Kevin Dunsmore
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Writing For
Hardcore Gamer Latest Reviews
Does Insomniac Games deliver a stunning superhero game on par or better than Marvel's Spider-Man, or is Marvel's Wolverine best forgotten?
Does Capcom walk the way of the sword and successfully resurrect Onimusha, or should Onimusha: Way of the Sword be banished to hell with the Genma?
Just how strong is the Force with Star Wars Zero Company? Let's find out.
Has Aspyr managed to turned a mediocre title into a must-buy, or should the studio have focused its efforts on a different Lord of the Rings title?
Does Doom: The Dark Ages | Revelations find the right middle-ground, or should this DLC be thrown straight into Purgatory?
Does TT Games pull off its largest LEGO game yet or is LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight a legacy best relegated to the shadows?
2024 marked a massive milestone for the Destiny franchise, marking the series' ten-year anniversary and the end of the Light and Darkness saga. Destiny 2: The Final Shape felt like a definitive end, closing numerous open story threads amidst a final clash with The Witness. Yet, it is not the end, as Bungie has made clear the story will continue in the new Fate Saga. Starting with Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate, Bungie hopes to usher in an exciting new era for Destiny 2 by taking players to an all-new location with new mechanics, characters and threats waiting to destroy Sol. Does Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate successfully start a new chapter for Destiny 2, or does it falter under the pressure of its Herculean task?
There's a certain level of risk for Nintendo to launch new hardware without a new The Legend of Zelda or 3D Mario. The last two hardware launches without one of the iconic duos (3DS and Wii U) ended up as disasters, and though the 3DS recovered, it never came close to matching the historic sales of the DS. Nintendo's biggest successes, Wii and Switch, both launched with Zelda titles and had a 3D Mario waiting in the wings a few months later. So, for the Switch 2 to launch with no new Zelda or Mario title feels like a risk. Instead, Nintendo is hoping a new 3D Donkey Kong, the first since the Nintendo 64, will help tide players over. Donkey Kong Bananzais the end result, a new 3D platforming game developed by the same team that worked on Super Mario Odyssey, but with an emphasis on destruction. Can Donkey Kong Bananza fill the massive 3D Mario and The Legend of Zelda hole in the Switch 2's lineup or are these bananas rotten?
The 2010s was an interesting decade for Square Enix. While the publisher’s HD releases saw an increased focus on action, its handheld titles focused on traditional and experimental RPG mechanics. Out of this era came Bravely Default, a 3DS RPG title that harkened back to the first three Final Fantasy titles where four young adults were chosen by a crystal to save the world. The game proved extremely popular, spawning a sequel and spin-offs across the 3DS, Switch and PC. While fans await a potential third sequel, Square Enix and developer Cattle Call aim to reinvigorate the franchise at the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2. Bravely Default is back, now titled Bravely Default: Flying Fairy HD Remaster. Is this remaster brave enough to excite RPG fans or should it have stayed on the 3DS?
Assassin’s Creed has been lost in the wilderness for some time now with fans split firmly into two camps. On one side, you have the traditionalists that stand firmly behind the pre-Origins titles, preferring their narrative linearity, urban cities for advanced parkour and a blend of mechanics that made you feel like an assassin. On the other hand are the RPG fans who crave the open worlds, narrative choices and more action-packed combat of the post-Origins titles. At the center is Ubisoft and its studios, who have not only struggled to find a middle ground that pleases both camps, but have stumbled through numerous controversies over the last few years. Botched launches, copying and pasting of design ideas and intense monetization of every release has hurt their reputation over time. Suffice to say, there’s a lot riding on Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the first mainline entry since 2020. After two major delays to polish the game and promises that it would blend elements to make both camps happy, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is finally here. Is Assassin’s Creed Shadows the hail mary Assassin’s Creed and Ubisoft needed or should this game have stayed in the shadows?