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Latest Reviews
South of Midnight
All in all, even with my qualms about the combat system, South of Midnight still managed to exceed my expectations. It has the 3D platforming goodness that should appeal to fans of the genre, and levels that are a joy to explore from a traversal standpoint. More importantly, its compelling...
The future I dream of isn’t one without friction, but one that ensures a slower, happier life for my community, even if that means doing the work. Wanderstop feels the most meaningful when it focuses on that.
Avowed
In a vacuum, I like how it wraps up its questions. But these moments are lost in the constant, desperate — and stop me if you’ve heard this one before — scrounging for wood.
A Game About Digging A Hole
The trial that awaits isn’t easy, but neither was digging the hole, when you think about it. You started with a single scoop and built a hole empire. Nothing can stop you.
The Great Circle is at its best when you’re rewarded for paying attention to your surroundings and going off the beaten path. Yet, when the story assumes control once again, it makes for dissonant results. During the Raiders of the Lost Ark section, the game uses the light trap moment...
Fantasian Neo Dimension
In the end, Fantasian Neo Dimension is still a solid offering from Mistwalker, one that brought back memories of classic RPGs I played decades prior, including those featuring work from Sakaguchi and Uematsu. References and callbacks abound, though there are still refreshing concepts to keep you engaged for dozens of...
Dragon Quest III: HD-2D Remake
For the Dragon Quest-curious, Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake offers a slickly designed new way into the venerable RPG franchise. It’s a solid starting point, thanks to its relative simplicity and ease of play. It’s also the very first Dragon Quest game chronologically, setting up the story for next year’s...
LEGO Horizon Adventures
Playing (with) Lego doesn’t have to be pure escapism. In telling Horizon’s story of environmental collapse and capitalism gone wild, Lego Horizon Adventures puts a layer of kid-friendly plastic building block abstraction between the concepts and the increasingly inevitable reality. And that makes it not only manageable, but also shareable.
Europa
Yet, while Europa is not a game I can recommend without some reservations, what I admire most about it is its unwillingness to square the circle of its gameplay and narrative dissonances. Having seen where the story lands, I can safely say the contrast is not unintentional on the part...
Life is Strange: Double Exposure
Double Exposure is still a gorgeous and brilliantly written thriller that deserves attention. It doesn’t do anything groundbreaking, but it’s a new installment in the Life Is Strange series that examines Max Caulfield’s split from Arcadia Bay, her struggle with being hung up on the past, and how she has...
Dragon Age: The Veilguard
Dragon Age fans will already have made up their mind to get Veilguard, I’m sure. I can reassure those series fans, however, that I think they’ll enjoy the game. It corrects a number of the mistakes that plagued the otherwise enjoyable Dragon Age: Inquisition, while retaining the elements of the...
Metaphor: ReFantazio
Obviously I’ve spent a lot of this review talking about Metaphor: ReFantazio in terms of Persona. While that franchise set a high bar, and I think its audience is primed to like this game, Metaphor’s biggest achievement is just how different it is, both from the Persona franchise and from...