Adventure of Samsara Review (PS5)
I have always been under the belief that games should be fun and not work. That is the main reason why I don’t play Dark Souls games. If I wanted to struggle or get a taste of real life, I would just not play games. Not making yourself miserable should always be your gaming goal. I’m going down this road with you because recently I played Adventure of Samsara from developer llex Games and publishe...[Read More]
Valor Mortis announced, trailer revealed
Lots of good trailers and info to start Gamescom off. Enjoy this one. KRAKÓW, Poland – Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025 – Today at Opening Night Live, One More Level, creators of the Ghostrunner series, unveiled Valor Mortis, a single-player first-person soulslike game which combinesbrutal, methodical combat, Metroidvania-inspired levels and a compelling narrative shrouded in horror, corruption...[Read More]
Rusty Rabbit Review (PS5)
I cannot remember if I have played a game led by a rabbit before. Hmmm…I don’t think I ever played a Looney Tunes game. Nah. This is my first one. If you didn’t have enough rabbits, eggs, and attitudes from this past weekend, then you’re in for a treat with Nitro Plus’ Rusty Rabbit. This 2D platformer does its best to make a mean and machine-obsessed rabbit into an unlikely hero full of grit and m...[Read More]
INAYAH – Life After Gods Review (PC)
Sometimes when you review titles, you come across one that kicks up some old feelings. For example, when I’m playing any Street Fighter game, it harkens back to me on a date at a mall in Annapolis. I should have been paying attention to my date, but I was fixated on a new game called Street Fighter II. It’s a good memory for the wrong dating reasons, but a good memory about video games and my firs...[Read More]
Laika: Aged Through Blood Review (Nintendo Switch)
There is something beautiful about a tragic story that hits home accompanied by easy gameplay to make it all work. This was the scenario with The Binding of Isaac, a game that brought some of the darkest dungeons of thought regarding abuse and abandonment while pairing the narrative with an endless Legend of Zelda dungeon fight. That was and is still one of my favorite dark experiences in gaming. ...[Read More]
Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus Review (PC)
I am not that great at difficult games. I can’t tell you how much I stink at anything FromSoftware makes. But! I appreciate what FromSoftware does. I understand what they are trying to do, who it is catered to, and how they craft their difficulty that is more gameplay-centric than anything else. FromSoftware crafts the controls, the visuals, and everything in between well so that the player has th...[Read More]
Gestalt: Steam & Cinder (PC) Review
Metroidvanias should employ unique thematics, be it religious Castilian-inspired worlds, East-Asian taoism, to steampunk. Too many metroidvanias utilize grit and dark worlds in an attempt to set the player on an odyssey out of the depths of Tartarus. I can understand that familiarity breeds nostalgia, which in turn breeds happy players, but breaking the trend can lead to just as many happy players...[Read More]
Noreya: The Gold Project (PC) Review
Dreamirl’s Noreya: The Gold Project turned out to surprise me the longer I stuck with it. This 2D-platforming metroidvania reminded me of Astral Ascent in terms of its fluidity while masquerading as an exploration-focused adventure through beautifully designed biomes full of enemies. It functions like a normal metroidvania but transforms into something relatively unique, albeit not fully reaching ...[Read More]
Tevi (PS5) Review
Last year, I was given an opportunity to preview Tevi for the PC. At the time, it was in Early Access, meaning that much of the game was unfinished and the main goal was for me to test out its metroidvania meets bullet hell combat in a handful of boss encounters. At the time, I was solidly impressed with what I was given access to play. Tevi released last November on PC. I didn’t get to review the...[Read More]
Ultros Review (PC)
A gigantic tentacled monster floats in between me and my goal – a gestation pod containing a Shaman. I am to destroy the Shaman’s pod so I can continue my journey – to where, I am unsure. But all I know is destroying whatever is in that pod gets me one step closer. I slash the monster a few times before rolling behind it to give it a killing blow. It explodes into a fountain of blood. I walk forwa...[Read More]
9 Years of Shadows Review (Nintendo Switch)
Metroid Fusion is one of my most favorite and cherished metroidvanias from my childhood. It’s not the perfect metroidvania by any means, but it’s memorable because of how it told a mysterious and intriguing story set in the Metroid universe alongside tight platforming combat and rewarding exploration. That said, it’s a short game – the last time I replayed Metroid Fusion, I was able to complete it...[Read More]
The Last Faith Review (PC)
One of my biggest issues that emerge when reading video game reviews occurs when a reviewer will express disliking a genre, reviewing a game of that genre, and then holding genre-defining gameplay elements as reasons to complain about the game being reviewed. I get it, we can’t expect every reviewer to love every genre, but we should attempt to be fair and as unbiased as possible when assessing a ...[Read More]