Matthew Carmosino
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Latest Reviews
Once Upon A Katamari delivers an amazingly fun time. It may be derivative with its graphics and story, but the impressive level variety across nine eras and sheer wealth of content ensure fans and newcomers will be rolling until they're sick of smiling. This is easily one of the best games in the series and one of the most charming games of the year.
Color me surprised but the newest Battlefield is genuinely good. With four balanced classes, steady progression, and a strong campaign, it’s a refined and content-rich entry that should keep both veterans and newcomers coming back for more.
Lego Voyagers is a simple yet charming game built around dedicated co-op play. There’s no dialogue, no quests, and no tutorials. Just you, your partner, and the Lego-built environment. It could certainly have been better, but as it stands, this is a highly accessible experience offered at an attractive price point.
The framework of an excellent mech game is here, but the execution is flawed in several areas. This sequel introduces an open world that feels lifeless and looks two console generations old. Mechanically, Titanic Scion fires on all cylinders. All the mech customization you could want is here. But with a lopsided difficulty curve and floaty movement, there's only so much fun that can be had before frustration kicks in.
EA hasn’t reinvented the wheel, but their latest NFL outing still managed to impress me. Every mode, except Ultimate Team, has been enhanced with more engaging systems and streamlined features. The presentation feels livelier and more dynamic, with a welcome dose of college football DNA. Unfortunately, sluggish load times and a few poor interface choices continue to plague the yearly series.
What do you get when you combine Halo and Portal? Splitgate. What do you get when you inject an imbalanced battle royale mode and classes on top of that? Splitgate 2. The PvP portal slinging FPS has a sequel and it plays well with a sleek new slide and an Unreal Engine 5 graphical boost. I wish I enjoyed the color-spotched aesthetic and blown-up stages here, but I prefer the first game's intricate corridors and Halo-derived stage design better. Still, Splitgate 2 is a PvP shooter that plays brilliantly and has the makings of a fantastic game; it just needs some updates to address some balance issues and refinements to its battle royale mode to hit its stride.
Deliver At All Costs is a perfect example of an average game with above average potential. What could have been a hit indie game with zany destructive environments and fun delivery gameplay turns out to be a tad too ambitious in the wrong directions. The game aspires to great narrative heights but severely lacks the graphical presentation to meet such lofty standards. Thankfully, a majority of the writing is earnest and intriguing, even if it isn't followed through in a satisfying way. Deliver At All Costs supplies some fun mission design, especially if you're a fan of 2D GTA titles, but its charm only brings it so far until the desire to play something more polished comes along.
Blades of Fire stands out with its unique sword-based combat and surprisingly deep forging system. While it stumbles with repetitive enemy encounters and frustrating escort missions, there's no denying the charm and originality in its core gameplay loop. It’s a flawed gem, but one that action-RPG fans will find plenty to enjoy in.
This is a wonderful collection of early 2000s fighting game era touched up with quality of life features and tons of artwork to peruse. The standout attractions this time are the team-based crossover classics Capcom vs. SNK 1 and 2, along with the beloved 3D arena brawlers Power Stone 1 and 2. Unfortunately the two Power Stones don't come with their story modes, and being stuck with one save state across all games is incredibly restrictive when continuing single-player. Still, a majority of the eight games here are absolute gems, and are arguably a better value than Capcom Fighting Collection 1.
It's not a lengthy game by any means, but The Midnight Walk will stay with you for a while after rolling the credits. The claymation aesthetic is consistently impressive to behold, so much so that I'm hoping I don't see some of the nightmarish creatures in my dreams. The stealth sequences contain some of the most effective horror moments I've encountered in a very long time. The Midnight Walk is a short but sweet (and terrifying) journey worth taking.