Author: AndresPlays

NEO TITAN is an upcoming bullet hell metroidvania from the team that created Archvale. We tried an exhilarating demo of what’s to come. During the summer of 2022, I randomly picked up an unassuming bullet hell called Archvale with a roommate. Its box art of a knight with a silly grimace intrigued me. Over the next couple of days, we could not put it down. We were in complete awe of its challenging bullet patterns. So much so, I have not stopped thinking about its snappy gameplay since. In the interim, developer idoz & phops have been cooking an improved…

The Adventures of Elliot is a love letter to classic top-down adventure games. A new update improves it significantly. The Adventures of Elliot is the latest Square Enix title to have a successful launch. Raved by critics and players alike, its A Link to the Past inspirations are a hit among fans of the genre. As top-down adventure games go, its puzzles, dungeons, and story are worth playing. Earning a 9 in our review, we did not mince words, stating, “The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales is a new gold standard.” One notable criticism that arose with players is…

Version 1.2 of NTE proves to be its most ambitious update yet. It adds an entirely new fantasy game inside its existing urban open world. NTE, or Neverness To Everness, is an urban open-world gacha game with a tinge of the paranormal. Launching to great success, it struggled with version 1.1 due to its lack of expansive activities. No more, said developer Hotta Studio. Known as 999 Nights, this brand new mode offers a sprawling tabletop-inspired RPG fantasy adventure. Version 1.2 also offers a slew of content, from fresh outfits, vehicles, mechanics, and events. What is 999 Nights? NTE took…

Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is an excellent game that released in a poor state on Switch 2. Owlcat Games plans to make it up to players. Originally released last December on Nintendo Switch 2, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a top-of-the-shelf cRPG. It painstakingly realizes the grimdark universe with incredible attention to detail, commitment to the lore, and intricate combat strategy. Sadly, its launch did not live up to expectations as it was not ready for primetime. Suffering from a myriad of technical issues, we noted in our review, “There are still fixes to be made in the Switch 2…

Vem, Exu is a short narrative experience about anger with Afro-Brazilian aesthetics. We spoke with its lead developer about the game’s origins and upcoming release. In the vast sea of video game experiences, sometimes we forget what it is all for. As works of art, they can leave lingering emotions looked at through a new lens that we did not consider before. While some may be overtly abundant in its tutorials and instructions, others opt to engage with your senses. The use of no dialogue, for example, can be used to great effect. All of these thoughts crossed my mind…

Unhinged is the latest entry from Oxenfree dev Night School. While never reaching those highs, it is still a fun interactive movie and a glimpse into what Netflix Games is planning. It’s a stormy night. Most people have evacuated from your area. And why wouldn’t they? It’s a Hurricane Category 5 out there. But you would rather not leave your apartment. Something holds you close to it. The memories, the polaroids on the wall, that personal touch. Oops, the lights went out. Your bestie Claire calls you from the building out front. You can breathe easy now, if for a…

Six months passed by in the blink of an eye, and I, AndresPlays, take the time to think about the video games that have impacted me the most this 2026. It’s that time of the year again. The one where AndresPlays has a micro-existential crisis because I just realized we’re halfway through the year. Wait, what? Oh yeah, I also take a walk down memory lane and think about all the incredible games that this year has given us so far already. And to think that there is so much more to come soon. Good luck to everyone in September.…

An opinion piece in which I think about where gaming as a whole is heading and if there will even be a place for me in it. The first time I went to Times Square, like every other person in the world, I was stunned. To add insult to injury, a middle-aged man passed by with his wife and uttered a term I heard for the first time: sensory overload. It’s been a decade since, but I keep going back to that moment as I wrap up this gaming-filled June. First, remakes, remasters, and juggernaut AAA reveals stacked Summer Game…

Dracs After Dusk is a Western paranormal arcade shooter that takes a page from classic old-school quarter munchers to make you yearn for the good old days. The model of the arcade video game dictated much of what these could be for many years before the advent of console gaming. Made for impressionable young kids, the goal ultimately veered towards spending all their parents’ quarters in one fell swoop. “Insert Credit” became a ubiquitous phrase. Pac-Man, the infamous FMV Dragon’s Lair, and a personal favorite, Captain Commando, had a high difficulty ceiling geared for replayability in exchange for one more…

HYPERWIRED is a top-down twin-stick shooter like many other games before it, but its unique spin on the genre by plugging into space sockets offers a fresh take. Video game genres do not mean much nowadays. That is mainly because it feels like everything is a mashup better described as “genre-defying.” The joke that a game can be described as a “roguelike deckbuilder metroidvania” is repeated more often than not. But the truth of the matter is that these descriptors conjure images in our heads that help us clearly identify what to expect when trying a new video game. So,…