Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker Review
It is a testament to Sea of Stars‘ incredible vision that it shined so brightly, despite releasing a few weeks after the monolith that was Baldur’s Gate 3. But Sea of Stars wasn’t a singular triumph. Yes, developer Sabotage Studio expertly replicated and crystallized the adoration and reverence that many of us hold towards the 16-bit era of RPGs. The Suikodens, the Chrono Trigger...[Read More]
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate Review (PS5)
How does a roguelike remain engaging after its initial runs? That question becomes the ultimate task a developer must address when dabbling in this busy genre. But having a gameplay loop with a satisfying draw isn’t the only viable strategy. Yes, the game has to be fun to play. After all, the player is injecting minutes and hours into constantly randomized runs, spreading their skills into p...[Read More]
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 Review
Capcom is synonymous with fighting games. Street Fighter has cemented itself as one of gaming’s greats, matched in staying power and fame only by Mortal Kombat. And while Tekken and Virtua Fighter and King of Fighters and other mainstays have evolved over time, Capcom has created a definitive legacy. In the decades since the games available in Capcom Fighting Collection 2 released, preservat...[Read More]
DOOM: The Dark Ages Review
DOOM: The Dark Ages sees the journey of id Software’s modern-day DOOM revitalization complete a perhaps unexpected full circle. Leading up to the game’s release, id has emphasized The Dark Ages‘ inspiration was classic DOOM, that groundbreaking shooter from 1993. 2016’s “reboot” served to bring the framework into the modern era. Spectacular visuals allowed the g...[Read More]
Once Upon a Puppet Review
Once Upon a Puppet plucks from a familiar tree of whimsical, inspired platformers. Players only need to spend a few brief moments to recognize a game they have likely played in the last few generations. When seeing Once Upon a Puppet for the first time, the obvious invocation for me was Puppeteer, the brilliantly creative platformer that has been marooned on PlayStation 3 for over a decade. I also...[Read More]
SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered Review
The moment after the developer and publisher credits faded after booting up SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered, a battle played out. It was in-engine. A light HUD in the lower-right corner indicated I could speed up time or pause or go to the title screen. I watched a party of mages attack a group of soldiers on a grassy field. Dialog bubbles blooped into existence. Was I controlling this? My finger hesit...[Read More]
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate Review
The 1990s taught us that beat ’em ups didn’t need to engage in a lot of complexity. Instead, developers merely needed to slap a license onto a title and let kids beat the shit out of semi-recognizable pixels as their favorite, intended characters. I could not tell you much about the Batmans, Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, X-Mens, and countless other heroes and cartoon characters that wa...[Read More]
Capcom Fighting Collection 2 Preview
On May 15, Capcom Fighting Collection 2 brings another packed roster of games to players seeking harder-to-find titles from Capcom’s storied decades of fighting games. Broadly speaking, any effort to bring games that had a limited release or are otherwise nearly impossible to acquire legally (without deep pockets, of course) is welcome. Capcom’s efforts over the past few years to breat...[Read More]
Legends of Awen: Rise of the Fianna Preview
Much like Breath of the Wild altered the notion of what an open-world game could be, Baldur’s Gate 3 transformed many’s understanding of RPGs. Larian created an impossibly high bar, especially in regards to actualizing the “role” aspect of a role-playing game. It wasn’t enough to allow the player to make a spectrum of dialog choices that may influence events and chara...[Read More]
Karma: The Dark World Review
Karma: The Dark World is one of the most thoughtfully directed games I’ve ever played. Numerous shots feel choreographed in a way to maximize their emotional or surreal impact. It made me think of the whirlwind spectacle that was Indika‘s constant push to recalibrate the player’s attention and the meaning of a particular narrative beat. My first glimpse at Karma was rife with stu...[Read More]
Wanderstop Review
Seven years ago I was sitting in an office chair at work and began the grueling process of a 48-hour nervous breakdown. As if carried away by a swell of uncontrollable emotions, silent tears fell down my face. In an attempt to avoid any concerned looks I would slightly turn my chair if a person walked by and, eventually, retreated into the bathroom for several minutes to compose myself. The follow...[Read More]
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Review
Assassin’s Creed‘s Animus has been one of the series’ hallmarks since its inception. Once a core component of the narrative, the Animus has somewhat dwindled in relevance from game to game. The Animus, created by Abstergo, the corporate mask worn by modern-day Templars, was used to allow humans the ability to relive the genetic memories of their ancestors. Abstergo used the Animu...[Read More]