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OpinionImpressionsClap Hanz’ First Non-PlayStation Golf Game Is My New Happy Place
Japanese developer Clap Hanz has been making colorful cartoon golf games for PlayStation consoles since 1999’s Hot Shots Golf 2. The studio’s first non-PlayStation game, Apple Arcade’s Clap Hanz Golf, is more of the same, only now all it takes for me to tee up is a few taps of my iPad screen. Hot Shots…
By Mike Fahey -
OpinionImpressionsFree From Stadia, Lost Words‘ Story Hits Hard
Lost Words: Beyond the Page is poised to snag a second lease on life. First released last spring as a Stadia exclusive, the idyllic puzzle-platformer from Sketchbook Games, officially released yesterday for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the Switch (where I’ve been playing). Lost Words sports the sheen of star power: Rhianna Pratchett, of…
By Ari Notis -
OpinionHey, Magic: The Gathering, Your Story Is Doing Great Without The Racist Tropes
Ever since Jordan Peele gave us Get Out, there’s been a trend in pop culture entertainment that upsets the shit outta me—everything (and oh my Lord, do I mean everything) is centered on Black Pain. It feels like the only shows or movies that prominently feature Black people involved in fantastical or heroic shit has…
By Ash Parrish -
OpinionWhile Xbox Game Pass Gets Better, PS Now Gets…Avengers
Outriders came out last week on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. It also immediately came to Microsoft’s Game Pass, adding yet another big new game to the subscription service’s already-impressive library. Meanwhile, PS Now users can get excited to play last year’s mediocre Avengers game, and just for a few months.…
By Zack Zwiezen -
OpinionImpressionsPrime 2D Is The Coolest Metroid In Over A Decade
A group of independent developers known as Team SCU recently released a demo for Prime 2D, an impressive side-scrolling remake of 2002’s Metroid Prime that has been in the works for over 15 years. After spending some time with it, I can say it was definitely worth the wait, even if Nintendo’s lawyers are no…
By Ian Walker -
OpinionImpressionsStar Trek Legends Is A Fun Time, Not An Annoying Grind
Star Trek Legends, recently released on Apple Arcade, plays a lot like Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes, Disney’s Sorcerer’s Arena, DC Legends and countless other turn-based mobile RPGs. But without any energy meters or annoying microtransactions. As a result, it feels like a game and not a treadmill designed to ferry you to a store.…
By Zack Zwiezen -
OpinionGames Like Outriders Really Need Offline Modes
Earlier today, I was playing Outriders. I was in the middle of a mission, about to beat a tough enemy, when I was disconnected from the servers. An error message popped up and that was that. But I was playing alone, in an area only filled with NPCs in a game with no PVP. So…
By Zack Zwiezen -
OpinionImpressionsDoom 3 Is Better In VR
Most folks don’t love Doom 3, often citing how much slower the game feels compared to old Doom titles. But that slower speed plus its focus on creating a dark, scary atmosphere means that nearly 17 years after its release, Doom 3 ends up being a great VR game. It might even be a better game…
By Zack Zwiezen -
OpinionImpressionsFinal Fantasy Creator’s New RPG Is Out And Painfully Pretty
I’m having a problem playing Fantasian, the new turn-based RPG from Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi’s Mistwalker released today on Apple Arcade. I can’t stop pausing to look at how gorgeous the game’s real-life miniature diorama sets are. I didn’t say it was a bad problem. If you have access to Apple Arcade and you…
By Mike Fahey -
OpinionMicrosoft Is Supporting Old Games, While Sony And Nintendo Are Leaving Them Behind
Yesterday, Microsoft made it possible to instantly stream a bunch of older Xbox 360 and original Xbox games to any device compatible with Game Pass. It’s another piece of evidence that Microsoft is taking backward compatibility very seriously this time around, and that Sony and Nintendo have fallen behind in a big way. Sony in…
By Zack Zwiezen -
OpinionImpressionsNier Replicant Gets Off To A Really Slow Start
After playing and being thoroughly wrecked by Nier: Automata, I was curious if Nier: Replicant ver.1.22474487139… the “version up” (since according to the developers it’s not a remake or a remaster) of the original Nier would inspire similar emotional devastation. I have dim memories of the first game. I remember the gruff dad and the…
By Ash Parrish -
OpinionCrash Bandicoot On The Run Won’t Let Me Jump On Bounce Crates And It’s Very Annoying
Some habits are hard to break. Like reaching for a light switch after it’s been removed or trying to jump on the bouncy crates in Crash Bandicoot games. Yet that’s exactly what the new mobile Crash game wants me to do. I hate it. I hate it sooooo much. Our own Mike Fahey covered the…
By Zack Zwiezen -
OpinionImpressionsImmortals’ New DLC Taught Me A Lot About Chinese Mythology
It’s probably fair to say most DLC isn’t that great or memorable. That was the case with the first download for Immortals Fenyx Rising, which added a bunch of new puzzles and not much else. However, the game’s second DLC, Myths of the Eastern Realms, is a rare example of good downloadable content. In fact,…
By Zack Zwiezen -
OpinionShinra Electric Power Company Decides To Tweet Through It
The power utility, consumer electronics manufacturer, and private security force Shinra has taken to social media to respond directly to critics who have accused the tech oligopoly of exploiting workers, impoverishing local residents, and generally doing crimes against the planet. “Shinra is bringing the heat today,” wrote one reporter at cable news network SNBC, followed…
By Ethan Gach
