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Duskfade is a Capable Clockwork Platformer that Struggles to Stand Out
It’s an interesting world, with interesting characters, weapons, and other mechanics. But it’s not outstanding enough to make a huge splash–which is too bad.
Antal Bokor
20 hours ago3 min read
Sidescrolling Chaos Makes Blood Dungeon the Best Survivors-Style Game Yet
Screenshot: Blood Dungeon I’m not a huge fan of the survivors style autoshooter/bullet heaven games. Before Blood Dungeon, I probably had the most fun playing Deep Rock Galactic Survivors–and that was just as much because of the theme as the gameplay. Blood Dungeon takes the survivors-type formula and adds a genre twist: sidescrolling. On its face it doesn’t seem a significant swap from top-down to sidescroller, but it completely reinvigorates the genre. In fact, Blood Dungeo
Antal Bokor
1 day ago3 min read
The Lord of the Rings: War in the North - Legacy Edition Gives a
So why is this getting released now? Nostalgia, surely. But also because Aspyr parent company Embracer now owns the rights thanks to their acquisition of Middle-earth Enterprises in 2022. That means there’s a possibility that more WB Lord of the Rings games will be rereleased by Aspyr, so this could be the first of many.
Antal Bokor
Aug 183 min read
Backpack Boy: A Flashback to DOS Classics with a Time-Bending Twist
Starting out as a prototype in the Big Mode Game Jam in 2023, Backpack Boy has had a multi-year journey to make its way to 1.0. The first commercial game of developer Chuck & Niles Games, Backpack Boy isn’t going to redefine the sidescrolling puzzle genre, but it’s a charming game that does a whole lot of things right.
Antal Bokor
Aug 102 min read
Fresh Paint, New Rules: Splatoon Raiders Masters the PvE Grind
I’ve been reviewing games for almost a decade at this point, but I’ve been playing games a whole lot longer than that. It’s rare for me to find a game that will easily capture my attention for hours. I’m not talking about mandatory play sessions I do for these reviews. That’s me shouldering through games that might even be fun, but aren’t fun because now I’m playing them for work. Splatoon Raiders was the opposite. I sat and played for hours without even glancing at the clock
Antal Bokor
Aug 84 min read
Review: Gunstoppable Can’t Outrun Its Own Design
I’m playing a game. I know I should be having fun. I love first person shooters. I like fast first person shooters. Even the game thinks I should be having fun: the music is pumping, the bullets are flying. My guns are chugging away (plinking, really) – but I’m just not having any fun.
Antal Bokor
Aug 53 min read
Big Walk Review: House House Strikes Gold Again Beyond the Goose
In a year teeming with hotly anticipated releases, like Wolverine and Grand Theft Auto 6, one of the games I was looking forward to the most was Big Walk by developer House House, the team behind Untitled Goose Game.
Antal Bokor
Aug 44 min read
Review: The Logitech PRO X2 Superstrike Changes the Mouse Game
I can’t go back. You can’t make me. I’ve been using the Logitech PRO X2 Superstrike for about a week now, and I will never use a traditional mouse for gaming again. When the Logitech PRO X2 Superstrike Lightspeed mouse released earlier this year, the hype was real. Sentiments on the internet were mostly in the range of “game changing” and “a quantum leap in mouse technology.” Now, that sounds buzzy as hell, and I didn’t want to fall for the hype. I know that optical mice hav
Antal Bokor
Jul 83 min read
Sonic The Hedgehog Turns 35: How an Icon Was Born
Sonic The Hedgehog is one of the most iconic video game characters ever, and he’s been the star of numerous TV shows, video games, and movie adaptations. Today is the speedy little hedgehog’s 35th birthday, and while he’s gone through many redesigns, his core philosophy of “gotta go fast” has been consistent.
Antal Bokor
Jun 234 min read
Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth — A Beautifully Bittersweet Introduction to a Nordic Icon
There’s something nostalgic about Moomintroll, even if I don’t directly remember it before playing the demo for Winter’s Warmth at the Steam Next Fest. Created by Finnish-Swedish author Tove Jansson in 1945, the Moomin franchise has steadily evolved from beloved children's literature into a multi-generational global empire.
Antal Bokor
Apr 273 min read
Chilled Out, Checked Out: A Review of Above the Snow
Games like Frostpunk turned resource management into life-and-death affairs—and I’m done with intense decisions that can lead to a cascade of death and failure. I’d rather have something a little more cozy. So I was excited when I heard about Above the Snow. It’s a resource management game that doesn’t make it feel like what you’re managing is going to fall apart at any moment.
Antal Bokor
Apr 234 min read
Through a Different Lens: Finding Redemption in OPUS: Prism Peak
There’s a part of me that associates video games with platformers and shooters, despite the fact that I spent a chunk of my childhood playing narrative-heavy games like OPUS: Prism Peak. Prism Peak, on the other hand, deals with a very human journey while incorporating spirits and Japanese folklore elements to tell its very earth-grounded story.
Antal Bokor
Apr 155 min read
Review: MINOS is a Good Tower Defense Game in the Shadow of Great Roguelites
While MINOS isn’t exactly the "Balatroization" I was hoping for (that’s a real word, I swear), it is a competent tower defense game with roguelite elements and some synergistic fun.
Antal Bokor
Apr 94 min read
Ember Island Review: Frustrating, Floaty, and Fundamentally Flawed
I don’t want to be too hard on developer Calibus Creations. I’ll admit that I sometimes judge indie games on a bit of a curve. I’ll let things like production value go as long as the gameplay is good. Ember Island doesn't really have that going for it. There’s a lot of 'okay' there, but not much good, and nothing I could qualify as “great.” It doesn't just lack polish; it lacks a soul. It looks exactly like the uncanny video an LLM spits out when prompted to generate a "retro
Antal Bokor
Apr 23 min read
Dealing in Nostalgia: Poker Night at the Inventory Returns to the Table
Somewhere in my awareness, I knew the Telltale Sam & Max games had been remastered, but I didn’t expect Skunkape to bring Poker Night at the Inventory back into the hands of modern audiences.
While their mainstream relevance might not be what it was in 2010, the crossover still works, and underneath the nostalgia is a surprisingly decent game of poker.
Antal Bokor
Mar 302 min read
Aether & Iron Is A Gorgeous Noir Tale Stuck in Turn-Based Traffic
Screenshot: Aether & Iron As much as video games have tightened up as safe, corporate products over the years, it’s still awesome to see developers taking chances and swinging for the fences. Aether & Iron wouldn’t be possible if every release came from a rigid corporate structure. It’s an ambitious blend of RPG and visual novel that might occasionally betray its lower production values, but it more than makes up for it with great storytelling and stellar voice acting. There
Antal Bokor
Mar 275 min read
The Joffrey Ballet's 2026 'Winning Works' Showcase is Why We Should All Care About Ballet
Art is alive when it explores its borders and stretches its edges.
That’s exactly what you get with Winning Works at MCA, featuring the Grainger Academy of the Joffrey Ballet - a perfect pairing of up and coming dancers in an iconic institution working together with boundary pushing, emerging choreographers waiting to burst on the scene.
Marielle Bokor
Mar 136 min read
Planet of Lana II Review: New Mechanics Elevate a Familiar Journey
Planet of Lana was a game that flew a little under the radar when it released in 2023. It’s part of a platforming adventure game subgenre that was made popular (and possibly originated) by Limbo. I would love to say that Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf raises the bar—but it is a solid example of its genre, even if it doesn’t redefine it.
Antal Bokor
Mar 45 min read
Star Trek Voyager: Across the Unknown Scratches the Nostalgia Itch
If you’re a fan of all things Star Trek, you’ve likely spent plenty of time after rewatching a series wondering how things might’ve turned out if any number of characters made different choices. Thanks to Star Trek Voyager: Across the Unknown, we get that chance.
aaroncynic
Feb 243 min read
Wonder Man: More Man, Less Wonder
via. Marvel.com The latest show out of the MCU has been a critical success. But something about it has been knocking around in my head. I know most of the praise is definitely deserved. Wonder Man is a very character-driven story, buoyed by the genuinely fantastic interactions of Sir Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Simon Williams. Watching these two bounce off of each other is electric. Their chemistry is so potent that it retroactively makes Tre
Antal Bokor
Feb 163 min read
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