Yes, that is a pun about robots… No, I’m not sorry. Unsighted is a game that’s flown under the radar amidst a deluge of promising indie titles and a few big releases from major studios (yeah, yeah, I admit it; I finished Metroid: Dread before circling back to Unsighted). But it’s a game I’m incredibly…
Top 10 Games 2019 – #5: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order
As it turns out, there have been a lot of star wars games over the years. I’ve played virtually none of them. This mostly because I’m just not that into Star Wars, and so many of these games hinge on investment in the franchise. That isn’t to say that they’re not good games in their…
Top 10 Games 2019 – #9: Vision: Soft Reset
A few years ago, I started to take an interest in what is now one of my favorite video game subgenres: metroidvania-style platformers. I love how they systematize exploration, how they evolve mechanically through powerups, and how they frequently offer small aesthetic and mechanical iterations on the core formula. But Vision: Soft Reset has one…
The Messenger is a Retro Love Letter with a Modern Touch
Nostalgia for 8 and 16-bit consoles is not something that I’m all that familiar with. The first game system I owned was the PlayStation, and the only games I played on it were piles of colorful 3D polygons like Spyro and Crash Bandicoot. Going back to emulators or classic consoles like the NES, SNES, Genesis,…
Guacamelee! 2 is Too Outrageous for its Own Good
Metroidvania Month has come to a close, and this week’s game is a sequel! Guacamelee! 2, the sequel to 2013’s Guacamelee!, is a new adventure from Canadian developer Drinkbox Studios, and it’s bigger and crazier than its beloved predecessor. Building off of the unique high-flying beat-em-up combat in the first game, Guacamelee! 2 sets out…
Dead Cells Brings Metroidvania Elements to a Roguelike
Let’s just get this out of the way: Dead Cells isn’t really a Metroidvania. And that’s fine, because it’s a really good roguelike! But if I’d played it before this week, I might have felt weird including it in my Month of Metroidvanias. In reality, Dead Cells has much more of the modern roguelike’s DNA, complete with permadeath, procedurally generated levels, and some overarching progression mechanics that help players feel more powerful and capable across multiple runs. But despite having the standard formula of a modern roguelike, it also has a couple of major mechanics that it borrows from Metroidvanias, using them to great effect to hone and enhance this formula….
Chasm is Interesting, but Inconsistent
Deep underground, in a hostile uncharted dungeon, I set out from a shrine in search of lost townsfolk and mysterious treasures. After battling through several rooms full of monsters and obstacles, I discovered one of the missing townsfolk. Great! Now I was presented with a choice: trudge back to the shrine and save my game, or forge on ahead looking for the next shrine. I chose to journey forward, health and supplies dwindling, more desperate with each new room I entered. And then eventually……