Star Wars Outlaws Review
Being sandwiched between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi could have been Star Wars Outlaws‘ greatest failing. Instead, it is the game’s greatest strength. Shadows of the Empire was similarly set between those two films and, I would argue, became a relatively beloved slice of Star Wars canon before much of the Extended Universe was annihilated. I played Shadows of the Emp...[Read More]
Pepper Grinder Review (PS5)
There’s grace in not wearing out your welcome. And I know few platformers that grow more enjoyable the longer they stretch on. Variety is the spice of life and Pepper Grinder mimics the best kind of platformers capable of diverse levels, challenges, and visuals… all without becoming too much. But I admit that in its haste, Pepper Grinder is almost over before it makes the most of any p...[Read More]
Mars 2120 Review
38 years ago when Metroid released on the Famicom in August 1986, the revelation that Samus Aran is a woman was anything but novel. The assumption that obviously there must be a man behind that mask was based in at least a few decades’ worth of media featuring a dude as the action star. Fast-forward almost 40 years and it’s a completely different landscape. Heck, many people I know opt...[Read More]
Deadlink Review
Deadlink has no patience for players who want to take the time to methodically pull off headshots and lurk around a map for optimal strategic dispatching of enemies. You don’t aim down the sights. You don’t belly crawl. Technically, you don’t even die. Deadlink is a roguelite by way of a boomer shooter. Which, for even a person in their late 30s like me, is just… well it...[Read More]
Kunitsu-Gami: Path of The Goddess Review
Were you ever good at Desktop Tower Defense? I certainly wasn’t. But that didn’t stop me from soaking up hours of it on Kongregate or whatever Flash game website at the time. The tower defense zeitgeist at the time seemed to revolve around that dumb, simple game and rather than be on my PlayStation 3 I was probably idling away on it between Tumblr refreshes and browsing mp3 download si...[Read More]
Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree Review
Fifteen years feels like a long time to be trapped in this endless cycle of life and death. Yet that’s how long FromSoftware’s abyss of grueling, rewarding games have been in my life. I’ve been there since Demon’s Souls on PlayStation 3. But it took me awhile to adapt to the emergent genre that has taken to flooding every gaming event like a murderous deluge. You see, there...[Read More]
V Rising Review
Early Access has rapidly become a proving ground for developers to implement community feedback to grow and improve their games. Baldur’s Gate 3 spent a significant period in Early Access but only hinted at the windfall of content Larian would unleash on players. And while the moniker can be wielded in strange ways, it feels like a net positive for both players and developers who wish to sup...[Read More]
Save Me Mr. Tako: Definitive Edition Review
Save Me Mr. Tako: Definitive Edition is a shockingly accurate recreation of those cartridge games you would click into the back of Nintendo’s Game Boy and play through until the four AA batteries died or your road trip was over. As a kid, my Game Boy was attached to me, especially when I was away from my consoles. While the longest time I spent in a car was usually about an hour, I still rem...[Read More]
Indika Review
Between each new scene, Indika harshly cuts to black. The effect is a whiplash. Narratively. Mechanically. Technically. A fall down a hole or a jump through a window or a gunshot ringing out. Indika refuses to be cohesive, rejecting to make a complete circle of sense. Its most basic throughline becomes muddled with questionable events and indecipherable landscapes. The director framing the action ...[Read More]
Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game Review
Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game. What a time to be alive, right? In a few years gaming will likely have tapped the final keg of horror movie properties to borrow from. The asymmetrical multiplayer genre has been a relative boon for franchises that never could be molded into sensible games. Like many, I was victimized by Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm Street for the NES. Those hone...[Read More]
Hauntii Review
Hauntii is one of those wonderful games that isn’t overshadowed by its intoxicating aesthetic. Undoubtedly, Moonloop Games’ debut title is one that could sell based on its trailer. Countless independent games over the years have battled for recognition through any number of quirks and often work to ensnare eyeballs through a sleek or–for a lack of a better word–haunting tra...[Read More]
Braid, Anniversary Edition Review
Reflecting on Braid‘s significance, one has to play with time. The landscape of 2008 was vastly different for gaming, for most media. In this moment I try to peel back the thick, foggy folds of time and remember August 2008, the month Braid released on Xbox Live Arcade. Poor aimless, hopeless Ben. Unlike Braid‘s main character Tim, I had no steadfast goal to cling to. Much like Tim, li...[Read More]