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.
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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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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Apr 18, 2017

There's lots of little things about the game that are surprising. In Mario if you fall as you move across a level, you'll fall to your death. Here, however, you'll fall into a water level. It's just such a quirky, different game than many of its more famous counterparts.

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9 / 10.0 - Far Cry 5
Mar 27, 2018

Far Cry 5 is certainly more of the same thing, but with enough changes that it feels fresh.

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Nov 22, 2017

All told, despite the game's flaws and inexcusably rough launch, I've been very happy with it and absolutely recommend it to anyone who's been sitting on the fence. For those of you who haven't touched a Call of Duty game in a while because of the sci-fi stuff, now's a good time to get back into the fray.

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Feb 1, 2018

The fighting itself is absolutely glorious for both fans and non-fans of the series, and for both casuals and hardcore fighting gamers. You just can't lose with Dragon Ball FighterZ. Well, unless you lose in a fight, that is.

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Oct 30, 2018

If you're only here for the campaign, there's no reason for you to buy Black Ops 4. But if you're a multiplayer gamer and enjoy battle royale games, there's plenty of great, addictive content to keep you playing for months on end.

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Nov 5, 2019

In any case, if you’ve been holding off on buying new Call Of Duty games, or if you’re just sick of the futuristic shooters or the hero-shooter aspects of Black Ops 4, this is the perfect time to return to the series. Even if you just play for the campaign, I think this one is worth your time and money.

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Nov 12, 2021

All told, Call Of Duty: Vanguard has exceeded my expectations, especially after a less-than-promising pre-launch Alpha and press event. Then again, the Beta was drastically improved overall so I was already feeling more optimistic by launch.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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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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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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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.

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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.

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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.

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