About Kirk Hiner

I’ve recently completed the second demo for Square Enix’s forthcoming TRPG Triangle Strategy, and I have thoughts—specifically, 11 of them in neatly organized bullet-point format. This is especially for those who, like me, weren’t impressed after trying the first demo.
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If, like me, you watched Nintendo’s unveiling of Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes and thought, “Yeah, no, that ain’t Fire Emblem,” I’ve got good news; developer Sword and Axe’s tactical RPG Dark Deity is being released for Nintendo Switch on March 17th.
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The February 9th Nintendo Direct already had some excellent announcements from SQUARE ENIX, but they weren’t done. The company has also announced that the live-action mystery/adventure The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is heading west.
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Square Enix has announced that Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden will be available in the eShop on February 17th, 2022, along with a NieR:Automata-themed bundle option.
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Heaven Dust is a virus found in the blood of a primitive New Guinean tribe. Scientists believe it can unlock the secrets of immortality, and…well, that idea already went south by the time we pick up the story in Heaven Dust 2
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Turn off the camera, Landon, it’s time to start playing. VICO Game Studio and Reverb Triple XP (not H?) have just announced that Action Arcade Wrestling will launch for Nintendo Switch this February.
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One look at the screen captures will tell you what you’re in for with Ghost Sync: NES-style graphics, turn-based combat, character/party management, and plenty of adventure. It’s what KEMCO does, and they do it well.
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It’s been a long time since I’ve disliked the start of a game as much as Shin Megami Tensei V’s first 15 hours, but the demon fusing/fighting fun is bigger than ever for those willing to force their way through it.
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Available in open and closed acoustic models, the EPOS H6Pro gaming headset provides outstanding audio and physical quality with plug-and-play convenience. Because, yes, even Switch gamers want (and deserve) pro audio.
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E-Line Media’s adventure sim, Beyond Blue, boasts of being inspired by the Blue Planet II documentary. I’ve spent many a relaxing evening watching that series on BBC America, and its chill but cautionary vibe certainly does carry over.
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Taito Milestones sounds like my kind of arcade. This new collection from TAITO and ININ Games will come with 10 ’80s arcade games, each of which is meant to represent “…a breakthrough in development of gaming history.”
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Blue Reflection: Second Light isn’t your typical JRPG with mech or mystical militaries fighting against rogue gods. It’s the story of a group of young women learning about who they are and how they fit into a world they don’t understand. And I’m not ashamed to say I have more in common with that than the guys who fight the gods.
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Panorama Cotton—originally released in 1994 for the Sega Mega Drive—changes up the series’ side-scrolling shmup gameplay by giving us a 3D view of the action, but it’s not necessarily a change for the best.
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It’s not often that video game failures get a new lease on life, but that’s exactly what’s happened with Astria Ascending. It checks off the proper JRPG boxes while adding enough unique twists to satisfy fans of the genre, but is it compelling enough to attract other gamers?
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Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is a unique survival horror game that looks great and runs well on the Nintendo Switch. If you’re looking to dig into something creepy and unnerving, it’s definitely worth the price. However, it is haunted by a couple problems that could frighten off some players.
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Although Doctor Who: The Edge of Reality from Maze Theory and BBC Studios still has not appeared in the Nintendo eShop, we have it on good authority that the Switch version is set to launch tomorrow, October 28th, 2021.
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The Long Gate bills itself as “…a challenging and elaborate puzzle game with puzzles based on real world physics and circuits.” If any of those words frighten you, stay away. But if you’re within its target audience, The Long Gate has its rewards.
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Truth be told, because I was firmly on the side of Baldur’s Gate in great gaming debate of the late ’90s, I’ve never played a Diablo game. Now that I’ve played Diablo II on the Switch, I…well, I won’t say I was on the wrong team, but I can freely admit that bypassing Diablo was a mistake.
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