By all accounts, Ed Boon is just a regular guy. Chicago-raised, he loves shlocky Eighties action flicks and the music of Prince. Like everyone else, he’s racing to catch up on Succession but it’s tough to fit into his busy work schedule. His work just happens to be leading development …
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 »9 Things We Learned About 'Street Fighter 6' From Its Creators
Street Fighter 6 is officially here and it’s very good. Fans agree with the game seeing record-breaking player numbers on day one. In a time when most non-Smash Bros. fighting games have waned in popularity behind larger live service and battle royale games, the latest entry in the storied franchise …
Read More »'Street Fighter 6' Is a Knockout for Gamers of All Levels
The thing about being first is that it usually puts a target on your back. For Street Fighter, despite setting the standard for an entire genre in 1987, and perfecting it in 1991, it meant that the franchise would almost immediately be against the ropes. With its breakout followed the …
Read More »'The Lord of the Rings: Gollum' Review: Ambitious Storytelling Let Down by Plain Parkour
Despite J.R.R. Tolkien’s meticulous planning of The Lord of the Rings and Middle Earth, he leaves one crucial part of the saga to chance: the hope that you’ll feel pity for Gollum. Daedalic Entertainment steps in to fill that gap with The Lord of the Rings: Gollum, telling not the …
Read More »'Redfall' is a Decent Looter Shooter With an Identity Crisis
2023 is a big year for Microsoft and Xbox. After acquiring Bethesda back in 2020, Microsoft (finally) has a slate of exclusive titles coming up, an area where it lagged behind Sony, its main competitor. Back in January, Tango Gameworks released the excellent rhythm action-adventure game, Hi-Fi Rush, and later …
Read More »'Dead Island 2' is a Mindlessly Gory Slog Better Left in the Grave
After 10 years in development, Dead Island 2 is finally here. The zombie-themed action role-playing game underwent four studio changeovers before being dragged across the finish line by Dambuster Studios. With a development cycle about as long as vaporware legend Duke Nukem Forever, a title with a similarly troubled and …
Read More »'Resident Evil 4' is a Bombastic Resurrection of a Horror Camp Classic
Released in 2005, Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 revolutionized the survival horror genre as we knew it. A masterful blend of intense action, gripping storytelling, and unforgettable characters came together to create a truly captivating experience. At the time, it wasn’t exactly what survival horror buffs wanted, but it was what …
Read More »'Like A Dragon: Ishin!': An Eccentric Action RPG Vision of Edo-Period Japan
Like a Dragon: Ishin! originally debuted in 2014, just before its parent series Yakuza got its big break outside of Japan with Yakuza 0. While entries after that game quickly came westward (and now launch the same day worldwide), Ishin remained out of reach for audiences outside Japan until now. …
Read More »'Hi-Fi Rush' Is a Visually Lush — But Tediously Choreographed — Combat Game
Rhythm games, as a rule, have largely been ignored over the past decade. Though Guitar Hero made a splash in the early 2000s and spawned a wave of me-too music titles that persisted throughout the late 2010s, the genre has all but evaporated. Long-running franchises like Dance Dance Revolution and …
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