Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss Review
The well-tread depths of H.P. Lovecraft’s vast oeuvre have been iterated upon and translated into countless forms of media. And at the center of it all often looms the monolithic, tentacled god Cthulhu. The Great Old One. A cosmic horror. It is an indecipherable terror that infects the mind and draws lesser men into incomprehensible worlds for whatever sinister purpose. Cthulhu is so promine...[Read More]
Pragmata Review
Minutes into Pragmata, lead character Hugh Williams expresses his distrust for robots and AI. He and his team have been summoned to the Earth’s moon to establish contact with a massive lunar research facility. As suspected, everything goes to hell. But not before it’s established that on this base, AI automation is heavily used and a substance called lunafilament seemingly can 3D print...[Read More]
TAMASHIKA Review
TAMASHIKA is very much a game you have played before. TAMASHIKA is very much a game you have not played before. TAMASHIKA presents a kind of quandary to a person wishing to encapsulate its whole in a kind of coherent manner, one that is digestible to the discerning eye who merely asks: “Should I play this or nah?” TAMASHIKA‘s developer, quicktequila, seems vaguely indifferent abo...[Read More]
People of Note Review
People of Note‘s soundtrack has been playing in my head for days which, for a game so focused on the magic of music, is certainly worth praise. And I swear I didn’t plan for that to rhyme but much like this game, surprises can always happen. As one gets older, it’s easy for exhaustion to cannibalize our enthusiasm. Over the years I have watched the industry go through numerous bo...[Read More]
ChainStaff Review
You need to play ChainStaff just to see the crazy shit developer Mommy’s Best Games cooked up. Level after level I was astounded at the visual barrage of inventive, weird creatures and worlds on display. Would I have a back of the box quote it might simply be “What the fuck?” in italicized Comic Sans with maybe a Wingding or two to obscure the expletive. My dudes, ChainStaff is s...[Read More]
Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered Review
Playing Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1-2 Remastered back in the winter of 2024, I was able to finally tick one game off the abyss that is my backlog. When a developer brings back a beloved but long-forgotten series to the modern era, there’s always risks to consider. Preserving what made the original so applauded by fans and/or critics is important. Lose that spirit and you’ve lost any ...[Read More]
Super Meat Boy 3D Review
Super Meat Boy is a permanent fixture in my gaming lexicon. As far as titles I’ve referenced in reviews go, Team Meat’s brutal platformer is one of the top contenders. Praise is easily showered on the game because of its massive impact on the indie scene. After all, it was featured in a movie focused on the subject. But Edmund McMillen and Tommy Refenes’ game is simply a classic....[Read More]
Marathon Review
Rarely do I delete significant portions of a review after they are written but with Marathon, that isn’t the case. Several hundred words gone in an instant. “Just like your loot.” Yes, just like my loot. But I had to. After a couple of days of struggle. After a couple days of blood pressure medication-induced anxiety. I stared at the screen, at the words I had written. I tried to...[Read More]
Minishoot’ Adventures Review
Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery is a crutch many would happily lean on. When you can rely on an established or classic formula, you’re guaranteed a modicum of spiritual success, right? Minishoot’ Adventures is undeniably a game inspired by classic The Legend of Zelda, whether that be Link’s original adventure or the countless derivatives that have followed in its s...[Read More]
Collector’s Cove Review
In a gaming world already full to the gills with cozy farm sims, do we really need another one to choose from? The answer is yes, we do. Because the world is also pretty flush with The Horrors, and cozy games are what get a lot of us through the day. While the genre has become crowded, there’s still room for new ideas—or at least new spins on familiar ones. Collectors Cove may not be the most grou...[Read More]
Death Howl Review
Were we to embrace death and return to this mortal coil gifted with the knowledge of our former life, what would be do? In these trying times, most of us would likely invest in stocks or buy bitcoin on the cheap years before values exploded. But thematically, sincerely, what would we really try? Would we beeline towards our future partner years earlier? Would we choose a different career path? Wou...[Read More]
God of War Sons of Sparta Review
As far as experiments go, God of War Sons of Sparta is a noble one. Would you have told me a few weeks ago that the next entry in the long-running series would be a humble spin-off Metroidvania, my interest would have been piqued. Tell me that it’s set in Kratos’ Greek origins? Sold. Sons of Sparta is an important game but not likely for the reasons you may think. Criticism has been fr...[Read More]