Alex Santa Maria
- Halo: Combat Evolved
- Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon
- Burnout 3: Takedown
Alex Santa Maria's Reviews
Carrion is a superb actioner staring an alien mass.
An unforgettable journey that will shape storytelling in games, Undertale effortlessly resonates with players and fills its world with depth and joy.
A memorable trip into game design and development hell, The Magic Circle's only sin is that there isn't more of it to play around in. What is here is storytelling and gameplay intermingled with expert care, bringing the player on an intellectual thrill ride that should be seen by all.
A benchmark in the roguelite genre, Enter the Gungeon is a triumph that mixes familiar tropes and an arsenal of bombastic weapons that makes every run exciting and new.
Titanfall 2 effortlessly improves on the original release's deep multiplayer gameplay and adds in a memorable single player campaign that stands out from the pack. All that and a bundle of explosive ninja stars make this a must play FPS.
Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment is everything you could want in a 2D platformer, featuring mechanics from classic games brought forward in clever ways. Specter improves upon the original Shovel Knight in most regards and continues Yacht Club Games' tradition of excellence effortlessly.
Yoku's Island Express is the perfect mixture of pinball and video games. Taking the best of both worlds and dropping it into a charming setting filled with likable characters makes for a relaxing romp that shouldn't be missed.
The Messenger succeeds in just about everything it does. It's a masterful retro throwback with challenging action-platforming and a charming story to tell. At the same time, its mastery of revealing itself over its ten-hour runtime and pushing the player forward is something that every modern game could learn from.
Setting a new standard for what a beat 'em up can be in 2020, Streets of Rage 4 captures the past and brings it up to speed with beautiful graphics and immaculate combat.
Even while calling back to a previous era, Dusk adds on top of those legacies. This is retro first-person shooter perfection, the next evolution in a genre once frozen in time. Long may it reign once again.
For anyone who wants an arcade challenge or a hit of Super Meat Boy without the frustration, few games fit that description more than Cuddle Monster Games’ latest hellish creation.
Ultimately, its minuscule shortcomings don’t drag down Void Bastards from its lofty place among the greats of first-person roguelikes.
If you're a fan of any breed of first-person shooters, Ion Fury should be on your playlist. Even among its retro FPS peers, 3D Realms has put out a best-in-class experience that rivals anything released this year.
Despite some of its flaws, the few hours you’ll spend with Creature of the Well will be some of the most satisfying you’ll spend in all of gaming in 2019.
After a year in beta, Magic: The Gathering Arena has worked out all of its problems. It's an excellent entry point into the long-standing card game and a more complex alternative to titles like Hearthstone.
From the moment that Boomerang X's demo hit Steam, it was possible that DANG! and Devlover had a hit brewing, and the full experience delivers on that promise. No occasional difficulty spikes can get in the way of this exciting mixture of retro FPS movement and stylish action, and Boomerang X will likely remain a contender for one of 2021's best indie titles throughout the rest of the calendar year.
While there is definitely room for improvement, Jupiter Hell is one of those Early Access projects that really used its time well. Two years of development make this finished product feel like a polished and definitive roguelike experience. Imminently approachable and nostalgically fulfilling, Jupiter Hell slays all expectations and provides a potent combination of action and strategy that shouldn't be missed. Everyone from veteran rogues to boomer shooter diehards will find something to appreciate in these bloodstained halls.
With a lengthy campaign that supports every aspect of its genre-bending gameplay, The Riftbreaker feels like a momentous big-budget release. Thankfully, its amazing visuals that scale well from less powerful rigs all the way to the latest GPUs keeps its aesthetic an eye-popping selling point across multiple setups. The fact that it can also showcase that graphical prowess on the latest consoles and still provide a refined strategy experience makes this a special entry into the genre. EXOR Studios has delivered a surprisingly great single-player experience that offers dozens of hours of thoughtful play.
It's not often that a falling block puzzler can capture the imagination, but Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon finds a buried nugget of novelty in this well-worn ground. Even though it's possible to blast through the adventure, most players will find that savoring the gameplay and enjoying their time with the noble knights is the right call. Pocket Dungeon feels of a kind with Nintendo's various Mario spinoffs and should be an essential purchase for not just fans of the series but puzzle gaming aficionados everywhere.
Shadow Warrior 2 is a delightfully bloody romp that pleases shooter fans of any age. Despite a short length and some technical hiccups, nothing can stop this game's crazy momentum.