Nostalgia is a powerful variable that can’t be measured and yet plays a very big role on how much we might enjoy a game. When it is a franchise that has remained dormant for 29 years, leaning too heavily on nostalgia might not be a good idea due to how different the audience might be.…
When faced with what is now the fifth chapter for an MMO released way back in 2014, the challenge starts to become how to stave off monotony. Fortunately, the focus on storytelling has allowed the Elder Scrolls Online to continuously put out quality content and this year’s Blackwood chapter is no exception. My first impression…
Announced in August of 2017, Biomutant was originally set to release by the end of the following year. Due to a small team size of 20 core developers and perhaps a little too much ambition, the game finally released May 25thof 2021. Boasting an open world with kung-fu combat and choices that affect your alignment,…
Every once in a while I am surprised by how effectively a game onboards a player and seamlessly integrates introducing story and gameplay. Starting up with an anime intro and a great theme song, Smelter quickly ingratiates itself before you even start your adventure. Brought to us by Dangen Entertainment is a fresh look at…
Narita Boy is the first release from independent developer Studio Koba. Originally funded via Kickstarter in April 2017, it is a game with both retro inspirations and values. However, in overall look and feel, Narita Boy is anything but old-fashioned. Contained within this 4-6 hour experience is a unique, thought-provoking action-adventure title filled to the…
A grim, largely mundane city is overcome by the plague and a group of condemned are sent in as a last attempt to save it. The concept for Black Legend carves out a historical fiction niche often not explored, and does a fantastic job setting up the premise and its atmosphere; unfortunately it does little…
Imagine waking up on a stormy night to discover that you crashed your car into a tree. Nothing looks familiar. You’re lost and desperate for help. You spot an ominous-looking mansion down the road, so you walk toward it. As you approach the front door, you notice someone in a semi-lit room on the top…
Independent game developer Nicolas Meyssonnier wanted to recreate the nostalgia of PlayStation 2 platformers when he quit his job in 2019 to finish work on Pumpkin Jack. Originally released October 23, 2020 I feel that he was entirely successful at bringing back gameplay rarely felt in modern releases. The game takes place in the Boredom…
The day has once again come to grab 60ft of air only to bail and somehow not snap your board in half, or even your leg for that matter, because Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1 + 2 is here. Fans of the once revered franchise can rest easy because this is the epitome of how…
