-
OpinionImpressionsOperencia Is A Treat For Fans Of Old-School Dungeon Crawlers
It’s as true today as it was in the early ‘80s—there’s nothing quite like the exquisite tension of exploring a creepy, creature- and trap-filled dungeon, square-by-square, in first-person. Operencia: The Stolen Sun, Zen Studios’ modern take on the classic dungeon crawler, is sleek, challenging, and incredibly charming. Players have been advancing through fantasy dungeons one…
By Mike Fahey Published April 2, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsThe PS4 Exclusive Iron Man VR Makes A Surprisingly Good First Impression
“We’re not making a rail-shooter. We’re not making an amusement park game. We’re not making a short demo or an experimental Iron Man ‘experience,’” game developer Ryan Payton told me last week in New York City after I had finished a demo of his studio’s forthcoming game, Iron Man VR “We’re making a full game…
By Stephen Totilo Published April 2, 2019 -
OpinionImpressions15 Games That Grabbed My Attention At PAX East
I spent the weekend at PAX East, and while I didn’t play nearly all of the games I wanted to, I got to play quite a lot and even discovered a few I’d never heard of that I’m now extremely excited about. Here’s a brief rundown of some of them, which is still only a…
By Ethan Gach Published April 1, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsRisk Of Rain 2 Brings An Excellent Roguelike To 3D
Risk of Rain 2 surprise launched in early access last week. The game is a followup to Hopoo Games’ 2013 Risk of Rain, a 2D roguelike platformer. Though it makes some changes to the original formula, Risk of Rain 2 is less a sequel and more the original game remade in 3D. This is great.…
By Riley MacLeod Published April 1, 2019 -
OpinionImpressions
The Elder Scrolls: Blades Is An Impressive Mobile Game With Annoying Chests
The Elder Scrolls: Blades isn’t the full Elder Scrolls experience. Instead, Bethesda has crafted a game that takes some of the key elements of the franchise and reworks them into a portable experience that feels built from the ground up to work on phones. But Blades also brings with it elements of mobile gaming that…
By Zack Zwiezen Published March 30, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsThe Controversial Assassin’s Creed III Is More Impressive In 2019
It’s so refreshing to play Assassin’s Creed III now, nearly seven years after its controversial release. The game’s debut was marred by misleading marketing, a surprising game structure, and a lot of bugs, but I always liked the rough-edged yet fascinating adventure the game’s creators actually built. Playing the new remastered game on my PS4…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 29, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsThe New Power Rangers Fighting Game Could Use A Lot More Power Rangers
The colorful, spandex-clad martial artists of Power Rangers are the perfect subject for a basic but enjoyable three-on-three fighting game like Battle for the Grid. But with 26 seasons of television featuring more than 140 different heroes, the starting roster should at least be in the double digits, and not nine. I was super excited…
By Mike Fahey Published March 28, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsOutward Is A Merciless Fantasy Game Where You’re Just A Regular Person
When I began Outward, I found myself surrounded by a murmuring crowd of villagers. They were gathered not to cheer my impending heroic escapades or tell me that I was destined to kill god, but instead to inform me that I was in debt, and I had five days to pay it off before I…
By Nathan Grayson Published March 28, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsHands-On With The Gorgeous New Ninja Gaiden-Like Cyber Shadow
Cyber Shadow is a retro-looking action platformer that that looks beautiful and controls just as tightly. There have been a lot of those recently, like The Messenger, which channeled Ninja Gaiden, as well as Bloodstained: Curse Of The Moon, a mini-ode to classic Castlevania. Cyber Shadow isn’t entirely original in that regard, but based on…
By Ethan Gach Published March 28, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsA Perfectly Precious Puzzle Game Propelled By Magical Teen Angst
In The World Next Door, a group of plucky high school students harness the power of magic to help a visitor from another world get home. The use of magic plays out through action-packed match puzzles, and also, the students are monsters. The game as a whole is a heck of a lot of fun.…
By Mike Fahey Published March 28, 2019 -
OpinionImpressions
Final Fantasy XV’s Episode Ardyn DLC Made Me A Fan Of The Villain
Final Fantasy XV’s final installment of downloadable content and its animated prologue have changed the way I feel about the game’s roguish antagonist. Not only is Ardyn Izunia a much more sympathetic figure now, he’s also a complete warp-striking, demon-converting bad-ass. Don’t expect Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn, available today for $10 on PlayStation 4,…
By Mike Fahey Published March 26, 2019 -
OpinionImpressions
Sekiro Is Way Better When You Stop Playing It Like A Souls Game
Given that it is a FromSoftware game, I expected a lot of people would struggle with Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. I didn’t expect that I, a disciple of these games since Demon’s Souls, would struggle with it quite so much. Despite the superficial similarities—the graphics, the bonfire/altar save system, the rhythm of exploration and boss-fighting—Sekiro…
By Keza MacDonald Published March 25, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsNintendo’s Switch VR Games Have (A Little Bit Of) Nintendo Magic
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Nintendo is about to offer a lower-tech version of something other gaming companies are doing, but with a clever, inspired twist. It’s doing it this time with its entry into the world of virtual reality gaming—assuming Virtual Boy doesn’t count, I mean. Nintendo Labo VR Kit, to…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 21, 2019 -
OpinionImpressions
30 Hours With Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the latest game from Dark Souls and Bloodborne development studio FromSoftware, is out tomorrow. After 30 hours of fighting and struggling and strategizing and getting good, I can say I’ve been having an absolute blast. I’m a big action gamer, though I skipped the Souls series. For a take from franchise…
By Natalie Degraffinried Published March 21, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsThe Second Cutest Final Fantasy Spinoff Is Back, And It’s Brought Friends
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon passed the “cutest Final Fantasy game” crown to World of Final Fantasy and its hordes of adorable critters in 2016, but that’s okay. The 2007 Wii game, remastered today for the Switch and PlayStation 4 and renamed Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy, is still one of the sweetest and purest…
By Mike Fahey Published March 20, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsApex Legends‘ New Character Is Really Fast
Apex Legends’ first season, Wild Frontier, is here, bringing a battle pass, a new character, and some other changes. This is the biggest update since the game launched in February. After spending a few hours playing as new Legend Octane, I’m excited for this new influx of content, even if I’m not entirely sure what…
By Riley MacLeod Published March 19, 2019 -
OpinionImpressions
Parkasaurus Is A Cuter Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis
One of my favorite games is the park builder Jurassic Park: Operation Genesis. It was released back in 2003. The recent Jurassic World Evolution was a solid successor to JPOG, but Parkasarus, an indie game in Early Access on Steam,actually captures the feel of JPOG better. And it looks cuter doing it, too. Developed by…
By Zack Zwiezen Published March 17, 2019 -
OpinionImpressions
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker’s DLC Is A Delightful Mix Of Old And New
This week’s paid “Special Episode” downloadable content for Captain Toad’s Treasure Tracker has five lovely new courses, but the coolest part of the DLC is the way it recycles older levels with fresh goals and game types. Available now for$5.99 on the Nintendo eShop, Captain Toad’s Special Episode DLC adds a new adventure book to…
By Mike Fahey Published March 15, 2019 -
OpinionImpressions
22 Hours In And The Division 2 Is Excellent So Far
It’s fun. It’s huge. And it’s extremely player-friendly, except for the fact that some of its on-screen text is microscopic. I’m 22 hours into The Division 2 and am pleased and impressed. Ubisoft’s newest mega-game sequel officially launches today, though it’s actually been out since Tuesday for those who bought the $100 version. It’s another…
By Stephen Totilo Published March 15, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsYou Don’t Have To Know One Piece To Enjoy World Seeker
Monkey D. Luffy creeps me out. I’ve tried getting to know the main character of the popular manga and anime series many times, but his blank stare and creepy grin have put me right off One Piece every time. Now that’s I’ve had some time stretching, spinning, and leaping my way across Jail Island as…
By Mike Fahey Published March 15, 2019