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OpinionImpressionsEpic’s New Hero-Collecting Game Seems Fine, Has Vague Connections To Fortnite
The most striking thing about Battle Breakers, Epic Games’ new free-to-play collectible character role-playing game for PC and mobile devices, is its rocking ‘90s cartoon style opening, complete with theme song lyrics. “Monsters from the sky / want us all to die / they’re hidin’ underground / now they must all be found.” Good stuff.…
By Mike Fahey Published November 14, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsAge Of Empires II‘s Remaster Kicks Ass
Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition is a lot. It adds new campaigns, civilizations, revamped enemy AI, and 4K graphics, in case you’ve been waiting to see a flood of medieval warriors clash incomprehensibly with one another in crisp detail. Remastered and slightly reworked, one of the defining real-time strategy games of the turn of…
By Ethan Gach Published November 14, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsLegend of Bum-bo Is A Pleasing, Puzzling, Poo-Filled Prequel To Binding Of Isaac
I’ve been staring at my computer screen for three minutes trying to decide where the piles of poo should go. If I can get four of them in a row, I can fling a pile at the rotting sack of guts bearing down on me, and temporarily block it. But no matter how I tried,…
By Ethan Gach Published November 13, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsLet Us Not Forget About The Ninja Saviors
Yes, yes, I know. Our Switch backlogs are huge already. Pokémon is about to come out. Nintendo’s even surprise-releasing games. But if you enjoy the side-scrolling beat-em-up genre, don’t forget that The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors is just sitting there on the eShop waiting for you. Much like 2016’s Wild Guns Reloaded, Ninja…
By Chris Kohler Published November 12, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsNintendo’s Ambulance Game Is Giving Me Some Serious Dreamcast Vibes
All I could think as I played through a few levels of The Stretchers, Nintendo’s new eShop-exclusive Switch game, is that it feels like a Sega Dreamcast game I somehow forgot to play back in 1999. It’s got that low-poly, bright-colored aesthetic, a tiny little open city in which wreaking cartoonish havoc is acceptable, and…
By Chris Kohler Published November 11, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsLike Real Fitness, Ring Fit Adventure Is Great But Tough To Stick With
For a wonderful stretch of days in late October, every short workout I did with Nintendo’s Ring Fit Adventure revealed it to be a better game. Then I just stopped playing. These are the best and worst things that can come from a video game combined with exercise. First, the good stuff… I reviewed Ring…
By Stephen Totilo Published November 11, 2019 -
OpinionHBO’s Watchmen Is Better At Lore Than Most Games
Watchmen, the new HBO television series that we find incredibly intriguing, has a lot in common with some of my favorite video games. There is punching and costumes, damn good music, and a thoroughly imagined world that I want to spend a lot of time in. It also pulls off one of my favorite video…
By Joshua Rivera Published November 11, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsModern Warfare‘s New Maps Are A Lot Less Campy
Today’s big Modern Warfare update brings two new maps, and the free content feels like a small step forward for the heavily criticized multiplayer aspect of the new Call of Duty As promised with the new Modern Warfare, all maps are going to be free for everyone, and released across all platforms simultaneously. But after…
By S.E. Doster Published November 8, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsSuper Lucky’s Tale Is Better On The Switch, But Also Worse
Following his debut in Oculus Rift launch game Lucky’s Tale, adorable fox hero Lucky gave traditional platforming action a try in Super Lucky’s Tale for the Xbox One and PC. New Super Lucky’s Tale for the Nintendo Switch is an enhanced version of Super Lucky’s Tale, with new and remixed levels, story cinematics, and a…
By Mike Fahey Published November 8, 2019 -
OpinionHow To Cover Video Game News When Everything’s A Mess
Last weekend, I immersed myself in the sights and sounds of a busy convention floor at BlizzCon in Anaheim, California. It was work—interviews, hands-on gameplay, meeting with contacts. It was also a chance to see friends. Through it all, I felt guilty. As controversies mounted, I was forced to navigate my guilt in the middle…
By Heather Alexandra Published November 8, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsOne Helpful Way To Cope With My Chronic Illness: Memes
A little under a year ago, everything I ate started making me feel sick. Even after removing the most obvious trigger, I still couldn’t get through a meal without stomach cramps, nausea, or diarrhea. Turns out I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS. At this point, the only thing that makes me feel better is…
By Gita Jackson Published November 8, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsMario And Sonic At The Tokyo Olympics Has Lots Of Fun Events, Few Ways To Play Them
The latest installment of Sega and Nintendo’s Olympics crossover series takes Sonic, Mario, and friends to Tokyo to compete in more than 30 summer sports mini-games. There’s a single-player story mode, online and offline play of single events, and that’s about it. No online or offline tournaments, no creating custom event playlists. Just pick and…
By Mike Fahey Published November 5, 2019 -
OpinionModern Warfare’s Campaign Is Fun But It’s Playing With Fire
When Call of Duty: Modern Warfare was first announced, I was a little surprised that its title suggested it would be rebooting, or at least paying homage, to the first Modern Warfare game that I had come to love back in 2007. I’ve now beaten the game, so now I know that, just as the…
By Paul Tamayo Published November 4, 2019 -
OpinionKine‘s Musical Puzzle Solving Will Melt Your Heart And Bend Your Brain
I’m not a puzzle game person. It takes a pretty special combination of visual flair and brain-teasing to get me hooked. Kine, a new puzzle game by solo developer Gwen Frey, has both the challenge and heart that I’m looking for. It’s difficult, funny, and has jazzy flair. In Kine, players take control of a…
By Heather Alexandra Published November 4, 2019 -
OpinionFive Years Of ‘F’ To Pay Respects
“F” in a moment of internet tragedy, when a YouTuber confesses they were mercilessly dumped. In a flash of live, online embarrassment, when an Overwatch player misclicks their ult, “F.” The internet is a graveyard of “FFFFFFFF,” with some uncountable number tossed off every hour, everywhere, to pay respects. Five years ago today, the Call…
By Cecilia D'Anastasio Published November 4, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsOverwatch 2‘s New Modes Are Fun, But Play It Too Safe
Since day one, Overwatch’s existence has been marked by refinement. Balance changes, new heroes, player-made modes, events, role queue, and other additions have indelibly altered the game’s fabric, or at least switched up its stitching. Now it’s getting a sequel, an opportunity for truly foundation-rattling change. So far, however, Overwatch 2 feels like another refinement.…
By Nathan Grayson Published November 2, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsHands-On With Diablo IV: Dungeon Delving With An Open-World Twist
Diablo IV’s announcement at Blizzcon yesterday was packed with gruesome death The long-awaited sequel’s tone is dark, and that carries over into the gameplay. My hands-on time with a demo build was exciting. Diablo IV eagerly ramps up the gore and dark magic for an experience that feels old-school but adds a few modern twists.…
By Heather Alexandra Published November 2, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsDisney Classic Games: Lion King And Aladdin Is A Lovely Little Retro Bundle
Announced in August and released this week for PlayStation 4, PC, Switch, and Xbox One, Disney Classic Games: Aladdin and The Lion King bundles together several different versions of two of the best movie tie-in video games ever made with concept art, music, and videos to create an excellent package that’s sure to please fans.…
By Mike Fahey Published October 31, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsDisgaea 4 Might Not Be The Best Disgaea, But It’s My Favorite
No game in Nippon Ichi Software’s long-running series of ridiculously deep tactical role-playing games will ever capture the magic of the original Disgaea. But Disgaea 4: A Promise Forgotten, released this week on PlayStation 4 and Switch as Disgaea 4 Complete+, has a level of humor and charm that makes it a joy to return…
By Mike Fahey Published October 30, 2019 -
OpinionImpressionsFinal Fantasy XIV’s Nier Automata Raid Is Spectacular
Final Fantasy XIV is no stranger to crossover events. Whether that’s the chance to chill with Final Fantasy XV’s Noctis or battle in Final Fantasy Tactics’ Ivalice, there have been plenty of cool stories and difficult bosses. The latest challenge, a huge 24-player raid, adds a splash of Nier Automata and might be the best…
By Heather Alexandra Published October 30, 2019