Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1-2 Remastered Review
Years ago I once played a demo for Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. Likely on PC as it would be a few more years before owning a PlayStation console. While my gaming brain had been relatively matured by that point, I distinctly remember having absolutely no clue as to what I was doing in the Soul Reaver demo. Raziel’s tattered wings glided me towards chunky polygonal pillars. A spiral health met...[Read More]
The Thaumaturge Review
The Thaumaturge is a strangely cozy game, personally speaking. Of course, one might not think such things about a game set in 1905 Poland, a country dealing with the encroaching threat of Revolution amidst Russian occupation. Soon the entire world would know war. Industry, culture, and technology were shifting. In The Thaumaturge, the streets are lined with muddy poverty, upper-class parties, and ...[Read More]
Spirit Mancer Review
When the dust settles, I’ll remember more of what Spirit Mancer got right than where it stumbled. Even when a game is flawed, it can still make a remarkable impression if it strives to simply be different. Better to shoot for the moon than wade in the dredges of safety. My feeling for Spirit Mancer was crystallized about three hours in, having touched upon the numerous parts of the game deve...[Read More]
Metaphor: ReFantazio Review
“Humans are the real monsters.” The thought resonated with me early into Metaphor: ReFantazio‘s narrative, one that not so subtly works to tackle and deconstruct themes from our own reality, a reality many would wish to escape for any other kind of fantastical existence. No doubt Atlus and Studio Zero did not plan to release their work in proximity to such a tumultuous inflection...[Read More]
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Review
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III stumbled so Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 could soar. Triumphantly so. Black Ops 6 possesses a kind of opulence I haven’t seen in a Call of Duty game since perhaps Infinite Warfare, Black Ops 3, and Advanced Warfare–the first fruit borne from Activision’s mandate that Call of Duty‘s key three developers would be gifted with 3-year development cy...[Read More]
Life is Strange: Double Exposure Review
Life is Strange has proved to be a surprisingly resilient series. In the same months of early 2015 I did a kind of triple feature, playing the first two The Walking Dead games and the first episode of Life is Strange. Despite taking almost an entire year to release all five episodes, DONTNOD’s tale of Max Caulfield felt like a cozy answer to Telltale Games’ breakout hit. Despite being ...[Read More]
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Review
BioWare undoubtedly needed Dragon Age: The Veilguard to happen. One can only wonder and investigate what The Veilguard was before now. Back when it was Dragon Age: Dreadwolf. Or when it was meant to be a live-service title. But ten years after Dragon Age: Inquisition, BioWare’s resiliency is facing its ultimate test. Mass Effect proves to be a triumphant moment for the developer, especially ...[Read More]
El Paso, Elsewhere Review
If there has been one game I’ve referenced more than any other–especially in the context of a review–it’s been Hotline Miami. Dennaton Games’ masterpiece has acted as a kind of zenith in both the independent gaming space and as an inflection point for games that are relatively mechanically simple but coated in an effervescent style making them unforgettable. ThereR...[Read More]
Neva Review
Like the changing seasons it is framed by, Neva is equal parts beautiful, cyclical, and unpredictable. Alba, the sole protagonist exists as the lonely human in a world otherwise teeming with life and color. The only other humanoid-like beings are the inky black enemies that wear white masks for faces. Their dark, murky presence and violent nature is a stark contrast to the dense foliage and vibran...[Read More]
Phoenix Springs Review
Phoenix Springs falls prey to the thing that many other adventure games do: obfuscation. As players, we fall victim to to the minds of the creator. They piece together the blueprint of their game’s world brick by brick, pasting the puzzle pieces together to hopefully form a cohesive whole. There must be a nexus point where mechanics are introduced to the player and learned in a way that rewa...[Read More]
The Plucky Squire Review
Shortly into my adventure with Jot in The Plucky Squire, I was tasked by the wizard Moonbeard to retrieve some wax from local honeybee Benny Bee to create more records to DJ with. As if that sentence wasn’t already claustrophobic in whimsy, it turns out a honey badger was snout-deep in Benny’s stock. A cutscene played–Jot ripped the sleeves off his tunic, muscles bulging. “...[Read More]
Concord Review
Concord is the most fun I’ve had with a competitive online multiplayer shooter since Titanfall 2 and Overwatch. Blizzard’s game-changing Overwatch and Respawn’s second attempt at a great thing both released in 2016. Where Overwatch ushered in the prominence of hero shooters, Titanfall 2 was a taut, high-energy competitive game. Our space has ballooned. At times it feels unsustain...[Read More]