“All monsters were once men.” Repeated frequently throughout Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, this phrase works not just as a useful thematic through-line, but as a question: Can you, the player, see the monster within yourself? Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, the newest game from Xbox Games Studios and Ninja Theory, would …
Read More »'Stellar Blade' Is a Teenage Boy's Idea of the Perfect Video Game
There was a point in the not-too-recent past where gaming was considered a hobby mostly targeted at teenage boys. Back when Tomb Raider‘s Lara Croft became a major magazine centerfold and E3 gaming expos were more famous for their booth babes than actual games, it was the norm for the …
Read More »'Dragon's Dogma 2' Is a Frustratingly Archaic Action RPG
Released in 2012 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the original Dragon’s Dogma was an action roleplaying game tailored to a very specific audience. Brutally difficult, the gameplay centered on open-world exploration with a survivalist touch, wherein players and their NPC (non-player character) companions must trek through a “persistent” …
Read More »Princess Peach Is Starring in Her First Game in Two Decades — And It's Great
You’d think being royalty would afford one all kinds of privileges, but in the case of Nintendo’s Princess Peach, it’s been a mixed bag. Despite appearing in dozens of games since her initial appearance in 1985’s Super Mario Bros. — including as a skilled tactician in Super Mario RPG and …
Read More »'Final Fantasy VII Rebirth' Is a Beautiful Idea At War With Itself
In the luddite days of the Nineties, there were a handful of ways to discover a new video game: You could hear about it in the schoolyard from that one kid who swore that their older brother got a copy straight from Japan. You could read about it from a …
Read More »'Tekken 8' Is Peak Fighting Game Bliss
There was a time when arcades reigned supreme, and Bandai Namco’s 3D fighter Tekken series was a top contender for king of the fighting games. Despite being someone who grew up in the twilight of arcades’ popularity, my first experience with Tekken wasn’t with a cabinet, but with a kiosk …
Read More »'The Last of Us Part II Remastered' Is a Middle Finger to The Haters
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission. There’s a special kind of alchemy to making a good sequel, especially when it comes to following up a classic. The best ones often pivot, like James Cameron’s …
Read More »'Marvel's Spider-Man 2' Is the Best Superhero Game in a Decade
“Anyone can be Spider-Man.” That sentiment, often attributed to creator Stan Lee in some form, has always been the core of what makes the character — perhaps the world’s most famous superhero — so accessible. It’s the idea that, by donning the mask, anyone could step up and be Spider-Man, …
Read More »'Starfield' Is Great, But It's Not Destined To Save Xbox
It’s no secret that Microsoft’s Xbox has been having a rough couple of years. Trailing behind its competitors Sony and Nintendo, in both sales and cultural cachet, the brand that once dominated the console shooter space with the Halo and Gears of War series has struggled to find its footing …
Read More »'Super Mario Bros. Wonder' is Nintendo on Acid
The Super Mario Bros. are everywhere these days. With international theme parks, a billion-dollar movie, and toys and Lego flooding the shelves of every store, the boys from Brooklyn are really getting around. With that ubiquity, it’s hard to believe that there hasn’t been a new 2D, “traditional” Mario game …
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