Mike Epstein
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Writing For
GameSpot
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IGNLatest Reviews
Outer Wilds
Outer Wilds’ tricky exploration and puzzle solving is definitely an acquired taste. Its very specific brand of active storytelling differs wildly from highly guided open-worlds that many of us think of when we talk about non-linear gameplay. Though it can be confounding at times when events don’t unfold in precisely...
I wanted to love Generation Zero because there are so many good ideas in it that could’ve made for a stand-out co-op shooter, most notably the rural Swedish setting and robot enemies. Upon actually playing, however, I found most of those ideas were implemented extremely poorly, turning it into a...
Dead or Alive 6 makes a strong case for the franchise’s fundamental combat by making it easier to understand what sets it apart from other fighters, other than its infamous “jiggle physics.” The story campaign is disjointed but it and the other training modes serve as effective instruction for getting...
Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is a great-looking arcade flight combat game, and zipping over high-quality terrain trying to establish missile locks and evade pursuers can be a lot of fun. But the experience often gets weighed down by its weird and convoluted but persistent story and poor communication of...
By blending real-time stealth with tried-and-true tactics gameplay, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden breaks exciting new ground for the turn-based strategy game. Even with some mechanics that don’t mesh perfectly with the gameplay, it teases your brain in interesting, insightful ways.
Though its achievements feel very incremental, Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption moves the Soulslike genre forward in some interesting ways. The slimmed down structure presents some challenging and entertaining boss fights, but doesn’t quite feel like a complete package. It lacks narrative and aesthetic detail, but there are a few clever...
Death's Gambit
Death’s Gambit is a very blunt attempt to fuse two beloved games, Dark Souls and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, into one challenging 2D action-platformer. Developer White Rabbit shows a strong understanding of what made each of them great but glosses over fundamentals that all great games need, such as...
Panzer Dragoon: Remake is a cool window back to a neat little corner of video game history. With modernized graphics acting as rose-tinted glasses to make it more visually pleasing than the 1995 original, this is a neat little arcade shooter that keeps things exciting for an hour or two....
Dead by Daylight’s inventive concept for a competitive horror game strikes an incredible balance between two very different styles of play, and makes both compelling. Channeling the slasher movie spirit, each match feels like a mini horror movie on both sides. Whether you’re the efficient and unpredictable killer, or one...
