Video Game Review: Tacoma by Fullbright (Second Opinion)

Walk, don't run (because you can't).

As Amy Ferrier’s ship pulls into dock on the Tacoma, various ideas run through my head. What kind of story will this game have? What kind of environments will the transfer station hold? Will there be some mystery to unveil, like in Fullbright’s previous indie darling Gone Home? With developers from the Bioshock 2: Minerva’s Den DLC on board, surely a creepy and/or rewarding sci-fi adventure awaits? No?

Tacoma is, as the trolls on the internet would call it, a “walking simulator.” Oh, how I wish there were a run button instead of a useless crouch button. There’s no combat to speak of, no real challenge, just a story to uncover over a short period. The studio nailed this with their last game, Gone Home. Essentially an interactive movie, Tacoma follows Amy Ferrier as she unveils the last hours of the Tacoma crew after the station takes severe damage to the oxygen supply. The crew has to deal with existential dilemmas, and lucky for Amy, it’s all been recorded. It’s up to the player to help her dig into this crew’s most vulnerable final moments and deliver them, and the station AI, Odin, to the multi-trillion dollar corp that owns the spacecraft.

The interpersonal transactions are the meat of the game, so I won’t share much on the relationships other than to say that some moments feel genuine, while other feel stilted and staged. Overall, the story is conveyed well, but there is no true impact. I wasn’t hit emotionally at any point in the game by the writing. A few sweet moments don’t make a well-written game.

Alongside the writing, Tacoma has weirdly uneven visuals. Considering this is a short game (it can be completed in under two hours) with very few assets, you would think more polish would go into making the game feel real, inhabited. But no. It feels almost plastic in some places, the surrounding environments not quite lived in, as anticipated, but more… contrived. I could feel the developer’s hand in the entire experience from the assets to the storytelling. One would think that this since the game is so short without much interactivity, this would mean the game runs flawlessly, right? Right?

Again, no. The game crashed on me three times during my short stint. I also had massive frame rate drops numerous times (especially when taking the elevator), and kept waiting for my screen to go black. For the record, I was playing on a PS5 Pro, so these performance issues should be nonexistent with the hardware boost (the game was originally developed for PS4).

The voice recordings are an advanced take on audio logs. Instead of simple audio, the player must follow the hologram of each person to unveil more about their story, their thoughts, and their interactions with others. Some environmental storytelling helps with this (letters, dartboards with someone’s face on them, etc.). These are the best-implemented aspects of the storytelling. Through these means, and through a bit of snooping through personal computers and drawers, the player can find little hidden goodies, like more story in locked drawers, key code rooms, and lockers. The soundtrack is simple yet effective, and complements the voice-recorded holograms. I always enjoyed the little jingle that played every time I rode the elevator (though sometimes it would warble and I would become worried the game would crash again).

Tacoma concludes in a way that attempts to recapture the magic of Gone Home, and honestly, it doesn’t wow me. It’s cohesive and coherent and gets the job done, but it will not have a lasting impact like Fullbright’s predecessor. The characters have some conviviality and believability and I found some of their stories worthwhile. I applaud the developer’s inclusion of LGBT and disabled persons, and am glad to see a developer embrace all of their audience. I do feel like a bigger focus should have been placed on the game’s performance and on trying to make the game more memorable, from the environment to the story instead of just trying to replicate it's previous title (but in a space setting). As it stands, Tacoma is a serviceable narrative-based game, though not a highly recommended one. Perhaps my view would be different had I played it at launch. As it stands, I'd say grab it on a big sale if you’re curious.

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The Math

Objective Assessment: 6/10

Bonus: +1 for some sweet character moments. +1 for quality VOs.

Penalties: -1 for performance issues. -1 for lack of memorable depth. -.5 for no run button.

Nerd Coefficient: 5.5/10

Posted by: Joe DelFranco - Fiction writer and lover of most things video games. On most days you can find him writing at his favorite spot in the little state of Rhode Island.

Video Game Review: Wolverine by Insomniac Games

Not quite the best there is, but more than good enough

Dr. Nathaniel Essex is trapped in a heavily guarded compound by rival scientist, Bolivar Trask. Against his better judgement, Logan comes out of retirement to help rescue the man who once rescued him. But exploring Trask’s compound reveals some deeply disturbing scenes: mutants dissected and experimented on, mutilated and discarded. Can Logan save his old friend while also avenging those so brutally exterminated? Perhaps… but is it for the best?

Wolverine has been quite the discussion piece on many a gaming forum and social media site as of late, the game receiving notoriously bad press before even releasing into the world. As with most media, I did my best to avoid the news beforehand so I could give as unbiased an opinion as possible. These games cost seventy to eighty dollars nowadays, and there is only so much time and money each person has, and I want to respect that. After playing the game, completing it to one hundred percent (story beaten, all collectibles found and unlocked, all challenges completed up to Adamantium level), I then followed up by reading into the discourse about the game. I can confidently say that, while I believe there is plenty of merit to some of the Wolverine criticisms, most of it is just noise and nonsense.

Wolverine looks fantastic. Sure, there are some imperfections with the art style here and there, but most of the time I was wowed by the visual effects, the animations, and the consistent quality on display. This is still Insomniac, and they know how to make a game look damned good. From the creases in Logan’s face to the tears and rips in his suit after a fight, to the gore all around, the game is incredibly detailed. Every so often I found something of lower quality that would stick out, but I had to search for it, or be off the wrong track searching somewhere out of bounds before I encountered a low-quality LoD that had yet to load properly. Overall, however, Wolverine is a very linear single adventure, and the game’s detail reflects that from almost every animation to all the characters and environments.

Alongside stellar animations, the voice performances accompanying them are top tier. Liam McIntyre is an engrossing Logan; his snarls and rage-fueled shouts contrast his tenderness and encompass the character’s range with passion. Nicole Pacent’s Mystique and Krizia Bajos as Jean Grey offer great performances as well. Troy Baker is always a star, though it is odd to see his exact likeness in a game. I know movies have been doing it forever, with the audience having to be hypnotized by an actor’s performance before suspending disbelief enough to accept an established actor as a character on screen. In a game, I am still not used to it. This, however, is a personal thing. Most people who play Wolverine probably won’t know what Troy Baker looks like, and to others, it may not matter.

Wolverine’s writing is decent. The story is easy to follow, even if it stumbles or doesn’t always hit the mark with all its big moments. The game tries to do a bit too much, with characters feeling like they’re included for the sake of being included (it’s a superhero game; we must have another villain!) with weak story cohesion. We got a bit of that in Spider-Man 2, but it’s more noticeable here in a shorter, linear narrative-based game. A lot of the tropes and clichés that follow a superhero game are present here, and while some of it works, sometimes they feel out of place. There is a grittiness to Wolverine and his storyline that shouldn’t get the more jovial Spider-Man treatment. I know they’re all comic books, but some of those comic book-isms just felt out of place. This can be a criticism of the superhero genre, however, and not just Insomniac’s effort here.

The story jumps around, exploring locations the world over, from Canada to Japan, each place richly detailed. The narrative sometimes feels too quick, with various moments feeling unearned. Not necessarily just emotional beats, but story beats as well. Wolverine could have used more padding on the story front. The moments that do hit, however, are great and remind of Insomniac’s excellence. The sometimes breakneck speed of the narrative makes me wonder how the leaks affected development. That said, I enjoyed the overall story that Insomniac tried to tell here. Logan’s personal struggles shone. With his near-immortality—living lives long forgotten, his inability to get close to people, and his fight with his inner nature, the game nails Wolverine as a character, hitting on the different aspects of what makes Logan who he is.

But what about the gameplay, you ask? It’s great! I played on normal, and while I wouldn’t have minded even more difficulty, I think the main difficulty setting has enough balance to please the average gamer. The gameplay is brutal and visceral, with each fight ending in gore-covered claws (which Logan insouciantly flicks away after a fight). While they have the option to turn gore off, the default setting is just what a Wolverine fan should want.

The gameplay focuses on building a rage meter during each engagement. Rage isn’t carried over between fights; any residual after a fight is instead used to fuel special moves that are on a cooldown. The fighting has a rhythm, much like Batman and Spider-Man, but instead of a notifier over Wolverine’s head, the player has to watch each enemy to get a good parry in. Parrying, stunning, and managing Wolverine’s location are key to succeeding in some of the more challenging fights. It’s easy to get surrounded and pummeled by un-blockable moves, though there are a few special abilities that can get the player out of a jam. Once the fighting ramps up and Logan hits his rage, the combat notches up to another level, the gameplay getting even more gore-filled and instantly satisfying. In this mode, you become the Wolverine, tearing into enemy flesh with greater ease and commanding the battlefield like a true superhero. Leaping around from target to target like a feral beast is satisfying, and so is the buildup to filling the rage meter. I wouldn’t have minded more depth to the combat, but for a game of this length, it stays fun the entire run, and that’s key.

Wolverine features challenges through Nightmare Doors, which are scattered throughout the world. These challenges vary from surviving hordes of enemies to reaching a goal within a certain amount of time. While I enjoyed these little distractions, I found the final payout to be a bit of a disappointment. I don’t think the game should have offered an alternate ending by any means, but perhaps a more influential bit of backstory would have been a better reward than what was on offer. That said, the actual challenges were a good time, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ones that made me survive as many enemies as possible. The game felt best when I was killing things.

Exploration is straightforward, sometimes too direct, not giving players too much freedom to discover things for themselves, because a lot is placed right in front of them, but this helps to set the pace and keep the story moving along. The player characters will also vocally nudge the player in the right direction if they take too long, which can sometimes get annoying. One of my pet peeves is leaving an area open to exploration, only to be told to go back to the mission area when you approach it. It can be quite the immersion breaker, and Wolverine is guilty of this.

When all is said and done, though, Wolverine is a very good game that feels great to play. It’s no masterpiece, but it doesn’t need to be. If this is the intro to Insomniac’s X-Men, they’ve got my attention. If they can deepen the combat experience while maintaining better story pacing (either through a longer linear game or by opening it up a bit into more of a hub world), I can see their future X-Men games reaching the heights of their Spider-Man franchise. As is, this game does what it means to and does it well enough, but is that enough? It is for me. But for someone with less disposable income, ask yourself if a very good (not quite great) linear narrative game that runs approximately fifteen hours with little replay value is worth the price. I’m happy with my purchase and the quality on display, but if you are not specifically a fan of Wolverine and/or Marvel, there are better, deeper action experiences you can get at a fraction of the price. If you are a Wolverine fan, then get to killing, bub; the world’s mutants need your help.

The Math

Objective Assessment: 7.5/10.

Bonus: +1 for frenetic, visceral combat. +1 for high end visuals and animations.

Penalties: −1 for narrative pacing. −1 for some linear handholding.

Nerd Coefficient: 7.5/10.

Posted by: Joe DelFranco - Fiction writer and lover of most things video games. On most days you can find him writing at his favorite spot in the little state of Rhode Island.

Review [Video Game]: Control Ultimate Edition by Remedy Entertainment

Control remedies my faith in its studio

Imagine that all rumors of supernatural/paranormal occurrences were not only real, but that they were processed and intensely researched in a secretive American government agency. Welcome to the Federal Bureau of Control. Unfortunately, an entity has infiltrated the highly elusive agency, possessing anyone it can get its hands on. If only someone could come and help cleanse the infection and seal the festering wound. Enter Jesse Faden, the new director.

Ever wonder what it would be like to walk into a federal agency and receive the best job in the house on your first day and with no qualifications? This is precisely how Control opens. Once Jesse collects the service weapon, she instantly becomes the director, no questions asked. While there are all sorts of weird things going about throughout Control, this odd transition kept me at arm’s length. An extremely secretive official bureau simply accepts whoever picks up the gun? I kept expecting people to question her, to refuse to serve under her, but no. You get the gun, you get the job. Once I pushed that aside, I could dig in more and enjoy the game.

The gun in question, or service weapon as it’s called, is one of the two main offensive options in the game. Throughout a playthrough, the player is able to unlock and upgrade six forms of this weapon (five in the main game, one from add-on content), from an automatic pistol form to a rifle; the service weapon services all weapon needs. The gunplay is fun, smooth, and rewarding, and opens up creative opportunities in combat. I do wish there was some kind of weapon wheel, so that I didn’t have to switch between weapon forms in the menu mid-combat, but for the most part, two guns at a time worked. The gunplay works as you would expect a third-person shooter to, but the game elevates when combined with Jesse’s paranatural abilities.

Jesse’s paranatural abilities come in the form of telekinesis and are a blast to wield. From launching objects around at enemies, to creating a shield from debris, to launching Jesse into the air—combined with the gunplay—Control’s mechanics create some exhilarating moments that are the true bread and butter of this supernatural romp. Blasting a shielded enemy with a telekinetically propelled boulder, leaping in the air, then quickly dodging to the side to avoid incoming fire, then finishing said enemy with a well-placed headshot before the shields could recuperate was so satisfying no matter how many times I’d pulled it off. Control does not just play well, it feels fantastic, too.

Though the gunplay rocks, the crouch/duck cover system is weak, and I sometimes got shot by enemies that shouldn’t have been able to hit me. Once I got the levitate ability (which comes later in the game than I would have liked), I barely used the crouching system, instead opting to shift between taller cover as quickly as possible.

Besides these weapon forms and abilities, the player can upgrade the power and ability of all offensive capabilities as well as modify them. Increase headshot damage for my rifle mod? Yes, please. Do I want to do 75% more launch damage? You know it. Upgrading the weapon forms and finding complementary mods that changed the way the weapon functioned was part of the driving factor for finding more mods. It’s a shame they never had a multiplayer mode; I could see it being a chaotic treat.

Control definitely has a more cohesive story than Alan Wake, despite my initial misgivings about Jesse’s acceptance to the director position. In fact, there is an add-on (AWE) included with the Ultimate Edition that connects the universes of Control and Alan Wake, which helps lend context to what is going on over in Bright Falls. While it didn’t make me want to go back and play Alan Wake Remastered, it piqued my curiosity for the sequel. The supernatural elements of the story loosen the amount of suspension of disbelief necessary to pull through the crazier parts of the narrative. That said, sometimes the game takes risks with something silly or ambiguous, and it doesn’t play well, separating me from the experience. Other times, like the man forced to stare at a refrigerator or die, are hilarious and clever. Control has a mix of these moments. Sometimes Remedy creates vague mumbo jumbo for the sake of it because they figure they could get away with it with all the other stuff going on, and I just don’t like it. It doesn’t happen enough to ruin my experience, but is just enough to remind me why I didn’t like Alan Wake.

Exploration is great, and reminds me of some of my old favorites like Bioshock (structurally, not aesthetically). I read almost every collectible I discovered, though I wish I didn’t have to stand by the audio recordings to listen to them (some of them are quite lengthy). The world looks good and holds up well for a seven-year-old game. Some animations come off with a whiff of the uncanny valley, but nothing too severe. The environments themselves look great, some of the shining instances being those used to exemplify the striking lighting work and contrast Remedy excels at.

One of the few things I remember liking about Alan Wake was its soundtrack, and Control doesn’t push me away here. The sound work in Control is no slouch; from the music to the voice acting to the sound effects, the game does well on all fronts. The sound effects help make the paranatural abilities pop and assist in solidifying the pleasurable combat.

I’ll admit, it took me a while to boot up Control. I’ve had this downloaded on my console for a long time. Years, in fact. My adventures in Bright Falls certainly did their best to deter me, but I’m glad I finally gave in. Control isn’t perfect. There are some monotonous puzzles that remove me from the game occasionally, not to mention some of the story elements that don’t click (another game guilty of making me question whether some events of the game were real or imagined), though thankfully those were kept to a minimum. But on the whole, enjoyable exploration, gratifying gunplay, and a solid story make Control worth playing and even have me looking forward to Alan Wake II. With Control Resonant right around the corner, now is the time to check out this solid effort from Remedy Entertainment. Even if you don’t love the story, it’s hard not to enjoy the frenetic action.

The Math

Objective Assessment: 8/10.

Bonus: +1 for explosive, satisfying gameplay. +1 for quirky story.

Penalties: −1 for odd/vague narrative beats. −0.5 for some boring puzzles. −0.5 for poor cover/crouch mechanics in combat.

Nerd Coefficient: 8/10.

Posted by: Joe DelFranco - Fiction writer and lover of most things video games. On most days you can find him writing at his favorite spot in the little state of Rhode Island.

Video Game Review: Tunic by Isometricorp Games

Put away the sword and explore.

Stranded on the tiny shore of a minuscule piece of beach, our little fox protagonist awakens. The striking art style, a mix of simple geometry and vivid colors, catches the eye right away. And on an adventure we go. To do what? Well, that’s for you to uncover. Perhaps. But only if you stick with it. Developed by Isometricorp Games, Tunic is an ode to the ye olde days of Zelda, before the Ocarina hit Link’s lips, where exploration is king and secret passages hide around every corner. Armed with a sword and a shield (once you find them), our furry fox friend is thrust into a cheery world of varied biomes and challenging puzzles.

There is a cleverness to Tunic that pervades its puzzle aspects, and this is where the game truly shines. It makes exploration and discovery feel paramount in an enigmatic world. The top-down camera cleverly conceals certain structures and passageways. There are numerous shortcuts one can take on a subsequent playthrough once they find all the throughways. Finding a hidden passage and realizing you could have gone that way the entire time never got old. Though I must admit my disappointment was much higher every time I found a nook with no treasure. The Pavlovian response had become too ingrained by Tunic’s constant rewards. And while I found the discovery of each page of the manual and new item to be a delight (each with their accompanying charming tune), I must admit it took me a while to get to that feeling of delight.

And that is because of the combat. The combat in this game is uninspiring. Fighting through hordes of enemies or fighting a challenging boss did not make me want to overcome the hurdle; it just made me want to put the game down. This is tied to the story. The game lacks much of one by today’s video game standards. And that’s fine; not all games need one to be fun. But the challenge created by the mundane combat didn’t present its own reward (the combat itself being enjoyable), and the story (or lack thereof) didn’t offer enough incentive to push through the bosses to having to retread areas with hordes of enemies. I’m not saying the combat is awful; it’s just that the challenge isn’t worth the reward. So what did I do?

I put on No Fail Mode and finished the game. Mind you, I played more than half of the game with regular combat, and I intended to turn off the invincibility. But I never did. I struggled with the choice because I’m stubborn. It’s not that I couldn’t beat the game; it was that I was starting to not care. Now, I know it seems like a cheat, but I thought it better to actually finish out the game and see what it offered. And I’m glad I did. The dodge doesn’t feel great and the sword swing is very basic. Killing new enemies with a mix of combat prowess and items in your inventory is enjoyable the first time you enter a new zone, but became tedious each subsequent one. I would sometimes just avoid sleeping at a shrine so I wouldn’t have to engage with any re-spawned enemies. This was one of my no-fail mode eye-openers.

Once I made the choice to take no damage, Tunic got magnitudes better. I realized, through not having to deal with all the combat, I could enjoy the best aspects of the game: the puzzles and exploration. From then on, I didn’t think about putting the game down, and I thoroughly enjoyed going to new areas and exploring even more than before.

As I mentioned, the best part of Tunic is its exploration and puzzles. Once I started collecting more and more pages of the manual, the game opened up. How to unlock new passageways and complete certain sets of puzzles, which would then unlock more pages so that I could uncover more secrets. The manual is in the style of the old NES games, each page giving clues on how to play the game. Some pages had maps, others had information on trinkets and charms, while some had handwriting and cheat codes! This gave the game an old-school feel that too few games try to replicate.

As I ventured forth through Tunic’s numerous biomes, I found I enjoyed some much more than others (and for the record; I had visited most of the game’s biomes with damage still active). The art style permeates, lending itself better to some zones than others. I still think the starting area is the most striking. The sound effects in the Quarry are… unpleasant and made me want to zoom through that zone any time I was there. While I enjoyed the juxtaposition of pink on black and its stark difference from the rest of the map, I could never endure it for long. But mostly, discovering each new part of the map brings a sense of wonder that I think the developer nailed. In this, I believe Isometricorp Games pays the most homage to the games that inspired it.

While discovering new items and enchantments brought an early-game excitement to the mix, I couldn’t help but be let down by Tunic’s weak story and repetitive combat. Combined with the pace of the starter manual page reveals, it led to me almost putting the game down. Now, I know this game was built as a nostalgia-inducing trip for those old-school Zelda lovers out there, but if I’m being honest, I only tried a few when I got older. And they weren’t my cup of tea. Had this game advanced with the times and introduced a more thrilling combat system and a tinge more of a story, I think I may have fallen in love, but as it is, this game will appeal to people who loved those old school Zelda games. For others, I’d say so long as you don’t mind the deficits I mentioned, I think there’s enough exploration and discovery here for a memorable experience.

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The Math

Objective Assessment: 8/10

Bonus: +1 for charming art style and enjoyable melodies. +1 for sense of discovery.

Penalties: - 1 for uninspired combat. - .5 for weak story elements.

Nerd Coefficient: 6.5/10

Posted by: Joe DelFranco - Fiction writer and lover of most things video games. On most days you can find him writing at his favorite spot in the little state of Rhode Island.

Review [Video Game]: Nine Sols by Red Candle Games

A parry system to make Sekiro blush

Yi hangs off a cliff as an imposing figure points her energy sword down toward his disheveled form. He eases off into the abyss only to be absorbed and placed in a hibernation state by Fusang (a world-tree-like organism). Fast-forward five hundred years later and our protagonist awakens from his unwanted slumber, wounds healed, hellbent on putting things right. And perhaps a bit of revenge. But what is right? And what is Yi hiding from his friends, from the player?

Nine Sols immediately grabs the eye with its fetching art style. Crisp, bright colors with clean linework. Bold, charming character design and detailed environments fuel this sci-fi tao-punk adventure. The setup is accompanied by a solid score that follows throughout and hooked me right from the get-go. Yi’s bipedal, cat-like character design is, honestly, adorable, even if he can kill hordes and hordes of enemies. Most of the characters have a rather cartoony feel to them, even some villains, which all work within their characterization. The ones that are more serious seem to have a more balanced design that works within the artistic framework. One of the few Metroidvania games I’ve played that rivals Hollow Knight in execution. Red Candle Games has some good artists on staff.

It’s hard not to mention the indie juggernaut Hollow Knight when comparing Metroidvania titles, but alas, when one is at the top, all others shall compete for a bit of that spotlight. But here’s the thing: Nine Sols stands on its own and even surpasses the king in some places. Each takes its own focus and hones it to a sharp point. While Hollow Knight excels in exploration and lore, Nine Sols focuses on story, character work, and combat. Let’s get into each of these.

The story and characters are intertwined, as with any piece of media, though one of my favorite parts of Nine Sols are the extra bits sprinkled in. As you move through your adventure, new characters will join you at your base. Different collectibles will allow you to interact with these characters and grow your relationships with them. Completely collecting almost every item in the game will even give you the true ending (more on this later). Forging a bond with Shuanshuan is as satisfying as offering the conspiracy theorist Shennong a new poison to endure. And boy, does he like his poison. The more, the better. These relationships were satisfying enough to drive me to unlock all the hidden items on the map for a chance at more dialogue. And while I don’t think every character moment is earned, the ones that are land solidly.

Speaking of hits, let’s get to the combat. Fast, intense, precise, challenging. The game, at least on standard mode (there is a story mode that will essentially allow you to breeze through the game), offers the player plenty of trials. The game relies on a parry system, not dissimilar to the highly acclaimed From Software darling, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Parrying is the bread and butter of the game. Every parry fills a ki charge (you can get up to five), and these allow you to do more damage, either through talisman application or through other jade upgrades (for instance, one jade allows every third hit on your three hit combo to use two ki charges to do extra damage). Besides parrying, Yi can dodge, and eventually, use a different type of parry as well. These combined mechanics, along with the traditional sword slashes, create fun, frenetic gameplay that challenges you even against regular enemies. No matter how much I leveled, I always felt the heat.

The boss and mini-boss battles add an extra test of both player patience and mechanical learning. But each boss encounter, while initially frustrating, takes an appropriate amount of practice before you feel you’ve mastered a phase. And each of the battles feels appropriately boss-like without pushing me out of the range of total discomfort. All except one. The final boss is, to put it mildly, a horrendous difficulty spike of massive proportions. You don’t even want to hear what I really think. I respect making the final enemy the most difficult by all means, but that was a nightmare. It left a rather sour taste in my mouth right near the end of a rather enjoyable adventure. I’m surprised that difficulty spike got through play-testing. Unless you’re a masochist, go for the true ending on story mode so you can see the game through without wanting to delete the game (something I actually considered during my multi-hour bout). It’s unfortunate because the combat choreography of the fight is brilliant and would be otherwise enjoyable with some tweaks.

But back to the story. Red Candle Games made a solid effort in creating a flowing narrative, with ancient lore and other worldbuilding. While the translation doesn’t always align perfectly, and there are quite a few expository dialogue interactions, the game is comprehensive and enjoyable. If you prefer an alternative to the more subtle, environmental storytelling like in a From Software game, or the previously mentioned Hollow Knight, Nine Sols may offer what you’re seeking. While there are plenty of chances for exploration, the game focuses on its narrative, creating a slightly more linear feel. Something I preferred over Hollow Knight’s more enigmatic traipsing.

Nine Sols still has some of the Metroidvania staples I could do without, like mindless exploration (towards the beginning). Once multi-way teleportation opens up, everything flows much better. I understand the desire to push the player to explore the map, but it eventually feels a bit like drudgery. For some, this is one of the best parts of a Metroidvania, but I must admit, it is not this humble reviewer’s favorite thing to do. Luckily, Nine Sols isn’t the worst offender in this category, and, like in Hollow Knight, the world is beautiful and the puzzles can distract from the small irritation. Also, toward the beginning, when I ran into a boss that had a small cut scene, or a difficult stretch of enemies between the respawn area and the boss, I was displeased. Thankfully, these issues disappeared as I progressed.

Nine Sols should be revered for its slick, enticing combat, its story, its world, and its fun characters. It’s a great compliment to some of the best in the genre and deserves the attention of any fans of the genre. Considering Red Candle Games only made two horror games before this, I must say this was quite the pivot. My few frustrations with Nine Sols aside, I look forward to seeing what this developer does next. Now go out there and feed Yi’s bloodlust, teach Shuanshuan how to code, and dammit, find Shennong as much poison as you can. He deserves it. And you deserve to hear the stupid drunken conversations that emerge from the transaction.

The Math

Objective Assessment: 8.5/10

Bonuses: +1 for solid, intense combat. +1 for storytelling and character.

Penalties: −1 for final boss difficulty spike. −0.5 for some translation errors. −0.5 for typical Metroidvania exploration irritations.

Nerd Coefficient: 8.5/10.

Posted by: Joe DelFranco - Fiction writer and lover of most things video games. On most days you can find him writing at his favorite spot in the little state of Rhode Island.

Video Game Review: Marathon (Season 1) by Bungie

This ain't a sprint, it's a goddamn marathon.

My teammates are dead. I can hear the enemy team scurrying about; they’re searching for me: the rat in the attic. They know I’m somewhere around and they want to enforce a “no mercy” policy lest the festering rat comes back to bite them. I can hear them continuing their hunt. It feels like they can smell my blood. Then I hear a Recon prime ability activation; my heartbeat quickens: they’re scanning my location. I apply a signal jammer and try to lose myself in a group of bots. Two of the enemies give chase, but I lose them while they fight bots and then I circle back. One player stayed back to loot my teammates. I catch them with their pants down and kill them, then lay claymores around the body bag. I use my Triage Prime ability to bring one of my teammates back instantly (normally a ten-second process). While he heals up, the remainder of the enemy team rushes us. One hits the claymores and goes down to a few bullets, then my teammate and I take down the final player. The rat bites back. Marathon is filled with PvPvE moments like this, from 3v3 to 1v3 to 1v2 to 2v2 to 2v1, all in the matter of a few minutes. What seem like impossible odds are quickly reversed with patience and game knowledge. Not to mention hitting some of your shots.

Marathon is the latest effort by Bungie, an extraction shooter set in the world of their original Marathon IP from the mid-90s. While the original was a single-player series with some LAN multiplayer options, Marathon of 2026 is anything but: a first-person shooter multiplayer with no single-player elements whatsoever. If any of the old guard are seeking a throwback to the old days, this isn’t it. What Marathon is, however, is absolutely brilliant.

Bungie, despite its developmental and managerial mishaps, makes some good gameplay, and Marathon is no exception. For those who haven’t played an extraction shooter, the goal of the game is to gather loot, get to an extraction point, then leave with it. You can then use the good loot you’ve gotten to use in a future match. If you want to do a quest, or have a key for a loot room, or run Cryo Archive, you’ll want to equip your best gear. Bungie does this with panache. Every element of the game, while not perfect, is meticulously designed and creates an addictive loop that can hook you for hours on end.

The movement is smooth but weighted, with a feel that borders on Halo and Apex Legends. In a similar fashion to the latter-mentioned game, Marathon’s playable entities comprise different shells (playable characters) with different skill-sets. Each one has a tactical, passive, and prime ability, similar to Apex and Overwatch. My main shell, Triage, has three main abilities; med drones that heal over time and prevent a full death of a teammate on a down (not to mention, if a teammate has a drone attached, you can share your consumables with them), an ability that increases the efficiency of volt weapons, and the ability to revive teammates instantly or EMP enemies (or even both simultaneously if you aim it right). In addition, each shell comes with preset baseline stats. These stats can be upgraded over the course of the season either through faction upgrades or implants. For instance, a knife skill of 5 will take five stabs to kill an enemy at full health, but at 100? Two stabs and they’re mince meat. Gunplay feels incredibly responsive with satisfying hit detection. Playing the game is a real treat.

Marathon is a looker. With top-tier graphics and peak lighting, it would almost make me want to visit if it weren’t so deadly. Tau Ceti IV is a dangerous place, with UESC patrols coming in and out, not to mention alien lifeforms nagging you around every corner (damn you, poison plants!). Every map is distinct and enjoyable to play for its own reasons. Want a smaller, open map with opportunities for mid to long range combat? Perimeter will do the trick. Want to snipe to your heart’s content? Dire Marsh has your back. Close to mid-range? Focus on Outpost. Want to question your life choices and whether one, as a thirty-seven year old person like me, should even play video games anymore? Play Cryo Archive (only available on weekends). Each map is beautifully created and distinct from one another. And while there are certain parts of specific maps that look a little too similar for my liking (like North and South Relay on Perimeter, or some wings of Cryo), the attention to detail is there. Combined with the Codex entries, the artists at Bungie paint a lurid picture of the lives of the Tau Ceti IV settlers.

Speaking of the Codex, this is absolutely brilliant and a huge part of what drew me into Marathon. Certain items that you extract, or specific story missions you complete, or even certain places you discover open up codex entries that share insights into the lives of the scientists and settlers of Tau Ceti IV. What problems did they face? What diseases did they have to fight off? What was this room used for? What were the power dynamics between superiors and inferiors? While much is unanswered, there is much to read up on between matches, and it fills in some holes left by omitting a single-player mode. By doing this, they make four maps feel like part of something bigger. And the best part? Despite dying over and over and over, you can still make progress toward unlocking lore goodies. It makes the defeat not feel so daunting.

One of the biggest elements of this game is the audio. I highly recommend a decent headset for playing Marathon; it can be the difference between life and death and is without a doubt a game saver. Everything, and I meant EVERYTHING, makes a sound. Healing? Makes a sound. Aiming down your sights? Makes a sound. Switching guns? Makes a sound. Crouch walking? Sound. Granted, some things make less noise than others; being able to hear everything puts a player at a distinct advantage, and Bungle has created a game that rewards the ever vigilant. Turn your sound up and focus. The more time spent in the game, the easier it becomes to distinguish what each sound is and how far along an enemy player is toward pulling off a heal or revive.

But what are the flaws? Great question. I didn’t find very many in my multi-month marathon of Marathon. An occasional sound glitch here, a geometry bug there has definitely spoiled an experience and/or ruined a run, but they were rare instances. I’d say the biggest drawback of the game is the learning curve, and that’s not necessarily a negative regarding the game itself, but in the ability to onboard potential players. It took me five hours before I felt like I had somewhat of a grasp on what was going on, even longer to distinguish between the footsteps of UESC and Runner shells, and I am a dedicated gamer. I can only imagine what it would be like for someone a little more casual. The UI management system could be smoother, but like every other aspect of the game, I came to learn it and appreciate its depth. And, as is persistent in most multiplayer games, the occasional weapon balancing issues occur. At first it was the knife, then the bubble/shotgun meta on Cryo Archive, but Bungie has been doing its best to tweak these imbalances.

And don’t get me started on Cryo Archive. It is both the most frustrating and rewarding gaming experience I’ve ever had (in a multiplayer game). I completed a Compiler run (the final raid boss) the night before the end of the season, as well as every Vault except 4, thanks to some friends. The map is so huge it still confuses me in some areas, and despite how much time I’ve spent in there, I still have a ton to learn. I wish the visuals had a little more variance throughout the map (like how Control and Panopticon feel very distinct). But despite the challenge, the reward feels worthwhile.

Marathon is unapologetically hardcore. There is absolutely nothing about this game that I would recommend to a casual player unless they were willing to take the time to ensure that they learned the game’s systems. You don’t have to be great at this game (I’m not), though it certainly helps. What you need is stubbornness, perseverance, and the knowledge that you will die a lot. Sometimes unfairly, but mostly because you did something stupid. In an age of gaming where everything is made easier (not saying I have any problems with accessibility!), it is nice to see a game that doubles down on its goal, deepening the experience by creating a very hardcore sci-fi multiplayer experience. With Bungie’s regular efforts to update the game and consistently balance not only the gameplay but also the systems within the game, the future for Marathon seems bright, so long as they can retain a decent number of players. My advice: if you are going to play Marathon, expect to play for an entire season and give the game the time it deserves; otherwise, you’re doing both yourself and the game a disservice. With Marathon, I truly believe Bungie has crafted one of the best multiplayer experiences of the last decade and I'm so glad I took the gamble and purchased the game.

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The Math

Objective Assessment: 9/10

Bonus: +1 for gameplay depth. +1 for world building.

Penalties: -1 for poor player onboarding. -1 for weapon balancing issues.

Nerd Coefficient: 9/10

Posted by: Joe DelFranco - Fiction writer and lover of most things video games. On most days you can find him writing at his favorite spot in the little state of Rhode Island.

Video Game Review: Ghost of Yōtei by Sucker Punch Productions

Let the wind gently guide your hand to the purchase button

Whispering winds carry upon them the golden leaves of the gingko tree throughout the waving fields of grass and rice throughout Ezo. There is wisdom in the winds, and alongside them comes Atsu, a young woman intent on attaining retribution for her long-dead family. Ghost of Yōtei occurs hundreds of years after the much loved Ghost of Tsushima, and though the story and all its characters are new, there is much that has been shared.

To begin, this game is gorgeous. The intro is enough to let you know the developers have taken care to infuse the spirit of this historical timeframe in Japan with their own art style. From the snow-capped mountains of Teshio Ridge to the multi-colored flora and fauna in the Yōtei Grasslands that open their arms to the player upon booting up the game, every aspect of the world feels beautiful and well crafted. The art design is not focused on hyperrealism, instead going for a specific feeling, one that captures an almost painted artistic aesthetic of what Japan would have looked like in the early 1600s. The small villages and towns feel lived in, the roads feel traveled (yet dangerous), and the castles and prominent landmarks (like Mt. Yōtei) all take on a life of their own. Exploration in Ghost of Yōtei never suffers from a lack of beauty.

It’s odd; I remember enjoying Ghost of Tsushima, but have trouble remembering many of the specifics outside a bunch of the story beats. I think it may have something to do with the game being a better version of a “Ubisoft clone,” much like the Horizon series. Unlike some of the more contemporary games (like Elden Ring) that eschew this approach to exploration mechanics, Ghost of Yōtei embraces the classic format. And like Horizon, it takes said format and makes it its own. Instead of using some sort of tower to unveil playable areas, paying for maps from the cartographer or accepting bounties will place markers on the player’s map that create a more natural sense of exploration. On the way to a particular place, you may run into a golden bird that may lead you to a hidden area, some new charm, perhaps help a wold in trouble, or relax at a hot spring that you can use to increase your health. Like I mentioned earlier, the world is entrancing, and it never felt like a chore to go from one place to another. Fast travel is instantaneous, and nothing feels too far away.

The game throws you right into the thick of things. With Atsu back in Ezo for her revenge against Clan Saito and the Yōtei Six, Ghost of Yōtei immediately places the player in combat. Traditional of more modern action games, the player can use heavy and light attacks, block, parry, and dodge, among other moves. The gameplay feels great, and taking on multiple enemies, or even taking on one specifically challenging boss, feels appropriately climactic and cinematic. While the duel showdowns are not as flashy as in Ghost of Tsushima, the sentiment still resonates with each intro; a battle to the death feels like it (even if the gameplay loop does not support that narrative for the player).

Swordplay feels great. Though I suppose I should expand to say combat feels great, as multiple weapons become available over the course of the game. Though the general play style is still the same, knowing when to switch and use which weapons against which helps with breaking opponents’ stagger gauges, making the challenging fights much more manageable on higher difficulties. In combination with the quick-fire weapons (like smoke bombs) and ranged weapons (like bows), the combat is engaging throughout the entire experience. Even while I was going around finishing up the non-combat related collectibles at the end of the game, I would still engage in combat to enjoy a bit of that Sucker Punch fun. Knowing when to use your spirit to heal or disarm an enemy comes with hours of experience (that I still did not always get right).

I occasionally had some issues with visibility, specifically when facing many surrounding enemies. Especially ones with longer-range weapons like the yari and the kusarigama. The developers made some accommodations for the player by showing a light from the direction a bowman was about to fire from (and simultaneously, any enemies around the player will duck to avoid the arrows). But sometimes the number of enemies is overwhelming. It would not have irritated me as much if there were no mechanic that relies on not being hit. Trying to build up your howl only to get hit by an unseen enemy was a tad annoying. Not a huge issue, but something I ran into quite a few times.

I refuse to speak for everyone here, but I have to say, I think the map is a fantastic size. It felt explorable while not being overwhelming. Many games try to cram everything (plus the kitchen sink) into their game to pad it with more content. Ghost of Yōtei feels like just enough. After fifty hours, I feel like I have unlocked almost everything, and yet, I still feel like I explored a pretty large game world. The side content feels good, albeit with a few underwhelming quests. I enjoyed learning music on my shamisen and would play some songs when I was walking around. The bounties are fun and varied, many with a story of their own that end in surprising ways. Sucker Punch took care to ensure that the side content felt meaningful, even if there are a few missed opportunities.

The story is great. It may not win any awards, but the characters are solid and their motivations sincere (though I believe Atsu’s motivation shifts a little too quickly toward the end). Voice actors are believable, and the animations that accompany them are fantastic. The voice acting done for some of the younger characters is done by adults, and it sounds terrible. Aside from that, the adult performances are spot on. Traditional revenge tale cut up into segments. Atsu is after the Yōtei Six for the murder of her family; she intends to cross each name off her sash.

While the gameplay loop works well, sometimes the desire for player choice impacts the believability of the world and story. For instance, early in the game, you can choose which member of the Yōtei Six to go after; upon completing whichever sequence you choose, some cutscenes will mention only the first member that you killed (which is necessary to advance the story right away), while others will incorporate every member you have dispatched. There is no order to it, and it would sometimes remove me from the world and remind me of the illusion of choice so elegantly debated in the gaming scene over these last few decades. While the facial and gameplay animations are fantastic, there are some minor animation issues throughout the game that are stiff or clunky, but they rear their heads so infrequently that when they happen, you notice.

Ghost of Yōtei’s story, like the rest of the game, doesn’t shatter any boundaries, doesn’t reinvent the wheel by any means. What it does, however, it does very well. Set in Japan in 1603, the game can easily transport you through its beautiful world and complex characters if you let it. I never felt the game falter for very long whenever it did (a boring side mission here or there), and I never felt the need to put it down for long. Coming from the superhero-charged Infamous series, it’s impressive to see what Sucker Punch has done in representing the Edo period in Japan’s history. I have yet to try the Kurosawa mode because I feared missing out on the vibrancy provided by the developer’s aesthetic, but it is an option for those seeking a more authentic black-and-white samurai experience with Japanese voiceovers. While some of the supernatural side quests push the boundary a little more than I’d like, the game feels grounded overall, something I much appreciated.

Those who like samurai/shinobi style games with a good story are in for a treat. If you have not played Ghost of Tsushima, it is not a necessary experience. As I’ve mentioned, this game occurs three hundred years later. There are references to the past, but they aren’t anything significant and wouldn’t hinder one’s enjoyment of the title. For those of you who have played the original, I believe this title is superior to Tsushima in most ways. With Ghost of Yōtei: Legends (a free multiplayer addition) on the horizon, the game will offer even more bang for your buck.

The Math

Objective Assessment: 8.5/10.

Bonus: +1 for beautiful authentic aesthetic. +1 for focused content.

Penalties: −1 for occasional visibility issues. −1 for story layout/cutscene implementation.

Nerd Coefficient: 8.5/10.

Posted by: Joe DelFranco - Fiction writer and lover of most things video games. On most days you can find him writing at his favorite spot in the little state of Rhode Island.