kind, and I have very little interest in war themed entertainment. Then I realized what it was that drew me to the Steam digital game released by Super! Publishing. I thought back to other games that tackled turned based strategy in an alternate timeline of war in the twentieth century, and I was eager to see how the developer PortaPlay would approach this hybrid of RPG and tactics. I was happy to find out that Broken Lines takes influence from strategy games from the current generation and the recent development of mental state mechanics of newer independent role-playing games to create a solid entry into the genre. A story that sometimes misfires and AI that can frustrate does not take too much away from a challenging and satisfying experience.

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QCF: Valkyeria Revolution

ven after nearly 10 years since its initial release on the PlayStation 3, the impact of SEGA’s Valkyeria Chronicles still resonates throughout the tactical RPG scene to this very day, continuing to be sold on Steam after the windows version hit the store recently.

Since then though, the property’s transition into a full-fledged series has only propelled it further into niche territory, with two direct sequels releasing exclusively to Sony’s struggling handheld at the time, the PSP, and the other not even making it out of Japan. Hell, there was even some bunk-ass mobile game that didn’t last for more than two years before it was kicked off the market, and servers shut down—Valkyeria’s true claim to fame still bellied onto the original in the states.

Shooting for the chance that lightning will strike twice, as SEGA brings on Media.Vision, the same developers responsible for the Wild Arms and Chaos Rings series to create Valkyeria Revolution; a spin-off sequel to the franchise that’s available on both console, and portable.

While the premise in this venture certainly is interesting, Valkyeria Revolution seems to have left behind most of the qualities that made the Valkyeria experience so charming and likable in the first place.

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QCF: Cosmic Star Heroine

 thought for sure that Zeboyd Games' Cosmic Star Heroine had been released long before now. I distinctly remember it being shown from day-one in PS4 interactives and advertisement loops all the way back in 2013. Now, granted, the Cosmic Star Heroine from that time looks quite a bit different than it does today, so there has obviously been quite a bit of work done on the game since it was revealed almost half a decade ago. But what is Cosmic Star Heroine? How has it progressed? And is it worth your time?

Successfully kickstarted in 2013, Cosmic Star Heroine was released to the PS4, PS Vita and Steam on April 11, 2017. It’s a traditional turn-based RPG that takes pages - well, no, actually, it takes whole chapters - from another fairly popular game from the mid-90’s. You may have heard of it; a little game called Chrono Trigger. Players take on the role of Alyssa L’salle, a star member of a futuristic interplanetary spy agency that discovers very early on that things aren’t as they seem with her employers. What kind of conspiracy has she uncovered? One thing is for sure, Cosmic Star Heroine’s story is one that’ll keep the player guessing, and keeps things pretty interesting all the way though.

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Bullet Heaven EX, Episode 17 - Diadra Empty Revisited

n episode 77 of Bullet Heaven HD, we took a look at Diadra Empy, a Defender-style sidescrolling shooting game infused with RPG elements. After a sucessful Greenlight campaign, Rockin' Android has finally brought Diadra Empty to Steam with new bells and whistles. But how does it stack up? Let's take a look!

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QCF: Brandish: The Dark Revenant

ou may or may not know it, but one single name always gets my gaming emotions set to fever pitch. No, it's not Cave, Natch, nor is it Qute or 5BP. or anything else you might be thinking. No, fine sirs and madams, the name in question is, in fact, Falcom. I've been a humongous fan of the Ys series in specific for a very long time, and when Falcom flashed up on my PSP Go's screen for Brandish: The Dark Revenant followed by what looked and sounded like a lost Ys intro, I was understandably psyched.

Brandish: The Dark Revenant is a re-imagining of the 16-bit classic dungeon RPG originally released to a number of computers and consoles, such as the PC Engine, NEC PC-9801, FM Towns, DOS and, most notably, to the Super NES in 1995. It was also published and co-developed, at the time, by Koei. Even in the 16-bit era, Brandish separated itself from the huge influx of RPGs with its unique control and gameplay system. Basically, the game plays much like a first-person dungeon crawler like Wizardry or Arcana with many, many floors, secret rooms and even shops in unexpected places.

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