Paulo Kawanishi
banner
alucarti.bsky.social
Paulo Kawanishi
@alucarti.bsky.social
✒️ Writer @ Polygon (bylines: Eurogamer/Game Informer/Into the Spine/Nintendo Life +) 🇧🇷 📚PhD in Applied Linguistics 📧pkawanishi@gmail.com
Pinned
📌Hi, I'm Paulo Kawanishi, a freelance writer from Brazil. I write guides, features, and reviews of games, and you can find my work in places such as Eurogamer, Polygon, Epic Games, Nintendo Life, and Into the Spine.

My portfolio muckrack.com/paulo-kawani...
My Substack paulokawanishi.substack.com
Reposted by Paulo Kawanishi
Level-5 is back (again). Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road is shockingly captivating so far. I wrote up some thoughts on the PC port based on my time with it yesterday and today for @rpgsite.net www.rpgsite.net/feature/1894...
November 13, 2025 at 8:48 PM
Despelote
Fill in the blank:

Before you pick your Game of the Year, make sure you play _______
November 14, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Reposted by Paulo Kawanishi
For Polygon's console anniversary package, I took a shot at explaining why the PS5 and misguided branding made Final Fantasy 16 seem particularly flawed when it was really not much different than any FF before it

www.polygon.com/ff16-final-f...
The messy truth about Final Fantasy 16 and the PS5
FF16's imperfection is the most Final Fantasy thing about it
www.polygon.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Reposted by Paulo Kawanishi
The idea that Steam Deck would be a Nintendo killer was always silly. The idea that Steam Machine could be an Xbox killer is way more plausible. But it's entirely going to depend on whether or not Valve has any actual interest in doing that. Some snap thoughts. www.polygon.com/microsoft-xb...
Xbox is screwed
The Steam Machine could eat Xbox's lunch if Valve plays its cards right
www.polygon.com
November 12, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Reposted by Paulo Kawanishi
Outside of Nintendo, hardware that inspires joy and whimsy is rare. But with Valve's new Steam Machine, the comparisons to GameCube abound
Valve is following the Nintendo hardware playbook, and it's working
Outside of Nintendo, hardware that inspires joy and whimsy is rare. But with Valve's new Steam Machine, the comparisons to GameCube abound
www.polygon.com
November 12, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Reposted by Paulo Kawanishi
For this preview, I could play a bit of Octopath Traveler 0 and while I like most of it, I believe it might have lost something really special because of some changes to a core aspect of the series

www.polygon.com/octopath-tra...
Octopath Traveler 0 still needs to prove it deserves the name
Is sacrificing tradition for novelty a good idea?
www.polygon.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:22 AM
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQEL...
Hearing about Falcom's plans for next year is exciting and just makes me more hyped to play Trails Beyond the Horizon. Only two months and I will have another trails game to play
The Legend of Heroes: Trails beyond the Horizon - Unprecedented Mission
YouTube video by NIS America
www.youtube.com
November 12, 2025 at 11:07 AM
For this preview, I could play a bit of Octopath Traveler 0 and while I like most of it, I believe it might have lost something really special because of some changes to a core aspect of the series

www.polygon.com/octopath-tra...
Octopath Traveler 0 still needs to prove it deserves the name
Is sacrificing tradition for novelty a good idea?
www.polygon.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:22 AM
I need to play with Kamen Rider W so I think I will finally buy Super Robot Wars Y
The first DLC set for Super Robot Wars Y, which will add The Big O, Braiger, and Kamen Riders from the Fuuto PI movie, will be available on November 21:
https://www.rpgsite.net/news/18928-super-robot-wars-y-dlc1-set-releases-on-november-21
November 11, 2025 at 11:32 PM
I'm not the best at performing long combos in Tales of Xillia (I'm practicing though) but it is relaxing to just punch stuff while playing Jude. Just my little doc venting all this anger with his bare hands
November 9, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Reposted by Paulo Kawanishi
I learned the hard way that Dispatch expects you *not* to make your heroes all-'rounders

www.polygon.com/dispatch-epi...
Dispatch's automatic fail checks are driving me mad
It's a skill issue
www.polygon.com
November 6, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Reposted by Paulo Kawanishi
It's a lot more complicated than you think
What even is game direction? We asked 13 game directors
It's a lot more complicated than you think
www.polygon.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Jude trying to win a fight punching monsters while Milla can kill almost anything with her four spirits is hilarious
November 2, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Reposted by Paulo Kawanishi
After checking out the PC port a few days ago, I covered Tales of Xillia Remastered on PS5 and Switch (including Switch on Switch 2) for @rpgsite.net: www.rpgsite.net/feature/1887...
November 1, 2025 at 5:33 PM
I am playing the ps5 version but I was waiting for @va11halla.bsky.social analysis of Xillia on the Steam Deck, and it seems it is the way to go
Ahead of its launch tomorrow, we had a chance to check out the PC port of Tales of Xillia Remastered on Steam Deck and ROG Ally. Here's what we think so far, our Steam Deck recommended settings, and more: www.rpgsite.net/feature/1883...
October 31, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Reposted by Paulo Kawanishi
Piano Fantasies – music from Square Enix now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, and other services. This arrangement album features music from Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and more performed by Mischa Cheung: www.rpgsite.net/news/18861-p...
October 31, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Nothing like starting a new character in PoE2 to relax a bit
October 31, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Reposted by Paulo Kawanishi
Reposted by Paulo Kawanishi
The Outer Worlds 2 surprised me with how biting and relevant some of its quests are, e.g. a refugee subplot, so I asked Obsidian's Leonard Boyarsky if the team would be comfortable making the same game in today's political climate. The answer is... maybe? Probably

www.polygon.com/outer-worlds...
Outer Worlds 2 director might not have the 'intestinal fortitude' to make the game today
A little too timely
www.polygon.com
October 29, 2025 at 7:39 PM
Reposted by Paulo Kawanishi
Hey all. I wrote complete 100% walkthroughs for both parts of Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. It's in the same style as my usual walkthroughs, minimalist and bulleted. Follow the bullets and you shouldn't miss anything. No big boss strategies or party suggestions. I believe in you~
Picking up Dragon Quest I&II? We have full 100% minimalist walkthroughs for both titles, plus complete lists for Mini Medals, Scrolls, and more.

DQ1 Walkthrough -> www.rpgsite.net/guide/18688-...
DQ2 Walkthrough -> www.rpgsite.net/guide/18784-...

All guide pages -> www.rpgsite.net/games/2245-d...
October 30, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Reposted by Paulo Kawanishi
www.polygon.com/dragon-quest...
I had the pleasure to play Dragon Quest 1 HD-2D Remake and write this short piece on my impressions. The remake presents all the tools and the improvements we needed to make the world of the first Dragon Quest feel even more magical and exciting to explore
Dragon Quest 1 holds up shockingly well after all these years
A classic Dragon Quest game has been reimagined and empowered by this remake
www.polygon.com
October 29, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Reposted by Paulo Kawanishi
This morning I'm buoyed by the critique I've seen emerging for Dragon Quest I & II. Cheers to @alucarti.bsky.social, @solfleet.bsky.social, @nadiaoxford.bsky.social, @va11halla.bsky.social, @cullenforever.bsky.social, @quinton.bsky.social, Zach Wilkerson at @rpgfan.bsky.social, et al.
October 29, 2025 at 4:02 PM
www.polygon.com/dragon-quest...
I had the pleasure to play Dragon Quest 1 HD-2D Remake and write this short piece on my impressions. The remake presents all the tools and the improvements we needed to make the world of the first Dragon Quest feel even more magical and exciting to explore
Dragon Quest 1 holds up shockingly well after all these years
A classic Dragon Quest game has been reimagined and empowered by this remake
www.polygon.com
October 29, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Reposted by Paulo Kawanishi
I covered Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake on Steam Deck, ROG Ally, and Nintendo Switch 2 for @rpgsite.net going over port impressions, Steam Deck recommended settings, and more: www.rpgsite.net/feature/1882...
October 29, 2025 at 3:04 PM
youtube has been annoying me so much with this auto-translation feature that I'll give this a try
one of the most annoying things about youtube is non-optional auto-translation of everything on a page to your selected language and defaulting auto-dubbing to "on". It's practically a low-key insistence that no other languages exist. anyway I tried this extension to stop that bs n it seems to work
October 29, 2025 at 10:51 AM