Latest Reviews
NBA 2K25 is in the same place as most modern sports franchises. There are iterative changes and refinements that improve existing modes, but so many of the game’s issues—several of which have existed for multiple games now—remain unchanged. The hardcore base knows what they’re getting and will appreciate the incremental...
This collection is enjoyable for taking the typical Phoenix Wright formula and presenting it in a totally different way. Edgeworth's adventures are wholly his own presented in his own unique style, but at heart, the Ace Attorney blueprint is still on display, for better or worse. The worst thing I...
Spectre Divide’s main selling point, the Spectre mechanic, is admittedly rather cool. It’s great to get a second chance at a tactical shooter mid-round. Unfortunately, it doesn’t feel like a strong enough hook to draw players across from the other games that have solidified themselves as the leaders in the...
I’ve gone on too long at this point, but I kind of want to just keep gushing! Yars Rising looks like a bunch of wacky stuff that shouldn’t work. Yet when it comes together it’s a blast for nearly its entire runtime. It’s WayForward at its most self-indulgent, but that...
What the Car? was a nice, little moment of silliness in a packed summer, full of games that have demanded a lot of time and energy. It made my hardened critic's face crack a smile multiple times, even if it had just annoyed me moments before. I’m not ready to...
Astro Bot
It feels like it’s so long between when we get a truly breathtaking 3D platformer these days, and yet 2024 feels like a breakout year for them. I liked Penny’s Big Breakaway a lot, but I feel like Astro Bot is top-to-bottom perfect for what it is. This is, without...
Star Trucker shows a lot of promise. Its ease of entry, limited learning curve, and beautiful environments promise many hours of enjoyment. However, this welcome simplicity is also one of its main drawbacks. There's so much more that could have been done to improve the user experience. The biggest problem,...
As a modern blast from the past, Akimbot is an acceptable adventure that takes its cues from PS2 platforming classics but falls short of its own expectations. Its gunplay, platforming, and variety of mini-games are mostly adequate, and some levels show moments of creativity. However, the lack of character progression,...
The Casting of Frank Stone feels like a Dark Pictures Anthology game with a Dead by Daylight theme. It lacks the scope and sharpness of a game like The Quarry, but its tight story and creepy vibe will be enough to get the job done this spooky season. The real...
That creative freedom and the tools Artificer gives you to work with make it easy to deal with Sumerian Six’s rockier moments and, frankly blatant imitation of games that came before. The team clearly has a strong understanding of how to make the most of the genre's basic tools, and...
The bottom line is that Fate/Stay Night is a keystone work in a genre that’s never been more popular on our side of the globe. For decades, it seemed like this historically important (and good as heck by itself anyway) visual novel would never be readily available and professionally localized...
Ultimately, Black Myth: Wukong is what I like to call “Peak Fine.” It’s great when it finally opens up and lets you play it, and has a number of memorable bosses to fight. There’s a lot to explore and see and do, and I imagine most players will miss a...
