Metro 2o33: Redux

Introduction: "The year is 2033. The world has been reduced to rubble. Humanity is nearly extinct. A few thousand live on, not knowing if they are the only survivors on the planet. They live in the Moscow Metro - the biggest air-raid shelter ever built. It is humanity's last refuge." And so the setting for the post-apocalypse in Moscow is set. You are Artyom, a young man who lives in VDNKh, one of many metro stations that have been converted into settlements of refugees, survivalists, bandits, Reds, and even Nazis, all striving for one thing: living, but not all have the same views on how to achieve such a future. It is here that we find ourselves, given a warning and a task by an enigmatic character named Hunter. The future of the metro, and possibly the remnants of humanity, rely on us and us alone, yet no task would be worthy of its importance if there weren't any obstacles. Come, let us dive into the metro.

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin

Introduction: From my understanding, Dark Souls II was not as well-received as the first when it first came out, and I have to admit, some of that emotion slithered into my perspective when I first booted it up. O - how stupid hindsight makes me feel. If you think Dark Souls II changed too much from the first, wait until part III, but I digress. Yes, it is a massive step away from its predecessor, but is that step in the right direction or the wrong one? Let's just say I died a lot...again.

Axiom Verge

Introduction: The Metroidvania genre could be seen as the first of the "Souls-like" copy and paste routines in gaming. Where many get the mechanics down, a majority seem to miss the core of what makes Metroid and Castlevania special. Much like with Dark Souls, its clones see what's on the surface and emulate it, giving their own twists, but totally miss the point of what makes Dark Souls great. But out of all the bloated clones and rushed releases, there are times when something gets made and entirely recaptures the magic of the progenitors of the genre.

American Truck Simulator

Introduction: The World of Trucks series, as it has come to be known now, is a strange anomaly within gaming. Up there with Microsoft's Flight Simulator and Maxis' Sims series and spinoffs, many questions whether real-world simulation games can be or should be considered games. Much like Tell-Tale's brand of interactive films filled with QuickTime events, such things ride a thin line of interactivity and entertainment. So in a way, a product's success does not always validate its existence or identity. So what does the Euro Truck Simulator spinoff have to say for itself?

Project Diablo II

Introduction: Many moons have passed since I left the world of Sanctuary behind. Since then I've tried to forget the nightmares I found within those crumbling ruins and deserted catacombs, the failed and falling cathedral in Tristram, and the horrors I found within. There is something dark within me now, driving me back time and time again, and no matter how far away I go, how many wonderful worlds I visit, Sanctuary always beckons to me, and when it does, I answer its call...Yes, this is a review of a mod for Diablo II, a game I always find myself coming back to and no matter what computer I have is always installed. I recently reinstalled it and played through it with a friend who had never played a Diablo game and his excitement reignited my love of the series, so when Project Diablo II announced a release date, I was all over it.

Dark Souls: Remastered

Introduction: Here it is, the game that promises to kill you at every possible chance it gets, which turns out to be all the time, but dying all the time from things that can always kill you doesn't always make a game difficult. Yes, Dark Souls is a good game, even daresay a great game, even spawning its own genre: Souls-like. But is this difficulty what makes the game good, or is there something else within this dark and mysterious world?

Battletech

Introduction: "It is the 31st century, and mankind is once again at war..." The Battletech franchise, alongside the Mechwarrior spin-off, is one of my most near and dear gaming series, and the one that has captured my heart and imagination ever since I first saw someone piloting a 50-ton bipedal robot that didn't move like a Gundam, and carried enough firepower to level an entire city. Its history stretches decades in the real-time, first beginning as a tabletop RPG and stretching a thousand years into the future. Its lore is as thick as real-life politics and can be seen as Game of Thrones in space long before Game of Thrones was even a thing. And yet despite all of this depth, it is the battlemech, awe-filled giant mechanical war machines, which take the center stage of this behemoth of a franchise. Here, we shall dive in and take a look at a semi-recent entry into the franchise, and a proper return to the Battletech universe with a turn-based RTS game.

Final Fantasy III Remastered

Introduction: Final Fantasy is a name that has become the flagship of JRPGs for better or worse. With its extravagant display of colors, costumes, spiky-haired protagonists, and complicated plots, when someone mentions Final Fantasy, most people picture more recent iterations of the long-running series, but there was a time when things were a bit more simple, yet still complex.

Bloop

Introduction: Bloop is a quirky little physics-based puzzle game, that isn't the first of its kind, but will most definitely not be the last, so what makes this little game so interesting? Let's dive in and find out.

Life is Strange

Introduction: Life is weird enough just being a teenager. No need to throw the supernatural into this, yet here it is.