We’ve been down this path already. You start at the bottom of a tower or the beginning of a long road. You slay your way towards the goal, gaining new tools periodically on the way. Should you fail, you go…
Nowhere Prophet is a Quintessential Deck Builder
Mega Crit games really struck a nerve back in 2017 when Slay the Spire hit Early Access on Steam. This January it would finally release in full (and port to Switch this July). Those two years were all that were…
Slay the Spire is a Magic Drafter’s Dream
My favorite memories of playing Magic the Gathering has always been drafting. You pay an entry fee that is about 3 packs worth of cards. These packs get opened, you take a card from the pile, and pass it around…
My Friend Pedro is More Clever Than it Looks
There’s something becoming ever so repellent about the edgy, irreverent aesthetic in the crop of indie games of the past few years. We get it. Your game, that features some lone wolf, tough-as-nails, probably silent type is violent for violence’s…
Mortal Kombat 11’s Ethnic Retconning is a Powerful Statement
For decades, Mortal Kombat has been a staple series of the fighting game genre. Its had a rollercoaster ride of hits and misses, but its most recent entries have not only revived the dwindling franchise but have made noticeable impacts…
Overwhelm is an Anxiety Simulator
I’m not a horror junkie. I find most of it to be more insipid than frightening. On film, the reliance on gore and gimmicks has left my interest in them in the same twisted heap Jason Voorhees would leave a…
Input Ep. 86: The Bioware Situation
Bioware’s Anthem launched as a hot mess, where it remains today. This week, a very long, very illuminating report from Kotaku’s Jason Schreier got some good insight as to why, in maybe the worst way possible. Discussion Topics: Bioware’s terrible,…
They Don’t Make Games Like DMC5 Anymore, For Better or Worse
Devil May Cry 5 is a linear action game. It features a rotating cast of characters that are largely non-customizable. There are no side quests. There are no loot boxes. Short of the Bloody Palace DLC which is coming soon,…
Tetris 99 is the Future We Didn’t Ask For
Tetris 99 is batshit. After February 13th’s Nintendo Direct revealed yet another re-purposing and re-imagining of Tetris, I was left incredulous. It’s not that the idea is, in and of itself, a bad one. Tetris has been a competitive game…
Input Ep. 79: “Ethics in Games Journalism”
Jarrett and Jessica read through Russ Pitts’ screed about ethics in games journalism, and found it wanting. Works Mentioned: How do we finally talk about ethics in video games? – Russ Pitts An Apology from Editor-in-Chief Russ Pitts – Russ…
Turn-Based Combat in Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire Makes a Good Game Better
Back in June, I reviewed Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire. Like most Obsidian RPGs, it was a masterclass in gripping character work and creating an imaginative setting. But its combat system, a fossil of the Baldur’s Gate era of CRPGs,…
Jarrett Green’s Games of the Year
I’d be lying to you if I told you I felt up to ranking the best games that came out this year the way we, and everyone on the internet, tend to do annually. I played a shit load of…