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Raymond Porreca


Favorite Games:
  • Deadly Premonition
  • Cave Story
  • Mount & Blade: Warband

32 games reviewed
74.5 average score
80 median score
53.1% of games recommended
60 / 100 - Rive
Sep 27, 2016

Rive wants to be special and challenging, but for all of its white-knuckled action, there’s little more than bombast. In the modern gaming lexicon, we tend to lump games into one of two categories: either they’re “awesome” or “awful.” Rive is neither. Instead, much like the majority of aging games it serves as a send up to, it’s completely and utterly average.

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Nov 1, 2016

Despite its brisk pace and sparse storytelling, Small Radios Big Televisions manages to feel like a complete handcrafted package. The game shines when you're weaving between corridors and virtual worlds hunting for keys to a mystery among forgotten places and glitchy spaces. Like any great mixtape, Small Radios is packed with moments worth remembering, even if feels like it should be just one song longer.

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90 / 100 - Yakuza 0
Jan 19, 2017

Yakuza 0, much like its predecessors, has style for miles. Unlike previous games, however, Yakuza 0 comes out of the gate swinging, offering a more nuanced story and a strong, cohesive commitment to certain thematic elements. To sweeten the deal, Kamurocho and Osaka -- the game's main explorable cities -- are absolutely packed with diversions, collectables, and encounters. Yakuza 0 is the kind of game that you can spend eighty-some hours in without realizing a minute has passed.

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Feb 28, 2017

Like the way that the Ninth World rises from the ashes of other civilizations, Torment: Tides of Numenera is a layered experience. For role-players keen on experiencing a game of consequences and twisted fantasy, it's well worth the adventure.

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9.5 / 10.0 - Night in the Woods
Mar 30, 2017

All of this -- the unique pieces that make up Night in the Woods -- goes back to why it's so damn hard to define the game. There isn't an adequate term for titles that blend clunky platforming with choose-you-own-adventure friendship simulators. Nor is there a word to describe games that feature knife-fighting minigames and Guitar Hero-inspired band practices. But, again, maybe that's a big part of Night in the Woods' appeal. It's a confident outsider, and one that takes pleasure is celebrating the weird ways that everything comes together in life.

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8 / 10.0 - The Sexy Brutale
Apr 10, 2017

Though The Sexy Brutale fumbles a few times -- especially near the end when it rushes toward a narrative payoff -- it never hurts the experience. Uncovering the mansion's secrets and the twisted plot that dooms its guests is exciting. Compared to almost any other puzzle game, The Sexy Brutale's dark tone and inspired art stand out from the crowd. Solving murder might not be the most cheerful work, but it's one hell of a good time.

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May 2, 2017

While it might seem easy to write Super Rude Bear Resurrection off as a 2D platformer that solely wants to make players die a shitload of time, that's hardly fair. Instead, it's much better to look at it as a game that encourages creativity and persistence. There's always a way forward or a secret exit down a hidden path. All you have to do is take a deep breath, keep trying, and maybe die more times than you care to admit.

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May 9, 2017

The view from a sniper's scope has the potential to tell a compelling and meditative story about the nature of armed conflict without the boom and bravado of video game warfare. It can also magnify issues and expose glaring flaws. In the case of Sniper Ghost Warrior 3, the later is true. It's a sloppy, uninspired game at its best. At its worst, it's -- to quote Jonathan North -- "one fucking long exercise in triage."

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6.5 / 10.0 - The Surge
May 15, 2017

The Surge is a mix of interesting ideas and hiccups in execution. While there's no doubt that it will resonate with a specific, hardcore audience, it's missing just enough to alienate a generalized audience. Its combat is challenging, but not perfect; its story starts with a compelling hook but falls flat shortly after. There are echoes of something special running throughout The Surge, but it never escapes its own shadow.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Tokyo 42
May 31, 2017

Even with the occasional camera-related annoyance and a couple of less-than-stellar timed platforming challenges, Tokyo 42 is a thrilling game.

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9 / 10.0 - Tacoma
Aug 1, 2017

Tacoma gives players a masterfully crafted setting and encourages them to find out what made the people who once called it home tick. Life, even among the stars, can be mundane and familiar but Tacoma's presentation is nothing short of spectacular.

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7.5 / 10.0 - Absolver
Aug 29, 2017

Absolver's sure to be divisive. There's a clear vision that shines throughout the game. Its combat system encourages a granular knowledge of the different moves and potential combos that stem from each directional stance. But while the appeal will be apparent to the competitive-minded player, Absolver's pointed focus is complex enough to turn others away. The journey from lowly Prospect to Absolver is arduous and challenging, but it's hardly inviting.

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7.5 / 10.0 - Darkwood
Sep 6, 2017

Darkwood does a great job of showing off its weird, unsettling world, but it struggles to tell players what they have to do. The woods are home to secrets and terrible truths alike. Though it falls short of reaching its full potential, mostly due to questionable controls and cumbersome combat, this horror game is worth the experience on the merits of its haunting atmosphere alone.

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Sep 29, 2017

By the time Death of the Outsider comes to a close, Billie's gone through the ringer. It's not the longest expansion out there, and it seems to miss a step or two in the main plot, but there's more than enough for anyone who appreciated the moment-to-moment formula of Dishonored 2. Billie Lurk never had it easy, but after her last job, it's finally time to rest. And that's more than a fitting farewell for one of the best video game franchises in recent memory.

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Oct 16, 2017

The Evil Within 2 often feels uneven, but that's probably the point. Even if it isn't, there's enough blood, guts, and horror to keep your heart racing.

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Nov 16, 2017

.hack//G.U. Last Recode's intended audience is almost certainly established fans. It's a solid remaster that looks great and runs smoothly. But it's still a dated JRPG that dominates dozens of hours with sub-par combat and repetitive beats. If you have never experienced The World, it's unlikely that Last Recode will pull you in. For those that never wanted to log out, it's a decent way to reconnect.

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Nov 21, 2017

Still, there's something whimsical and endearing that drives Battle Chef Brigade forward. Across seven-to-ten hours, Mina and her cooking companions grow on you. Charming characters and a unique blend of gameplay systems create for an alluring little game that's simple fun throughout.

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Jan 22, 2018

The Red Strings Club comes full circle. It ends almost exactly where it begins. Brandeis is still falling. He's still going to collide with the ground. His fate's sealed. But that doesn't really matter. In The Red Strings Club, it's how you arrive at a moment that stands out.

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8 / 10.0 - Rust
Feb 19, 2018

So much can happen in Rust over the course of a week. Overcoming the elements is no small task in and of itself, and the game's punishing survival systems make it hard to recommend to everyone. But for those who are willing to put the time in and stick with it, Rust provides both a social sandbox and a deep, functioning crafting system. At times, it feels like anything is possible in Rust; like witnessing players double-crossing one another or stumbling upon a small sheet metal city in the desert. You just have to accept that nothing is permanent on the player-driven island. And sooner or later, you have to build everything back up again.

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7.5 / 10.0 - Gleaner Heights
Feb 25, 2018

Though it has some rough edges, including occasional script-related issues and town-wide events that seem to ignore changes players have enacted around the village, Gleaner Heights has enough content to make it feel like an instant cult classic.

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