Bit Cultures - Video Game Reviews, Top 10s, Features, Podcasts and More

TL;DR Review – Ys VIII: The Lacrimosa of Dana

Evan SchwabNovember 30, 2022

A Peak of Performance for Ys VIII Years ago, Falcom launched Ys VIII: The Lacrimosa of Dana on the PlayStation Vita and PS4 (before subsequently launching on PC and Nintendo Switch). The game sees self-identified adventurer Adol the Red and traveling pal Dogi marooned on the cursed Isle of Seire...

PS5

The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero Review

Evan SchwabSeptember 20, 2022

Perfection Remastered A lot can be said about the age of remasters. Sometimes, a remaster feels forced - sometimes, a game is remastered to death. Other instances see remasters tactfully produced, with meaningful updates that make revisiting the game in question well worth the time and money. Th...

PS4

Bright Memory: Infinite Review (PS5)

Evan SchwabJuly 27, 2022

A solid transition to PS5 Earlier this year, I reviewed the high octane FPS Bright Memory Infinite, which sees a special operative named Shelia investigating her way through unnatural phenomena in order to save the world. It boasted a simple premise but impressive gameplay and shining visuals an...

PS5

The Cruel King and the Great Hero Review

Evan SchwabJune 10, 2022

A Return to a Fairy Tale Land Below are links to purchase the game. We may earn a commission on purchases through these links. In 2018, NIS America published a super unique title that mixed a cute artistic approach, a sweet fairy tale-esque narrative, and solid puzzle platforming gamepl...

PS4Switch

Monark Review

Evan SchwabFebruary 28, 2022

A Surprisingly Fresh Take on the JRPG Genre By now, you probably know that I love NIS America. Not everything they publish is a gem, but they make it possible to play many of the more obscure games from Japan (and now that they publish Falcom games like Ys and The Legend of Heroes, of course I�...

PS4PS5Switch

NIS Clasics Vol. 1 Review

Evan SchwabDecember 11, 2021

A Great Nostalgic Time The era of the PlayStation 2 shaped much of the modern gaming industry. Innovative and brilliant titles stretched across the life of the console, creating some of the most memorable experiences in gaming history. Final Fantasy X provided RPG enthusiasts one of the greatest...

Switch

Bright Memory Infinite Review

Evan SchwabDecember 9, 2021

Bright Indeed Boy, have we come a long way with indie games. There’s always been a special place in my heart for the indie genre - indie games, indie music, indie film, etc. - because it always feels like, regardless of how good the actual outcome, each piece of art is filled with imaginative ...

The Caligula Effect 2 Review

Evan SchwabOctober 15, 2021

The Virtuadolls Return A few years ago, NIS America published Caligula Effect: Overdose, a PlayStation 4 port of a PlayStation Vita JRPG about a virtuadoll that captured the ‘souls’ of people - rendering them comatose - and kept them ‘trapped’ within a world of her making. It was a game ...

PS4Switch

Giraffe & Annika Review

Evan SchwabJune 24, 2021

A pleasant, peaceful experience Giraffe and Annika is a game quite unlike most. It’s simple, sure. It’s not a large game, by any means. But there’s something there that is likeable; it’s charming. There’s a lot to unpack here, however, as we take a look at what Giraffe and Annika is, a...

PCPS4PS5Switch

R-Type Final 2 Review

Evan SchwabMay 17, 2021

Classic goodness with a modern shine. As a kid, I grew up adoring R-Type on the original Gameboy. I put hours into it, and, of course, never made it too far. I was only a kid, remember? Flash forward some 20+ years, and I’m still trash at the game - but I love it just as much. I won’t lie: I...

PS4Switch

Poison Control Review

Evan SchwabApril 24, 2021

A Cult Classic in the Making Damn us to Hell. That’s the catch phrase of Poison Control, a sort of third person shooter that mixes RPG elements with traditional NIS America anime tropes. On paper, it wasn’t a game I was particularly excited to review, but in playing it, I found a game that I...

PS4

Saviors of Sapphire Wings / Stranger of Sword City Revisited Review

Evan SchwabMarch 19, 2021

Dungeon Crawling Classics Many moons ago, NIS America published Stranger of Sword City - a dungeon crawler developed by Experience, Inc.- on Steam, PlayStation Vita, and Xbox One in 2016 (in North America, that is). It featured classic dungeon crawling gameplay alongside non-traditional visuals ...

Switch