Ethan Gach
This author account hasn't been claimed yet. To claim this account, please contact the outlet owner to request access.
Writing For
KotakuLatest Reviews
Video games are inescapably intertwined with iteration and do-overs. It’s written into the technology that builds them, the development practices that craft them, and often the very rules governing how they work: win-lose, trial and error. Some games have tried to mask this artifice in the service of more naturalistic storytelling. Deathloop embraces it. Up to a point.
There were times early on in Axiom Verge 2 when I wanted to stop playing. I’m glad I didn’t. For all my problems with the game, by the end it had me completely enthralled. Lovely art, haunting music, and a packed constellation of obstacles and shortcuts elevate an often frustrating side-scrolling gauntlet into a worthwhile and occasionally sublime experience. There are plenty of Metroidvanias out there that evoke bygone gaming eras, but indie creator Tom Happ’s personal spin on the nostalgia-fueled genre continues to stand above most of the rest of the field.
Fallout 76 is filled with intriguing ideas, set amid an appealing post-apocalyptic sprawl ripe for exploration. It’s also a mess.