Zack Palm


35 games reviewed
79.6 average score
80 median score
77.1% of games recommended
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Nov 3, 2022

God of War Ragnarok is a triumphant success and is a shining example of how you balance story and gameplay in a fantastic adventure. The bold changes that Santa Monica Studio made in the 2018 God of War semi-reboot paid off, and this sequel is a full realization of what that game started. Like Atreus and his own coming-of-age, it’s clear that the studio approached Ragnarok with a greater sense of confidence, reflected in the game's characters and the story circling them throughout the nine realms.

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10 / 10.0 - Baldur's Gate 3
Aug 21, 2023

Baldur’s Gate 3 is a phenomenal success that I didn’t believe possible with an ambitious project like this. If anyone would do it, Larian Studios were the best choice. They’ve proven how vibrant and exciting this genre can be if you trust the developers to take their time, double down on what makes a game so much fun, and use an exciting system without taking too many creative tools away from players. Letting them go wild and thinking about how this could change the narrative and the world has been an incredible experience.

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10 / 10.0 - Alan Wake 2
Oct 26, 2023

Even though it’s been 13 years since Alan Wake, Remedy Entertainment returns to Bright Falls with a powerful force. The story is fantastic, the characters are phenomenal, and the story is frightening, comical, creepy, heartwarming, and often tragic; I couldn’t put it down and found it difficult to stop playing. The macabre nature of Alan Wake 2 is phenomenal, and I loved every second. It was an absolute pleasure to rejoin Alan in Alan Wake 2 and to see Saga traverse through this unreal journey. It’s one I’m going to fondly remember for a long time. Remedy gave me the best gift right before Halloween.

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Mar 17, 2023

The Resident Evil 4 Remake follows what other remakes have done over the past few years, offering a far superior gameplay experience for a hit classic. What it does to stand above those remakes is by adding just enough new mechanics to make it feel like a more modern take on this tale, without having it be one-sided for players but also keeping to what transformed this entry into such a hit when it originally came out in 2005. The Resident Evil 4 Remake is a graphical masterpiece that is a hell of a ride from start to finish.

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Apr 26, 2023

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is the sequel any fan would want from a fantastic first game. It builds on everything from that point and adds the right amount of things without feeling bloated. The central story is an emotional rollercoaster that stays centralized in a human narrative of family, helplessness, and finding your own path, with the epic backdrop of the Star Wars space opera universe.

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Jun 4, 2018

Moonlighter is an exciting dungeon crawler that offers a change of pace as you run the town's shop by day, making for an impressive adventure.

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Sep 4, 2018

The Messenger leans on classic platformers from the 80s and 90s, but comes with plenty of its own tricks to make it feel like a wonderful twist with plenty of tongue-in-cheek humor.

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Oct 1, 2018

A cheeky 16-bit RPG game disguised as an MMO that holds your attention throughout the dozens of hours of gameplay and challenging puzzles

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9 / 10.0 - Psychonauts 2
Sep 1, 2021

Many of the characters in Psychonauts 2 struggle with loss, heartbreak, and coming to grips with mistakes they made in their past. It’s hard to imagine that a sequel released 16 years after the original game can handle tough topics in a mature and modern tone, but Psychonauts 2 nailed the landing with superb storytelling, character development, and rewarding gameplay.

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9 / 10.0 - Remnant II
Jul 20, 2023

My time with Remnant 2 never felt old. I constantly explored new routes and retraced my steps to ensure I had covered every detail, and it became tedious. The endlessly fun gunplay and encounters made each fight, big and small, feel remarkable. Uncovering the mysteries of each world will always sit with me because of how unique and fun they were to dive into. Not only was it fun the first time around, but my second go was just as exciting, and I foresee many playthroughs in my future. It’s a highly replayable adventure, with Gunfire Games illustrating exactly how much they learned from the first title, and I’m already looking forward to all future content that comes out for Remnant 2.

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9 / 10.0 - Mortal Kombat 1
Sep 25, 2023

I’m amazed at the progress in overall design at NetherRealm Studios. They’ve nailed the gameplay, which is the biggest component for succeeding in this genre where the average gamer just wants to jump in and play a couple matched with their buddies. The variety of modes lends itself to the fun; by giving more ways to play, you enjoy movies. Play the story mode; it’s amazing! The invasion mode will be right up your alley! Do you want to be the next EVO champ like SonicFox? The training mode is a big step for you to overcome, but if you do, you’ll be well on your way. The graphics are pretty spectacular on every console (except the Switch), and the framerate holds up pretty well, even during the action. The only downside Mortal Kombat offers is the servers for online play, and even that’s improved a bit since the official launch. Every fan of Mortal Kombat owes it to themselves to check out this game. If you weren’t a fan of the previous games for any reason, Mortal Kombat 1 changes enough to give it another look.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Ghostwire: Tokyo
Mar 21, 2022

Ghostwire: Tokyo’s story was brief and satisfying, with gorgeous visuals from beginning to end.

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Jun 29, 2022

I was surprised by how much I learned about the characters and Fódlan after playing Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, as I figured everything was said and done in Three Houses.

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8.5 / 10.0 - Dead Space (Remake)
Jan 27, 2023

The Dead Space remake is a wonderful reminder of why the original 2008 game was fantastic. The story genuinely makes you feel helpless, and the constant escalation throughout the plotline is exciting, with devilishly increasing numbers of enemies chasing after Isaac in constantly dire situations.

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Sep 20, 2023

Phantom Liberty feels like a fresh start to Cyberpunk 2077, and it’s only unfortunate that many of the more uplifting changes took three years to finally see the light of day. The story Phantom Liberty and the playground of Dogtown makes it a fun way to return to Cyberpunk 2077, especially for someone who hasn’t touched it too much since the fatal launch and didn’t get too far after going back to it a year or two later. Phantom Liberty is an incredibly fun expansion; even the smaller size of Dogtown is a good way to kick things off despite the immense size of the base game. I think the best way to experience this expansion is with a fresh save, starting from the beginning, but those who want to jump into it to check out the new area and see all the changes CD Projekt Red made won’t be disappointed.

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Jun 6, 2018

Cultist Simulator may have a high learning curve, but the meaningful rewards matter to you, and the variety of choices encourage you to experiment during each game.

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Sep 18, 2018

Megaquarium gives you the chance to run your own aquarium and figure out how to make fish the best thing since sliced bread

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Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is everything any Star Wars fan would want in a Lego game. The humor might lean a bit too much into the childish side during your favorite moments of the franchise, but the gameplay, galaxy exploration, and pile of challenges never leave you wanting more things to do.

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8 / 10.0 - Two Point Campus
Aug 4, 2022

Two Point Campus has a solid and well-polished gameplay loop, and it’s undoubtedly an easily replayable experience. But unfortunately, the development team doesn't pull any surprises in the game's complexity or doesn’t take a risk by adding something that hasn’t been done before.

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Jan 31, 2023

Although there is a distinct lack of social and side activities for you to enjoy in Fire Emblem Engage, it’s for the better. These cuts made Engage a more enjoyable experience from start to finish, with the overarching plot taking a backseat to the phenomenal strategic combat

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