Action hit Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War is huge fun on Playstation and Xbox

We know what to expect nowadays with Call of Duty. A blockbuster story campaign rife with explosions and set pieces, a stellar multiplayer feature with tons of replayability and a zombie mode that’s often tough-as-nails. And in that sense there’s nothing surprising to this year’s effort from developer Treyarch, Black Ops: Cold War. This game […]

Red Dead Redemption 2 Review: A technical achievement for the ages

I rode four horses during my 75-hour playthrough of Red Dead Redemption 2. Jessie, Carmichael, Jeremiah and Rachel. I loved them all dearly. I calmed them when predators were close, brushed them when their fur got dirty and fed them when they were tired. I also couldn’t escape the grief of losing them. I still […]

Kingdom Hearts 3 Review: A Flawed, Emotional, Ode To Joy, Pixar-Style

The moment Kingdom Hearts 3 gave me control of Sora in Andy’s Room from Toy Story, my eyes started to fill up with tears. There was no particular trigger for this. No existential angst being thrown in my face. No looming threat for any characters I’ve cared about for decades. I was just existing vicariously […]

The Big Con Is An Easy Mark Worth Scoping Out

The Big Con transports players back to the ‘90s when video rental stores dotted the land, tacky bright colors were in like Flynn, and you could unironically describe something as “radical” and be considered, well, pretty rad. The game launches today, and I’ve found the game’s first few chapters to be as enjoyable as drawing that cool “S” symbol over and […]

Respecting retro game constraints in the age of remakes

Remaking older games might seem straightforward — after all, the blueprint is already there in the original. The whole structure of a game already exists, with all of its art, sound, music, design, characters, and gameplay. Remakes bring with them opportunities to address perceived flaws or to restore features that were cut or compromised. Remakes […]

Elden Ring Features A Map And Fast Travel From Almost Anywhere

In Elden Ring, players have access to a huge map showcasing the vast open world of The Lands Between and its legacy dungeon areas. Players unlock checkpoints all over this world, very similar to bonfires in other Souls games, known as Sites of Lost Grace. Here’s the big takeaway – you can fast travel around […]