The Spell Brigade Review
Vampire Survivors is my most-played game on an airplane. It doesn’t need an internet connection. I can use its endless waves of Castlevania knock-offs to potentially lull myself into a restless slumber in a cramped seat. I can upgrade a random stat after a match and feel accomplished. I’ve done it for years. Since poncle broke the mold and created a fusion of roguelikes, bullet hells, ...[Read More]
Aphelion Review
Aphelion was so impactful because it felt honest and real. That’s not always a sentiment we often get from our science fiction games which frequently focus on profound exploration of far-away worlds or rescuing sentient life from unfathomable threats. I think of Outer Wilds or The Invincible, where meaning is sought amongst the stars and purpose is not always guaranteed. I suppose I shouldn&...[Read More]
Life is Strange: Reunion Review
Life is Strange has always been about Max and Chloe inasmuch as Life is Strange has always been about people. When Max first used her powers to rewind time to save Chloe from death in that high school bathroom, it was less about science fiction and more about being human. The choices I made a decade ago came from an honest place; to help Max unravel the mysteries of Arcadia Bay and foster her rela...[Read More]
Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss Review
The well-tread depths of H.P. Lovecraft’s vast oeuvre have been iterated upon and translated into countless forms of media. And at the center of it all often looms the monolithic, tentacled god Cthulhu. The Great Old One. A cosmic horror. It is an indecipherable terror that infects the mind and draws lesser men into incomprehensible worlds for whatever sinister purpose. Cthulhu is so promine...[Read More]
Pragmata Review
Minutes into Pragmata, lead character Hugh Williams expresses his distrust for robots and AI. He and his team have been summoned to the Earth’s moon to establish contact with a massive lunar research facility. As suspected, everything goes to hell. But not before it’s established that on this base, AI automation is heavily used and a substance called lunafilament seemingly can 3D print...[Read More]
TAMASHIKA Review
TAMASHIKA is very much a game you have played before. TAMASHIKA is very much a game you have not played before. TAMASHIKA presents a kind of quandary to a person wishing to encapsulate its whole in a kind of coherent manner, one that is digestible to the discerning eye who merely asks: “Should I play this or nah?” TAMASHIKA‘s developer, quicktequila, seems vaguely indifferent abo...[Read More]
People of Note Review
People of Note‘s soundtrack has been playing in my head for days which, for a game so focused on the magic of music, is certainly worth praise. And I swear I didn’t plan for that to rhyme but much like this game, surprises can always happen. As one gets older, it’s easy for exhaustion to cannibalize our enthusiasm. Over the years I have watched the industry go through numerous bo...[Read More]
ChainStaff Review
You need to play ChainStaff just to see the crazy shit developer Mommy’s Best Games cooked up. Level after level I was astounded at the visual barrage of inventive, weird creatures and worlds on display. Would I have a back of the box quote it might simply be “What the fuck?” in italicized Comic Sans with maybe a Wingding or two to obscure the expletive. My dudes, ChainStaff is s...[Read More]
Dying Light: The Beast Restored Land Review
The first time I played the original Dying Light was months after the game’s initial release. At the time, there was likely a lull in Destiny and my group was ping-ponging back and forth between different games that could support cooperative play. Dying Light had probably seen a sale after its wildly successful launch in January 2015 where it had hit at just the right time. It had also given...[Read More]
Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered Review
Playing Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1-2 Remastered back in the winter of 2024, I was able to finally tick one game off the abyss that is my backlog. When a developer brings back a beloved but long-forgotten series to the modern era, there’s always risks to consider. Preserving what made the original so applauded by fans and/or critics is important. Lose that spirit and you’ve lost any ...[Read More]
Super Meat Boy 3D Review
Super Meat Boy is a permanent fixture in my gaming lexicon. As far as titles I’ve referenced in reviews go, Team Meat’s brutal platformer is one of the top contenders. Praise is easily showered on the game because of its massive impact on the indie scene. After all, it was featured in a movie focused on the subject. But Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes’ game is simply a classic....[Read More]
Marathon Review
Rarely do I delete significant portions of a review after they are written but with Marathon, that isn’t the case. Several hundred words gone in an instant. “Just like your loot.” Yes, just like my loot. But I had to. After a couple of days of struggle. After a couple days of blood pressure medication-induced anxiety. I stared at the screen, at the words I had written. I tried to...[Read More]