Mortal Kombat 11 Review | Lootboxes Can’t Stop The Bonecrushing Fun

As my journey into the fighting game genre deepens, I've finally gotten properly into a NetherRealms game. Although there are plenty of frustrating qualities to MK11, I can't deny that this game probably has the best single player story in a fighting game. Additionally, I've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of the core gameplay, …

Shoplifters Review | A Compassionate Small-Time Crime Drama

Pairing a crime story with something that resembles the transcendentalist trappings of Ozu isn't the most natural of combinations. However, with Shoplifters Hirokazu Kore-eda pulls off this pairing with such humanistic grace that I can't help but wonder why more stories about criminals don't mirror its empathy. The film presents moral ambiguity and complex characterizations …

Mandy Review | A Hellish Descent Into Camp

Ah, what glorious insanity, an expert fusion of art house and schlock. With a distinctive aesthetic, a multifaceted Nic Cage performance, and a distinctive tone, Mandy is a must see for fans of action-horror. It's a great Halloween film, and conveniently is available for streaming alongside its limited release. Check out my full review of …

Valkyria Chronicles 4 Review | War, Peace, And Anime

It's been roughly eight years since the last non-Japan only Valkyria Chronicles title was released, and while the turn based strategy genre has had significant popular titles like XCOM and several Fire Emblems, its nice to have the shooter strategy hybrid back. While its competitors do offer more complexity and depth, the winning combination of …

My Hero Academia: Two Heroes Review – Heroism with Heart

There is just such pure optimism at the heart of My Hero Academia, an optimism that is routinely portrayed in the most genuine and expressive way possible. While it's battle-shonen pacing and slavish recreation of panels that were better served in manga can hurt its appeal at times, Bones adaptation is nothing short of a marvel to …

Yakuza Kiwami 2 Review: The Triumphant Return of the Dragon

My wild ride with the wonderfully bizarre world of the Yakuza series continues with Kiwami 2, a remake of the second game in the franchise. While Kiwami 1 was fairly disappointing, both in a narrative and gameplay sense, Kiwami 2 has the benefits of a much better script and has significant gameplay improvements due to …

Anime Summer 2018: First Episode Recommendations

At first blush, it seems as though we have a decent crop this season, with a sprinkling of comedies, hot-blooded action, and some juicy character dramas. Using my highly scientific process of sifting through the Anime News Network's Season Preview Guide,  I've selected seven shows for culling. I don’t entirely believe in the “three episode” …

Hollow Knight Review: A Mysterious Labyrinth Beckons

There may be a plethora of Metroidvania games that are worthy of your time, but Hollow Knight stands out among crowded genre thanks to its excellent world design, cohesive sense of style, and sturdy gameplay. It's easily one of the most interesting titles I've played this year, and gets my emphatic recommendation. Check out my …

BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle Review – A Well Measured Balance Between Approachability and Complexity

My unexpected deep-dive into the world of fighting games continues with ArcSys' latest BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle. I was somewhat intimidated at first due to how notorious the BlazBlue titles are for being complex, but this one very much exists in the foot-steps of Dragon Ball FighterZ. In short the systems have been simplified without …

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon Review – A Lover Letter to Castlevania

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night was a Kickstarter phenomenon, promising the type of side-scrolling Metroidvania experience that gamers expect from Symphony of the Night director Koji Igarashi. As somewhat of an afterthought, one of the incentives for backers was a smaller spin-off game inspired by the earlier, more linear Castlevania entries. Described as a “mini-NES” game, Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon stands on its …