Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Series (Switch)
It’s merely April, and 2023 is shaping up to be a fantastic year for gamers like me wanting to relive their childhoods. So far, we’ve seen Resident Evil 4, Metroid Prime Remastered, Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, and as of earlier this month, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Series for the Nintendo Switch. To say that I am happy would be severely understating my excitement in n...[Read More]
OTXO (PC)
It’s very rare to find a visually striking roguelite that checks off the boxes of tight gameplay, high replayability, challenging yet rewarding, and a thrilling story. Often, I see roguelites lean heavily into one of these values, or sometimes two, in order to stand out from the pack. Difficulty spikes are often a result of luck (or lack thereof) and requiring more precision than normal. Ove...[Read More]
Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection (Nintendo Switch)
The Mega Man Battle Network (MMBN) series is an interesting example of a spinoff series done right, albeit underestimated and woefully underrated for its time. Those of you familiar with the Mega Man series may be familiar with tight platforming as Mega Man, defeating difficult enemies with buster shots and dodging bullet hell patterns, and absorbing bosses’ signature abilities to take down ...[Read More]
Octopath Traveler II (PS5)
Octopath Traveler II is less of a direct sequel to 2018’s Octopath Traveler and more of an anthological entry into the series, featuring an entirely new cast of eight characters and a new setting. Semantics aside, this is the first Octopath title released for the PlayStation, so there may be some folks who are unfamiliar with the series and/or the old-school JRPG path that Octopath Traveler ...[Read More]
Have a Nice Death (PC)
Growing up, my idea of the workplace was the idea of going to a highrise in the middle of Los Angeles, everyone wearing a suit and tie, and a lobby/elevator that would be playing Kevin Macleod’s Local Forecast – Elevator on loop. Things would be dreary, there would be a shoddy coffee machine that would only make Folger’s, and I would sit in a dimly lit and frankly uncomfortable c...[Read More]
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]