Well Dweller Review
Well Dweller makes me look back on a long, storied career of playing games like it… all the way back to 1994, when I played Super Metroid. Yeah, you know where this is going. Back then then the genre was still pretty nascent. Even with the original Metroid and Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest establishing long-running trends, we had no idea what we would eventually get ourselves into. Fin...[Read More]
SPRAWL zero Review
The phrase “love letter” is a tired one but so often an unavoidable one. People enjoy consonance so it rolls off the tongue more pleasantly, better than something terse like “homage”. “Tribute” tends to evoke imagery of golden statues or a more direct line to the thing being idolized. Simply put, “love letter” is in the lexicon, especially when speak...[Read More]
Keeper Review
At the mountaintop, victory lies in wait. The proverbial summit to reach. Madeline sought to climb, conquering her anxieties in Celeste. Kratos and Atreus ascended to give Laufey’s remains back to the world in God of War. Our scarved, hooded figure journeyed to the peak in Journey, only to go back to the beginning. Elizabeth said, “There’s always a lighthouse.” Whether desi...[Read More]
Dragon Quest Heroes: Torneko’s Mystery Dungeon Classic HD Review
Dragon Quest Heroes: Torneko’s Mystery Dungeon Classic HD is an engaging time capsule. What more could you really ask of a Super Famicom Japan-only release from 1993? Game preservation shouldn’t have to be such an agonizing experiment. There shouldn’t be so many lead walls in the path towards allowing audiences the opportunity to play games. Who does it benefit to have these pieces of ...[Read More]
Control Resonant Review
Control Resonant is quite a brilliant game in its own right but deep into its twisted version of Manhattan, the same thought kept echoing through my head. This is fundamentally a “Control” game… yet it’s also not. Much like its universe’s Objects of Power and Altered Items, Remedy is able to layer dimensions into a singular concept. In 2019’s Control, players co...[Read More]
Ground Hero Zero Review
When I had wrapped up Ground Hero Zero‘s five visually distinct biomes, I was told my completion time came in around 6 hours and 14 minutes. I had maxed out almost every permanent upgrade and only had a handful of achievements I was missing–many of them relating to beating each biome without being hit. An entire hour of that time was spent working towards staying in an “Endless&#...[Read More]
Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 Review
Alien is a franchise that has done an admirable job at staving off multiple disasters. Say what you will about about Alien 3 or Aliens: Colonial Marines, there’s always going to be missteps and complete faceplants. But over the decades, 20th Century–and now Disney–didn’t flood the market with Xenomorphs. Regardless of your opinion on the franchise’s direction since Pr...[Read More]
Yet Another Zombie Survivors Review
Self-awareness is a healthy quality to have. Keeps you grounded in reality, provides a degree of confidence in how you see yourself and how others might perceive you. You don’t have to sell yourself short but you might. Maybe you can slyly prop up your ego, fully aware of capabilities others are unsure you may have. It allows you to take stock of the world around you and how you fit into it....[Read More]
Onimusha: Way of the Sword Review
Onimusha: Way of the Sword was not the game I thought it would be. When those expectations are shattered, it can often be hard to acclimate and readjust. The action genre has seen a deluge of titles vying for a piece of FromSoftware’s mind share, tinkering with ways to expertly challenge players without being too derivative. For Capcom, Onimusha would be a logical choice to mold a game in th...[Read More]
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy Review
Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy constantly builds on its own momentum. The game is a kinetic one, yet that adjective isn’t merely applicable to the sense of action one would come to expect from an adventure game. That sense of movement drives the player towards emotional resonance. Fear, relief, shock, intrigue, hopelessness, triumph. Setpieces unfold to reveal an imposing truth. A character...[Read More]
Mortal Shell II Review
Mortal Shell and Lies of P are two of my biggest blind spots in the vast ocean of Soulslike games that have claimed a relatively large mindshare for their quality and unique approach to the genre. As a die-hard fan since Demon’s Souls back in 2009, I’ve fought and died against countless vicious foes who have whittled down my patience and resolve, infrequently tempering me into a better...[Read More]
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls Review
Hello, my name is Ben and I’ve never played a Marvel vs. Capcom. But this is a safe space, right? And if we’re baring our souls, I have another confession. I am… mediocre at fighting games. Maybe decent after several hours of beating my head against a wall. Perhaps that’s a disappoint to you, dear reader, one who purports to know me so well. Over the years I’ve made n...[Read More]