Author: Karen M. Menke
Ever ponder how we arrived here? More precisely, “How did a one-off, cooperative survival mode in a video game that used to display phrases about the horrors of war on screen when you died turn into this?” rather than in an existential, “Where did we come from?” manner. After 16 years, it is difficult to connect the ridiculous, Resident Evil 6-inspired campfest Zombies with what the original Nazi Zombies mode from 2008’s World at War used to be. I do not mean to sound negative, but Black Ops 6’s version of the mode is exciting and different because of its…
Playing No More Room in Hell 2 can occasionally make you feel as though you are in hell. You are on your way to a console to begin flipping switches with buddies for one minute, and then you are trapped. You can not equip any of your items, your keyboard inputs do not work, and your colleagues have to try to entice a zombie over in the hopes that it will end your suffering. Character models are lacking, there is only one map available thus far, and there are many more flaws to be found. These issues are just a…
The campaign for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 is a much-needed revitalization of the venerable first-person shooter game and is a spy thriller deserving of its moniker. It examines what has historically made the greatest CoD single-player modes so outstanding and, to great results, adds its own innovative and thrilling concepts. Black Ops 6’s captivating variety and remarkable size offer a fantastic return to form while telling one of the most captivating stories the series has ever seen. Military action films have been a major influence on CoD campaigns since the 2003 original. This trend began logically with classic…
In any other case, The Lake House would seem like a pleasant place to spend a calm summer vacation. However, in this instance, it is anything but, as it serves as the backdrop for the second and last episode of the Alan Wake II DLC. This fast-paced, two-hour tour inside the chilly, concrete walls of a distant Federal Bureau of Control facility offers no rest or leisure—only another double-fisted dose of flashlights and guns. In terms of gameplay, The Lake House is not as crazy as Night Springs was a few months ago, but for the Remedy Entertainment team, it…
I get your question: does playing the virtual reality Batman game make me feel like Batman? The answer, however, is no. I never once felt like I had a billion dollars during the lengthy gameplay of Batman: Arkham Shadow and the simulation would never be finished without it. However, by incorporating all of the hallmarks of Rocksteady’s renowned series—punchy combat, a complex level design reminiscent of Metroidvania that unlocks more and more as you gain new abilities, and some genuinely challenging optional puzzles—it did a remarkable job of giving me the impression that I was playing an actual Arkham game.…
In A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead, an alien threat who is constantly watching over you like the most evil version of Siri is just one creaky floorboard away from snuffing you out. For most of us, the worst punishment for making too much noise might be a reprimanded shush from the movie theater seat behind you. In addition to closely referencing films like Alien: Isolation in its portrayal of the hesitant rodent caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse, this immediate fail, stealth-heavy horror narrative does a pretty good job of re-creating the suspenseful tension of the…
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…