Drop Rate - Video game reviews that'll make you think

The second entry in the ambitious modernisation of Final Fantasy VII series feels like it finally captures that wonder and fun of the original game. With plenty of fun silly moments and tight compelling combat that encourages variety, FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH is the game you’ve been waiting for.

Leah Williams (GamesHub) joins Chris Button on the latest episode of Drop Rate to race on chocobos, chill in Costa Del Sol and take the fi...

Yordles are fae-like creatures from Bandle City, a magical land where wondrous events occur. If you’re not careful, you may fall into one of the portals leading to the home of the Yordles.

BANDLE TALE: A LEAGUE OF LEGENDS STORY captures the magic and whimsy of the lore behind one of League of Legends’ cutest and most mysterious races. You’ll craft, explore and converse with a sentient sock, and if that doesn’t convince you to play,...

The first time is an accident, one of your fellow soldiers stands just a little bit too close to the blast zone as you call down artillery from outer space. HELLDIVERS 2 actually makes it a little bit too fun to explode your allies. Whoops.

It's all part of the shtick which really amps up the forever war jingoistic world of Super Earth as you blast across planets in the name of 'Managed Democracy'. There has to be sacri...

Like someone made a joke then just massively committed to the bit, LIKE A DRAGON INFINITE WEALTH has just so much in it you can spend ages just chasing what you find fun.

Charlie Kelly (Checkpoint Gaming) and Jam Walker (Kotaku Australia, GamesHub) join Chris as they visit Yokohama and Hawaii in search of madcap adventures.

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It's hard to match the combat and minute to minute gameplay in the THE LAST OF US PART II and the new PlayStation 5 version offers more of the excellent nailbiting gameplay and deeper insights into the developer's creative process.

If you treat this new version as premium DLC for the game you already own, the cut content, commentary and new roguelike mode No Return makes for an enjoyable return to this series.

Chris Button si...

It's been a massive year for video games, with some of the very best games ever made packed into 2023. In our annual special we've collected the entire SIFTER team like Pokémon into one massive end of year episode. We've got massive titles and smaller indies plus our honourable mentions. What ever you choose to play next from this list you'll have a great time.

• Mitch - HI-FI RUSH
• Fiona & Kyle: - T...

Mario has been jumping on platforms now for a really long time, and SUPER MARIO BROS. WONDER takes everything you know and mixes it up, with some incredible design that'll challenge and thrill you in equal measure.

Ruby Innes (Pocket Buds) and Adam Christou (SIFTER) join Chris for a big discussion about finding representation in Daisy, why elephant Mario is hot and the incredible sound design that wraps it all together.

You can...

Remedy has had a great run lately, the Finnish studio have build their wild and somewhat spooky games into a shared universe which reaches it's apex in ALAN WAKE 2. If you're a fan of genre television like Twin Peaks or the metanarratives in games like IMMORTALITY you'll get a kick out of this sequel.

James O'Connor (Kotaku, Gameshub) and Fergus Halliday (Reviews,org) join Chris for a wild ride that pushes the bounda...

Can MARVEL'S SPIDER-MAN 2 up the ante once again? Now both Spideys are back for some dual arachnid action in this PlayStation 5 exclusive. Have Insomniac been able to mix up the gameplay for this third game?

Fiona Bartholomaeus (SIFTER, RTRFM) joins Chris Button in an ultimate team up as they take on their experiences with webslinger.

You can support SIFTER's independent gaming journalism by

☕ Tipping us on KoFi https://www.ko...

You'd be hard pressed to find someone who cares as much about the Forza series as Alice Clarke. This diehard racing sim fan joins Chris for a discussion of the new entry in the more serious technical half of the franchise with FORZA MOTORSPORT, a game where there is a little bit more fog on the road ahead.

Find out if the track is full of potholes, or if Alice thinks Turn 10 Studios racing game can make up for lost time.

You can ...

ASSASSIN'S CREED MIRAGE is explicitly for those players wanting the simpler stealth action game play of the original games. Originally a DLC chapter for ASSASSIN'S CREED VALHALLA, Basim's adventures through Baghdad are a simpler, tighter experience with lots of the great improvements from 15 years of history.

Read our review of the game, then listen to Chris and Gianni share their thoughts.

A copy of ASSASSIN'S CREED ...

It's a massive universe to explore in STARFIELD a game that builds on many of the gameplay systems you've come to enjoy in Bethesda's roleplaying games.

Does it live up to the hype after years of development and delays? Well it depends on what type of player you are, but there is lots of fun to be had here.

Jess Zammit (Player2.net.au) joins SIFTER's own Gianni Di Giovanni for a galaxy spanning adventure.

You can suppo...

It's one of the most accessible entries in the From Software's library with ARMORED CORE VI: FIRES OF RUBICON showing a clear lineage of game design skill acquired in the ten years since the last entry.

The mech combat genre isn't for everyone, but if you're an ELDEN RING fan wanting to branch out into some of the best feeling combat yet, this might be your opportunity.

Omi Koulas (Checkpoint Gaming) joins Chris to di...

Musical theatre isn't to everyone's tastes, and neither is STRAY GODS: THE ROLEPLAYING MUSICAL, the highly anticipated debut release from Australian indie team Summerfall Studios.

Twisting Greek Mythology into a modern day tale of existentialism with songs, Stray Gods follows Grace, a young woman suddenly thrust into godhood - all while being framed for murder.

Christie McQualter (GamesHub) and James Wood (WellPlayed) joined ...

There are few game developers in the world who make more compelling murder mysteries than those at Too Kyo Games. Comprised of team members responsible for the DANGANRONPA and ZERO ESCAPE series, there's a lot of pedigree behind MASTER DETECTIVE ARCHIVES: RAIN CODE.

An absolute mouthful of a title aside, Rain Code delivers on the high stakes drama and convoluted murder mysteries expected of the talent behind the scenes. And whil...

Japanese role-playing games specialise in grandeur. Epic tales of warring nations that often involve the direct intervention of godly beings, the genre usually entertains even if the execution doesn’t match its lofty ambitions. Final Fantasy XVI is one such game. Despite a grimdark fantasy setting that stumbles on multiple fronts it’s the combat and overall spectacle that truly exhilarates.

Sharing more in common at times with the D...

STORY OF SEASONS: A WONDERFUL LIFE revisits the 2003 farming simulator GameCube classic. In the years since its original release, farming games have risen in popularity: Stardew Valley, Wylde Flowers, and Disney Dreamlight Valley, just to name a few.

Ruby Innes (Back Pocket) and Courtney Borrett (Power Up, Kotaku Australia) join us this episode to explain why this modern take on the classic game is one of the best in the series to r...

Welcome to Drop Rate, SIFTER’s review podcast. 

My name is Chris Button and I’ll be your host as we explore the biggest and also smaller new release video games on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch and PC. 

I’ll be joined each episode by some of the best games writers the internet has to offer and together we talk about how each game made us feel and importantly what it made us think.

So buckle up and get ready for some great conversations ab...

What is a game without it's soundtrack? Meena Shamaly, composer and host of ABC Classic's The Game Show joins Gianni for a musical journey through some of the best sounds in video games.

Check out the full list on our website: The Best Video Game Soundtracks of 2022 with Meena Shamaly

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