Far from the Silent Hill spiritual successor games media painted it as pre-release, sparked by Akira Yamaoka's involvement, The Medium is nonetheless an interesting fork in Bloober Team's portfolio. It's their most ambitious project, but ambition doesn't translate to quality. The Niwa Hotel The Medium's plot follows Marianne, a grieving medium who receives a call … Continue reading The Medium Review
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Easy Day Studios Has Mishandled Skater XL
Skater XL's pre and post-launch support is some of the worst in the live-service area. Updates have come so infrequently with the eight month early access period receiving little support followed by the 1.1 update arriving five months after a lackluster 1.0. Add in the studio's lead developer's alleged departure made with no fanfare and … Continue reading Easy Day Studios Has Mishandled Skater XL
Quantum Break Review(8/10)
Founded in 1995, Max Payne carries Remedy Entertainment's legacy. In the fourteen years since Max Payne 2, only two console games have come from the studio--Alan Wake and Quantum Break. The latter was built up as one of Microsoft's major eighth generation exclusives, though it came and went with a whimper. Is Quantum Break worth … Continue reading Quantum Break Review(8/10)
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Prey 2017, and The Modern Immersive Sim
The mid-late 90's spawned the immersive sim, a genre defined by influential PC titles such as Thief: The Dark Project and System Shock with the original Deus Ex following suit at the start of the millenium. Ion Storm and Looking Glass Studios pioneered the open-ended design we currently associate the genre with--design that consists of two core … Continue reading Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Prey 2017, and The Modern Immersive Sim
Gang Beasts Review(8/10)
Entering steam early access in the summer of 2014, Gang Beasts' gestation period has been a little too long for comfort. December 12, 2017 signaled the end of that era, with the game leaving its early access surname in addition to launching on Playstation 4 and Playstation VR. Despite launch day woes, Gang Beasts positions itself as a … Continue reading Gang Beasts Review(8/10)
Blue Reflection’s Difficulty Problem
Difficulty is integral to turn-based role playing games. Gamers generally look to turn-based rpg's over their active counterparts when they want a more mentally taxing experience. That's not to say that games with turn-based combat always have to be hardcore masochistic tests of skill, but without enough player engagement, the passiveness of navigating menus becomes … Continue reading Blue Reflection’s Difficulty Problem
What Remains of Edith Finch And Interactive Storytelling
WARNING: SPOILERS! What Remains of Edith Finch is many things. It is a narrative driven experience, or as some like to call it, a "walking simulator". It is a collection of short stories, but most importantly, What Remains of Edith Finch is one of the finest contemporary examples of the effectiveness of interactive storytelling. When … Continue reading What Remains of Edith Finch And Interactive Storytelling
Rainbow Six Siege is Brilliant
A little over a year on from its release with a second year of confirmed support, Rainbow Six Siege has survived its launch woes and cements itself as one of the best shooters of this generation. Rainbow Six Siege has been able to captivate me in ways no other game has. Its greatest strength lies … Continue reading Rainbow Six Siege is Brilliant
Look Back: Playing Resident Evil 6 For The First Time in 2016
Resident Evil 6 has garnered quite the reputation as being the most reviled entry in the mainline series. It's a game I have yet to play until very recently and after finally taking the plunge, I'm left utterly baffled by the hate. Yes, Resident Evil 6 is far from a masterpiece. It has some pretty … Continue reading Look Back: Playing Resident Evil 6 For The First Time in 2016
Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2 Sisters Generation Review(5.5/10)
If Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1 showed promise for a franchise that could grow past mediocrity and become something special, then Re;Birth 2 squanders that potential full force. It makes some interesting minor additions, but comes up short of its predecessor. The first addition comes in the form of four player party battles as opposed to the … Continue reading Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2 Sisters Generation Review(5.5/10)
