Latest Reviews
Ultimately, to say that I didn’t enjoy The Caligula Effect would be an understatement. I actively disliked this game the longer I played it. Its uninteresting cast, repetitive music, poor dungeon design, and tedious battle system created an experience that I sincerely detested. There’s no doubt that some will enjoy...
The Surge
The Surge doesn’t always fight fair and sometimes betrays the very best parts of what it’s trying to do, but I can’t deny how much fun it was when I really got into the groove and found myself tearing off limbs left and right. In his best moments, Warren hits...
Thimbleweed Park isn’t perfect, but it hits all the right nostalgic chords. Though, at times, the humor can be crude and a little too fourth wall breaking for my taste, the game achieves everything it set out to do and more. Filled with plenty of jokes and more references than...
Disgaea 5 Complete shines on Nintendo’s new console by virtue of its convenient features and sheer volume of content. Its bright and colorful presentation pops on the Switch, opening a window to its nigh-infinite depth. Even in an unusually heavy season of strategy RPG releases, it’s still worth picking up,...
While the 16-bit-RPG-throwback genre is certainly not lacking for participants, Cosmic Star Heroine stands near the head of the class in terms of accurately capturing the audiovisual essence of the era. It falls short on invoking the character and captivating allure of the worlds imagined by the forebearers it aims...
Prey
There’s a casual voyeurism to Prey that’s immensely satisfying for this type of immersive sim, and it also ties directly into why I enjoyed it so much. I really got to know some of the people on Talos 1, and finding their lives in various states of disarray had more...
If it wasn’t already abundantly clear, I loved Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds. I already adored the game’s previous iteration as Hakuoki: Demon of the Fleeting Blossom on the PSP in 2012, but Kyoto Winds brings it to the next level. I simply cannot say no to a hard-boiled, politically charged epic...
The reviewer previously worked under contract with this publisher on an unrelated project prior to accepting the task of reviewing this game. This relationship in no way influenced the reviewer’s opinion of the game or its final score.
Persona 5
Despite its numerous foibles, I had a great time with Persona 5. It achieves what it sets out to do very well, though it’s probably the last time it can rely on the same format before it becomes tired. It also could’ve been 10-15 hours shorter without a noticeable dip...
Particularly after playing something that required so much of my time and energy (I’m looking at you, Persona 5), I enjoyed being able to power down and blast through Dragon Quest Heroes II. It’s overly padded, and character customization can be something of a headache, but sometimes it’s nice to...
What French developer Enigami has managed to achieve with Shiness is admirable considering its humble beginnings. It’s clear that a lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into making this adventure a reality. It’s also clear that the developers fell victim to the same bogeymen that typically hinder most ambitious...
Battle Brothers knows what it is and doesn’t try to be more than it should be, and that makes it so much better than other titles that strive for an epic or storied feel. What’s accomplished here is a solid, honest package of thrills and strategic depth, though not oppressively...
