Latest Reviews
Path of Exile
As much as I highly respect the freedom Path of Exile offers, the massive amount of story-rich adventuring content available for no cost, and the nods to some truly great action RPGs of yore, I never really fell into a good groove with it. To bring my vehicle metaphor full...
Despite the fact that the made-for-PlayStation 4 Yakuza 6 was only released a few short months ago, Yakuza Kiwami 2 is the best and most fully formed Yakuza game of 2018 even though it’s a remake of a game that’s now two console generations old. Its storyline is gripping, its...
Guacamelee! 2
Guacamelee 2 is a hilarious, challenging, and rewarding follow-up to Drinkbox’s original. It expands on the first’s ideas in so many great ways, and marries a complex but understandable set of moves to both its combat and platforming. While a few more additional moves would have been nice, this new...
Whether you’re reading classified documents, wracking your brain over whether or not pursue a lead that could lead to an ambush, or plotting every step a spy takes on their way to assassinating their target, every move you make in Phantom Doctrine carries an urgent tension. That’s a hallmark of...
Dead Cells
Dead Cells is rewarding in its flexibility in a way few games are. Each easily digestible run through its beautifully detailed and shifting levels instills a feeling of discovery and familiarity. It goads you to push the limits of your ability, and mercilessly crushes you when you get too comfortable....
If you like your games with an offbeat sense of humour and plenty of personality, Flipping Death comes recommended. Its central game design hook of flipping between life and death makes for an interesting world to navigate and puzzles to solve, and its characters are so oddball and endearing you’ll...
Overcooked! 2
Overcooked 2 serves up a great balance of hilarious chaos and strategy alongside meaningful improvements over its predecessor. The kitchens have more moving parts, the recipes are more varied, and the ability to throw ingredients fundamentally changes the arcade cooking formula. It’s still ideal when played on the couch with...
Stardew Valley
Stardew Valley is a beautiful, fun game that, when all of its parts are pulled together, make for a wonderful countryside adventure. Whether it’s rainy, sunny, snowy, or dusted with pollen drifts through the air, each day offers an abundance of great activities ready to be collected or mastered and...
Madden NFL 19
Madden 19 returns the primary focus where it belongs: that moment-to-moment gameplay between the end zones. It’s only true stumbling point is the lackluster story mode that fails to recapture the magic of the first, but that's entirely offset by the new player handling that once again leverages the power...
You could call Salt and Sanctuary a 2D mashup of Dark Souls and Castlevania, and you'd be right. But such a simple pronouncement would be a disservice to the tremendous amount of thought that's gone into Salt and Sanctuary, whether it's in the graphic style that evokes horror through the...
Chasm
Chasm is a lovely and fun Metroidvania with a lot of cool new ideas, it’s just not an overly exciting one. The maps it pieces together are amusing enough to explore, filled with tons of wonderfully animated enemies to fight, but the repetitive rooms and the world’s lack of personality...
The Banner Saga 3 offers the darkest entry yet in this beautifully animated tactical RPG trilogy. Choices matter and come fast and furious, making this journey a thrilling roller coaster from the opening moments to the ending credits. Combat can be a bit of a chore once you find your...
