Fate/Samurai Remnant Review
Fate/Samurai Remnant has a pedigree that I am completely unaware of. Often a blind approach can be the best one when reviewing games in a long-running series. The Fate series has been circulating since 2004 with various forms of media including manga, games, CD dramas, and even a stage play. Scanning through the dozens-long list I recognized a handful of names that had passed through my periphery ...[Read More]
Cocoon Review
Several times throughout Cocoon I experienced the exhilarating feeling of figuring out the solution to a problem a second too late. In many of the best puzzle games of our time–Portal 2, The Witness, and Inside to name a few–players will spend time gawking at a piece of environment trying to decipher how their given tool set will get them from Point A to Point B. Often, however, the en...[Read More]
The Crew Motorfest Review
The Crew Motorfest opens with a dazzling introduction. Players are shot out into the Hawaiian island of O’ahu in their car racing across its gorgeous streets. Careening past other vehicles, the narrator begins describing what’s to come of this year’s Motorfest, the setting for The Crew‘s newest playground. Suddenly the topography shifts along with the vehicle. The city beco...[Read More]
It’s a Wrap Review
By the time It’s A Wrap! wrapped up its nearly 30 levels, I was satisfied. Puzzle games can so often wear out their welcome, mentally taxing players through various peaks and valleys of challenge. Regardless if they are framed within an engaging narrative, layer on new ideas, or tantalize with that right amount of difficulty, the wear and tear of stringing together brain teasers can happen b...[Read More]
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon Review
Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon‘s initial complexity reminded me of the time when FromSoftware’s game’s felt daunting, a sensation I’ve not had since 2009. This is my first Armored Core game, a series stretching back to 1997 and its last game being released a decade ago. Knowing the pedigree and influence of FromSoftware’s recent catalog, I naturally assumed there w...[Read More]
Ad Infinitum Review
Ad Infinitum was its most terrifying when the grotesque monsters took a backseat. Horror games lately are laser-focused on delivering their scares through psychological roller coasters. Questioning what’s real and what is the character’s mind chipping away at feelings of guilt or regret has replaced running from deadly claws and fangs. Part of me felt that Ad Infinitum was trudging thr...[Read More]
Fort Solis Review
When playing Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, I couldn’t help but be a little bored despite becoming increasingly wrapped up in the game’s central question. The British accents, the evocative soundtrack, and the core mystery were all so tantalizing. But you still had to walk everywhere. And the default walk speed was atrociously slow, made even more laughable by the ability to pr...[Read More]
Somerville Review
Somerville is at its best when dialing up the action. That’s a strange sentiment for a title that hinges so delicately on its association with Playdead, the developer behind Limbo and Inside. What I enjoy most about Playdead’s games are their devotion to world-building and crafting logical scenarios–puzzles or otherwise–carved right out of the world they are placed in. Inor...[Read More]
Sea of Stars Review
To call Sea of Stars a love letter is trite. Sabotage Studio’s masterful original work is more than a recreation of the most beloved parts of turn-based RPGs from the Super Nintendo and PlayStation 1 era. Were Sabotage to release Sea of Stars 25 years ago, few would bat an eye if this game ran on a plastic cartridge or multiple discs. The game’s beating heart is a not only a love for t...[Read More]
Baldur’s Gate 3 Review
Baldur’s Gate 3 is an anecdotal flashpoint of gaming. Its most recent comparative parallel may be akin to PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. For me, a person who avidly consumes game-related content, PUBG was inescapable. During my 9-5 job, I would constantly listen to podcasts and videos about gaming. For months, content creators would give their weekly anecdotes of their time playing the...[Read More]
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons didn’t entrance me the same way 2012’s Double Dragon Neon did. And that’s okay. Coming in the midst of new beat ’em treasures like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge and Streets of Rage 4, Double Dragon Gaiden has a lot to prove. Does developer Secret Base buckle down on old-school sensibilities with a polish of high-d...[Read More]
Exoprimal
What if I told you that Exoprimal took multiple hours and matches before growing into a more diverse game? Would you be less prone to play it? What if I told you that Exoprimal cost $60 dollars–unless you download it on Games Pass–and is a multiplayer only game currently featuring one mode? Would you not want to spend the money or hard drive space on it? What if I told you that I have ...[Read More]