James W

Semi-seeiously, I think the ideal way to play Strange Jigsaws is to buy it now, then play 20 Small Mazes (which is free), then wait six months, then play Strange Jigsaws once 20 Small Mazes has kind of faded from your memory. Öoo you can play now though (and should)

Also picked out Öoo and Strange Jigsaws a couple days back and I've had a wonderful time with both. Truly recommended to anyone who likes puzzle games, they're extremely clever and extremely delightful

I'm not sure I've settled on a character that's really 'mine' yet but I always have a good time with Duchess, it's a lot of fun to slink around with a knife looking for Restage opportunities. Been enjoying Recluse and Executor as well

A screenshot from Elden Ring: Nightreign showing three characters standing in a boss arena as the words "Nightlord Felled" appear on the screen

Cracked Everdark Caligo on the third try. Really cool fight - definitely the hardest thing we've done in Nightreign so far, felt like we all had to play at the top of our game. Outstanding finish with the Wylder grappling in to land an Art uppercut to the jaw, I think we all lost it when it happened

The past couple of days in Tokyo have been pleasantly cool in a way I an only describe as "suspicious"

A gameplay screenshot from Fate/Grand Order showing a party composed of Draco (Beast of Sodom), Knocknarea, and a second Draco (Beast of Sodom)

They're calling it the most ikemen grinding setup of all time

The next American copyeditor I see haughtily accuse perfectly correct British English of being "wrong" is getting put in the Device

fwiw my point is not "I wish I was married" (a complicated subject) my point is that my friends are wonderful people and it's a delight to watch them lovingly support each other through high-stress situations while I curse and flail because I can't dodge-roll for shit

I finally folded and got Nightreign and I regret to report that it's kind of a blast actually but I'm stacking up with the world's most adorable married couple (very dear friends of mine) so I am being non-stop propagandised by Big Marriage

A zoomed-in photo of a dark grey lizard perched on a wall where the white pebble-dashed surface meets the concrete base

The same lizard hiding away in a corner, blending into the grey surface

Perks of life: sometimes you go outside and there's a little guy :)

If they don't put him in Wilds eventually it will be a travesty, what are those big seamless maps even for if you ain't gonna have the Argent Comet zoop around 'em

I like how feline some of Valstrax's movements are, just loping around batting at stuff with his claws. Big spiky rocket-propelled kitty cat

I started studying Japanese at I think 17. At 29 it's my career. I've never been a natural language learner, I've always found it hard work, but it's *just* work - you gotta start and keep going, that's all it is. The best time to plant a tree is 10 years ago, the second-best time is now

Extremely in love with Prodigal. It really nails the economy of writing that defines the best of the games it's trying to emulate. Very, very good at defining and developing its characters in not much space. I'm astonished how quickly it made me care about so many people

I can't really talk about project status on social media, I'm sorry (and as a contractor, I wouldn't have the clearest overall picture anyway). I do think I can say that Love Lab isn't ghosting me or anything, though.

It feels like the JP side plans the marketing (for the domestic market, where these ports aren't really a big deal) and then the NA side just...translates that, with no allowance for how much more significant these releases are overseas

bazett points at the steam listing for fate/hollow ataraxia

Critically acclaimed visual novel Fate/hollow ataraxia (sequel to critically acclaimed internationally bestselling visual novel Fate/Stay Night) is releasing on Steam and Nintendo Switch with English Chinese and Japanese language options on 7 august 2025 JST

Also took the opportunity to slip in a preorder for アクアリウムは踊らない, I was gonna get it on Steam but I'd prefer to wait for the physical

A new boxed copy of Fuuraiki 5 for the Nintendo Switch lying on dark blue cloth

Sick

I'm definitely not gonna play this for months, these are not the kinds of games you can binge too much of at once and I think I at least wanna do the Shizuru route of 4 before I move on, but it's nice to look at

I know it's good, I know I gotta play it, I've had it sitting around on disk for YEARS just haunting me

Holding myself accountable this is the year I play Demons Roots

YouTube video by Release - Topic 光の詩

The first time Hikaru's Song plays in Full Metal Daemon Muramasa is a profoundly striking moment, it's haunting and alien and just totally unlike anything else in the score, and it really never loses that power. The whole game lurches to a halt whenever you hear it

youtu.be/-rOjPpNk2aw?...

Actually I think I'm less trying to say I enjoyed it and more that, as an entry in Nasu's body of work, it feels important

It's overtly reflecting on his legacy and limited lifespan and the eventual need to pass the torch. Feels uniquely like something he could only have written *now*

For the most part it's exactly what you'd fear, just the story spinning its wheels for two years...but I do have to admit to really liking Archetype Inception, warts and all

When I saw the Japanese was 冒険家エリオットの千年物語 I did feel a little bit mad. It unpacks all the elements but then just kinda leaves them on the floor

Genuinely no higher praise than seeing shippers losing it over lines I wrote

魔法少女ノ魔女裁判 on Steam Thirteen girls awaken, only to find themselves in a prison. What awaits them: a Witch Trial. Help them prepare for the trial by exploring the prison in order to find the witch hidden amongst them. Fin...

Manosaba just did the coolest thing I've experienced in a video game in some time

if you care at all for Danganronpa and similar death game plots (but especially Danganronpa) go play it now

store.steampowered.com/app/3101040/_/

Somewhat unfortunately, it also keeps with the tradition of unraveling in the lategame. It's still kinda holding together but you can see the seams. The first two-thirds put so much effort into creating a contiguous world but past a certain point it just starts teleporting you around

Honestly it has quite a lot of that early souls jank that I dearly miss. Boss runbacks, painfully slow lifts, we got it all