Final Fantasy XVI Review

When discussing Final Fantasy as a franchise, the question about favorite Final Fantasy games is inevitable. For many people like myself, the answer is XIV, Square Enix’s long-run...

Signalis Review: Numbers Stations and Numbing Dread

Signalis, the debut horror survival horror game from the mostly two-person developer rose-engine, wears its influences on its sleeve. It opens with a direct quote from a (somewhat lesser ...

The AYN Odin Pro Is Mostly the Ultimate Gaming Handheld It Claims To Be

It’s been a long time since I’ve used a gaming handheld, and longer still since I’ve wanted one. I bounced off the Nintendo Switch hard when it became clear it was a jack of two trades that was just o...

Babylon's Fall is So Messy It's Almost Cynical

How do bad video games get made?

Danganronpa Decadence is a Collection of Caveats

Danganronpa on Switch should’ve been a sure thing. And for the most part, the Danganronpa Decadence collection brings the series’ three visual novels to Nintendo’s console in a serviceab...

For The Physically Disabled, Elden Ring is the Most Accessible Souls Game Yet

FromSoftware games are notoriously difficult both in their gameplay and lack of notable accessibility options. They reward patience and persistence while simultaneously punishing players for making mi...

Total War: Warhammer 3 is the Final Piece of a Decade's Ambition

When Total War: Warhammer was announced in 2015 and then released in 2016, it came with a set of promises and expectations, both implicit and explicit. That this would revitalize a T...

The Elden Ring Exile Armor Set: A Review

It’s always hard to find the perfect armor in RPGs — that problem remains true for Elden Ring as well. Sure, you can just pick the biggest and sturdiest attire to defend your Tarnished fr...

'Dune' Take Two: We're Dune Fine, Thanks

If you like watching Zendaya turn around and stare into the camera in slow motion, boy have I got a movie for you. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part I is chock full of little visions like this. A b...

Humankind Opens New Doors for 4X Games... If You Can Only Pick the Lock

Imagine you go and pick up the hottest new game one day. It costs full price, but has everything you want and you’ve heard good things, so you’re going for it. You load it up, check out the intro, pre...

Shin Megami Tensei V Has No Mercy for a Fool Like Me

Shin Megami Tensei V pulls no punches. Except, of course, for your punches. The turn-based role-playing game must have looked at the recently re-released SMTIII: Nocturn...

Review: In Somerville, Technical Issues Completely Undercut the Spectacle

It’s not often that I give up on a game entirely like I have with Somerville. I’m not just talking about games I’d like to review, either. I’m stubborn. If I put more than an hour ...

Sifu is a Sharp, but Uncomfortable Action Movie

Sifu does not care about you. It will kick your teeth in, spit on you, and watch you scramble as foes serenade you with a symphony of shit-talk. It is an arduous journey; there is no grinding...

Path of Exile: Ultimatum Improves the Game on the Way to Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2 looks like more than just a bunch of shifting numbers. That’s good news, as keeping up with the game has long been too much for my tiny brain. I like complex, loot-driven,...

Death's Door Tells a Tragic Tale of Limitless Life

I don’t think I can do this. In one of the final battles, I’m forced to use every piece of equipment in my pockets in a desperate attempt to match the pace of this boss, and I’m failing. It’s a lot to...

Life Is Strange: True Colors Is About Looking Forward to the Future — With Its Own Shining Brilliantly

You don’t know exactly when it happens. But one day, you look around and find that you have been transformed by one thing above all others. Life is Strange is that thing for me — there’s no ser...

Monster Hunter Stories 2 Review: Monsters Are Friends, Not Frocks

I love being a writer, but in my heart of hearts, I know I missed my true calling. I was that one kid who consumed nature documentaries, instantly popped rats on her shoulder, and watched birds, anima...

Outriders Bets Everything On You Loving Its Endgame

When everything clicks, Outriders is something to behold. Mixing genres like an wild wizard chucking potions into a cauldron, developer People Can Fly has crafted an ambitious standalone game...

Gnosia is a Frustrating Murder Mystery Mind Game Until Suddenly It's Not

Gnosia takes the human element out of a genre that thrives within it. Social deduction games like Werewolf and more recently Among Us are all about how good people are at lying an...

Nier Replicant ver.1.224787139 Reminded Me Why We Tie Emotions to Video Games

I am never more frustrated than when tasked to assess something I love.