Diablo IV Review

Heaven-sent by Marcus Stewart on Jun 06, 2023

Diablo IV successfully tempts me to gleefully indulge in sin at every turn. A thrilling hunt for rare loot feeds my insatiable greed and lust for power. The satisfaction of slaughtering thousands of foes, supernatural or otherwise, leaves little room for remorse. Whether taking down the forces of darkness alone or with friends, this is a massive and deeply engrossing action RPG that keeps me coming back for more dozens upon dozens of hours later.

Street Fighter 6 Review

A Clean Reversal by Elijah Gonzalez on May 30, 2023

It’s no secret that Street Fighter V got off to a disastrous start, and despite years of course correction, its flawed foundation made a comeback difficult. By contrast, Street Fighter 6 is a thorough response to its predecessor’s failings, defined by well-considered central mechanics, formidable single-player offerings, and a plethora of smart decisions that make for a powerful opening punch.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Review

Such Great Heights by Kyle Hilliard on May 11, 2023

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is battling impossible expectations. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild represented a radical and successful reinvention of The Legend of Zelda – a series considered by many to be the apex of game design. Despite its numerous changes to Zelda’s formula, Breath of the Wild was a massive success and its legacy only grows stronger with time.

Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp Review

Stronger with Age by Josh Broadwell on Apr 19, 2023

Nintendo and WayForward took a risk in bringing Advance Wars back from the scrap heap with Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp, releasing a set of tactics-heavy games in a genre now defined by character relationships. The remakes change little from the original releases and don’t deepen the story or cast, but they don’t have to change anything. Advance Wars’ unique features are as apparent as ever. If anything, they’re made even stronger by the series’ extended absence.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor Review

Capturing The Fantasy by Matt Miller on Apr 26, 2023

If the only thought in your mind upon completing 2019’s Jedi: Fallen Order was that you wanted more, then I have excellent news. Picking up where its predecessor left off, Jedi: Survivor isn’t just more of the same but more of virtually everything, with meaningful advances and improvements across the board. It’s a longer game with greater levels of customization, more enemies, more diverse approaches to combat and puzzles, and more storytelling and character development for its compelling cast of characters.

MLB The Show 23 Review

Loading The Bases by Brian Shea on Apr 12, 2023

Each year, developers of annualized sports franchises work to craft new experiences to try and avoid the community criticism that each successive release is "just a roster update." While real-life sports don’t evolve much year over year, developers still need to provide players with reasons to come back each time, whether that be gameplay improvements, enhanced modes, or better visuals. MLB The Show 23 does all of that while also exploring a unique avenue – history – to great effect.

Resident Evil 4 (Remake) Review

Refinement, Not Reinvention by Blake Hester on Mar 17, 2023

There are two entirely different audiences for the Resident Evil 4 remake: those who have played the original game, perhaps multiple or even dozens of times over the last 18 years, and people who have never played it, but want to know what the fuss is all about. Let's start with the former: unequivocally, if you are a fan of Resident Evil 4, you must play the remake. It's not only one of the best action games in recent memory; it's the best Resident Evil since, well, probably the original Resident Evil 4.

Tchia Review

Simply Transformative Fun by Kyle Hilliard on March 20, 2023

Video games, unfairly simplified, all present a series of virtual tasks that must be performed for progress, and the player must decide if they enjoy doing those tasks. In some ways, Tchia eschews the idea of making you do anything by offering an open, exploration-based game filled with activities where, in nearly every case, completing them is optional. Don’t want to play the rhythm game that accompanies cutscenes? Just press the left control stick to make it auto-play. Don’t want to do the rock stacking minigame? Move along. Don’t feel like taking your boat? Soul-jump into a bird and just fly to your destination. Want to skip this entire gameplay section? There’s an option in the menu to do just that. If, however, you do want to engage in what Tchia has to offer, there is a unique package wrapped up with some well-executed gameplay mechanics that are fun to do throughout the entirety of the relatively short but fulfilling experience.