Hayes Madsen

Hayes Madsen

Author Verified
80
Avg Score

Game industry critic and reviewer

Latest Reviews

Opus: Prism Peak
9.5

Opus: Prism Peak is a remarkable narrative experience with a clear love of the art of photography and a genuine message to impart.

Pragmata

Pragmata

April 12, 2026
9

Capcom's Pragmata is a truly inventive & surprisingly emotional take on the sci-fi shooter, and another tremendous outing in the company's ongoing hot streak.

Etrange Overlord
9

Etrange Overlord is a short and sweet RPG that doesn't overstay its welcome, and hits all the right notes in its relatively short runtime.

The first meal you learn to cook in Crimson Desert is Clear Soup, a brothy mixture of simply water, meat, and lentils. It looks nice and is probably filling, but would no doubt be a bit simple and leave you wanting something with a little more depth of flavor. As it turns out, it’s the perfect allegory for Crimson Desert at large: a beautiful, exploration-rich open-world game that’s a clear technological achievement, hampered by a cornucopia of little frustrations and a stark lack of narr...

Going Medieval
8.0

Once you get over Going Medieval’s initial learning curve, there’s a joyously complex survival city builder to dig into.

Towerborne

Towerborne

February 25, 2026
8

Towerborne's full release brings a wealth of smart tweaks that drastically improve the game from its early access version, crafting a gripping beat 'em up RPG that comes just shy of greatness.

Tales of Berseria is one of the most narratively ambitious entries in the franchise, and it still hits heights few other RPGs can – and packs in a few new bells and whistles to boot.

PowerWash Simulator 2 is a sequel that tweaks or improves nearly every issue from the original game and provides another zen-like simulation experience that might just make your mind wander.

Two Point Museum

Two Point Museum

February 24, 2025
9

I can’t think of a single other game that lets you manage museums, and it’s baffling it hasn’t been done before now. Two Point Museum clicks within minutes of taking control, and it only grows more captivating with time. It delicately strikes a balance between complex and approachable, and it’s genuinely hard to imagine how Two Point Studios can improve on its formula from here.