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OpinionImpressionsSniper Elite V2 Doesn’t Hold Up, Even In Pretty Remaster Form
Boy do I love Sniper Elite 4. Those beautiful, wide-open environments, spending a couple hours carefully navigating a map in order to make the most kills while alerting as few enemies as possible, enemy soldiers reacting more realistically than ever—it’s so good. But going back to play Sniper Elite V2—even a lovely, remastered version—is a…
By Mike Fahey -
OpinionImpressionsRacing Game’s Free Update Lets You Swap Wheels With Hoverjets
Grip: Combat Racing is a high-speed futuristic racing game featuring vehicles with gigantic tires, capable of driving right side up or upside down on twisting, topsy-turvy tracks. It’s like Wipeout, only with wheels. Or it was. This week’s free “Airblades” update gives players the option to race with wheels or hover engines. It’s the best…
By Mike Fahey -
OpinionImpressionsShakedown: Hawaii Offers A Breezy 16-Bit Farewell To The Vita
There are hundreds of missions in Shakedown: Hawaii, each one of them a bite-sized mashup of arcade violence and dark humor that takes aim at late capitalism. None of the missions overstay their welcome, but also, they don’t culminate into anything more rewarding than the experience of just driving around the game’s bright, lurid streets…
By Ethan Gach -
OpinionImpressionsMordhau Is A Clunky Game For Swordplay Nerds That I Can’t Put Down
Mordhau is a medieval multiplayer fighter named after a German sword technique from the Renaissance era in which knights hold their weapons by the blade and try to bash their opponents heads in using the pommel. Like its namesake, Mordhau is slow, awkward, and bloody, but for some reason, I want to keep playing. To…
By Ethan Gach -
OpinionImpressionsThe New Magic: The Gathering Expansion Makes Every Match More Spectacular
War Of The Spark, Magic: The Gathering’s latest expansion, is available one week early in Magic: The Gathering Arena, the card game’s digital version. It’s already shaping up to be one of the more memorable climaxes in the game’s recent history. Narratively, War Of The Spark couldn’t have arrived at a more opportune cultural moment.…
By Ethan Gach -
OpinionImpressionsThe Switch Version Of Mortal Kombat 11 Has Its Ups And Downs
The Switch port of Mortal Kombat 11 plays like a champ but looks like jaggy ass. It’s pleasingly portable but incredibly finicky about its internet connection. I want the Switch version to be my go-to, but it keeps pushing me away. As noted in my Mortal Kombat 11 review, I spent most of my time…
By Mike Fahey -
OpinionImpressionsPagan Online Mixes Diablo-Style Loot With Arcade Combat
What surprised me most about Pagan Online, a new action role-playing game that launched on Steam Early Access last week, was how meaty the moment-to-moment fighting felt. When I launched an attack and connected with a wave of enemies, it really felt like I was messing up their day. Pagan Online is a collaboration between…
By Ethan Gach -
OpinionImpressionsMortal Kombat 11’s Tutorial Is An Excellent Intro To High-Level Play
Everybody knows how punching and kicking work, but do you know what Frame Advantage is? How about how to perform a Frame Trap? If you get knocked down, do you know which defensive “Getup” moves to use to counter your opponent’s likely follow-up attack? Work your way through Mortal Kombat 11’s exhaustive tutorials and you’ll…
By Mike Fahey -
OpinionImpressionsA Newcomer’s Take On Disney World
Until this past month, I had never been to Disney World, nor any major theme park. I went to Six Flags as a young child, but I barely remember it. Going to Disney World for the first time as an adult, I can’t experience it from the perspective of a child who has the capacity…
By Maddy Myers -
OpinionImpressionsMortal Kombat 11 Has A Great Story Mode
Thanks to the temporal manipulations of a powerful new foe, past and present versions of iconic heroes and villains collide in Mortal Kombat 11’s story mode. It’s easily the most entertaining tale the series has ever told, and it leaves the future of the franchise open to exciting possibilities. When we last left our heroes…
By Mike Fahey -
OpinionImpressionsGod’s Trigger Is A Hotline Miami-Style Shooter That’s Better With A Buddy
A demon and an angel need to kill lots of people to stop Armageddon. That’s the premise of God’s Trigger, a gory top-down shooter whose slick combat and interesting levels help make it more than just another Hotline Miami wannabe. Out this week on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, God’s Trigger sees you play…
By Ethan Gach -
OpinionImpressionsA Bullet Hell Set In Hell That’s Heaven To Play
The first time I saw Hell Is Other Demons was through a lovely gameplay GIF circulating on Twitter. It looked squishy and lo-fi, oozing with thick colors. I hoped the rest of the game would live up to its bold aesthetic. Now Hell Is Other Demons is out, and I can’t stop playing it. Out…
By Ethan Gach -
OpinionImpressionsPathway Is An Indiana Jones-Inspired Tactics Game That’s Hard To Put Down
The year is 1936. Nazis are sweeping through North Africa and the Middle East excavating tombs and pillaging archaeological dig sites for mysterious artifacts. The only way to stop them is through a choose-your-own-adventure-style strategy game where death comes swiftly and often. While upcoming game Pathway doesn’t nail things perfectly, its juicy pixel animations and…
By Ethan Gach -
OpinionImpressionsFalcon Age Is All About That Bird
The amount of enjoyment to be found in Falcon Age, a falcon-hunting adventure game for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR, depends on how much one falls in love with its feathered co-protagonist. Fortunately, the bird is ridiculously lovable. Falcon Age is a game about the relationship between human girl Ara and her bird, or at…
By Mike Fahey
