Author: AndresPlays
TOTAL RELOAD is a new inventive puzzle game that reignited my spark for the genre, and here I explore why. While scrolling through social media recently, I stumbled upon an interaction between two people who were confiding in how much they loathe puzzles. How, when encountered with one, they would immediately reach out for their phones to look up the solution to keep going without giving it a second thought. While I respect any type of playstyle for people’s enjoyment, TOTAL RELOAD made me think of how much I actually love the process of figuring things out. Taking a step…
Hank Drowning on Dry Land is a comic book-inspired indie that reminded me of my grandfather and his disease. CW: Death, Alcoholism On September 9, 2002, my grandfather died of cirrhosis. He had been repeatedly told that his alcoholism, which would cause the loss of his family, friends, and eventually life, was the root problem. He was told if, perhaps, he could reduce the amount of alcohol intake he drank every day—not even to fully quit it—he could have a chance to see his nieces and nephews grow up. He did not listen. I was 9 years old when I…
Big Hops is a 3D platformer that breathes new life to the genre due to its unique mechanics. Here is my full review. 3D platformers have come a really long way. From the days of Super Mario 64, wrangling with the camera, to modern feats of acrobatics with ease on Super Mario Odyssey, it does not really seem that many games have challenged the red plumber’s throne. Enter Big Hops. An unassuming, childlike frog that runs, jumps, slides, and uses his tongue to move around. This deceptively simple set of moves is more than enough to deliver what is one…
Rogue Trader is the latest expansive cRPG from OwlCat Games to release on the Nintendo Switch 2. Here is my full review. The first impression of the Warhammer 40,000 video games one might get ranges between how gory, thrilling, and massive it all is. Space Marine 2 puts you in the shoes of a foot soldier fighting xenos (aliens), “For The Emperor!” is like. Boltgun, a boomer shooter, opts for a more stripped-down, pure, high-octane action experience. But Rogue Trader, which first originated as a sci-fi tabletop game in 1987 and is now a full-blown CRPG, goes more in-depth. Portraying…
Dragon Quest VII Reimagined has a demo out now for all platforms available ahead of its February 5 release. In preparation for the full release of Dragon Quest VII Reimagined on February 5, Square Enix has released a lengthy demo with support to carry over data when it launches. A remake of DRAGON QUEST VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past, the demo will let players go over the beginning of the game, with several hours of content to satiate eager players until the game is out. As a treat for players who have save data from the demo, an exclusive…
And just like that, we are already in 2026. I hope you enjoyed my end-of-year coverage with the best VR games and personal top 10. Now, I face these new 365 days with a quote in mind from legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa: “To be an artist means never to avert one’s eyes.” It is up to every one of us to not avert our eyes from both the beauty and the horrors that this hypermodern era we live in brings us. Yes, novel video games will show passion and excitement, while the fight for the unjust layoffs for the…
In the 2012 film Red Lights, Cillian Murphy portrays a paranormal investigator, making it his life’s goal to debunk charlatans trying to scam gullible victims. As the mystery deepens, he finds out that, perhaps, there is more to our realm of the living. That, maybe, there are indeed unknowable forces that control our universe, and a trained eye might be able to perceive or even influence such otherworldly forces. Supernatural thrillers in general are nothing new, with even Agatha Christie toying around with some of Poirot’s cases being initially inexplicable until they were snuffed out by the legendary sleuth. Ghost…
We live in a very weird time. The geopolitical powers are shifting every day to the point it seems we won’t recognize the world we are witnessing right now. CEOs of AAA gaming companies, as perpetually out of touch as they are, are sharing discouraging statements on the favorable use of generative AI, throwing creatives under the bus. Even I, on a personal level, am trying to help get Pixelbyte off the ground even in such an uncertain period in our history, knowing full well that it is a crazy endeavor. Who knows what will happen tomorrow? The only constant…
The Game Awards season is in full swing, and with it, a slew of showcases are making the most of gamers’ excitement to announce brand-new releases in what already seems to be a stacked 2026. This year’s Day of the Devs Digital Showcase was no exception, bringing no less than 19 video game announcements. Founded by iam8bit and Double Fine Productions, the curation of independent games is always on-point, showing a varied and creative list of unique experiences that are sure to appeal to a broad audience. While some of these announcements were previously shown during the Summer Games Fest…
Fighting games have come a really long way, from the arcade days of yore with classics such as Marvel vs. Capcom 2 to the ever-present Street Fighter series, now on its sixth entry. Among the endless, chaotic 2D fights, there is one developer that has emerged from the rubble victorious, consistently publishing top-of-the-shelf experiences that have everyone else on edge: Arc System Works. The BlazBlue franchise, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and most recently Guilty Gear Strive are some influential works under their belt. In collaboration with PlayStation Studios and Marvel, Marvel Tokōn: Fighting Souls feels like the culmination of their previous…