Ground Hero Zero Review
When I had wrapped up Ground Hero Zero‘s five visually distinct biomes, I was told my completion time came in around 6 hours and 14 minutes. I had maxed out almost every permanent upgrade and only had a handful of achievements I was missing–many of them relating to beating each biome without being hit. An entire hour of that time was spent working towards staying in an “Endless&#...[Read More]
Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 Review
Alien is a franchise that has done an admirable job at staving off multiple disasters. Say what you will about about Alien 3 or Aliens: Colonial Marines, there’s always going to be missteps and complete faceplants. But over the decades, 20th Century–and now Disney–didn’t flood the market with Xenomorphs. Regardless of your opinion on the franchise’s direction since Pr...[Read More]
Yet Another Zombie Survivors Review
Self-awareness is a healthy quality to have. Keeps you grounded in reality, provides a degree of confidence in how you see yourself and how others might perceive you. You don’t have to sell yourself short but you might. Maybe you can slyly prop up your ego, fully aware of capabilities others are unsure you may have. It allows you to take stock of the world around you and how you fit into it....[Read More]
Onimusha: Way of the Sword Review
Onimusha: Way of the Sword was not the game I thought it would be. When those expectations are shattered, it can often be hard to acclimate and readjust. The action genre has seen a deluge of titles vying for a piece of FromSoftware’s mind share, tinkering with ways to expertly challenge players without being too derivative. For Capcom, Onimusha would be a logical choice to mold a game in th...[Read More]
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy Review
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy constantly builds on its own momentum. The game is a kinetic one, yet that adjective isn’t merely applicable to the sense of action one would come to expect from an adventure game. That sense of movement drives the player towards emotional resonance. Fear, relief, shock, intrigue, hopelessness, triumph. Setpieces unfold to reveal an imposing truth. A character...[Read More]
Mortal Shell II Review
Mortal Shell and Lies of P are two of my biggest blind spots in the vast ocean of Soulslike games that have claimed a relatively large mindshare for their quality and unique approach to the genre. As a die-hard fan since Demon’s Souls back in 2009, I’ve fought and died against countless vicious foes who have whittled down my patience and resolve, infrequently tempering me into a better...[Read More]
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls Review
Hello, my name is Ben and I’ve never played a Marvel vs. Capcom. But this is a safe space, right? And if we’re baring our souls, I have another confession. I am… mediocre at fighting games. Maybe decent after several hours of beating my head against a wall. Perhaps that’s a disappoint to you, dear reader, one who purports to know me so well. Over the years I’ve made n...[Read More]
Kusan: City of Wolves Review
Yeah, Kusan: City of Wolves isn’t making much of an attempt to hide its influence. But let’s be honest, Hotline Miami was not the first video game to make exceptional, near-perfect top-down action. Decades of arcade cabinets and home consoles have provided players with countless worthy titles featuring score attacks, relentless enemies, and a reliance on a quick trigger finger. Yet it&...[Read More]
Wreck Runners Review
I knew Wreck Runners would be chaotic. The first I had seen of the game was a trailer centered around the its wonky physics. Ragdoll bodies getting lobbed around. Pianos getting shoved through doorways. It seemed the stuff made for a group of friends who want to decompress, have a laugh, and want to fight against relatively dire odds with creative solutions. In the two weeks since Wreck Runners ha...[Read More]
HyperX Clutch Tachi Review
The fighting pad and arcade controller market has always been a fascination to me. As a player who is extremely mediocre at fighting games but still enjoys their penchant for speed, skill, and flair, there’s never been much of a reason to use a genre-specific device. Let’s be honest, these accessories are meant for fighting games and fighting games alone, much like a wheel set-up is on...[Read More]
Heavys H1H Headphones Review
Back in college there was an afternoon I was feeling particularly despondent for one reason or another. The only thing I could think to make me feel better was music. Because this particular memory is from almost 20 years ago, please forgive me if I can’t remember whether I used my laptop, a CD player, or a hand-me-down iPod. But what I do remember is plugging in a pair of dirt-cheap headpho...[Read More]
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced Review
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is the last numbered entry in Ubisoft’s long-running series–a fact I’ve always felt has carried a significant amount of weight since its release in 2013. To this day, Black Flag is probably considered the most beloved Assassin’s Creed game. While Odyssey holds the mantle for my personal favorite and Ezio’s adventures across his tr...[Read More]