The Outer Worlds: Spacer’s Choice Edition (PS5)
In 2019, our Ben Sheene originally reviewed The Outer Worlds on the PS4 Pro. Ben’s review score of a 9.25/10 praised its stellar writing/worldbuilding, the gameplay choices, and the depth of character-building, and to that end, I absolutely agree with his assessment at that time. I myself invested a good 60 hours or so playing through it in Winter 2021 during one particularly cold spell, and...[Read More]
Blanc (PC)
Nonverbal storytelling in videogames often connects with thoughtful, touching, intriguing, and something saddening tales. Titles like Journey, Limbo, and Inside tell emotional stories by utilizing mood, nature, and static pictures to build a world around you and establish its lore. Sometimes these tales pique your imagination, others they pull on your heartstrings. Either way, the implementation o...[Read More]
Rhythm Sprout (PS5)
It feels like more and more rhythm games have become relegated to in-person arcade spaces rather than available for wider consumption. Of course, it doesn’t help that many of these games require extra (and costly) peripherals, be it a guitar controller, a turntable, to even an entire VR setup, in order to play. But my point still stands: I miss having accessible, affordable, and fun rhythm t...[Read More]
Fashion Police Squad (Nintendo Switch)
Socks in sandals. Oversized suits. Neon tank tops. What do all of these have in common? They’re fashion crimes worthy of colorful, fashionable, and fabulous punishment by none other than the Fashion Police Squad. Yes, my dear reader, the Fashion Police Squad (or FPS) is here to save the day, and it’s now available on the Nintendo Switch. Imagine if Zoolander was a game. Yes, Zoolander,...[Read More]
Cyber Hook (PS4)
High-speed gameplay. Flying through a retrowave landscape with a yellow sunset in the background. Swinging around rectangular prisms. Running across yellow walls. No, this isn’t a description of a Spider Man mission. This is but a taste of what you can expect from Cyber Hook, an indie 3D-platformer by Blazing Stick. Blazing Stick describes Cyber Hook as a fast-paced, 3D platformer that has p...[Read More]
Persona 3 Portable (PS4)
The PSP-era of gaming was a weird one, chock full of ports, remasters, and PSP-specific editions that lacked some of the unique content from titles that originally came from the PS2. As a PSP owner, I spent a good chunk of time playing JRPGs and TRPGs, spanning Generation of Chaos (one of my most cherished games to this day), Legend of Heroes, and titles released out of Final Fantasy’s 20th ...[Read More]
Sky: Children of the Light (PS4/PS5)
My first time playing Journey in 2012 on my PS3 was an emotional one. My colleague recommended I play it, and warned me that I should be prepared for a wide range of emotions as I played. I disregarded it, because at the time I didn’t believe that video games contained the ability to tap into players’ emotions and tell compelling tales (a belief I’ve since rescinded and now on th...[Read More]
Kukoos: Lost Pets (Switch)
Kukoos: Lost Pets (Kukoos) is an incredibly charming 3D-platformer that is available NOW on multiple platforms, including the Switch. Developed by PetitFabrik, a Brazilian indie dev team, Kukoos enters a category of games already dominated by the likes of classics like Mario, Kirby, Crash Bandicoot, and Spyro. How does this indie title fare? Honestly? It’s pretty okay, especially for a brand...[Read More]
Sunday Gold (PC)
If you’re looking for a good movie to watch on Black Friday while you recover during the holiday halftime that exists between Thanksgiving and Christmas, look no further than Snatch. Guy Ritchie is known for many movies, but rarely do I see folks praise his directing and screenwriting of this 2001 classic about a diamond heist gone horribly, horribly wrong. When I first saw this film in 2009...[Read More]
Sifu (Nintendo Switch)
Earlier this year, we reviewed Sifu on the PS4. If you haven’t had the opportunity to read Steven’s review, here’s a short summary (although I must recommend you read his thoughts, too): Sifu is delightfully difficult, putting players through a gauntlet of emotions spanning frustration to excitement. As a martial arts game, it blends roguelike gameplay loops with souls-like comba...[Read More]
It Takes Two (Nintendo Switch)
Communication is key in all relationships: Friendships, close romantic partners, and family members. Being on the same page through effective communication ensures that all parties in a communication transaction end up with the communication outcome they desire without feeling slighted, misunderstood, and/or belittled. If you’ve read this far and thought, Gee, this sounds like an Interperson...[Read More]
TRIANGLE STRATEGY (PC)
There needs to be more turn-based tactical RPGs for the PC. There, I said it. Nintendo has created a name for itself with Fire Emblem, Square Enix dabbled in Final Fantasy Tactics (with varying degrees of success), Nippon Ichi’s Disgaea series have been mostly hits. But…so few of these titles are available on the PC, assuming they make their way to North America at all. When I think ba...[Read More]