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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.
7.5 / 10.0 - Drive!Drive!Drive!
Dec 29, 2016

Drive!Drive!Drive! is a very fun arcade racer. If you are a fan of this genre, I recommend that you pick this up. While the physics and collision problems and dying online community can dampen the experience, Drive!Drive!Drive! is like no game I have played before, and probably won’t be like any game I play after. For such a tired genre, it was awesome that developer Different Cloth could breathe new life into it with solid innovation.

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Jan 16, 2017

Siegecraft Commander can be really satisfying to play at times, especially when you have a large network of buildings and are storming and bombarding your enemies keep. Sadly the game does become boring towards the end of both campaigns, and its controls and lackluster turn-based mode aren’t fun to play. If you are looking for something new to pick up in the genre on PC, I could recommend Siegecraft Commander, but if you are looking to jump into the genre with a really engaging game on console or PC, I would look elsewhere, and wait for Halo Wars 2 next month.

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4 / 10.0 - Double Dragon IV
Feb 9, 2017

I do hope Arc System Works continues to develop this IP though, because if the same creative minds that worked on this game came together to try to advance the series as a whole like Double Dragon Neon did, I believe they could make something really special. Sadly, I would only recommend Double Dragon IV to you if you are a Double Dragon fanatic or very die hard beat 'em up fan, and if that's the case, you probably already own it. It is fairly cheap, but even then, I have played much more enjoyable games for the same price.

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8 / 10.0 - Brut@l
Feb 9, 2017

When it comes to gameplay, Brut@l may not be very innovative to the rougelike genre at its core; it’s actually pretty standard as those kind of games go. This game has its artstyle and inspiration to thank for adding tons of charm to what would have been a pretty by-the-numbers entry into the genre. If you love roguelikes, or have fond memories of the old ASCII games, you will absolutely enjoy Brut@l. Even if it lacks the depth of some of its competitors, it makes it up in spades in old-school retro charm, and will hook you for hours.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Forma.8
Mar 20, 2017

It isn’t without its problems; the lack of almost any UI or detail on the map can be annoying, and the gameplay can be stiff and frustrating at times. Fortunately, the other parts of the game create such a undeniably enjoyable atmosphere that I even found myself relaxed and smiling in some of the more frustrating parts of the game as I made my way through this foreign world that I can’t wait to hop back into and explore again.

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8 / 10.0 - Snake Pass
Mar 31, 2017

Snake Pass is held back from greatness by a troublesome camera and poor textures, but it is quite charming and innovates with its snake gameplay, which still has tons of untapped potential. I can’t wait to see what Noodle and Doodle get themselves into next, as Snake Pass’s mechanics can only be fleshed out even more from here.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Kero Blaster
Apr 9, 2017

Kero Blaster does feel much smaller and less monumental than Daisuke’s previous game Cave Story, but is a well crafted title nonetheless. While there sometimes are a few control problems with the DualShock 4, and the game is too short, the nuance in the level design, story, and soundtrack make Kero Blaster worth playing for 2D platfomer and Pixel fans. Cave Story this is not, but Kero Blaster is crafted just as well, and proves how talented of a developer Daisuke “Pixel” Amaya is.

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9 / 10.0 - Bayonetta
Apr 12, 2017

Even if its story falls into many amnesia tropes and the graphics are a bit dated, the innovative and enthralling gameplay coupled with its over-the-top-nature make Bayonetta a wild ride that you won’t ever want to get off. Sega has mentioned that they want to do more PC ports in the future and, if they are done as well as Bayonetta, I can’t wait to see what they bring over next.

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Apr 19, 2017

Wonder Boy: The Dragon's Trap sets a new standard for what remakes should include, and I hope future ones can follow in these footsteps with projects that are just as passionate. While it can't escape a few of the original title's annoyances, it is still an engaging and enjoyable experience for 2D-platformer and series fans, and will most likely garner the franchise some new fans, who will come into contact with the series for the first time with this game like I did. I never owned the Sega Master System, but I am elated that I got to experience this all-but-forgotten gem.

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Apr 21, 2017

While creativity should be appreciated and rewarded in the gaming industry, and a very interesting world has been put on display here, the rest of the game is just not up to snuff. Shiness may be worth checking out for those who are yearning for more fantastical worlds to explore and the return of PS2-era style RPGs, as it certainly scratched that itch for me. but others should carefully consider their purchase before joining Chado on his grand adventure.

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9 / 10.0 - Puyo Puyo Tetris
Apr 24, 2017

While I still think Tetris is the better game in this match-up, and that it has a slight in-game advantage due to its faster speed, and that the voice acting can get grating after awhile, I loved my time with Puyo Puyo Tetris. It familiarized me with a puzzle game franchise and group of characters that I had never heard up before while also delivering a solid console Tetris experience, which makes it steeper price acceptable. I hope SEGA continues to bring over more Puyo Puyo games to the west, as it has the possibility of catching on just like Tetris did years ago on the Game Boy.

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7.5 / 10.0 - Expeditions: Viking
Apr 29, 2017

I enjoyed my time with Expeditions: Viking, even though noticeable technical problems can hold it back. Its engaging story kept me constantly intrigued, and made me want to survive for the sake of my village. Long load times and a few glitched out quests really held back the experience from ascending the level to other great strategy titles, but I would definitely recommend to strategy fans because of its deep and engaging gameplay.

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8 / 10.0 - TumbleSeed
May 2, 2017

If TumbleSeed intrigues you at all, I would recommend picking it up. The game is as unique and engaging to play as it looks, just be aware of the steep difficulty curve you will most likely run into once you get more serious about passing the starting area. Games this original don't come around to often, but its always a treat when they do.

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7.5 / 10.0 - World to the West
May 10, 2017

World to the West is a solid Link to the Past inspired experience that fans of that style of game will enjoy, and it was extremely interesting to see the world of Teslagrad fleshed out more through these four new characters. It is just unfortunate that the totem mechanic, which sounds cool on paper, ends up feeling like unnecessary padding that can make the game more frustrating than fun.

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8 / 10.0 - The Surge
May 15, 2017

If this genre of games inspired by the Souls series is going to continue, it is important that future titles in it can build upon what has already been established and try to do something new with it. That is why I am so happy The Surge is able to do so. Even if it falters in a few areas, the game's limb targeting and Core Power mechanics coupled with its unique world create a fun experience that even people like me, who aren't mega-fans of the Souls series, can enjoy.

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9 / 10.0 - Injustice 2
May 20, 2017

Injustice 2 improves upon Injustice: God Among Us in almost every way. It's faster, smoother, better animated, and better written than its predecessor, and is definitely NeatherRealm's best fighting game yet. While the Clash system sullies otherwise great fighting mechanics, and the game's story has a few problems of its own, I've had tons of fun with Injustice 2. As both a comic book and video game fanatic, I'd recommend Injustice 2 to anyone who is even remotely interested in it, as it does its source material justice while delivering both a great single player and online experience, and looks just as awesome in the process.

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Jun 9, 2017

It is sad to say that this game will probably never reach the levels of popularity of both its predecessor and modern genre counterparts because the player count is at a currently super low despite the fact the it only recently launched. I encourage people interested in the game to pick it up, as Mirage: Arcane Warfare is really fun and would benefit from having many more players. Just be aware that if the game's community doesn't grow soon, its severs could be barren by the end of the year, if not in the next few months.

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9 / 10.0 - Ever Oasis
Jun 23, 2017

Ever Oasis proves that the six year old handheld still has the potential to pump out some great content, while also being one of Koishi Ishii's best works. Even if you haven't heard of the game befor3 this review, I urge you to check Ever Oasis out, especially if you are a fan of city builders or Zelda-style games.

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7 / 10.0 - Black The Fall
Jul 11, 2017

While playing, you can tell the game is competently built and comes from a place of passion with the developers, but outside of some eerie imagery and unique uses of the player's robot companion and Designator tool, Black the Fall fails to be the next big standout entry in this ever growing sub-genre.

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Jul 24, 2017

Unfortunately, it falls into some of the some old trappings of the genre that prevent it from joining the great 3D platformers that it is clearly inspired by. Samey worlds that are larger than needed are Unbox: Newbie's Adventure's biggest bane; the game may have benefited if it had smaller and more concise worlds. As it stands, if you are a fan of 3D platformers and are intrigued by this game's unique control scheme, it's worth giving a shot — just be aware that it can fall victim to some of the genre's more frustrating problems.

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