Ranking the Yakuza Series: ‘Lost Judgment’
There’s some debate about whether Judgment and its sequel are worth playing. But for die-hard Yakuza fans, Lost Judgment is essential.
Welcome to the Epilogue
A Video Game Thanksgiving: What We’re Thankful For in 2021
Here’s what we’re thankful for in gaming from 2021.
How ‘No Longer Home’ Left Me Feeling Directionless and Alone
While No Longer Home is an important game that I’m glad exists, it caused me to feel depressed and isolated in an unintended manner.
Time Capsules and Parasocial Relationships: A Reflection on ‘I Told You So!’
If you loved Heart of the Woods, you owe it to yourself to give I Told You So! a quick playthrough. Here’s why.
Companionship Therapy – How ‘Journey’ and Its Players Helped Me With Depression
Journey is recognized as an artistic achievement and timeless classic within video games. Here’s how Journey helped someone with depression.
How I Became Obsessed With ‘Pikmin Bloom’
You don’t have to be a longtime Pikmin fan to enjoy the wholesome delights of Pikmin Bloom, the newest Pokemon GO-like.
Ranking the Yakuza Series: ‘Judgment’
Even for a die-hard Yakuza fan, Judgment doesn’t bring a lot to the table. Unless you’re a crime drama connoisseur, you might skip Judgment.
Left Behind Game Club: ‘Hades’
Listen in as Flora Eloise joins the Left Behind Game Club, a video game podcast, to discuss the incredibly popular roguelike, Hades!
Anxiety and Judgement: A Dive into a ‘Psychonauts 2’ World
Psychonauts 2 opens with a statement about empathy and healing, and there is no better example in the game than Compton Boole.
Ranking the Yakuza Series: ‘Yakuza: Like a Dragon’
There’s much debate about which Yakuza game stands above the rest, but Yakuza: Like a Dragon is guaranteed not to disappoint. Here’s why.
Why I Quit Playing ‘Hades’
I wanted to like Hades. With all of the critical acclaim it has received, and how people I know have put in hundreds of hours into it, I expected more.
A Quality Queer Experience: Why I Love ‘Life is Strange: Wavelengths’
If Life is Strange: True Colors rocked your world, then you MUST pick up the Steph DLC “Wavelengths,” one of the series’ strongest entries.
Like Night and Day – ‘Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye’ and its Frightening Disparity
The separation between the good and bad parts of Echoes of the Eye is like night and day, leaving me with a feeling of dissatisfaction.
An “Ordinary” Difference: A Fan Treatise on The Legend of Heroes
If you’ve never tried The Legend of Heroes video game series before, here is one fan’s passionate case for why you should.
Holding On By A Thread: A Look at ‘Keyword: A Spider’s Thread’
Keyword is a neat little title with a unique gameplay hook, but in its current state it feels a bit undercooked.
What Makes ‘Kena: Bridge of Spirits’ Special
Kena: Bridge of Spirits does almost everything right, from animation to combat to storytelling. Here’s what makes this game so special.
The Illusion of Choice: ‘Deltarune’ and the Separation of Player and Character
Deltarune’s Chapter 2 dares the player to try to make meaningful choices while the characters keep the story on track.
‘Returnal’ is an Unrelenting Fever Dream
Ben recommends listening to Returnal’s original soundtrack, scored by Bobby Krlic, while reading. Returnal is an unrelenting fever dream. There were moments where putting the controller down felt like letting the monster under my...
‘WarioWare: Get It Together!’ Should Learn From Its Title
Despite its uniqueness, unbalanced gameplay and a focus on offline multiplayer make WarioWare: Get It Together! not worth your time.
Consider the Albatross: A Critical Review of ‘SkateBIRD’
SkateBIRD has a lot of heart but the moment-to-moment experience of playing it is both tedious and frustrating. Here’s our in-depth review.
The First Chapter of ‘Life is Strange: True Colors’ is Everything I Could Have Hoped For
After stumbling with Life is Strange 2, the newest game in the series regains its footing. True Colors is a refreshing story. Here’s why.
Accessibility Gone Wrong: The ‘Axiom Verge 2’ Approach
Axiom Verge 2 has taken some lopsided steps in an attempt to provide accessibility, and in doing so appeals to neither its core fanbase nor newcomers.
‘Cyberpunk 2077’ is Great, Actually – Why I Gave CD Projekt Red Another Chance
Cyberpunk 2077 was maligned for its unethical marketing practices and broken, buggy game. But has it been patched up by now?
Is ‘Furi’ Too Difficult?
Furi is tough as nails, but does it cross the line of being “too difficult”? This article takes a look at the Edge boss fight.
Flipping Through the Dictionary: An Eccentric Approach to ‘Disco Elysium’
Disco Elysium is one of those rare games that will make you periodically stop to look up a word. Here are some of the more obscure terms.
The Major Problem with Taking Screenshots on the Playstation 5
The Dualsense controller is a massive improvement to the Dualshock 4 if you can excuse this one broken feature: the screenshot button.
Achievement Hunting and Too Much Content
It can be frustrating when a few elusive achievements take up the vast majority of the time. Even worse still is when these last few achievements are not fun.
Badasses Only: How I Beat the True Final Millennium Tower in ‘Yakuza: Like a Dragon’
Yakuza LAD’s True Final Millennium Tower achievement is impossibly difficult. Here’s how I beat it after dozens of failed attempts.
Why I Love ‘Last Day of June’
Last Day of June faced mixed critical reception on release, but it tells a heartfelt story that shouldn’t be ignored. Here’s why.
In Defense of Easy Mode
One of the first criticisms I read when I began my academic study of videogames was the idea that difficulty settings are bad game design. This article, insightful at the time, made me realize...
‘The Last of Us’ is Bad, Actually – A Look at Games Immune to Criticism
The Last of Us is a critical darling that is normally considered above criticism. But is it really that good?
Why I Stopped: Reflecting on Three Years of Twitch Streaming
Twitch streaming can be an extremely rewarding activity, but I have chosen to take some time away from it this year. Here’s why.
The Importance of Halo
Halo’s impact on the shooter genre cannot be overstated. With Halo: Infinite on the horizon, this series needs to return to its roots.
How I Lost Respect For ‘Persona 4 Golden’
Between some questionable gender reduction and arguably homophobic scenes, I couldn’t remain enthusiastic for Persona 4 Golden.
‘NieR Replicant ver.1.22474487139…’ is an Exhausting Game That is Worth Finishing
Even though NieR Replicant can feel exhausting to play, it’s a game that’s absolutely worth sticking to until the final credits roll.
Ranking the Yakuza Series: ‘Yakuza 6: The Song of Life’
Yakuza 6 is the most profound Yakuza game, center-staging mature themes that deliver closure for the series’ core characters.
Ranking the Yakuza Series: ‘Yakuza 5’
Yakuza 5 is the most ambitious Yakuza game to date, featuring a strong cast of characters and diverse gameplay.
Ranking the Yakuza Series: ‘Yakuza 4’
Yakuza 4 takes some massive risks, some of which don’t pay off, but many earn their place along the highlights of the series.
With A Bang or A Whimper: A Critical Review of ‘Genesis Noir’
Genesis Noir’s stunning art style and cosmically exaggerated narrative are limited by rudimentary gameplay and performance issues.
Ranking the Yakuza Series: ‘Yakuza 3’
Despite setting up some crucial story events for later entries, Yakuza 3 is the most forgettable entry in the series.
Ranking the Yakuza Series: ‘Yakuza Kiwami 2’
Yakuza Kiwami 2 is an impressive entry in the series, running on the powerful Dragon engine. The story is bombastic and powerful.
Ranking the Yakuza Series: ‘Yakuza Kiwami’
Yakuza Kiwami is a stunning recreation of the original 2005 game. Essential for anyone who loves open world games and brawlers in particular.
Ranking the Yakuza Series: ‘Yakuza 0’
Yakuza 0 is the best video game prequel ever made. From absurd karaoke to tense melodrama, it began many people’s deep love for the series.
Delight in Mystery: A Review of ‘Heaven’s Vault’
Heaven’s Vault is a compelling adventure where you explore abandoned civilizations, uncover an ancient language, and solve complex mysteries.
How ‘Catherine’ Became the First Puzzle Game I Ever Loved
Catherine is the first puzzle game I have truly loved and is perhaps the only puzzle game I fully intend to play again.
‘Dark Souls’ and Expert Boss Design
The boss progression of Dark Souls is an incredibly well-crafted one, teaching the player mechanics through the designs of the fights themselves.
The Forgettable Home Run of ‘Horizon Zero Dawn’
Guerilla Games’ Horizon Zero Dawn is often spoken about in the same terms as other big-budget 2017 masterpieces such as Nier: Automata and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, but I found my experience with Horizon to be decidedly underwhelming across the board.
2021 and Video Game Resolutions
One thing I’ve constantly reflected on this year is how appreciative I am of video games. They’ve manufactured social interaction when there was strikingly little of it to find elsewhere and served as a...
The 20 Best Games I Played in 2020
People have played more games than ever in 2020. Here are 20 games that stood out this year.
Top 10 Times We Saved Christmas in Video Games
Christmas is an important plot point in many video games. Here are our favorite times where the player has to save it.
