https://automaton-media.com/en/author/takayuki-sawahata/ AUTOMATON is a website that covers the Japanese gaming world. We bring you the news on video games from Osaka and Tokyo. Thu, 09 Oct 2025 10:02:46 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://automaton-media.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cropped-automaton-sitelogo-120x120-1-32x32.png https://automaton-media.com/en/author/takayuki-sawahata/ 32 32 https://automaton-media.com/en/reviews/pokemon-legends-z-a-hands-on-preview-the-series-is-finally-trusting-its-players-with-more-challenging-gameplay-and-its-never-felt-more-immersive/ https://automaton-media.com/en/reviews/pokemon-legends-z-a-hands-on-preview-the-series-is-finally-trusting-its-players-with-more-challenging-gameplay-and-its-never-felt-more-immersive/#respond Thu, 09 Oct 2025 17:00:00 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=52854 We played Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and it felt like a real step-up from Pokémon Legends: Arceus - both in difficulty and immersion. ]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/reviews/pokemon-legends-z-a-hands-on-preview-the-series-is-finally-trusting-its-players-with-more-challenging-gameplay-and-its-never-felt-more-immersive/feed/ 0 https://automaton-media.com/en/reviews/lost-soul-aside-review-an-unfortunate-niche-project-that-collapsed-under-the-weight-of-its-aaa-colored-marketing/ https://automaton-media.com/en/reviews/lost-soul-aside-review-an-unfortunate-niche-project-that-collapsed-under-the-weight-of-its-aaa-colored-marketing/#respond Wed, 10 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=51839 AUTOMATON Japan review of Ultizero Games' new 3D action RPG Lost Soul Aside.]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/reviews/lost-soul-aside-review-an-unfortunate-niche-project-that-collapsed-under-the-weight-of-its-aaa-colored-marketing/feed/ 0 https://automaton-media.com/en/reviews/elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdtree-dlc-hands-on-preview/ https://automaton-media.com/en/reviews/elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdtree-dlc-hands-on-preview/#respond Tue, 04 Jun 2024 14:00:00 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=31946 A report on our hands-on preview of FromSoftware's Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree, including new weapons, dungeons, bosses and more.]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/reviews/elden-ring-shadow-of-the-erdtree-dlc-hands-on-preview/feed/ 0 https://automaton-media.com/en/interviews/interview-upcoming-free-to-play-mech-game-mecha-break-not-pay-to-win-producer-promises/ https://automaton-media.com/en/interviews/interview-upcoming-free-to-play-mech-game-mecha-break-not-pay-to-win-producer-promises/#respond Tue, 23 Apr 2024 03:00:14 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=29949 We interview Amazing Seasun Games' producer Kris Kwok about the upcoming mech-piloting action game Mecha BREAK and its influences.]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/interviews/interview-upcoming-free-to-play-mech-game-mecha-break-not-pay-to-win-producer-promises/feed/ 0 https://automaton-media.com/en/news/20230927-21879/ https://automaton-media.com/en/news/20230927-21879/#respond Wed, 27 Sep 2023 03:38:44 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=21879 In an interview, Fate/Samurai Remnant producer Tomohiko Sho talks about details such as how the game was meant to be a soulslike and why Saber isn't fully playable.]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/news/20230927-21879/feed/ 0 https://automaton-media.com/en/reviews/20230925-21793/ https://automaton-media.com/en/reviews/20230925-21793/#respond Mon, 25 Sep 2023 08:34:00 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=21793 I played 15 minutes of HoYoverse's Zenless Zone Zero demo at Tokyo Game Show 2023. Here's what I thought about the yet to be released title's gameplay mechanics and character designs.]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/reviews/20230925-21793/feed/ 0 https://automaton-media.com/en/interviews/20230621-19630/ https://automaton-media.com/en/interviews/20230621-19630/#respond Wed, 21 Jun 2023 03:45:58 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=19630 We interviewed Cédric Babouche, art director of the 3D narrative game Dordogne, going into the ideas behind the game's story and unique watercolor visuals.]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/interviews/20230621-19630/feed/ 0 https://automaton-media.com/en/column/20230523-19046/ Tue, 23 May 2023 03:40:53 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=19046 Honkai: Star Rail bears a striking resemblance to Genshin Impact, another of HoYoverse's popular titles. So why would they decide it was necessary to release another game so similar to one that is already popular?]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/column/20230414-18445/ Fri, 14 Apr 2023 01:23:11 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=18445 With upcoming titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Starfield, 2023 is shaping up to be a year full of games that tout their high degree of freedom as a selling point. Let's take a look at what causes a game to feel like it provides a high level of freedom.]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/column/20221219-17310/ Mon, 19 Dec 2022 04:30:03 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=17310 Should Pokémon spend more time in development in order to improve their reception? The fact that the answer isn’t simply “yes” is part of what makes the series unique.]]> https://automaton-media.com/en/news/20211220-7772/ Mon, 20 Dec 2021 12:25:43 +0000 https://automaton-media.com/en/?p=7772 Japan’s Posesi wins Hearthstone 2021 World Championship. This is the second year in a row that a Japanese player has won the championship.]]>