Author: Karen M. Menke
As it happened, 2024 proved to be a challenging year for the launching of a cooperative multiplayer game that pitted a satirical fascist military force against countless numbers of hideous, insect-like extraterrestrial beings. Ironically, Starship Troopers: Extermination is the least successful at executing the mighty few versus the infinite enemy narrative out of the three big games that suit this description that was released on PCs and consoles this year. Nevertheless, you may still enjoy some of its special features, like larger squads and ingenious base-building parts, before the swarm gets too repetitive, even if it does not live up…
Kamek welcomes you to a bigger, bolder Mario Party at the beginning of Super Mario Party Jamboree, and it quickly became clear that his assured opening statement was not just hype. The newest addition to Nintendo’s 25-year-old star-swiping, dice-rolling party is the largest and among its greatest. Jamboree is a faithful sequel to the original Mario Party games from the Nintendo 64 and GameCube eras and the sequel to 2021’s Mario Party Superstars that I had hoped for. It almost seems as though Jamboree was taken from a different universe where Mario Party never got lost at all because it…
The Little Witcher, a wholesome, family-friendly comic book adaption of The Witcher, has been unveiled by CD Projekt Red. The hardcover book, published in association with Dey Rey Books and Penguin Random House, will be available for preorder on Amazon for $16 and through the several retailers listed on the Penguin website. It is scheduled to arrive on May 13, 2025. Starring Yennefer of Vengerberg and Vesemir, it follows the tale of a young Ciri as she prepares to become a witcher under Geralt of Rivia. According to the synopsis, “As well as all the antics and fun of a…
Katsura Hashino is extremely clear about his preferences when it comes to video games. In a world where frame rates and pixel counts are crucial, the renowned game director, who oversees the modern Persona games and, more recently, Metaphor: ReFantazio, believes that what matters most are the creators of the work. I am looking for something that will show me a peek at the humanity behind it, no matter how rough, incomplete, or unfinished it is. He says, “I want to know who made it and to get a sense of the feeling that inspired it.” He has found great…
As far as video games go, Katsura Hashino is very clear about what he wants. The renowned game director, who is in charge of the contemporary Persona games and, more recently, Metaphor: ReFantazio, feels that in a world where frame rates and pixel count are everything, the people who created the work are what count. I am looking for something that will show me a peek at the humanity behind it, no matter how rough, incomplete, or unfinished it is. He says, “I want to know who made it and to get a sense of the feeling that inspired it.”…
Since Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi’s last mainline entry, a lot has changed in terms of video games and how we play them. Dragon Ball: Sparking has a certain charm because it is the first direct sequel since the PlayStation 2 era! Zero’s outdated presentation and design in comparison to other combat games available now. It is more resilient than Vegeta’s breast armor and exhibits an inconvenient yet correct lore imbalance. There are confusing menus and infrequent, sporadic, and occasionally useless training tips. However, each combat is designed only to give us control over the Dragon Ball fighting fantasy as…
On October 29, 2024, Red Dead Redemption and Undead Nightmare made their PC debut – a full 14 years after Rockstar’s Wild West epic debuted on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2010. Red Dead Redemption and its renowned zombie-horror companion tale, Undead Nightmare, will be available for PC on October 29. This will allow players to experience John Marston’s cherished journey in breathtaking, new detail for the first time in its illustrious legacy, according to Rockstar. Red Dead Redemption’s PC port, created by Double Eleven (who also worked on the 2023 PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch versions), adds…
Remakes of video games are not always created evenly. There are many more superficial remakes, such as 2018’s Shadows of the Colossus or 2020’s Destroy All Humans, for each truly revolutionary Final Fantasy VII Remake or Metroid: Zero Mission! They essentially transfer all of the original content onto a new, more aesthetically pleasing game engine without significantly altering the gameplay. Until Dawn strongly belongs to the latter kind. Its eerie snowy mountain backdrop and colorful cast of lustful youngsters have never looked better, but its intense, life-or-death decision-based gameplay is essentially the same as what I recall from the 2015…
In video games, boxing fans have been left waiting far too long for a legitimate competitor to emerge. Punch-Out pioneered this genre, while Fight Night Champion is the final real heavyweight, having raised the standard with its significant emphasis on realism more than ten years ago in 2010. Though there is some disagreement on the matter, it is evident that developer Steel City Interactive’s Undisputed needs to put in a little more time on the speed bag before it can put an end to this specific dispute. Undisputed is the game that looks to unseat the king. Undisputed deserves praise…
What lessons can we draw from the fiction we love the most? Do they only serve as a way to have fun and escape reality, or can they make a difference in our lives? I have played almost every role-playing game produced by Atlus, therefore the answer to your last query is definitely “yes.” Metaphor: ReFantazio explores these issues via the prism of a politically charged fantasy role-playing game, addressing them in both concrete and abstract ways, demonstrating the true power of the narratives that video games can convey. Even if it seems familiar at moments, it also explores uncharted…