Wesley LeBlanc
This author account hasn't been claimed yet. To claim this account, please contact the outlet owner to request access.
Writing For
Game InformerLatest Reviews
Booting up Assassin's Creed Shadows for the first time felt surreal. I was looking at a samurai and a shinobi on the start screen of an Assassin's Creed game. The series had finally made it to feudal Japan. As a longtime fan, though, I was nervous the actual game wouldn't match the heights of the Japan-set Assassin's Creed my imagination had cultivated over the past decade. After more than 55 hours in the feudal Azuchi-Momoyama era, I'm left somewhat conflicted about this long-awaited adventu...
I hated my first 10 hours with Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. I then realized I wasn’t meeting it on its terms; I was trying to morph what is clearly a realistic immersive sim-like digital LARP into the Skyrim-esque experience I figured it would be as yet another open world RPG. Only when I took a step back and engaged with all KCD2’s systems did I grasp what developer Warhorse Studios was trying to accomplish. For the rest of my 66 hours, I experienced near-perfection, an RPG whose mechani...
Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector uses an explosive beginning to rip the amnesiac Sleeper protagonist away from any familiarity, forcing them to endure a journey through the stars riddled with stress, unrest, and a foe constantly on their tail. But it’s those feelings, that unavoidable discomfort, that push Sleeper into new friendships, communities, and trials of trust that ultimately prove it’s not about the destination – it’s about the journey. Buoyed by the excellent returning dic...
Dragon Age: The Veilguard is more than just another release in a beloved role-playing franchise. It’s also the first single-player RPG from BioWare, a team whose bread and butter was once this exact type of game, in over seven years. With a beautiful collection of hub worlds to explore, fun and fast action combat, and a memorable cast of characters to share in the adventure, I was impressed throughout my long runtime with Veilguard. And though the central narrative left me wanting, the pers...
Little Kitty, Big City puts players behind the paws (and toe beans) of an adorable black cat in a city reminiscent of Tokyo's residential areas. After falling high from the comfort of their home's window, the unnamed feline finds itself on the city's streets below. With one thing on their mind – returning home to the perfect spot for a nap – this cat goes on its biggest adventure yet. Admittedly, Little Kitty, Bit City didn’t need to do much to impress me. I love cats, and it immediately nails why I and other cat lovers enjoy these furry friends. But developer Double Dagger Studio also created a cute and funny exploration of our world through a cat’s eyes that doubles as a delightful puzzle game.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has quite the act to follow up – it must both live up to the sky-high expectations set by its predecessor, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and synthesize and modernize perhaps the most crucial chapter in our heroes' adventure across Gaia. While my 80 hours in Rebirth didn't quite match the overall nirvana of Remake, it's a game I struggled to put down. A few stumbling blocks, like a bloated and sometimes tedious open world and intermittently uneven pacing, threaten the highs of Rebirth. But an exciting and well-told story, with an awe-inspiring finale to boot, almost made me forget the lows. The final result is a flawed but deeply reverent love letter to one of gaming's most beloved RPGs.
The Prince of Persia series has a long and storied history going back decades, and I know none of it. The latest, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, from developer Ubisoft Montpellier, has me regretting that because if this game indicates what else awaits me in the franchise, I’ve clearly been missing out. The Lost Crown uses exhilarating platforming, a deep combat loop, and more to create a new Metroidvania classic. While I would like a more compelling story and a few tweaks to its systems, I struggled to put The Lost Crown down, taking my gameplay sessions into the late hours of the night. The Lost Crown is a fascinating and highly successful reemergence for the beloved series.
The first Ghostrunner is one of my all-time favorite games, and I've been excited for its sequel, Ghostrunner 2, since its reveal more than two years ago. I didn't need much to be satisfied with another parkour venture into developer One More Level's cyberpunk dystopia; I just wanted more Ghostrunner. And when Ghostrunner 2 is doing what put its predecessor on the map – fast-paced first-person action-parkour gameplay – it shines. But a few new attempts at expanding this world, both narratively and mechanically, don't shine as bright, however interesting and admirable they are. Nonetheless, Ghostrunner 2, with its exceptional action, soundtrack, and beautifully oppressive world, kept me smiling in delight for most of my 15 hours.
Lies of P developer Neowiz proudly calls its The Adventures of Pinocchio-inspired action game a Soulslike, drawing direct attention to its From Software inspiration. The proclamation is a bold and risky move. While there are great contenders in this action subgenre, even the best are a few marks from what From Software creates and I went into Lies of P with that expectation. But then I put 40 hours into Lies of P in just five days, something I rarely do with any game. And then I doubled back on a save to get a different ending. And then I started New Game Plus because I wanted more. Lies of P masterfully wields familiar Soulslike combat and worldbuilding and infuses it with a few twists to set it apart from its various inspirations. The result is a pondering and memorable exploration of a fairytale everyone knows built within a deeply rewarding action game. Simply put, Lies of P is utterly fantastic.
Plenty of great first-person shooters take players on globe-trotting adventures using modern military technology, to World Wars, and sometimes the moon or even hell. Immortals of Aveum carves out its own place in the broad genre of shooters by setting its first-person action in the fantasy realm of Aveum, and it’s refreshing to shoot at ax-wielding knights, magic sorcerers, dragons, and more.