Beyond Good & Evil is a perfect example of a cult classic. It’s undoubtedly one of the most enduring titles in gaming, one that many people seem to love but no-one actually bought. It’s also a game with an intriguing and slightly tragic legacy; these days it’s perhaps just as well known for having a … Continue reading Beyond Good & Evil
Author: thealmightybacklog
I Am Setsuna
Where do you draw the line between homage and rip-off? That was one of the big questions plodding through my mind as I made my way through the snow-covered banks and mountains of I Am Setsuna, listening to familiar story beats and watching characters play out cliched arcs. If you’d asked me to guess, I’d … Continue reading I Am Setsuna
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Given the huge, vast realms of potential content to adapt in LEGO form, it seems odd (if not downright cynical) that Traveller’s Tales seem to circle around the same 3 franchises. I guess it makes sense to produce a ton of games based around superhero brands like Marvel and DC; after all, they have endless … Continue reading LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga
Fallout 4
Although I’ve not currently reviewed any other Fallout games, Bethesda’s long-running sci-fi series is one which fascinates me. These days it occupies a kind of double-bill space alongside The Elder Scrolls in the pantheon of major RPGs; it’s basically the post-apocalyptic, gun-toting equivalent, after all, right down to the everlong release schedule and the myriad … Continue reading Fallout 4
Cave Story
Even though you might not know it, it’s difficult - impossible, even - to overstate the influence of Cave Story. It might seem quaint to say so but when this game released back in 2004 it was one of the first hugely successful single-developer indie projects to grace the gaming scene. In the years since … Continue reading Cave Story
LEGO Marvel’s Avengers
One thing I remarked on back when I reviewed LEGO Marvel Super Heroes was how impressed I was that it managed to both utilise the imagery and ideas of the Marvel Cinematic Universe while still retaining a clear sense of unique identity. Largely that was helped along by the game taking a wonderfully healthy attitude … Continue reading LEGO Marvel’s Avengers
Dear Esther
Whenever Dear Esther crops up in conversation, you’ll almost always find someone espousing the (not unreasonable) opinion that it isn’t a game. After all, I think most of us would accept that our traditional understanding of what a video game is includes ideas like having a failure state and overcoming some kind of challenge to … Continue reading Dear Esther
Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Sky
As I’ve continued on this journey through the Ur-JRPG series Dragon Quest, one thing I’ve found refreshing about it has been the sense of discovery and newness (to me at least) of the 6 I’ve played and reviewed at time of writing. Before beginning this playthrough I’d only played two games in the franchise before: … Continue reading Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Sky
LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
If there’s two things that is probably abundantly clear by now that I adore (if not, they ought to be, after 6 years of this waffling), it’s LEGO and Star Wars. Like many kids I played extensively with Denmark’s greatest gift to the world, endlessly building humongous mish-mashed creations from whatever sets I had lying … Continue reading LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap
While the home console releases saw fit to push The Legend of Zelda further and further into expansive 3D territory, the franchise has also maintained a strong handheld presence. The handheld Zelda games though are, for want of a better phrase, more old-fashioned. It’s here where the original top-down Zelda style is kept alive, presented … Continue reading The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap