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Mike Epstein


Favorite Games:

68 games reviewed
67.8 average score
70 median score
41.2% of games recommended

Mike Epstein's Reviews

Freelance tech and culture critic. Former gaming editor for Digital Trends. Currently reviews games for IGN, Variety, and others.

Cadence of Hyrule takes the ideas of Crypt of the Necrodancer and the Legend of Zelda and mashes them up to find a distinctively fun gameplay groove.

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8.4 / 10.0 - Outer Wilds
May 30, 2019

Exploring the uncharted worlds of Outer Wilds feels like a true adventure in ways most games never achieve.

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7 / 10.0 - Pathway
Apr 23, 2019

Pathway brings together RPG tactics and roguelite progression with a unique Indiana Jones setting, but it doesn't have the depth to feel replayable.

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8.3 / 10.0 - Ghost Giant
Apr 11, 2019

Ghost Giant may look like something you've played in VR before, but has the character and emotional depth to invoke very real feelings.

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4 / 10.0 - Generation Zero
Mar 27, 2019

Generation Zero is a buggy and poorly designed open-world co-op shooter that tragically squanders its distinctive setting.

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7.7 / 10.0 - Dead or Alive 6
Mar 1, 2019

DoA 6 proves there's plenty of depth to this fighter beneath its skimpy outfits, but its story mode is disjointed and its multiplayer features are currently bare.

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Jan 18, 2019

Ace Combat 7: Unknown Skies doesn't do a lot ot update its classic arcade-style dogfighting, but it does look great and its gameplay holds up for the most part.

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Dec 5, 2018

In changing the interplay between stealth and combat, Mutant Year Zero spins an interesting and intense new perspective on turn-based tactics that pushes you to get the most out of every move you make.

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Oct 17, 2018

Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption has a few clever new ideas, but it doesn't quite feel like a complete package.

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6.7 / 10.0 - Death's Gambit
Sep 5, 2018

Death's Gambit is a very blunt attempt to fuse two beloved games, Dark Souls and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, into one challenging 2D action-platformer. Developer White Rabbit shows a strong understanding of what made each of them great but glosses over fundamentals that all great games need, such as responsive controls and an understandable game world, and falls short of its promise.

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7.4 / 10.0 - Phantom Doctrine
Aug 14, 2018

The campaign itself can feel drawn out at times thanks to a less-than-stellar story and some obviously recycled content, but there's a real thrill in executing covert missions and putting all the pieces together like a master spy.

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Aug 14, 2018

God of War is a true blockbuster sure to impress long-time fans and newcomers alike.

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Jul 19, 2018

Far Cry 5 never decides what game it wants to be.

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Jan 26, 2018

'Dragon Ball FighterZ' is the first Dragon Ball game everyone should play.

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The best looking world we've entered all year can't save Assassin's Creed Origins.

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'Breath of the Wild' is the best launch game on Switch and unlike any Legend of Zelda game you've ever played.

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Dec 16, 2016

Final Fantasy fans should play this game immediately. It's not perfect, but it has many of the franchise's traditional strengths. If you're new to the series, you may want to try the classics first, or wait for a sale.

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Sep 14, 2016

'ReCore' is a game you'll want to love -- which only make its flaws that much more disappointing.

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Aug 23, 2016

'No Man's Sky' is the most massive exploration game of all time, but ultimately feels hollow

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Aug 1, 2016

Song of the Deep has too many bugs and design flaws to stay afloat.

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