Moons of Darsalon Review
Moons of Darsalon adheres to a frustrating video game trope, yet strives to make it the core mechanic–and an enjoyable one at that. Escort missions have been heavily derided in games. They are almost universally loathed for their insistence upon stripping the player of any former agency, requiring the pace to screech to a halt. Often a hapless and helpless NPC needs guidance towards some obj...[Read More]
Techno Banter Review
Often a video game is more enjoyable when it’s harder to pin down precisely what makes it so appealing to the cerebral cortex. Based on that obvious lead-in, Techno Banter is one of those games. Perhaps that’s a bit poisonous of a thought when working to justify the prowess of a game. But I stand by the thesis. As a quick example, let’s take something like The Last of Us. It is u...[Read More]
Turbo Overkill Review (PS5)
Turbo Overkill follows a simple bible: rip and tear. And while it is inked in blood and shell casings, it is leather-bound in the meaty flesh of chainsaw victims. Chainsaw leg victims, to be more precise. This should come as no surprise from Apogee Entertainment, a publisher who rose to prominence with Duke Nukem 3D under its former moniker 3D Realms. Turbo Overkill is meant to be evocative of an ...[Read More]
ROBOBEAT Review (PS5)
Imagining a game without a soundtrack is near impossible. Undoubtedly across the vast ocean of games, there are numerous titles either lacking a score or any other noise outside the cacophony of blips and beeps. But I crave the music. And as time has gone on, evocative scores are so intrinsically enjoyable to me that they become a part of the narrative or gameplay. While many developers may work t...[Read More]
Darkest Dungeon II’s Brand-New Free Game Mode ‘Kingdoms’, and Second DLC, Inhuman Bondage, Now Available
Those looking for more punishment from Darkest Dungeon II will no doubt enjoy this grueling new mode out today. Check out the full announcement below. VANCOUVER, January 27th, 2025 – Darkest Dungeon creator Red Hook Studios is happy to announce that a new FREE game mode for Darkest Dungeon II, Kingdoms, along with its first of three adventure modules Hunger of the Beast Clan, and their next...[Read More]
Eternal Strands Review
Over 20 hours into Eternal Strands I was still encountering new enemies, new areas, and new ways to use the handful of magical powers my weaver Brynn had acquired. And though these moments were fresh in the scope of developer Yellow Brick Games’ debut title, not all of them were unfamiliar to a player like myself. Eternal Strands evokes that old adage “imitation is the sincerest form o...[Read More]
Dreamcore Review
The moment Dreamcore boots players into the fuzzy tile labyrinth of its first level “Dreampools”, there’s little denying its target audience. When I first saw the Backrooms YouTube video a couple years ago, I found it to be a fascinating piece of Internet. It took me back to those experimental days of proto-YouTube where people were just having fun uploading videos with no rhyme ...[Read More]
Tales of Graces f Remastered Review
My first Tales game was Tales of Symphonia. Someone on my hall in college lent it to me in 2006 to play on my Gamecube. Back then, games weren’t as plentiful and it was wonderful to have a group of people with similar tastes that you could trade back and forth with. Maybe my memory is hazy from the hundreds of other games I’d played prior but I think Tales of Symphonia was also the fir...[Read More]
Towers of Aghasba Early Access Review
In the weeks since Towers of Aghasba launched into Early Access and spending quality time with it, a crucial element for success has occurred: communication. While it would be easy enough to praise the regular patches that have seen their way through, progress is not always indicative of promise. Developer Dreamlit inc. could have been stuffing Towers of Aghasba with content since its late Novembe...[Read More]
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1-2 Remastered Review
Years ago I once played a demo for Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. Likely on PC as it would be a few more years before owning a PlayStation console. While my gaming brain had been relatively matured by that point, I distinctly remember having absolutely no clue as to what I was doing in the Soul Reaver demo. Raziel’s tattered wings glided me towards chunky polygonal pillars. A spiral health met...[Read More]
Towers of Aghasba Early Access Preview
Crafting games are often only limited by the creativity of players and the flexibility of developers. At some point, Minecraft was no longer just Mojang’s creation and instead a product of the millions of creatives who unlocked its potential. I see players who have farmed in Stardew Valley as long as hardcore raiders in World of Warcraft. A sense of unbridled freedom is a big ask, especially...[Read More]
The Thaumaturge Review
The Thaumaturge is a strangely cozy game, personally speaking. Of course, one might not think such things about a game set in 1905 Poland, a country dealing with the encroaching threat of Revolution amidst Russian occupation. Soon the entire world would know war. Industry, culture, and technology were shifting. In The Thaumaturge, the streets are lined with muddy poverty, upper-class parties, and ...[Read More]