Mark Steighner
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COGConnectedLatest Reviews
Before We Leave is a city builder/4X game that debuted on PC and Xbox a couple of years ago. If they missed it before, PS4 and 5 owners now have the chance to get their controllers on this chill little sim. But should they?
Tunic
With its inviting, colorful and simple art and back-to-basics mechanics, Tunic appears to be nothing more than a chill Zelda knockoff. But looks are deceiving. There’s a lot more to Tunic than you expect. But are Tunic’s secrets worth discovering?
An open-world, first-person shooter with magic instead of guns, a horror game and a mystery-infused ghost story, Ghostwire: Tokyo is a fascinating mixture of genres, mechanics and ideas. But interesting doesn’t always mean fun, and genre mashups can be a mixed bag. So, how does Ghostwire: Tokyo measure up? Is...
CrossfireX
First, there was Counter-Strike, the wildly popular multiplayer shooter. Then, there was Crossfire, developer Smilegate’s homage to Counter-Strike, with millions of players in the Asian market. Now there’s CrossfireX, bringing things full circle and to the Xbox. But how does CrossfireX fare in a console market packed with games like...
Lost Ark
Lost Ark is a free-to-play MMORPG that leans heavily into PvE questing and combat. There is arena-based, competitive PvP as well, but out in the world and following the game’s sprawling story, there’s no need to worry about attacks by other players. While there are plenty of opportunities for cooperative...
The Waylanders
I’m a big fan of Celtic culture, from its music to its mythology. I’ve even spent a fair amount of time in Ireland and Scotland, soaking up the magic. The history of the Celts is a rich tapestry, but strangely absent from videogames (AC Valhalla excepted). So I was excited...
After bouncing off many earlier Monster Hunter games, I fell in love with the series thanks to Monster Hunter World. It had a short but engaging campaign that onboarded me into the game’s arcane mechanics. It had fantastic production values and sharp graphics. Whether on PC or console, Monster Hunter...
The Gunk
The Gunk is a difficult game to talk about. It’s not hard to describe, and it isn’t shocking or disturbing. It won’t make you rethink your life choices. It’s not even a particularly bad game. But it’s also not a particularly good game, either. It’s like one of those totally...
If you believe the intros to their reviews, most of the folks who have been looking at Just Dance 2022 are sedentary endomorphs with multiple left feet, a disinclination for rhythm, and a peculiar unfamiliarity with contemporary pop music. Well, far be it from me to buck the trend. Consider...
Quick, name five really great recent mystery video games. Sure, there are a few, but chances are you ran dry pretty quickly after The Vanishing of Ethan Carter and maybe Wolf Among Us. Maybe you also listed Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments, one of Frogware’s better games about the legendary...
My favorite building sim of all time was, and remains, Frontier’s Planet Coaster. It’s a colorful, easy to get into theme park sim that is both immediately rewarding and infinitely deep. When the folks at Frontier announced Planet Zoo I was beyond thrilled, but ultimately disappointed in the final product...
Riders Republic is a sprawling, messy, open world playground, an extreme sports game for the TikTok generation, incredibly ambitious, audacious and pure, fast, fantasy fun. Riders Republic is a land of youthful bodies that can never break, endless trails, perfect powder and energy drink-stoked good times. But will the fun...
