StartMenu
startmenu is a website dedicated to mentoring the next generation of games media. Since 2019 it has fostered a community of talented writers and helped dozens of people break into the industry.
Latest Reviews
Payday 3
After seven years in development and a lot of chaos in the planning phase has Payday 3 become the heist of the century, or are we looking at a prison sentence without parole? Tal reviews.
Lies of P
Lies of P is one of the most interesting, polished, and just plain fun souls-likes to release in a long time. There’s much more depth than meets the eye, thanks to its easily digestible but highly customizable systems. It’s a mysterious and dark twist on a classic story that’s surprisingly...
Blasphemous II
The path I took through Blasphemous 2 led me to a definite and dark ending. I saw the potential for other paths, but without the help of an online community or guide, I’ll admit I was lost in how to stray from the one laid out before me. Over time,...
Turbo Overkill
Turbo Overkill is a blast to slash, shoot, and chainsaw your way through. It stands alone in its visual style and stands its ground in gameplay and audio. The story leaves much to be desired, but as it’s a small part of an otherwise great package, it rarely takes away...
Baldur's Gate 3
After years of development, three more years in early access, pushing forward and delaying the release date at the same time somehow, Baldur’s Gate 3 is finally out in the wild… And it is massive. Kate Robinson dives deep on her time with the game so far and investigates if a...
The last note I would give to people is to save before you cook up your ingredients to make food, since doing so will keep resources around to use for other things like ammunition or repairing cooking ware. The game also introduced a shortcut option for using skills, items, and...
Resident Evil 4
Still, I absolutely adore this game. Almost everything new felt fresh and good without straying too far from familiarity. Both games have unique identities and almost need to be treated as such. The remake doesn’t try to replace the original and its perfected level design, but instead, it offers players...
Decarnation
These issues do detract but don’t hurt what is ultimately a good effort by Atelier QDB. Clocking in around six to eight hours and at a more than reasonable £13.49 price point, Decarnation is another good indie entry in a time when gaming's most interesting experiments are coming on the...
Tiny Thor
While the story is nothing intensely captivating, it’s solid enough and doesn’t detract from the game. It’s a fairly standard romp in the world of Norse mythology and Thor is a great character for a platformer. Tiny Thor really shines with its puzzle-solving, hammer-throwing mechanics, fun boss fights, and level-based...
Hokko Life
What is a game review? But a miserable pile of secrets. Skeleton tries to figure that out while reviewing Hokko Life and Joon Shining… and thinking about Nights Into Dreams.
Seven years on from its release there are still few games that capture the feel of a real workplace like VA-LL Hall-A does. Ash Schofield reflects on mixing drinks and changing lives in the game and real life.
Octopath Traveler II
The issues that I have with Octopath Traveler II ultimately feel like nitpicks as there are so many aspects of the game that make it a masterclass of an RPG and a significant improvement upon its predecessor. It looks fantastic and sounds even better. It's deep enough for RPG veterans...











