In the heyday of the tennis-sim video game genre, Top Spin and Virtua Tennis were the best players in the crowded space. However, in the time since the genre’s boom settled, the offerings have fallen off considerably, with both franchises…
Another Crab’s Treasure Review – Undercooked Adventure
Another Crab’s Treasure, as the name suggests, is a humorous and pun-filled world where the sea is your Soulslike oyster. A fork acts as your defacto sword, while various other remnants from above, like shot glasses, soda cans, and more,…
Tales of Kenzera: Zau Review – Spirit Over Substance
In Tales of Kenzera: Zau, the debut game from Surgent Studios, the use of the word “Tales” is more literal than it initially seems. To kick off the events of the game, protagonist Zuberi reads a book written by his…
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Review – An Old Star Rises
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” A small child dressed as legally distinct Sailor Moon chirped this trite little phrase at me about an hour into Rabbit and Bear’s Suikoden successor Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. I’m not sure when…
Children of the Sun Review – Spot On
Children of the Sun is hellbent on occupying your mind. During the six hours it took me to hit credits, I was engrossed in mastering its simple, yet wonderfully executed central mechanic. At first, taking down dozens of cultists with…
Botany Manor Review – In Bloom
I’ve never had much of a green thumb. For years, I largely believed growing a plant required little more than burying a seed in the dirt, pouring water, and letting the sun handle the heavy lifting. Botany Manor asks players…
Open Roads Review – Stuck In First Gear
Tess and her mother, Opal, have a lot on their plates. In addition to losing their grandmother/mother, they must quickly move out of her now-foreclosed home. Tess is graduating high school and is conflicted over whether to go to college…
Pepper Grinder Review – Short And Spicy
Sometimes, all it takes to get started on a great game is to come up with a compelling mechanic, and Pepper Grinder is a prime example. The titular grinder is as powerful as it is versatile, able to drill through…
MLB The Show 24 Review – Breaking Barriers
MLB The Show’s commitment to nuance, iteration, and diversity is what sets it apart. Since the long-running series arrived on Xbox in 2021, the baseball sim has recontextualized sports games – emphasizing the purpose of communities while fitting in new…
Princess Peach: Showtime Review – Unassuming Encore
We’ve played as Peach in plenty of Mario-starring games through the years, but not since 2005’s Super Princess Peach has the artist formerly known as Princess Toadstool been the exclusive protagonist of her own journey. Princess Peach: Showtime is a…