I was probably more surprised than anyone to see the El Shaddai ASCENSION OF THE METATRON HD Remaster on the Nintendo Switch eShop because it was something of a rarity even when it was released back in 2011. I remember pre-ordering it after seeing something about it on Gametrailer.com, and when I went to pick it up, a friend of mine—who worked at EB Games—said to me, “You know we’ve only received three copies of this game, and two are reserved for pre-orders.” The people who had pre-ordered them were him and myself. It’s really a shame that no one really knew about it back then, and it would ..read more

Each time Sony Interactive Entertainment has offered a glimpse at Stellar Blade, the ambitious console debut from Korean developer SHIFT UP, just about everyone (myself included) has been quick to compare it to NieR: Automata. From that first glance, back when it was known as Project Eve, there was clear inspiration from Square Enix’s bizarre post-apocalyptic epic: players controlling a beautiful but somewhat detached assassin, mowing down enemies amongst crumbled skyscrapers with acrobatic grace. Now that this debut action-adventure has finally arrived, the comparison still feels apt—yet, th ..read more

SaGa: Emerald Beyond is a bizarre game and the only one I can think of where two of the main characters are an anime-looking man who talks like a good ol ‘Southern boy and a Vampire who dresses like a Japanese pop star. It’s a game overflowing with wonderfully dense gameplay systems and complex combat, but simultaneously packed with busy work. SaGa: Emerald Beyond is engrossing, frustrating, and bewildering all at once, but boy, is it compelling. Emerald Beyond largely carries over the formula used in the series’ last game, SaGa: Scarlet Grace, focusing on dynamic storytelling that puts a hug ..read more

Remnant II: The Forgotten Kingdom is the latest DLC for the excellent Remnant II. The second of three planned DLCs, The Forgotten Kingdom, takes everything great about Remnant II and its first DLC The Awakened King, and simply adds more of what makes the base game and its first DLC so good. Offering new weapons, amulets, rings and a new archetype, The Forgotten Kingdom expands on the lore and level design of the previous entries. Players will head back to the world of Yaesha, previously explored in Remnant II’s base game. This time around, players will be tasked with discovering what happened ..read more

There are a lot of ways that Sucker for Love: Date to Die For really speaks to me on a personal level. It blends cute graphics with the grim and grisly; it lampoons Lovecraftian horror tropes while still emphasizing the things about them that are actually scary, and it is part of a franchise that is already quite near and dear to my heart. More important than any of those points, however, is that it portrays an asexual protagonist. As someone who identifies as ace myself, this small scrap of representation made me extremely curious. Sucker for Love: Date to Die For is presented as a collectio ..read more

I was excited to play Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants when I saw it because I was unapologetically invested in Nickelodeon’s 2012 reboot of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It was incredibly stylish, amazingly animated and backed by an incredible cast for the iconic brothers—even if they decided to ruin Leonardo after Season Two. I was largely unaware that there was even a four-player arcade cabinet based on the 2012 series, but that’s largely due to arcades essentially ceasing to exist in the modern day. But as someone who grew up loving the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle ..read more

Despite not having grown up during the heyday of early FPS titles, particularly the likes of Duke Nukem and other Build engine games, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with 2018’s Ion Fury, a modern title utilizing the decades-old game engine to deliver a novel action-packed shooter that bridged the gap between old and new. Flash forward to 2024, and players once again assume the role of Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison in Phantom Fury, a brand-spanking new FPS romp, this time utilizing Unreal Engine 4, but make no mistake, the reliance on a modern game engine does not take away from the lovingly craft ..read more

Have you ever thought what you would say to a lost loved one if you just had a few more moments with them? I’d imagine the answer would be somewhere around yes and definitely. Death and regret go hand in hand, and that emotional duality is what Tales of Kenzera: ZAU seeks to deliver to the player. Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is a tale seeping with African culture that also brings the player face to face with some of the hardest emotions associated with loss while doubling as a fun Metroidvania title inspired by its predecessors. One thing is certain, though: this title is unique. Tales of Kenzera ..read more

You know, I was actually looking forward to playing Top Spin 2K25 because I may have mentioned on the site before, I was actually inspired to learn how to play tennis in real life after playing Mario Tennis on the Nintendo 64. Since then, outside of the occasional tennis match with friends, the only virtual attempt at tennis has been on the court of Mario, so I was interested to see what something more “realistic” would be like. I’ve noticed a trend while playing Top Spin 2K25 during my three attempts to review sports games for CGM—I’ve never had fun playing these games. This isn’t meant to d ..read more

Grounded was the right game at exactly the wrong time for me. When it was initially pitched back in 2020, I had essentially hit my limit with survival games with crafting elements—as you’ll recall from my The Long Dark review. Even with a company like Obsidian Entertainment attached, I couldn’t get over my exhaustion of managing hunger and thirst meters and slapping every object in sight to get materials for incremental progress. But Grounded intrigued me with its unique premise and distinctive style. What is essentially a Honey I Shrunk the Kids video game? I could get on board with that. An ..read more