In her three previous Halo novels — Smoke And Shadow, Renegades, and Point Of Light — writer Kelly Gay expanded upon the military sci-fi space opera universe of the titular video games in a rather interesting (and interconnected) way. But as she explains in the following email interview about Halo: The Rubicon Protocol (paperback, Kindle, audiobook), this new (and unconnected) story hits a little closer to home.
The only thing harder than being a genetically-modified super soldier in power armor who’s trying to save the galaxy from a cabal of religious fanatic aliens is trying to decide what to make for dinner before the universe is cleansed of all sentient life by a giant ring hula hoop. Or at least it used to be. Now, you just have to consult Halo: The Official Cookbook (hardcover, Kindle) to find whatever you need to satisfy your universal hunger. In the following email interview, Cookbook author Victoria Rosenthal details what went into this recipe collection, and without ever uttering the phrase “out of this world.”
As one of the only working video game critics old enough to have gone rollerskating in the ’80s, I feel it is my duty to inform you that the violent third-person rollerskating shooter Rollerdrome (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC) is in no way reflective of what real rollerskating was like back in the day. But what would’ve been horrific in the Livingston Roller Rink is great fun in virtual form…well, once you’ve adjusted your skates, that is.
As anyone who’s ever owned a cat will tell you, you can’t get them to do anything. You can’t get them to play “catch,” you can’t get them to come when you call them, you can’t get them to pick up a pizza on their way home from work even though it’s on their way… Heck, I’ve never owned a cat and even I know getting them to do stuff is like herding cats. Well, you need not be a former, current, or wannabe cat owner to appreciate the third-person action / adventure game Stray (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, PC), and not just because you get to tell a cat what to do and the cat has to do it. It’s just too bad that’s not all you do.
Unlike sequels, the expectations for add-ons are usually low. We expect there to be new missions, new locations, new enemies, and new weapons, but we don’t expect much in the way of new mechanics. And that’s okay. Take Worldslayers, a new add-on for the sci-fi third-person action / adventure shooter Outriders. While it does add something (which I’ll detail in a moment), that something doesn’t add much at all. Which is fine because while Outriders: Worldslayer — which is available both separately and as a part of a new, more complete version of the game (PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PC) — may not be an improvement on the core game, it more importantly doesn’t ruin it.
Under normal circumstances, I don’t see the point in reviewing a game that’s free. Why read a review when you can just play the game yourself? And while that’s certainly true for the free-to-play third-person fantasy action / adventure game Diablo Immortal (iOS, Android, PC), it requires so much of your tablet’s or phone’s memory that you might wonder whether or not it’s worth it. But take it from someone who deleted multiple games, some photos, and a bunch of apps when I say that yes, yes it is.
At a time when tired anti-Semitic conspiracy theories are being updated and mainstreamed — I’m looking at you, “Jewish space laser” lady — it’s nice to be able to vent my frustrations by shooting virtual Nazis in video games. And few games make this as satisfying as Sniper Elite 5 (Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC), a third-person, open world, stealth action World War II shooter that’s as deep and compelling as the best WWII gun games.
Inspired by the titular movies and TV show, Evil Dead: The Game (Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC) is normally a co-op-focused third-person survival horror action game in which players must work together to defeat the infamous Kandarian Demon…or get to be the notorious K.D. as they take down their friends.
But as is so often the case these days with co-op games, the people who made Evil Dead: The Game — Saber Interactive and Boss Team Games — insist that it can also be played by those who prefer to go it alone.
What follows is my assessment of Evil Dead: The Game as a single-player experience.