Beat that Boss

Nioh 2: Review - The Purest Form No Spoilers As I regenerate from the latest shrine, I know what I need to do. Approaching the first encampment, I snipe the two archers in each of the guard towers with my bow then quickly cut down the yokai hiding behind the door with a massive two-handed katana. Inching forward, I silently stab the nearest unwary guard in the back, instantly killing him. This draws the attention of his samurai buddies, one of whom is sprinting over to me with a spear. But I ignore him and head up the rickety wooden stairs to kill the hidden archer who shot me down last time. After a few quick slashes, the archer is down giving me just enough time to turn and face the last pursuing samurai. I block his first attack sending him reeling and unleash a barrage of heavy blows breaking his guard allowing me to get a quick execution. I take a breath. Phew, one room done. After collecting the bountiful loot that popped out of the fallen samurai, I make my way towards the ...

Destiny 2: Forsaken - Review: Excellence Undermined Spoiler Alert While Destiny 2 had been improving at a snail's pace since the launch of the tedious and insipid Curse of Osiris expansion, there was still long way to go in order to rejuvenate it completely. Forsaken has been publicized as the cure-all medication for a dying game and represents the last straw for a community that has been largely disappointed with the overall quality of the endgame economy, the post-launch content and the community management. Therefore, it is significant to directly and immediately say that Forsaken is good. Better than good, Forsaken is a necessary and terrific expansion that finally fixes the majority of systemic problems that were plaguing Destiny 2. It addresses and improves upon nearly every system while injecting a healthy dose new and invigorating content. Unfortunately, along with a variety of aggravating minor issues that are irksome but manageable, Bungie somehow managed to sq...

The raid boss raises his arms in a final lethal attack. Rockets and snipers pelt him from every direction, his health lowering below one percent. He finishes his last attack and all six of us brave guardians die immediately. Momentary disappointment sets in. But waits, what's that? A final rocket soars slowly towards him, fired at the literal last second. It connects, it detonates and the boss explodes in a shower of sparks and flesh. An ear-shattering cheer erupts from every headset. Yet again, Bungie proves that they are masters at crafting thrilling endgame content. I just wish they had paid that much attention to the actual story of Rise of Iron. Underwhelming Story When the Taken King expansion dropped over a year ago, Bungie proved they could tell a compelling story within the world and lore of Destiny. So, when it was announced that their newest large expansion would delve into the history of the Iron Lords, many longtime guardians were pumped to finally get a lo...

No Man's Sky Review - Story Mode Writer's Note: Story Mode reviews are meant to describe a typical day of gameplay while summarizing the overall feeling of a game to prospective buyers. They are not scored and do not delve directly into game mechanics or particular details.  Taking off from a barren, radioactive wasteland filled with mineral resources and drone police, I pilot my starship skyward, punching through the atmosphere into an asteroid strewn, violet-hued solar system. To my left I notice several heavy freighters engaged in a battle with space pirates, jets of red and green blinking back and forth. Checking my inventory, I can see that I'm ill-equipped for an starship assault, lacking the necessary materials to repair my shields and refill my pulse blaster. Therefore, I reorient myself to my right and see a yet undiscovered planet. Engaging my hyperdrive, the onscreen prompt informs me that I'm 40 seconds from this new planet, the invigorating ele...