Anthony John Agnello
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Writing For
Digital Trends
The EscapistLatest Reviews
“Bayonetta 2 is a game whose gargantuan barrage of sex, violence, and surrealism sets the mind on fire in the best possible way.”
“Drinkbox’s third game is a gorgeous bruiser built on old ideas, but stacked with originality.”
“Dynasty Warriors is still gracing consoles with enormous, repetitive, glorious video game brawls.”
“[Alien Isolation] is a remarkable work fueled by fearful tension and exhausting stress.”
“The Evil Within is almost pitiable in its need to recapture the fresh tension and anxiety of Mikami's best work.”
“EA Sports owns the virtual pitch once again in ‘FIFA 14,’ a marginal current gen upgrade that excels for remembering to stick to the fundamentals.”
“Starbreeze's collaboration with first-time game director Josef Fares is a soaring success, joining wholly unique and effective controls with a vivid visual language.”
“Rogue Legacy hooks you immediately with speedy action, and keeps you hooked with deep character building and exploration.”
I’m distrustful of any follow-ups that reuse the original’s name. There’s an inherent mercenary quality to trading on an old title to try and lure in people who might recognize it and remember the good old days. In the age of undying media, when everything is recycled forever to keep an overwhelmed audience committed, sometimes even good work has to be mercenary. In calling its new game simply Samurai Shodown, SNK has made an honest declaration rather than a crass attempt to curry favor. This game is not a Samurai Shodown remake, nor is it truly a soft reboot. It is an old warrior returned after years of pilgrimage, its name newly earned and seasoned, its skills acuminated to a point so fine it’s invisible to the naked eye.
Darksiders III’s sense of economy and character is simple but nuanced, and it makes it easy to forgive other shortcomings. Nothing in this game is as luxurious as contemporaries like God of War or a modern Assassin’s Creed, but it also doesn’t have to be. Whenever I walked into a new place like the neon-tinged underwater Depths or finally reached the next boss and started swinging, the implied guitar riffs of the moment rang loud in my head. Gunfire Games should be proud of making a game where literally fighting Pride feels as silly and awesome as the painted cover of a vintage Ozzy Osbourne LP. Toss the horns and bring on the next horseman’s ride.