BALL x PIT proves that even after 30 years, the simplest of concepts can still be iterated upon in unique ways. 1976’s Breakout was a simple, single-player answer to Pong. What if there was only one paddle that moved and players had to use the trajectory of the ball to chip away at a wall of bricks? Okay, sure. Ten years later, Arkanoid spiced things up by adding better physics and power-ups...[Read More]
When Tarsier Studios introduced a second protagonist to Little Nightmares II, they laid the foundation for what would come. Little Nightmares III, like its predecessor, clings to inspiration. Tarsier’s original 2017 puzzle-platformer could have gotten lost in the mire of Playdead inspiration but instead differentiated itself from the likes of Inside. When it comes time for a sequel, the incl...[Read More]
The longevity of Fallout 76 has been something to admire. What is, essentially, the only non-Starfield game we’ve received from Bethesda in the last seven years continues to dazzle me. Since 2018, every major Bethesda or Xbox games showcase has included time dedicated to showing what Fallout 76–and Elder Scrolls Online, by association–has coming up and what the game has accomplis...[Read More]
The gulf of time between me playing kart racers has been gargantuan. In 2006, Mario Kart: Double Dash would have been in heavy rotation in my college hall. The fervent madness of Baby Park as six or seven of us would constantly swap out controllers, hooting and hollering at sour defeat and ruthless victory. Fast-forward to 2019 and Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled. I’d never played the origina...[Read More]
As big and expansive as Dying Light 2 Stay Human was when it released in 2022, I am sympathetic towards players who eventually became exhausted by Techland’s parkour playground. One of the major caveats with open-world games is their ability to keep players anchored to the bountiful amount of side quests, checklists, and things to do. We’ve all seen the criticism of overly packed world...[Read More]
At what point do we wish to abandon reality and blissfully exist inside a game’s world? No matter how fantastical or violent or absurd or realistic or impractical, a rich world teeming with personality so frequently provides more than just meager escapism. And while becoming lost in a game and submerged in its fiction is intoxicating–especially when the outside world is particularly vi...[Read More]
Calling Baby Steps an anti-game is not an indictment of its expert ability at infuriating the player with punishing regression of progress. Nor is it a way to shield this absurdist piece of entertainment from legitimate criticism from players who will never acquire a taste for the buffet of bitter pills it jovially wishes us to gobble down. Yes, Baby Steps is a video game. A videogame. A game. It&...[Read More]
Wizordum is a standout entry in the renaissance of what has become colloquially known as boomer shooters. But 30 years ago we would have called them first-person shooters. Or arena shooters. Or, perhaps, just an action game. Look, I’m not a boomer. And honestly, I kind of hate the slang “boomer” being applied to anything not preceded by an “okay.” Still, it’s a ...[Read More]
Take this fact with a grain of salt: I completed a large portion of LEGO Voyagers by myself. While it seems almost cruel to conduct such an experiment on what is meant to be a cooperative experience between two players, I was curious as to what would ultimately happen if I tried it. On a couch I sat with no other partner able to take the second controller in their hands to assist me in this humble...[Read More]
Heading Out is, perhaps, a game that seeks to defy both expectation and definition. A cursory glance would make the game appear to be an overtly stylish driving game. Not a racer. Not a simulation. Some random “roguelike” elements are seemingly peppered in. Is it a road trip game? A thriller? A high-octane piece of action? Like some art house flick, Heading Out unabashedly does not for...[Read More]
The existence of skate. in 2025 feels like a fluke. It’s been 15 years since Skate 3 and the fervor for the series’ revival has almost felt like a joke… especially with the hypothetical “Skate 4” being revealed in 2020. And as highly desired as I’ve heard a new Skate game is, I have no foothold in any potential hype. I’ve never played a single entry in the...[Read More]
skate. is shaping up to be a great experience leading into Early Access. Tune in tomorrow to check out our impressions after hands-on with the game. REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – August 26, 2025 – Today, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) and Full Circle announced that skate., the next chapter of the award-winning skateboarding video game franchise, will launch into Early Access on September 1...[Read More]