James Paley
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COGConnectedLatest Reviews
Life in the Han dynasty was apparently pretty brutal. At the very least, death was around every corner for its rulers. Such is the lesson imparted by Reigns: Three Kingdoms. But don’t worry! As far as brutal murders go, most of yours will be quick and painless. Sorry, I’m getting...
I’ve noticed a pattern with DLC as of late. If the release is divided into two parts, the first one will be pretty light fare. An appetizer, if you will. Echoes of The Fallen, the first part of Final Fantasy XVI’s DLC, is exactly that. You get a few new...
There’s an elegance to city builders that I appreciate. Your fledgling town is a puzzle with constantly moving pieces. Every new addition is an opportunity for something else to go wrong, forcing you on your toes at all times. Yet when things fall into place, it’s positively thrilling. SteamWorld Build...
Sometimes a game collection is a sobering reminder of how good we’ve got it now. I loved Jurassic Park when I was kid. Read the book, watched the movie, the whole nine yards. I even played one of these games back in the day. Running around with dinosaurs and shooting...
2D Mario games occupy a weird space in my brain. It’s important that they innovate, but not too much. Otherwise, they lose something ethereal that I can’t define. They’re tied to the past in a powerful way, so much so that they’re automatically nostalgic. There’s a tightrope act that each...
Disgaea games are pure quicksand. You might think you’re playing an approachable turn-based strategy RPG. But you’ll be up to your armpits in the muck before you know it. Indeed, I need to tread carefully, lest I get lost in 2000 words of systems-based minutiae. Instead, let’s approach Disgaea 7...
I know, objectively, that Pokémon games are for kids. The cute characters, the color schemes, the relatively simple combat mechanics. All designed to appeal to a broad audience and a wide age range. At the same time, Detective Pikachu Returns is especially for kids, you know? Something about the writing,...
Eternights
Eternights is a game that wears many hats. Sort of. You get quick glimpses into several different subgenres, little bites of many pies. I was kept on my toes, yes. But the game never quite commits to any one idea. On the other hand, what I saw of the dating...
RPG stories tend to feel pretty cut-and-dried in a lot of ways. A group of plucky youths get together and kill a god, or someone who thinks they’re a god. There’s an even pluckier companion with mascot potential tagging along. You’re on a walking tour through a series of fantastic...
FPS games don’t have nearly enough magic, I’ve always said. Why not swap out that AR-15 for a trusty fireball? Train your soldiers in the mystical arts! Anyways, Immortals of Aveum solves that problem for me. It’s a first-person shooter with 1000% more magic beams, bolts, and missiles. The spells...
This game might not be for you. It absolutely wasn’t for me, in spite of its fascinating premise and snappy writing. LISA: Definitive Edition is a clever, cruel, well-crafted game that I couldn’t stand. It turns out that I have no patience for this specific sort of emotional landscape. I...
Pikmin 4
At long last, a new Pikmin game has arrived. As a newcomer to the series, I can’t speak to the game’s new features with the necessary authority. I can, however, provide an outsider’s perspective on the experience. For those of you also new to this franchise, welcome! Pikmin 4 is...
