This past week gave us no shortage of things to talk about, from just how strong the final year of the Nintendo Switch is looking to just how absurd the latest Acolyte controversy is. We’ve also got a hands-on with the gorgeous Dragon Quest 3 remake and impressions of the great mafia-themed immersive sim, Fallen Aces. Read on!
It’s funny that one day ago, just before Nintendo’s June Direct, we had almost no idea what the next six months would look like for the Switch. Nintendo has confirmed it will have news on its next console in the coming months, and that means the Switch is in its twilight year. But after a 40-minute presentation, we now know the console/handheld hybrid is about to have a banger of a closing act. – Kenneth Shepard Read More
There aren’t many video games out there that let me toss a garbage can at a ‘40s-era mobster’s groin and then spin-kick him off a pier into shark-infested waters. Thankfully, Fallen Aces, out now on PC via Steam early access, lets me do just that and so much more. – Zack Zwiezen Read More
Some Star Wars fans are upset, again. Imagine that. The latest freak-out turns on a minor bit of canon that was just scrambled in episode 4 of Star Wars: The Acolyte. It has to do with the prequel movies and the lifespans of one particular race of aliens that really doesn’t factor into anything important. The response from some people has been so apocalyptic, though, that even the editors of Wookiepedia, the internet repository for every bit of arcane Star Wars lore you could imagine, have had to come out and tell everyone to chill out. – Ethan Gach Read More
Dragon Age: The Veilguard has activated a side of the internet that has been living off crumbs for a decade. Think about it: the Dragon Age fandom hasn’t had a game to dissect, anticipate, or scrutinize since Inquisition launched in 2014. The Veilguard, which is set to finally wrap up the devastating cliffhanger of Inquisition’s Trespasser DLC, is just a few short months away, and after a name change, cinematic trailer, and gameplay reveal, fans finally have something substantial to chew on, rather than sustaining themselves with comics, short stories, and a Netflix anime. Having watched BioWare fans go through some tough times between Inquisition and The Veilguard, it’s heartening to see the explosion of fan art, theories, and love outpouring from every side of the internet in anticipation of the next chapter. But that anticipation is tinged with a bit of fear. After waiting all this time, what happens if The Veilguard doesn’t live up to the game someone has imagined for ten years? Worse yet, what happens to BioWare if it has what some might consider its third “strike”? – Kenneth Shepard Read More
I don’t have the wealth of history with classic RPGs that many of my peers and colleagues do. Many of them came up with the franchises that we now view as seminal texts, such as Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest, but I missed out on these as a kid. Chalk it up to disinterest or relative poverty, but those games were never quite my bag. Nowadays though, I’m infatuated with the genre, and not only am I trying to take in everything happening right now, but I’m desperately trying to fill in the gaps of the past. Dragon Quest 3’s upcoming HD-2D remake seems like a ripe opportunity to address the latter. – Moises Taveras Read More
Ever since Valorant began its console beta on June 14 I haven’t been able to put the game down. I’m not new to Riot Games’ tactical hero shooter, but the console version has reignited my love for it, and it has to do with the port’s headlining new feature: Focus Mode. – Willa Rowe Read More
It’s Elden Ring day, again. Shadow of the Erdtree, its long-awaited and massive expansion, is finally live and, surprise, it’s really, really hard. Even veteran players are getting their asses kicked. Whether it’s new bosses or random scrubs out in the field, everything seems to be hitting harder and Elden Ring sickos appear to be having the time of their lives. – Ethan Gach Read More
Of the seven demos I played at the Tribeca Festival’s official games section, darkwebSTREAMER is by far the one I spent the most time with. The horror narrative roguelike’s risk-reward system, based around streaming progressively more dangerous occult activities in hopes of becoming the best streamer you can be, hooked me immediately. – Willa Rowe Read More
