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Scott Pilgrim EX Review - A Short But Sweet Millennial Nostalgia RompThe cult popularity that led to the creation of Scott Pilgrim EX is rooted in the comfort of nostalgia. The action-comedy movie Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, based on an indie comic book, was chock-full of references and recognition of gamer culture, even as it drew on more grounded themes of learning and growing after a messy breakup. A tie-in video game from Ubisoft was a pure throwback to classic brawlers, and its removal from storefronts in 2014 (and subsequent return in 2021 after years of fan outcry) only accentuated its cult status. Scott Pilgrim EX is very much a spiritual successor to that earlier game, amping up every aspect that made its predecessor memorable--especially the nostalgia. In fact, playing Scott Pilgrim EX often feels like a game of "Spot the References." The world is full of homages to everything from 8- and 16-bit game franchises to movies like Hot Fuzz, a movie that was helmed by Scott Pilgrim director Edgar Wright. Characters are self-aware that they're inside a video game and will casually mention elements like tutorials. It's all very Millennial-coded, and maybe slightly cloying for those of us in that sweet spot, but it feels at home in a game that so happily wears its inspirations on its sleeve. Continue Reading at GameSpot

GameSpot - Game ReviewsMar 5

Esoteric Ebb Review - Chaotic GoodIn one of Esoteric Ebb's chambers lies a chest. Above it, a sign: "Not a mimic." Snell, your goblin companion, deduces the most obvious outcome: The sign is the work of some prankster who's hoping to get one over on whichever unsuspecting rube decides to saunter into this secreted away room, ignore the sign, and loot the chest. Mimics are often "chest-shaped" like this--the game's joke, not mine--and seeing as how they are a trick as old as fantasy itself, it doesn't take a genius to piece together how such an encounter might end. Esoteric Ebb is a lot like the mimic in this scene. It looks and sounds like things it takes the shape of--some more obvious than others--but delights in playing with expectations one might have of it. Just when you think you might have it figured out, it contentedly throws another wrench in your understanding of its tone and aspirations. It's a fun ride. It does not veer wildly off course in the process, but it is a stylistic and colorful detour that is nonetheless a riot worth your time. In Esoteric Ebb, you are the Cleric, a bumbling idiot and magical savant sent by the magistrate to investigate the absolute hornet's nest that is an explosion of a tea shop in Norvik. The timing couldn't be any worse, since Norvik's constituency is voting on a referendum. Should it stick by the Urth-worshipping Nationalists who've governed and shepherded the city through its founding decades, consequently hardening the attitudes and beliefs that have called its rule into question at this very moment? Should it instead ally itself with the deep-pocketed Freestriders who are clearly strong-arming their way to a victory? Or should the city consider other policies, like the dwarven-born egalitarian platform of Azgalism? Continue Reading at GameSpot

GameSpot - Game ReviewsMar 4

God Of War: Sons Of Sparta Review - The Mildly Amusing Adventures Of Teen KratosGod of War: Sons of Sparta is a reasonably decent but not particularly great metroidvania spin-off that suffers from an identity crisis. A prequel set when franchise protagonist Kratos and his brother Deimos were coming of age in the Spartan army, Sons of Sparta lacks the over-the-top action spectacle of the other games in the God of War franchise. As a metroidvania it is middling and at times simply awkward, with a dearth of its own original ideas or excellent execution to liven up the genre. The result is a game that feels confused and muddy, despite a few bright spots. Sons of Sparta takes place across two distinct time periods in the God of War timeline: an adult Kratos telling the story of his adventure to his daughter Calliope, before the tragic events of the first game earned him the nickname the Ghost of Sparta; and the story itself, which takes place when he's a headstrong but duty-bound teenager just starting to make a name for himself in Spartan warrior trials. That tale involves Kratos and Deimos encountering mythical beasts and monsters and cultists as they search for another missing teen, Vasilis. As the story progresses it becomes an interesting look at a foundational time in Kratos' life, though as a side story it does feel removable from the rest of the canon. At the beginning, though, Kratos is not a very interesting character to follow at this point in his life. He's too rigid and committed to his duties and the rules. He can frequently be overly pious and condescending toward Deimos. The search for Vasilis carries as much weight as a Scooby Doo mystery--you'll get a clue to go towards a location, search around, and then Kratos realizes that he arrived a few minutes or hours too late. Aw shucks, you just missed him, but maybe he left to go here instead. There aren't many twists and turns; it's just following a wandering character around. Continue Reading at GameSpot

GameSpot - Game ReviewsMar 3

Scott Pilgrim EX ReviewAnother retro beat ‘em up revival that builds on its predecessor while adding depth and replayability.

IGN PC ReviewsMar 3

Pokemon Pokopia Review - The Pokemon Anniversary Gift I Didn't Know I WantedI audibly gasped. My small community of Pokemon friends had been steadily growing in the first hour or so of Pokemon Pokopia, and now Professor Tangrowth asked me to build a house and mark it as my own. I could even invite another Pokemon to live there with me, he said. You mean I can have a Squirtle roommate?! I built my new house as quickly as I could and invited Squirtle to come live in it, and he happily agreed. Childhood dream fulfilled. A few days later, Squirtle told me he wanted to move out. Heartbroken and with nothing to do to change Squirtle's mind, I pressed on. I was determined to learn more, earn more, and do more, so that, one day, Squirtle will come back. Someday I'll make a new house and I'll invite Squirtle to live with me again. Maybe he just wanted his own bedroom? Admittedly, the leaf hut is not a lot of space. Maybe he didn't like my decor at the time--a few items I had arranged slapdash to fulfill the housing requirements. Continue Reading at GameSpot

GameSpot - Game ReviewsMar 2

Marathon Review So Far25 hours with Marathon have left us wanting more.

IGN PC ReviewsFeb 27

Under Night In-Birth 2 Sys:Celes ReviewClassic 2D anime fighting game action with all the modern conveniences

IGN PC ReviewsFeb 27

World of Warcraft: Midnight Review So FarWoW's latest expansion has been a delight in its early hours.

IGN PC ReviewsFeb 27

Resident Evil Requiem Review - Two-Headed MutantThe Resident Evil series has a long history of struggling to find the right balance of horror and action, sometimes becoming massively successful and influential in either genre, and sometimes completely faceplanting after leaning too far one way. Resident Evil Requiem , the ninth mainline game in the series, sees Capcom dialing in the combination of those elements better than ever, though in a somewhat inelegant way. Rather than try to blend different elements of two different genres into a single experience, it just staples together two distinct experiences that each capture the best parts of Resident Evil--to the point where it is almost two separate games running in parallel. One game is a slow, frightening, gory haunted house story following an everyday person as its protagonist, hewing close to the horror-first approach of Resident Evil 7: Biohazard . The other is a fast-paced, panic-inducing experience starring an action-hero badass that draws directly from Resident Evil 4 . Requiem even lets you set different points of view for the separate protagonists, recommending RE7's first-person approach for horror and RE4's third-person camera for action, though you can use either for both. Disparate as they may be, though, both halves are extremely compelling. Requiem feels like Resident Evil's developers, for the most part, recognizing what they do well and leaning in all the way. The result is a game that's unwilling to leave the track set by its predecessors, but one that still provides an intense, often exciting ride. Continue Reading at GameSpot

GameSpot - Game ReviewsFeb 25

Resident Evil Requiem ReviewLike the result of an experiment conducted in an underground Umbrella Corporation lab, Resident Evil Requiem successfully splices two separate strains of survival horror together into the one highly infectious new mutation.

IGN PC ReviewsFeb 25