Hero Rico Rodriguez drops into Just Cause’s fourth South American country, and the fourth run by a cruel dictatorship. Going by Just Cause’s suggestion, no one lives free in the southern end of the continent. Those who do live in ramshackle towns, seemingly held together only by their poverty. For Rico then, it’s an effort… Continue reading Just Cause 4 (PS4)
It’s in Senua’s eyes. A blankness. Her stare, her searching for reality. But there’s nothing, except anger maybe. Anger at her past, her birth into violence, and her grief. That’s the only thing real to Senua. Uncanny valley is frequently dissected, that point where a robot or computerized image becomes so real, it’s indistinguishable from… Continue reading Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice (PS4)
Two things highlight the apocalypse of Darksiders III. One is the four horsemen member Fury (who leads this Darksiders chapter) continually making snide observations about the human race. While freshman philosophy in terms of depth, the spiteful barbs regarding war and planet-destroying indifference create a character cold, even distant to her cause. That makes an… Continue reading Darksiders III (PS4)
Battlefield V tells three independent stories, linked only by their existence as part of World War II. There’s a sarcastic British prisoner, a Norwegian resistance fighter, and a determined French fighter. Of these three, only the last features any reasonable sense of scale. In the others, Battlefield V’s lone soldiers tag German troops, blow things… Continue reading Battlefield V (PS4)
Behind the spinning brick action of Tetris Effect is a stream of lights. Random dots of representing stars, shapes, and colors. They frequently form a story. In one, Tetriminos fall as ancient travelers ride camels through a desert under a night sky. Tetris Effect soon shifts, now in an ocean as dolphins frolic and leap,… Continue reading Tetris Effect (PS4)
SNK’s history is flush with wild fantasies. The SNK 40th Anniversary Collection features multiple. There’s Athena in which the goddess conquers all manner of monsters and Crystalis, a uniquely textured tale with more to do with Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda than anyone at SNK would admit. Or, Prehistoric Isle where an Arthur Conan Doyle dinosaur… Continue reading SNK 40th Anniversary Collection (Switch)
Thirty teams make up the current NBA. At the start of NBA Playgrounds 2, around eight of them offer players. The rest come from packs of virtual cards; it’s luck of the draw. In total, 400 players await unlocking in NBA Playgrounds 2. Five at a time. An hour of play will unlock the highest… Continue reading NBA Playgrounds 2 (PS4)
