So, where do we start here? Ace Academy actually has a long history with VNs Now. We first crossed paths when it was Kendo Crush two years ago. Shortly after PixelFade removed Kendo Crush and revamped it under the title of ACE Academy: same basic idea, just set in the future with giant robots. Considering […]
Ah Otome. We meet again. My love-hate relationship with the subgenre is known by most in the Otome faithful, but I have to say that English Otome developers have learned a lot since I first took notice of them back in the day. Beyond just a growth of talent that has given us such titles […]
Well, AnimeFest 2016 is in the books! I had a fantastic time there and have lot to say about what I observed not only at the panels, but the entire experience as a whole. Those reflections and analyses are coming, but believe it or not I’m interested in more than just my opinion. All of […]
I mentioned this before in a review, but it’s high time we discussed ‘tone’ and how it applies to visual novels. Tone in fiction is something that isn’t often taught or thought of, but is crucial to creating an effective story. It shapes not only the world the story inhabits, but also the execution and […]
One thing I often hear as a critic is that no matter how bad I believe a game is, I need to find something positive about it. I admit that it mostly stems not from what I critique, but rather it comes from how I critique. After five years of this, I’ve never been one […]
Okay…nobody panic…but we’re going to talk about diversity today. I SAID NO ONE PANIC. I’m sure everyone reading this already has an opinion on the representation of different ethnicities, genders and sexualities in Western media. I want to make clear from the offset that we are not here to debate the larger cultural clash and […]
One of the more interesting partnerships formed by Sekai Project is with the Japanese group Alice in Dissonance. The Fault Milestone series is their very first project undertaken by the group and its continued growth directly mirrors the level of comfort AID as they continue their work. While I had my issues with Fault One, […]
And so, a new chapter opens. Yes, I am still done with the Sakura series. My hands are washed of it and I am not looking back. However, I’m not necessarily free from the sub-genre that spawned it. Interestingly enough, despite the success of Sakura Spirit a few years ago (siiiiigh), only a handful of […]
So! Once again, I’ve found myself playing an eroge. There’s a long list of people to blame for why I keep getting pulled into this genre: Tao Tao, the entire team at Sugar Script, Christine Love and Tryinmorning all come to mind. But I’m here, so we might as well not linger. Today we’re talking […]
This weekend, thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of anime fans will sweep through Los Angeles for Anime Expo 2016! The yearly convention is considered the largest in North America and will feature some of the biggest names in the anime industry today as well as the top three VN localization companies operating in the […]