Reviewed on Xbox One There’s something great about a game that knows exactly what it is. Freedom Finger from Wide Right Games is a 2D arcade shoot ‘em up that takes cues from R-Type and Gradius. That said, it’s more than just a game inspired by classic space shooters. It’s also a funny, irreverent, foul-mouthed adventure that would feel right […]

Reviewed on PC Do you ever wonder what it’s like to be a Goomba in Super Mario? Or a Waddle Dee in Kirby? Those guys are the lowest of the low — the most expendable fodder for our platformer heroes. You see them, and you don’t even sweat it. The threat these enemies pose is minimal, laughable almost. Wunderling, developed […]

Reviewed on PlayStation 4 Sometimes you’ll see a game that looks like it’ll be your jam. Maybe the aesthetics catch your attention, or you see a gameplay trailer and say to yourself, “Oh yeah, that looks pretty cool.” I thought I was going to get a kick out of Music Racer. The game seemed exactly like the type of thing […]

Reviewed on PlayStation 4 High-octane mech games have traditionally been third-person experiences. They’re pretty much shooters, but instead of a limber space marine, you play as a massive, hulking robot. Hardcore Mecha is the rare exception to the rule, providing that same kind of action-packed adventure but set on a 2D plane — and it works. The game was developed […]

Reviewed on PC What lengths would you go to if you had to save your kitten from the clutches of an alien invader? Would you travel great distances, take down all of her goons, and even fight giant robots? These are the all-important, real-world, moral questions that Super Crush KO asks. Created by Vertex Pop, who previously released the bright […]

Reviewed on PC The ’80s have seen a resurgence the past few years with TV shows and movies taking place in the iconic decade, and some even creating alternate versions of it. But what about the ’90s? Those were great times, man! Orangeblood from developer Grayfax Software celebrates 1990s hip hop culture while taking you to an alternate reality set […]

This preview is based on the PC version of Conan Chop Chop on Steam. There was a time when Conan Chop Chop was but a mere April Fool’s Day gag. The mighty Conan the Barbarian… in a cartoon-y beat ’em up? That’s… kind of weird. Thankfully, odd as it may be, that April Fool’s Day joke turned out to be […]

This preview is based on the limited time Steam demo of The Drifter, which is no longer available to download. You hop a train to make your way back home for your mother’s funeral. Inside the box car is another man. Much like you, this man seems to move around a lot with no single place stay to stay at […]

This preview is based on the limited time Steam demo of Spiritfarer, which is no longer available to download. I had a smile on my face after I’d wrapped up the Spiritfarer demo on Steam. Yes, this is a game about death, loss, and letting go, but it’s a beautiful game, and it presents those otherwise sorrowful themes in an […]

This preview is based on the limited time Steam demo of Carrion, which is no longer available to download. John Carpenter’s The Thing was notorious for its ambiguous ending, which showed a battered and bruised MacReady and Childs staring each other down, each individual unsure if he’s looking into the eyes of an alien creature. Carrion from Phobia Game Studio, […]

This preview is based on the limited time Steam demo of Acid Knife, which is no longer available to download. The first thing that stands out about Acid Knife is its psychedelically-charged visual direction. The game utilizes pixel art in a very interesting way, and it creates a dark and twisted fantasy world that’s unlike anything else out there. It’s […]

Reviewed on PlayStation 4 One look at Gunlord X and you’d think it was released on Neo Geo in the early ’90s. Well, you’d only be half wrong, as the game was originally released for Neo Geo… back in 2012, though. The game also received an unofficial release on Dreamcast. Created by German developer NG:DEV.TEAM, the original Gunlord was a […]

Reviewed on PlayStation 4 When you think of the days of the gladiator, you think of big, epic battles. You think of a chiseled warrior covered in battle scars taking down equally chiseled warriors with equally gnarly scars and maybe even a ferocious tiger or two. Story of a Gladiator is based around exactly that: the battles that took place […]

Reviewed on PlayStation 4 One look at Sparklite from Red Blue Games, and it’s easy to instantly fall for its charm. Don’t let the beautiful pixel art and cute characters fool you, though. Sparklite is a tough little action-adventure game that wears its retro inspiration on its sleeve. It’s a lot of fun, and though the game’s pieces don’t always […]

Reviewed on PlayStation 4 Faith is a powerful thing. It can move mountains. It can restore dead lands. It can— aw, crap, I’m dead. Dark Devotion from Hibernian Workshop is a bastard-tough 2D action-adventure with some very specific inspirations, but the game carves its own path of death and despair, and it ultimately provides a thrilling experience worthy of its […]

Reviewed on PlayStation 4 As we get closer and closer to the end of 2019, it’s probably time we start thinking about our favorite games of the year. For me, there are some strong contenders including Apex Legends, My Friend Pedro, Ape Out, Sekiro, Neo Cab, and Heave Ho, just to name a few. Well, I’m adding Trine 4: The […]

Reviewed on PC People go through life and interact with hundreds, no, thousands of people. There’s your family, your group of friends, the people you grow up with, your pals, and then there are the folks you just sort of meet along the way. These are people you cross paths with and have a few words with. Maybe you didn’t […]

10/30/2019 Update from the author: On Sunday, October 27, developer Benjamin Rivers reached out to me to inform me that he had released a worldwide update designed to fix a bug that was causing Worse Than Death to crash on PlayStation 4. After playing through the game a second time following the patch, I can confirm that the update indeed […]

Reviewed on PC I’m fighting the urge to make this a one-sentence review and ask you, politely, to go and round up a group of four friends (yourself included) and just play Heave Ho. That said, it would be a shame if I didn’t sing the praises of Le Cartel Studio and its incredible couch co-op game. I honestly can’t […]

Reviewed on PlayStation 4 Darksiders 3 was a bit of a departure for the apocalyptic action-adventure franchise that won over audiences back in 2010. When the first game launched nearly a decade ago, it drew comparisons to Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda series. The latest entry was more akin to From Software’s Souls games, but it was a winner in its […]