Tomas Franzese Avatar Image

Tomas Franzese


Favorite Games:
  • Star Wars: Battlefront 2
  • Pokémon Sapphire
  • Batman: Arkham City

173 games reviewed
72.3 average score
75 median score
48.6% of games recommended

Tomas Franzese's Reviews

Tomas Franzese is a Video Game News Writer at Inverse. He started writing about games in 2016 and has barely put his controller or keyboard down since! Tomas was formerly News Editor at DualShockers.
6 / 10.0 - PAC-MAN 256
Jun 24, 2016

Pac-Man 256 is a fun little excursion for the series that innovates and changes up the formula. Sadly, some of the title’s mechanics don’t work as well on home consoles as they did on mobile platforms. The multiplayer mode is a fun new addition, but the lack of an online component is surprising. Fans of the series will eat up this new entry, but it offers little substance and staying power for a console game.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Song of the Deep
Jul 10, 2016

The game takes about eight hours to complete, although it would be closer to 12 if trying to 100% the game and find every little secret. With that said, the game is short and concise enough to keep players wanting to come back for more, and I can’t wait to dive (pun intended) back into the game and look for everything I missed the first time through.  Any Insomniac Games or Metroidvania fan probably won’t be disappointed by picking this game up and trying it out.

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9 / 10.0 - I Am Setsuna
Jul 18, 2016

I Am Setsuna is a game from a different era in the best kind of way. For better or for worse, it borrows many of its mechanics from some of gaming’s classics. While its graphics are outdated and its story gives only the illusion of choice, the rest of the game is good enough to make up for it: the characters are likable, the story is engaging, and the gameplay is fun. RPG fans will find a lot to enjoy here, especially those who love games like Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger.

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4.5 / 10.0 - Human: Fall Flat
Jul 22, 2016

YouTubers and veterans of this genre may be able to find something to enjoy in Human: Fall Flat.  It’s charming narrator, funny and wonky animations, and opportunities for priceless reactions will most likely make this game popular with content creators on sites like YouTube and Twitch.  That being said, the game’s boring beginning, glitches, and bland low poly art style won’t do much for the average gamer. Human: Fall Flat does not have enough substance to keep most people engaged — those with low patience for this sort of experience may be better off watching Markiplier or Jacksepticeye play this game than purchasing it for yourself.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Inversus
Aug 16, 2016

Inversus is a very entertaining game — while the lack of diagonal shooting and occasional lag in the online mode could be frustrating, the rest of the title is addicting enough to keep players coming back to fight for the high score. Facing people online was also a very fun experience, and I am excited to see what kind of community builds itself around this game. There is easily enough strategy in the game that versus and arcade matches never get old, even on the limited selections of maps. If you are a fan of high-score chasing or couch co-op, Inversus should be on your radar.

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4.5 / 10.0 - Rising Islands
Aug 17, 2016

There is a very interesting game to be found in Rising Islands, but it simply failed to fully realize itself. Speedrunners and fans of fast-paced games might enjoy this, but I’d advise everyone else to try the game’s free demo before purchasing in order to determine whether it is worth your money.

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Aug 22, 2016

If you own a PS4 and are into fighting games, or are just starting in the competitive scene, The King of Fighters XIV is perfect for you. It is simplistic and easy to use on the surface, but still has huge combos and advanced mechanics for players to learn and master if they put time into the game. While the graphics could be better, everything else about the game is so amazing that you tend not to notice after a while. The King of Fighters XIV is one of the best fighting games I have ever played, and will satisfy fans of the series, hardcore fighting game enthusiasts, and those hoping to get into them. Quite the return for SNK, isn’t it?

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8 / 10.0 - Madden NFL 17
Aug 23, 2016

While not without its flaws, Madden NFL 17 is still a very enjoyable experience. Enough changes have been made to the formula to make it a more interesting and realistic experience, which in turn makes it more enjoyable to play. While minor gameplay and menu problems do hold it back from greatness, most of the game is very well made. Fans of the series have no reason not to pick this up, and this is also a good starting point for those who want to jump into the series. It will be interesting to see where the series goes from here, as this game sets a high standard for future entries in the series.

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7 / 10.0 - Armikrog
Aug 26, 2016

Playing Armikrog on PS4 was a very interesting experience. Its graphics, story, and puzzles were all very memorable, but playing on PS4 was not the best way to experience this game. Some of the graphics looked low-res at points, and most of the gameplay just does not work well on their controller, making Armikrog a more frustrating experience than it should have been. Fans of this genre should definitely play it, as it is a new and unique entry in a malnourished genre. However, if you choose to do so on the PS4, you should be aware of the poorly executed controls before going in.

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9 / 10.0 - Hue
Aug 30, 2016

Hue came out of almost nowhere and shocked me with its sublime design. While it might seem like Limbo at first, the game is able to establish itself on its own fairly quickly and create a distinct and memorable experience. Fans of puzzle platformers will find a lot to enjoy in this game, as well as those who just want a new and fresh indie title to play.

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7.5 / 10.0 - NHL 17
Sep 12, 2016

NHL 17 is a very good hockey simulation game. It’s gameplay works well, it contains a plethora of well executed modes, and has a stable online experience. Sadly, some issues with the menus and on-ice trainer, along with long loading times, can cause frustration, especially when new players are still trying to understand the NHL 17’s controls. While newcomers may be a bit off-put by the game at first if they don’t invest a lot of time with it,those who stick with the game and fans of the series will have a great time, even though there are still a few things that need to be improved on in the future.

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Sep 19, 2016

While not without a few minor sound problems, Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 is the definitive evolution of the Pac-Man series, adding enough new mechanics while improving the main game so much that the title is worth a purchase from any arcade game or Pac-Man fan. While some series veterans might not be a fan of the radical changes to this game’s gameplay, Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 shows that there is still a lot of life and innovation to be found in this 36 year old series. This game was truly the power pellet that the entire series needed, and now that it has been rejuvenated, I wouldn’t be surprised if Pac-Man sticks around for another 36 years.

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Sep 27, 2016

Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice is a very fun game. It will receive a lot of hate for simply being a Sonic Boom title, but you can tell Sanzaru Games was determined to deliver a quality 2D Sonic game. While not without a few major problems, Sonic fans and fans of the show will definitely enjoy this game for what it is. If one can get past the fact that Sonic Boom now has more titles in it than the Sonic Adventure series, they can find this very engaging and enjoyable handheld experience with this game.

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10 / 10.0 - Darkest Dungeon
Sep 28, 2016

Some people will have problems with Darkest Dungeon. It can (at times) be excruciatingly hard, to the point where you might consider quitting due to a frustrating experience. However, if you stick with it you will find an immensely hard, but still fair and rewarding experience unlike anything that has been released before it. All RPG fans and lovers of difficult games should definitely give Darkest Dungeon a look on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita if they haven't already. This game is not for everyone, but those who can handle the difficulty will love this game immensely.

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Oct 3, 2016

Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 is a very solid 2D platforming experience. It has great controls, great level design, great characters, and interesting dialogue that keep the player engaged. The lack of an autosave feature and clutter on the top screen are annoying, but 2D platformer fans who can get past these issues will really enjoy this game. I am eager to see were this franchise goes next — this series has a lot of potential in a variety of genres.

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7.5 / 10.0 - Pirate Pop Plus
Oct 18, 2016

Pirate Pop Plus emits Game Boy nostalgia in its purest form. From its simplicity in story and gameplay to its retro graphics and sound, Pirate Pop Plus fits right in with other games on that old system. While the game can get repetitive and does have a few design problems, especially when it comes to sound design and control with the Wii U gamepad, for only $4.99, any Game Boy or Pang fan owes it to themselves to pick up this game.

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Oct 26, 2016

While the underlying games hold up as well as they ever did, Batman: Return to Arkham as a remasterwas very disappointing — especially compared to others that masterfully retouch games like Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection or Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Of the two, only Arkham Ayslum’s remaster is worth playing through; with no additional content beyond both games’ previous DLC, I would only recommend Return to Arkham to either die-hard Batman fans or those who don’t have access to an Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

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Nov 8, 2016

It can be hard for a game to escape the shadow of other entries in their series, whether it be for good or bad reasons. Mario Party Star Rush manages to separates itself form the other Mario Party titles, both on handhelds and consoles, by being individualistic and a good game in its own right. Mario Party Star Rush a very fun entry in the series that introduces a lot of interesting mechanics, most of which end up in its favor. I would recommend all Mario Party fans pick this up — it is the most refreshing entry in the series in a long time.

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Nov 29, 2016

If you are a fan of shoot ’em up or bullet hell style games, I would recommend Laser Disco Defenders to you. It adds some interesting mechanics to the genre and has a very wacky premise. While the game is not as memorable as I would have like, and can be too difficult at times, it is still unlike any other game of this style that I have played before.  Even though the game may not stick with me as long as one could, it manages to be something original in such a crowded genre of games, which is very impressive.

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7.5 / 10.0 - Redie
Dec 12, 2016

While Redie is really fun, you always feel like you’ve played it before if you’ve ever played Hotline Miami. I respect what the developers have done here as it has really tight controls and is very fun and rewarding to play, but it feels too similar. If a more interesting story or if more unique gameplay mechanics were present, the game would have been more distinct on its own. If you’ve never played Hotline Miami or if you have and are craving a game with similar mechanics, I would recommend Redie to you.  Otherwise, you might want to consider trying out the game with its free demo to see if you are interested before deciding to purchase it.

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