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Reviews

Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Review

Mar 15, 2024

Yakuza: Like a Dragon’s release heralded the series transformation from semi-open world brawler to full-on turn-based JRPG, embracing its true nature as an RPG and allowing the series to evolve into something greater. Now, four years on, Infinite Wealth follows a surprisingly strong entry in the series and has the daunting task of one-upping a game that, while not without its rough edges, is a pinnacle of the series. Paradoxically, it is both unbelievable and wholly unsurprising that Infinite Wealth surpasses its predecessor in almost every way to create an instant classic.

Outcast – A New Beginning Review

Mar 14, 2024

Outcast – A New Beginning is the sequel to the 1999 original action adventure. In a lot of ways, the original team at Appeal Studios have made a throwback that is able to introduce new people and welcome back returning players to the series. The inclusion of the jetpack is one of the game’s highlights, and its story and gameplay offers more than enough to see it through. Outcast – A New Beginning is at times janky, it has a lot of charm that’s well worth your time.

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game Review

Feb 29, 2024

Before embarking on an expedition, there was a tip in my briefing that I should “bring spare parts”, and so I did. I wasn’t fully sure as to why, but halfway through my traversal of a muddy riverbed, the water was too deep to pass. It was here I noticed a spot was accepting a delivery. I was sure that it was looking for something I didn’t have, but it wanted spare parts. Once I surrendered the parts, it built a bridge cross the gap that would have otherwise been impassable. It was such a pleasant surprise to have the game make things slightly easier for me. Expeditions: A MudRunner Game manages to both be a continuation of the off-road simulation series that builds upon prior games, and a complete introduction that’s a fantastic third entry from Saber Interactive.

FIFINE Ampligame AM8 RGB USB/XLR Dynamic Mic Review

Feb 26, 2024

In a world saturated with audio equipment, the FIFINE AM8 microphone is a beacon of affordability without compromising quality and versatility. But does the AM8’s design, features, and performance outclass its budget pricing, or are you getting what you pay for?

Islands of Insight Review

Feb 13, 2024

Lunarch Studios has been making games for a while now, but nothing comes close to what they’ve done with Islands of Insight. It’s seriously impressive, and already one of the best games I’ve played this year. Imagine taking the beautiful puzzle worlds of The Talos Principle 2 and The Witness, and you have this game. With an astounding 10,000 puzzles to solve in the game, which is quite the claim, but lives up to it. It’s a seemingly never-ending series of puzzles to solve, and this “shared open-world world puzzle game” is simply marvelous. Islands of Insight embraces the sublime, and is all about the journey, one that I never want to end.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League Review

Feb 12, 2024

It feels like WB has been trying to make Suicide Squad “a thing” across two separate movies, and it hasn’t quite stuck. This has now extended into the medium of video games, and yet I can’t say I’ve been won over here either. Rocksteady, the venerable developer of the Batman Arkham series is at the helm; and while they are good at single-player games, they couldn’t capture lightning in a bottle with a game-as-a-service. Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a solid game brought down by live service repetition that makes this passable, at best.

Turtle Beach Stealth Ultra Controller Review

Feb 08, 2024

I’m a stalwart for official controllers. It takes a lot for me to use anything from a third-party. Now, I’ve certain enjoyed Turtle Beach’s prior offerings like the Recon controller , but it had so many extra features I didn’t really need. It’s well-known that I’m not a fan of wireless… anything, but this feels better than any other controller I’ve used before, to include first-party. The Stealth Ultra is a wireless controller that uses the Xbox styling and suits my every need. I have put this controller through its paces across various genres and platforms. From its design and build quality to its performance and unique features, the Stealth Ultra Controller stands out as a true gaming marvel.

X-Chair X3 A.T.R. Management Chair Review

Jan 15, 2024

The X-Chair X3 A.T.R. Management Chair is a sophisticated and ergonomic marvel that promises to redefine the way we perceive office seating. As a flagship product from X-Chair, a brand known for its commitment to innovation and user comfort, the X3 A.T.R. aims to provide executives, managers, and professionals with an unparalleled seating experience. In this comprehensive review, we will delve into the design, features, comfort, and overall performance of the X-Chair X3 A.T.R. Management Chair to assess whether it lives up to the hype.

Bahnsen Knights Review

Dec 13, 2023

Following Mothmen 1966 and Varney Lake, Bahnsen Knights is the third and final game in the “pixel pulp” series. This trilogy from LCB Game Studio is some of the most fascinating and entertaining games I’ve played in recent memory. They are also a series I will revisit often thanks to their short run times, but mainly for their branching paths and mini-games. While the supernatural element falls flat in a few places, it’s a rare window into relationships and situations not often explored. This series offers a unique blend of visual novel and interactive adventure that’s not to be missed.

Lake – Season’s Greetings Review

Dec 08, 2023

About a year ago, I reviewed a fun and relaxing game by the name of Lake. Lake fits the definition of a “Cozy Game” to a T. It’s simple to understand, it’s lenient so as not to cause stress, and it lets you take in your surroundings and characters. In Lake, you play as Meredith Weiss, a young lady returning home after 20 years living away from her hometown of Providence Oaks, Oregon. She returns because her parents are off on vacation, and Meredith’s father, Thomas, has asked her to come to housesit and take on a few of his postal mail routes. As you progressed, you learned more about Meredith and the town. You got to choose your dialogue to build Meredith’s story and interact with some fun townsfolk, maybe even fall in love! With the holiday season upon us, Gamious has delivered us a present early with a return to Providence Oaks in this prequel DLC.

Risk of Rain Returns Review

Dec 04, 2023

I don’t think I ever came close to defining an enemy in a video game as my “nemesis” as much as “Risk of Rain” boss Magma Worm. “Who is supposed to enjoy this?”, I bursted out in anger back when the original game from Hoppo Games came out in 2013. With “Risk of Rain Returns”, I can understand why was — and still is — beloved by many. I am one of those who partially skipped “Risk of Rain” in favor of “Risk of Rain 2”. I wasn’t that good at platformers in 2013. The idea of doing runs after runs just to unlock something new wasn’t enticing to me. Besides, my brain works better within a 3D space (I also play racing games in first person because I have better spatial awareness, so don’t ask me how my brain works).

Audeze Maxwell Wireless Review

Dec 01, 2023

In the ever-evolving landscape of audio technology, Audeze (pronounced “odyssey”) is asserting dominance with the Maxwell Wireless headphones. I’m no audiophile, but I know good audio when I hear it. I’ve reviewed lots of brands and headsets over the years, and Audeze is in a different realm compared to its contemporaries. However, from the moment I slipped on the Audeze Maxwell Wireless, I was transported into a sonic realm made me understand wireless audio is great.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 Review

Nov 22, 2023

In October of 2021, GameMill fired up the nostalgia truck and delivered Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl to the world. If you, like me, spent your formative mornings and afternoons with your eyes glued to the Nick channel, the idea of a Nickelodeon-universe crossover fighter sounded like a great time. The roster featured show headliners—like Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender—and secondary characters—like Powdered Toast Man from Ren & Stimpy. The roster was diverse, including characters from my era of Nickelodeon and the eras that followed. It seemed fairly well-rounded. Unfortunately, it was not without its flaws. It was plagued by balance issues, multiplayer connection troubles, and perhaps the biggest issue of all: The game lacked voice acting. The characters everyone had come to love were soulless.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III Review

Nov 17, 2023

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III serves as the 20th game in the series as it also celebrates its 20th anniversary, but this is an anniversary marred by a short development cycle and bad decisions. Designed to be a expansion for Modern Warfare II , and it sure feels like it. Sledgehammer Games is at the helm this time, previously seen with Call of Duty: Vanguard in 2021, a game that was merely okay all-around. Infinity Ward’s lack of presence is notably felt here, because this game features the most befuddling choices and features I’ve seen in these games. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is not only disappointing, it is deflating and insulting for fans of this storied franchise.

Dungeons 4 Review

Nov 09, 2023

Dungeons 4 marks the twelve years since the release of the first game, and the same developer Realmforge Studios has back again with what is undoubtedly the best entry to-date. With shades of Dungeon Keeper as its inspiration, this hybrid of builder meets real-time strategy game is a wonderful gathering. With new minion types, a lengthy campaign, and tons of possibilities, this is as irresistable as ever. Being evil has never felt so good, and Dungeons 4 has never been better.