Recent reviews by Black Lives Matter

Remember how frustrating it was to play vs Zafina or Kunimitsu in the later seasons of Tekken 7 because they would backdash through the end of time, and you wiff trying to catch them and die?

Remember watching the pros just dash blocking and backdashing for 10-15 seconds in a match, and you hear the commentators say, "These players really respect each other," as you nod off?

Remember when watching Knee or Arslan Ash would play entire rounds just poking each other? Some players winning by time over because of how overly defensive Tekken 7 is by design?

WELL NO MORE!

Tekken 8 is the Tekken where if you don't press buttons, you WILL lose. Its core feature, HEAT, incentivises button presses by granting additional plus frames on block, and "rage drive" moves in the middle of the round. Heat SMASH, HEAT Burst, and HEAT Engagers gaurantee that this mechanic will be used (or avoided at player's peril).

Suffice to say, I like this Tekken because as defensive as Tekken 7 was, Tekken 8 is leaning into offense. Side steps were buffed for better positioning, but backdashing was nerfed; you can't side step throws; you can even land CH throws that are hard to block or PUNISH with throws!

Yeah it's a shame that a character like Eddie, who has been a launch character since his debut in Tekken 3 is DLC, but ey, the industry has changed. It's either that or we get a new Tekken as often as we get a new Virtua Fighter or Dead or Alive or Bloody Roar or Toshinden or....

My interest in World War games has atrophied significantly since I purchased 11-11 Memories Retold. One storyteller's history (WWI, WWII) is another storyteller's present (Palestine in Gaza, Sudan).

Getting stuck on a puzzle where I had to fix a radio early in the game certainly did not enhance my interest, no did the blurry filter in the age of high-fidelity graphics, or even good pixel art as seen in games like Blasphemous or Hollow Knight.

After playing XCOM: Enemy Unknown and XCOM 2 + War of the Chosen and trying Gears of War Tactics and realizing that I was absolutely fatigued by XCOM-likes, I grit my teeth in order to put away the last modern game in the XCOM franchise anyway. Turns out, no mistakes were made. 

The change from long-form strategy missions across an extensive battlefield into small, multiphase tactical skirmishes is brilliant.

Just remember that the misses on a 90% chance to hit are glaring because you are unlikely to take the shot on a < 40% chance to hit, and you'll be fine.

Once upon a career ago, I experienced what it was like to be a blind person in the titular VR game, Blind. Beyond Eyes was released before Blind, and its plodding pacing and underdeveloped plot betray its age. I gave it a good hour of my time, but the game lacks pacing to keep me engaged—puzzles, compelling plot, anything really.

Shadow Warrior 2 is such a disappointment that it actually makes me angry that the developers chose to play the “long game,” banking on the theoretical longevity that a multiplayer focus allegedly provides, while offering a perfunctory, arguably malfunctional single-player experience. While its main theme is going on my music playlist forever, Shadow Warrior 2 itself will be removed from my hard drive for a comparable amount of time.

Shadow Warrior 2 is the tragic result of a video game that suffers from identity dysphoria.

Full review at Geeks Under Grace[www.geeksundergrace.com]

Little Bug maintains a conscious understanding of what it is. At $9.99, it delivers an experience that is long enough to provide satisfaction, yet short enough so that its limited mechanics do not weigh down the experience it offers. For the price, this title provides what I expect from an indie game: a unique experience that is unlikely to be replicated elsewhere.

Full review at Geeks Under Grace[www.geeksundergrace.com]

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a high-budget AAA game whose production values sometimes supersede fun.

Overall, Singularity 5 is a solid title that I highly recommend, especially at the price point of ten bucks.

Full review at Geeks Under Grace[www.geeksundergrace.com]

Not only the best metroidvania of all time, but one of the best games of all time.