Ren May 19, 2021. 6 minute read
Early Assess: Hardspace: Shipbreaker Is the Labor-Conscious Game I’ve Been Waiting For
The most recent Hardspace: Shipbreaker update shows the reality of a bad shift busting down starships alone in the void. It does so by introducing the first act of the early access game’s true narrative, with new characters that range from young and hungry newbies looking to organize a union, to…
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REVIEWS
Ren Mar 10, 2021. 5 minute read
Bravely Default 2 Cannot Stop Talking About What Grandpa Did In The War
An old man dies in the prologue to Bravely Default 2. This is not a spoiler because it’s obvious. He’s a strong, loyal, and kind old man who used to be a strong, loyal, and kind young man. This is how the story goes. The player is meant to be…
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REVIEWS
Ren Feb 25, 2021. 3 minute read
Early Assess: Slamming My Meaty Fists Around Valheim Is All That Sustains Me Anymore
My name is Crenk. I am a Viking woman who loves women. And some day soon I shall gain the strength to vaporize a shitty little lizard in a single, decisive blow. In the skin world, my name is Renata. I am a 20 year old media critic who also…
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TRENDING
Ren Aug 26, 2020. 2 minute read
We’re Doing a 24 Hour Livestream for Charity!
Do you like video games? Do you like the personalities of Fanbyte, Giant Bomb, Polygon, the Washington Post, and Friends at the Table, and more? Do you have a deep distrust of the U.S. Criminal Legal system, particularly the bail part? In that case, we have the thing for you.…
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NEWS
Ren Aug 24, 2020. 4 minute read
Risk of Rain 2 Is the Katamari Damacy of Roguelikes
Risk of Rain, the 2013 roguelite by Hopoo Games, made me feel one step away from being crushed underfoot by a sleepwalking god in bloom. The sense of sheer scale that game evokes through its tiny pixel art and expansive soundtrack is incredible. When I heard the game’s sequel would transition to 3D, like a lot of fans I…
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REVIEWS
Ren Aug 24, 2020. 5 minute read
Mortal Shell Blends Form and Function in Brilliant Ways
“A man is more than just a sleeve.” The game reminds me as I take a new body. It begins nameless and forgetful, a collection of stats without any distinguishing traits. More stamina, less health, middling Resolve. I push through the wet heat of the forest, stillwater filling the boots…
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REVIEWS
Ren Jul 21, 2020. 6 minute read
Finding Meaning in Absurdity in Hardspace: Shipbreaker
The first time I died was slow and dreadful. It was a routine job, although I was still too new to the work to know that. I miscalculated the mass of a wall and tried to use a grapple pulse to knock it away from me. Instead, I was slammed…
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FEATURES
Ren Jul 21, 2020. 3 minute read
Troy: A Total War Saga Is The History Channel of Video Games and I Love It
The Total War Saga series has felt, to this point, somewhat lacking an identity. Thrones of Britannia received a middling response from genre fans because it never felt different from traditional Total War. The historical specificity was there; the sense of place was there. Yet the systems were firmly grounded…
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TRENDING
Ren Jul 14, 2020. 4 minute read
We Should Talk Made Me Relive My Breakups in Excruciating Detail
We Should Talk., the upcoming game from Insatiable Cycle, is making me relive the death throes of my last two relationships. It’s also absolutely brilliant. The game focuses on a single night’s worth of conversation between a woman, her fellow bar patrons, and her girlfriend waiting at home. Its modular…
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TRENDING
Ren Jul 10, 2020. 2 minute read
WayForward Is Releasing a New Bakugan Game in the Year of our Lord 2020
In one of the most absolutely inexplicable moves of 2020, WayForward is releasing a Bakugan game, at least six years after the last time anyone actually thought about Bakugan. Everytime I write the word “Bakugan” my brain tells me that this is a goof and I am writing a joke…
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NEWS
Ren Jul 10, 2020. 5 minute read
7 Key Monster Train Tips the Game Doesn’t Tell You
I love Monster Train. Train goes choo-choo straight into the mouth of hell! But this game can be very weird and difficult even by roguelike deckbuilder standards. Its tower defense-esque combat is unique and as a result it has some quirks you’ll need to get used to before you can…
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GUIDES
Ren Jul 10, 2020. 3 minute read
I Love It When The Men Of Mortal Shell Slam Against My Rock Hard Body
Mortal Shell understands Dark Souls better than anything else I’ve played in the massive wake of that The game just went into open beta, thanks to popular demand, and grabbed my attention with its phenomenal, Gothic look and concise pitch. Instead of a traditional protagonist, you play a strange, wandering…
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TRENDING
Ren Jul 2, 2020. 5 minute read
Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia is Fire Emblem With Fewer Words, More Numbers
I’ve been describing Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia to my friends as “What if someone made Fire Emblem, but with six houses.” Throw in a dash of grand strategy (e.g. Crusader Kings) and it’s honestly a phenomenal pitch. This was a game that, when Managing Editor Steven described it to…
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REVIEWS
Ren Jul 1, 2020. 3 minute read
Death Stranding Comes to PC Following Nine Months of Real World Timefall
Death Stranding is out soon! That may seem strange given that Death Stranding also came out about nine months ago. PC ports happen all the time, but this one feels significant for a lot of messy reasons — only some of which actually have to do with this incredibly weird…
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TRENDING
Ren Jun 25, 2020. 4 minute read
Umurangi Generation is an Ode to a Beautiful, Broken World
I haven’t spent long enough in this neighborhood to love it right . Not yet. In spite of this, I climb a fire escape to the place where the world isn’t. My bag snags on the old brick wall. It’s not enough to provide much resistance — just enough to…
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REVIEWS
Ren Jun 17, 2020. 5 minute read
Disintegration’s Lack of Ambition Fails Its Exciting Premise
I love games with ambition. I think I love them more than I like good video games. That isn’t to say I can always recommend them, though. Good video games almost always feel and play better than the weird bullshit I evangelize. The quiet dark of Dragon’s Dogma, for instance,…
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REVIEWS
Ren Jun 16, 2020. 3 minute read
Summer in Mara Is Marred by Messy Writing, but Marries Two Great Ideas
Summer in Mara should be so good. Its pitch is top tier! Take the day-to-day management and care of Stardew Valley or Animal Crossing, couple that with Wind Waker ocean exploration, and layer on a story about unlocking ancient mysteries and reintroducing human kindness to a world of incredible characters.…
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TRENDING
Ren Jun 11, 2020. 4 minute read
Best Games In The Itch Bundle For Racial Justice and Equality
Itch.io has made a bundle of games, assets, and other goodies that, well, nothing like it has ever really existed before. Crucially, it’s going to a real and necessary cause, pushing for a radical reimagining of the police in America. All proceeds are split between the NAACP Legal Defense Fund…
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LISTS
Ren Jun 4, 2020. 3 minute read
How To Buy The Battle Pass and Unlock Everything in Valorant
The menus of Valorant are incredibly clean, visually, but actually finding things is a bit harder than it may seem. There’s also the issue of unlocking characters which, again, despite being a simple system isn’t made particularly clear by the game. This guide will cover the character unlock process, EXP…
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GUIDES
Ren Jun 2, 2020. 3 minute read
Valorant Launches, Beginning Episode 1: Ignition
After a long four day wait Valorant has finally returned. It is time to get some blood my friends. With today’s official launch comes a long list of buffs, debuffs, and new additions. We’ll start with the biggest things first: a new map and a new agent. Ascent is Valorant’s…
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NEWS