Tomas Franzese

Really cool idea. You should do this for the lowest-scored games too!

For sure, games like Fortnite and Super Smash Bros. at least find ways to integrate it into the core experience. The only time a COD crossover has really done that was when they added Nakatomi Plaza to Call of Duty: Warzone

It works for Fortnite because the game is inherently cartoonish even if you strip the crossovers away. A lot of publishers just disregard how good of a fit the crossover actually is. In general, crossovers feel way more trivial nowadays, though.

It's one big subtweeting ouroboros

It's more about not arguing in bad faith. As an editor, I would've asked them to get way more specific about what they dislike. Then the angle in could focus on how previous games failed to grip you, how you hoped this would entice you, and how it fails at doing that. Negative but not in bad faith!

I think it's fine if someone who isn't familiar with a series reviews it. Fresh eyes can spot issues fans of a studio/series can often ignore (like the terrible cameras in FromSoftware games). That's kind of a totally separate issue from the problem with that review intro, though

We live in a cartoon country

I still can't believe that there's a guy named "Peacemaker Aldo" running for sheriff in my local election this year.

I raise you one Bears/Bengals game.

Not hating my time with it, but it is just an oddly boring game. It just kind of finds a baseline and then sticks there for 20 hours.

To caveat this, a lot of great work is being done in the remaster and preservation space disconnected from that. But things quickly get sour when the viewpoint becomes "things were better back in the day."

I remember coming to this conclusion last year when I was writing an article on the Game Boy's anniversary. So many new pieces of tech inspired by it were either from right-wing individuals or for right-wing tech tools like Web3 and AI.

Congrats! Will subscribe to you there!

The system also completely breaks if you just strafe in a circle around whatever you're fighting.

The Outer Worlds 2 review: I love this new RPG from Fallout: New Vegas' developer Obsidian Entertainment is one of the best developers working in the RPG genre, and The Outer Worlds 2 is further proof of that

The Outer Worlds 2 is fantastic. The original is one of my favorite RPGs, and this sequel builds upon it in all of the right ways. None of its companions really stuck out to me as much as the original's did, but I still loved it: www.xda-developers.com/the-outer-wo...

To be honest that was kind of the case for me! Plus New Super Mario Bros. and Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 review: I expected something better or worse than what we got Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 had a rocky development, and the end result is competent, if underwhelming

I reviewed Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2. I ended up a bit underwhelmed by this game considering how weird of a development cycle it had. I also wish it embraced its tabletop RPG roots more. At least it avoided being one of the year's gaming disasters. www.xda-developers.com/vampire-the-...

OpenCritic didn't track my Android Police reviews, and I recall a DualShockers review or two not getting noted. If you do count those, though, I think either Keeper, this, or my upcoming Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 review will be my 200th game review! Exciting milestone to hit!

Ninja Gaiden 4 review: I was severely let down by this long-awaited sequel Ninja Gaiden 4 may feature some exhilarating combat, but everything else about this action game is an anticlimactic let-down

Here's my review for Ninja Gaiden 4! I was looking forward to this one a lot, but unfortunately I seem to be on the lower end in regards to how I rated it. I love its combat, but don't think the game does much else that well: www.xda-developers.com/ninja-gaiden...

Keeper review: The most beautiful Xbox Game Pass Ultimate title of 2025 Double Fine and Xbox Game Studios' Keeper is a gorgeous, surrealist, and enthralling adventure about a lighthouse and a bird that I won't soon forget

This has been an amazing year for atmospheric, smaller-scale video games. Sword of the Sea and Lego Voyagers were great, and now Keeper has emerged as one of my favorite games of the year. Double Fine doesn't miss, and Keeper is one of its best! www.xda-developers.com/keeper-game-...

Now I want a bocce roguelike.

Boccetro if you will.

The ROG Xbox Ally has a better launch window game lineup than the Xbox Series X did Microsoft is releasing several high-profile first-party games within a month of the ROG Xbox Ally handhelds' launch, unlike the Xbox Series X and S.

Used the ROG Xbox Ally's release as an opportunity to reflect on the Xbox Series X launch lineup. You have to wonder how differently this generation would've gone had Microsoft been able to publish first-party games this consistently at the generation's start: www.xda-developers.com/rog-xbox-all...

Also hilarious to say "audiences can smell puff pieces from a mile away," and then be like, "so our pitch is that we can write you puff pieces!"

For sure. Also backs up the general messaging that they're "Xbox games" no matter what platform they are on.

I just discovered my new favorite Vampire Survivors alternative If you enjoy games like Vampire Survivors or Breakout, you need to play Ball x Pit

Make sure you check out Ball x Pit now that it's out! It's one of my favorite games of the year: www.xda-developers.com/ball-x-pit-r...

FINAL: The Chicago Bears win it on Jake Moody's FG!

In the podcast, Gunn reveals that it was supposed to end with the Checkmate scene, and then Peter Safran convinced him to add the Salvation bit at the end. I do think that was a mistake.

Yeah, part of the disappointment comes from the fact that people were expecting the setup to be for Brainiac, and instead, it set up something obscure like Salvation Run. The whiplash that comes from Peacemaker founding Checkmate, then immediately being sent to Salvation was messy to end on too.

Shocked but not surprised to see how many negative reactions there are to Peacemaker's Season 2 finale. I enjoyed most of the character-focused stuff with the 11th Street Kids, but it was much more of a low-key series coda, band showcase, and DCU setup episode than the expected big finale.

Thanks!