David Burdette

Author Verified
78
Avg Score

Game industry critic and reviewer

Writing For

Latest Reviews

Atomfall

Atomfall

March 20, 2025
80

While I wouldn’t call Atomfall revolutionary, Rebellion has done a great job of taking a unique setting and putting the right pieces around it. Figuring out where less is more is tantamount to the formula that works for Atomfall, along with offering players a streamlined experience that can be enjoyed for multiple playthroughs. Atomfall is brilliant, and solid in the right places.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 stands tall on its reputation while delivering on expectations. World-class gunplay throughout, the incredible campaign, superb multiplayer, and excellent Zombies mode reach the heights you’ve come to anticipate from the Black Ops series. Treyarch, Raven, and all the studios behind it should be proud; this shot will be heard around the world.

Ara: History Untold
75

Ara: History Untold tweaks the Civilization formula, but doesn’t change it all that much. While it’s a well polished experience, I’m not sure it does enough to push the genre forward, settling instead to do what it does well. That said, good strategy games can be hard to find, and Ara is a good one in a crowded field.

Thank Goodness You’re Here is a wonderful little indie game that punches higher than it should. The comedic dialogue will have you rolling, and the art style is to die for. A lackluster story and shallow gameplay could drag it down, but somehow work perfectly for the game Panic has created. Know your medium, and good things will come of it.

One of the best PlayStation games gets a port worthy of its reputation. Nixxes has provided an excellent port, one properly optimized with all the bells and whistles. Not to mention, there is so much you can engage with between Ghost of Tsushima, Tales of Iki Island, and Legends. Don’t delay, grab your katana and play this game.

Little Kitty, Big City gets the assignment, but doesn’t completely land on all four paws. The exploration is a blast, the world is delightful, and the side characters can steal the spotlight. I just felt like my time here was too short, and without much going on during it.

Alpha Protocol
75

Alpha Protocol is exactly what I expected fourteen years later. It’s held back by low textured environments and wonky combat, but excels at world building and dialogue. In fact, it may be ahead of some other games' dialogue systems even now. There just isn’t a game out there like Alpha Protocol, with its espionage RPG idea that really should be revisited.

Although a lackluster campaign and reused content holds it back, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III has a few great tricks up its sleeve. The multiplayer engages in a way its predecessor missed the mark, and open-world Zombies is exactly as entertaining as it sounds. There's more to be desired as a whole, but as rushed as it was, MWIII has solid elements that can be enjoyed.

Starfield

Starfield

August 30, 2023
90

Bethesda Game Studios has reached new heights in Starfield. A thrilling narrative, loaded with an entire universe to explore and backed by sublimely polished systems, has ushered in the ultimate Bethesda experience. It’s truly hard to summarize just what makes Starfield special, and that’s because so much of it is. You’ll be glued to your screen for hours, going where no explorer has gone before.

Redfall

Redfall

April 30, 2023
35

Redfall resembles the vampires it's based on. It lacks identity, and sucks the life out of you. Every time I see a spark of potential, it's stomped out by bugs, braindead AI, and an empty world not worth exploring. I wish Arkane well in their next endeavor, because they need to let this one die.