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.
Nov 13, 2013

Ultimately, Enemy Within is a clever, well-designed expansion that gives the original game much more than simply new missions or a shiny new veneer. The game feels and plays just like the vanilla, but with myriad new choices, challenges, customization options, and other additions that make an already very good game much, much better and more fun. For anyone who found themselves hopelessly addicted to Enemy Unknown last year, Enemy Within should give you plenty of reasons to return.

Read full review

8 / 10.0 - Dead Rising 3
Nov 21, 2013

All told, even though this is one of the better next-gen exclusives, it's still not a system seller. It's not that kind of game that's simply so good you need to go buy a system to play it. The fact is that right now on both Xbox One and PS4, we have yet to see a true system seller. Dead Rising 3 is lots of fun, but we won't be talking about it in a year. That being said, if you're getting an Xbox One already, this is a title that's definitely worth playing. Open-world mayhem, fun crafting…it's great escapism. That's all it is.

Read full review

Jan 1, 2014

While both the story and the multiplayer will likely be divisive—we're a long, long ways from Modern Warfare or the original Black Ops here—I'm glad to see Treyarch taking risks, trying something different, and impressed that even with all the changes, the core game still feels very much like Call of Duty.

Read full review

8 / 10.0 - The Banner Saga
Jan 17, 2014

As an audio-visual experience, The Banner Saga is hard to beat. Tough choices and an elegant combat system help make the game fun and engaging right up to the end. With a few tweaks to the resource management system and some real soul-searching on enemy variety, Stoic could have a really terrific game on their hands. They're not there yet, but they're on the right track.

Read full review

Mar 4, 2014

A strong story, excellent writing and voice-acting, and the fact that the game really does look and feel like an episode of the show, makes South Park: The Stick of Truth a truly great video game experience. It's the first game I've played in 2014 that's really kept me glued to the screen from start to finish.

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0 - Child of Light
Apr 30, 2014

Child of Light isn't a terribly deep RPG and it isn't a particularly stand out platformer, but it's a game that blends everything into a really unique, beautiful, and surprising experience. It's particularly impressive coming from a major publisher like Ubisoft, and I hope they continue to let this type of creativity drive their games.

Read full review

6 / 10.0 - Bound by Flame
May 9, 2014

Meanwhile, the attempts at humor and being "gritty" come off as juvenile. And in a market saturated by far more interesting fantasy adventures, we need a far less generic story to work with. There's a good game hiding within Bound by Flame. It's just not this one.

Read full review

May 23, 2014

[W]hile it may be true that The New Order doesn't really bring that much new to the table, and isn't exactly "retro" either, it does take some of the best of both new and old games and blend them together into a really fun mix. This may not be an instant classic, but it's one of the better first-person shooters I've played in a long time.

Read full review

Oct 29, 2014

All told, this is a reasonably good first effort and a worthy attempt to imitate and iterate on one of the finest games of the last generation. Lords of the Fallen will hopefully be commercially successful enough to lead to a sequel or, better still, a more ambitious and more unique project from Deck 13/CI Games that builds off this game rather than simply tacks on to it.

Read full review

Nov 13, 2014

If you're a fan of the series, I'd say this is worth picking up. If you're new to the series, this is a good place to start. On the other hand, if you're not into the competitive multiplayer and are coming for the single-player campaign, I'd say wait for a price-drop. If you prefer open-world shooters rather than action-movie, linear campaigns I'd say hold off entirely. Call of Duty is not for you.

Read full review

6.5 / 10.0 - The Order: 1886
Feb 19, 2015

I give this game a Hold. It's not a bad game, but the inexplicable game design decisions that bog it down, and the relatively short amount of time you actually spend playing, make it a tough sell at $60. It's one of those games I find myself liking, but even more so wishing were something more—more the game it could have been, and less the game it is.

Read full review

Mar 13, 2015

All told, an excellent follow-up to Hotline Miami. Level design isn't as tight as the first game, and certainly some of the novelty has worn off. But nevertheless, it's a thought-provoking, challenging, and well-crafted experience that any fan of the first game should check out.

Read full review

7 / 10.0 - Mario Party 10
Mar 16, 2015

The game looks great, of course, with an aesthetic right in line with Super Mario World 3D. And everything is polished enough, functional. It just isn't quite enough game to justify the sticker-price, and certainly isn't for anyone hoping to play solo. I don't say this as someone who yearns longingly for the days of Mario Party yore, but rather as someon who comes to the series pretty fresh, and is still left wanting more.

Read full review

Overall, this is a worthy remaster and a nice addition to the slim-pickings on new-gen hardware. If you already own the game on PC I see no reason to get it on console, but if you played it and enjoyed it on last-gen and are looking for a reason to dust off the PS4 or Xbox One, I think it's worth your time. If you missed the game entirely, go pick it up. It's absolutely worth playing for anyone fond of action games.

Read full review

9.5 / 10.0 - Bloodborne
Apr 11, 2015

I give Bloodborne a resounding Buy in my Buy/Hold/Sell rating scale. This is the first true system-seller for the PS4, the first game that convinces me that the PS4 is a system worth purchasing. It isn't for everyone, of course. If you don't like hard games you probably won't like this one. But even gamers who didn't like the Souls games have been pleased with Bloodborne, like our own Paul Tassi. So who knows?

Read full review

8.5 / 10.0 - Mortal Kombat X
Apr 29, 2015

It may not do anything spectacularly well, or bring anything too new or innovative to the genre, but what it does it does well, bringing gamers a solid fighting experience that can appeal to relative newbs like me as well as more stalwart fans.

Read full review

May 8, 2015

In Sum: If you liked The New Order, you'll like The Old Blood. If you haven't played either, both are more than worth your time and money. I give the game a BUY on my Buy/Hold/Sell rating scale.

Read full review

Jul 12, 2015

All told, I give the game a Buy in my Buy/Hold/Sell ranking. For all its flaws—and I realize that I've listed many—it is one of the most sprawling, magnificent solo RPGs ever made. It does too little to fix its mechanical problems, and focuses too much on creating an open world, but the quality of its quest design, world-building, and wonderful (if too large) cast of characters makes it a game that no RPG fan should miss. It may be a flawed masterpiece, but it's a masterpiece nonetheless.

Read full review

Jul 20, 2015

For my part, I'm glad to have played it and had quite a fun time doing so, though I think I would be happier if I'd purchased at a discounted rate. I give the game a Hold on my Buy/Sell/Hold rating scale. Even though I do believe the strong story and slick graphics make up for many of the game's problems, the disappointing Batmobile is very nearly a deal-breaker. Certainly it means I will likely not be playing the game a second time.

Read full review

Jul 20, 2015

I give it a Buy on my Buy/Sell/Hold rating scale, but only because it's pretty cheap already. You certainly won't miss out too much if you wait for a Steam sale or Humble Bundle or some such and save a few dollars.

Read full review