Kai Powell


220 games reviewed
78.9 average score
80 median score
56.8% of games recommended
Are you Kai Powell? If so, email critics@opencritic.com to claim this critic page.
Jun 21, 2023

Final Fantasy XVI heralds in a new standard for Japanese role-playing games and while the RPG components themselves are limited by Square-Enix standards, it's the narrative and gameplay that exceed all expectations.

Read full review

Apr 26, 2023

Cal Kestis' latest journey, this time to seek out a long-lost Jedi stronghold on Tanalorr, should feel intimately familiar to fans of Jedi: Fallen Order. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor builds upon the successes of the original title but doesn't quite do enough to stand up on its own merits.

Read full review

Feb 17, 2023

Kazuma Kiryu's lineage is ever present even as the streets of Kamurocho are swapped for the well-traveled streets of Kyo at a time when American influence was only starting to reach Japan. Despite being a period piece set during the tumultuous Bakumatsu period, Like a Dragon: Ishin! still feels like that classic Yakuza JRPG that fans already know and love.

Read full review

7.1 / 10.0 - One Piece Odyssey
Jan 11, 2023

A tale built on revisiting past adventures in media res, One Piece Odyssey relies so much on retelling great stories that came before it that the adventure in Waford alongside Lim and Adio feels like an afterthought.

Read full review

Dec 2, 2022

The Callisto Protocol, throughout all of the tension and suspense, can't mask the terrors within might only be surface deep.

Read full review

Undoubtedly less cryptic than the original PS2 remake thanks to additional content to help streamline the experience, Romancing SaGa Minstrel Song Remastered is about as pure of a JRPG experience that one can expect to get from Kawazu and new players can finally see why folks have been singing its praises after all these years.

Read full review

8.2 / 10.0 - Evil West
Nov 21, 2022

With a flow of combat that rivals that of the Doom Slayer, Evil West hits its mark when taking on vampires, werewolves, and everything in between, despite finding the rest of the experience a bit lacking.

Read full review

The return of Task Force 141 brings along with it an unusually topical storyline that lacks the signature Blockbuster appeal of your typical Call of Duty campaign and instead feels like a Direct-to-DVD sequel.

Read full review

Oct 17, 2022

Tactical RPG fans and those that love the chaotic nature of Rabbids owe it to themselves to check out both Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope and its prequel Kingdom Battle for a gaming experience you won't find on any other platform.

Read full review

6.2 / 10.0 - Valkyrie Elysium
Oct 13, 2022

A fast-paced combat system and operatic soundtrack from Motoi Sakuraba aren't enough to save Valkyrie Elysium from a fate worse than Ragnarok: mediocrity.

Read full review

Aug 31, 2022

Worthy of being hailed as a potential Game of the Generation when it was first released, The Last of Us Part I is fully remade for a new generation of PlayStation consoles. With some of Naughty Dog's best graphical tech to date, this is one you'll have to see to believe.

Read full review

7.5 / 10.0 - Soul Hackers 2
Aug 18, 2022

A disservice to the original Soul Hackers mythology, Ringo and Figue's adventure to avert the end of the world feels all too predictable and lacks the risk-taking of other Shin Megami Tensei titles.

Read full review

8.1 / 10.0 - Thymesia
Aug 16, 2022

A welcome change of scenery to the faster strain of Soulslikes, Thymesia gets straight to the point of sword and claw without lasting any longer than necessary.

Read full review

A second series of serial killings is fair game in AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES – nirvanA Initiative, a title focused around the established world of the prior game with newcomers that are just as hungry for the truth as Kaname Date once was.

Read full review

8.2 / 10.0 - Sniper Elite 5
May 26, 2022

While going back to World War II might not be on the top of players' minds when it comes to a new shooter, the new Axis Invasion mode brings Dark Souls competitive PVP to a stealth series in a way that might be impossible to top.

Read full review

5.2 / 10.0 - Dolmen
May 19, 2022

Dolmen innovates the Soulslike genre with how it handles Energy and ranged combat but lacks a clear vision of what makes these games enjoyable beyond just some interesting mechanics.

Read full review

Apr 7, 2022

Godfall: Ultimate Edition addresses many of the shortcomings of the original release by bringing in a greater focus on Endgame content and reducing much of the grind it takes to get there.

Read full review

Despite being a masterpiece of split universes and the often futile attempts to fight fate, we're living in the timeline where the original source code for Chrono Cross was lost to the scars of time and the remaster that exists in this age wasn't given the focus that one of the greatest JRPGs of all time deserves.

Read full review

4 / 10.0 - CrossfireX
Feb 17, 2022

If it weren't for Remedy's inclusion of a somewhat routine FPS campaign (with some strange PTSD and telepathy moments thrown into one half), CrossfireX would simply be among one of the worst FPS titles I've played on Xbox. However, players might still find some joy in at least experiencing half of the campaign for free via Xbox Game Pass before downloading the competitive multiplayer and throwing all of those smiles away.

Read full review

Jan 19, 2022

Ubisoft Montreal's attempt at a cooperative alien survival shooter takes the operators and abilities that players love from Rainbow Six Siege and brings them into a familiar style of shooter that longtime fans of Left 4 Dead or GTFO can appreciate with a squad of friends

Read full review