Erik Kain Avatar Image

Erik Kain


Favorite Games:
  • Dark Souls
  • Mario Kart
  • Might & Magic II

62 games reviewed
85.0 average score
85 median score
81.7% of games recommended

Erik Kain's Reviews

I'm a video game and TV critic writing at Forbes. I've been playing video games since before the NES, cutting my teeth on old-school computer games like Missile Command and Asteroid before moving on to platformers like Super Mario Bros. and Battletoads. These days my favorite games are the Souls series and turn-based stuff like XCOM.

It's one of the best video games I've ever played, and is sure to keep you busy for many hours, days and weeks, exploring this vast, beautiful, unexpected world.

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9.5 / 10.0 - Nioh
Feb 8, 2017

Nioh is a fantastic Samurai action-RPG with excellent Dark Souls inspired combat, multiplayer options and tons of content. Not for the faint of heart. Boss fights can be as tedious as they are challenging.

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Jan 26, 2017

Resident Evil 7 Biohazard is a great new direction for the series that's genuinely scary and is only marginally held back by tedious combat.

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7.5 / 10.0 - Dishonored 2
Nov 18, 2016

Dishonored 2 doesn’t live up to the original, but it still provides great gameplay mechanics and a sense of freedom you can’t find anywhere else.

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Nov 10, 2016

All told, Infinite Warfare is a good game. I’m going to keep using the word “solid” to describe it, even though it takes place in outer-space, often above solid ground. It’s formulaic and straightforward, but what it lacks in imagination it makes up for in tight gameplay and gorgeous visuals.

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10 / 10.0 - Titanfall 2
Nov 2, 2016

‘Titanfall 2′ is a masterpiece of game design that breathes life into the first-person shooter genre and treats its audience with respect.

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Oct 19, 2016

This is a franchise that keeps getting better each year, but has made a real evolutionary leap and become something far more stimulating and creative than in years past in 2016. That’s pretty neat.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Gears of War 4
Oct 6, 2016

Get in on the action while multiplayer is at its peak rather than waiting for a discount.

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6 / 10.0 - No Man's Sky
Aug 20, 2016

For all its color and all its life, No Man’s Sky is still little more than dead space.

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There’s plenty of mystery and betrayal and a good, fun, and fairly brisk story that will leave you wanting more—even if the end isn’t really a massive cliff-hanger or anything (like some Telltale episodes are.)

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8 / 10.0 - Chronos (VR)
May 3, 2016

Suffice to say, I was utterly absorbed by this game. I didn’t even think I’d like it at first, but now it’s easily one of my very favorite Oculus Rift titles, and one of the best games I’ve played all year.

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10 / 10.0 - Dark Souls III
Apr 11, 2016

Dark Souls III does everything really, really well. It is the best looking Souls game hands-down. It's built with care and attention to detail, and all its systems work flawlessly.

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Mar 24, 2016

There's a lot in Salt and Sanctuary to love, and I would argue that applies to non-Souls fans also. While it's certainly challenging, the 2D nature makes that challenge quite a lot different from Dark Souls. It can be extremely difficult at times, but fans of platformers may find something here they didn't in the Souls games.

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7 / 10.0 - XCOM 2
Feb 20, 2016

There's a lot to love in XCOM 2, and hopefully patches and mods will shore up its weakest elements. Even though I think it misses what ought to have been a super easy shot in many ways, it's still among the funnest and most rewarding games I've played in months.

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9 / 10.0 - Firewatch
Feb 8, 2016

I loved Firewatch, mostly, letdown with the ending notwithstanding.

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Jan 16, 2016

Character customization, combat, and the weird story and brilliant end-game all make this one of my favorite action-RPG's of all time. Meanwhile, the Dark Arisen changes make the game somewhat more traversable and streamlined, turning a fun but frustrating game into something far more enjoyable. There's nothing really new here, but it's great to finally have the game on PC.

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Dec 5, 2015

It's a great multiplayer game and well worth playing, but it certainly won't hurt to wait a bit until the price comes down. Better still, if you wait you can go and buy two or three copies with friends and play it the way it's meant to be played: As a team.

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Nov 23, 2015

If you haven't played Bloodborne yet, this is the perfect time to start. If you've already sliced your way through the bloody streets of Yharnam, The Old Hunters gives you plenty of good reasons to come back for more. I give the expansion a resounding Buy in my Buy/Hold/Sell scale. It's worth every penny and every bloody, grueling minute of your time.

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Oct 26, 2015

All told, Halo 5: Guardians is a smashing success. The campaign isn't the strongest of the series, but it's still a fun space opera romp, and its ending transforms the Halo universe completely.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Until Dawn
Aug 24, 2015

I'm sure it won't be for everyone, but if you enjoy horror movies like Scream and want to experience the genre with some agency in the story's outcome, Until Dawn is a great choice. I give the game a resounding Buy on my Buy/Hold/Sell scale. It's like no other game out there.

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