Mark Steighner


392 games reviewed
75.9 average score
78 median score
57.1% of games recommended
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Jul 14, 2022

Legends of Kingdom Rush is a lot of fun, but its port to PC is a bit underwhelming. Lack of controller support for such a mechanically simple game is pretty lazy. There’s no new content, either, so players coming from the mobile version will have seen everything already. With such enjoyable gameplay and sense of style, Legends of Kingdom Rush deserves a more thorough makeover for PC and consoles, not just a basic port.

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70 / 100 - Redout 2
Jun 29, 2022

If ever there was a mixed bag, Redout 2 is it. When you’re going slow enough to take in the sights, those sights are gorgeous, if a little cluttered and hard to parse. Most of the time, though, you’ll be speeding through levels absurdly fast. You’ll also be crashing into walls and flying off the track, too, because the controls demand absolute precision. There are a lot of absent features on our wish list, like an actual story, better tutorials and a real learning curve. On a continuum from fun to frustration, Redout 2 sometimes edges uncomfortably close to the latter.

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70 / 100 - Blackguards 2
Jun 22, 2022

Let’s face it. Summer is a pretty thin period for game releases. If you’re in the market for a decent, robust and generally engaging turn-based RPG for the Switch, Blackguards 2 fits the bill. It isn’t the most original fantasy RPG ever made, but the story, meaningful choices, and mercenary mechanics elevate the game quite a bit. There’s a good amount of replayability built in, even if the battles grow repetitive. Blackguards 2 left me hoping for a sequel with better graphics and even more flexible combat and characters.

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70 / 100 - Winter Ember
Apr 19, 2022

I liked the look of Winter Ember and its dark Victorian vibe, which meshed well with its revenge narrative and story. There’s more to a game than atmosphere, though, and that’s where Winter Ember is a mixed success. The levels are filled with confusing repetition and uncertain goals. Stealth and close-up combat aren’t equally viable, despite upgrades to both. As a result, Arthur never quite becomes the all-around badass protagonist you want him to be, and the game’s elements never fully come together. That said, stealth action fans should find something to enjoy about the game.

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70 / 100 - ELEX II
Feb 28, 2022

When Elex came out in 2017, it filled a niche despite its many issues. Elex 2 is bigger and its world is denser, but Piranha Bytes hasn’t really fixed much of what was wrong about the first game. Janky movement and weak combat top the list. Annoying mechanics and glacial progression are right up there, too. Elex 2 has ambition, I’ll give it that. If it pared that ambition with polish, a more coherent narrative, and better pacing, Elex 2 might be a more viable alternative to those other RPGs that are getting so much deserved attention.

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70 / 100 - Dread Hunger
Feb 8, 2022

Dread Hunger has a solid premise, but whether it’s a good time depends almost entirely on the people you play with. The survival elements are fun, but the social deception mechanics are where it’s at. Dread Hunger has some built-in limitations, but its theme and setting help it stand out from other games in the genre. Whether you’re trying to maintain order or create chaos, Dread Hunger will put your ingenuity and acting skills to the test.

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70 / 100 - Pupperazzi
Jan 24, 2022

Pupperazzi is a lighthearted, chill little game that anyone can enjoy. If you’re not too worried about realism and don’t need a lot of high-level content, you’ll be happy with what Pupperazzi has to offer. The bad news is that it’s over pretty quickly, and there isn’t much reason to go back. The dogs are cute, and the whole thing is marginally surreal, but a bit of story or maybe some strong canine characters would have added to the experience, especially for older dog lovers.

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70 / 100 - Gamedec
Sep 17, 2021

Most cyberpunk games focus on the flotsam and jetsam of the environment, the strobing lights, the economically stratified world, the gadgets and imagined technologies. Gamedec, in contrast, reminds us that fundamental human passions and personal failures will probably endure well into whatever advanced future comes to pass. Gamedec has a lot of interesting ideas and mechanics, and its hardboiled- detective-in-the-22nd-century story is a great premise. Either the developers had ambitions beyond their ability to deliver, or maybe the game just needs a few more passes with the random orbital sander to smooth down the rough edges, but in its present state Gamedec’s flaws definitely detract from an otherwise intriguing experience.

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70 / 100 - Lost in Random
Sep 10, 2021

I think that if you translated Lost in Random’s dark narrative and engagingly strange visual style into a stop-motion animated style film, it would be a powerful exploration of a harrowing and at times poignant journey through an upside down world ruled by disorder. There’s a lot of that conceit in the game, too, but it’s made less impactful by tepid mechanics and tedious, unrewarding combat. The story and setting are absolutely worth experiencing, but there’s probably a chance you’ll be as disappointed by the gameplay as you are enchanted by the tale.

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Sep 2, 2021

Surgeon Simulator 2: All Access absolutely does what it sets out to do, which is turn “surgical precision” upside down and allow the player to make an absolute mess of what should be the most delicate of procedures, adding physics-based puzzles and escalating objectives that will either frustrate or challenge. In this case, the awkward controls are a feature, not a bug. For anyone who has already played the game, this new version doesn’t add much, but for console owners or anyone new to the title it’s definitely the version to pick up.

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70 / 100 - Orcs Must Die! 3
Jul 30, 2021

Orcs Must Die! 3 isn’t much of a step (let alone, a leap) forward from the last installment, but after eight years maybe it’s just enough to remind people that hey, this fun fantasy franchise is still alive and kicking. It has modest ambitions but it’s certainly not a disappointing installment, and Orc Must Die! 3’s blend of action, tower defense and puzzle-solving remains unique and entertaining.

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70 / 100 - Chernobylite
Jul 28, 2021

Chernobylite certainly has ambitions beyond being a rote shooter and although not everything meshes and the gears of its systems sometimes grind, the setting feels authentically haunted and foreboding. There’s a lot going on in Chernobylite, and sometimes the melancholic love story at the center gets buried under unnecessary game play complications, tepid combat or shifts of tone. In other words, it’s all still a bit messy but interesting and worth playing for shooter, RPG or horror fans, especially those fascinated by this particular moment in modern history.

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Although not the deepest diving pool, Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is still entertaining enough to splash around in for a while. Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is considerably better than just a cash grab game tied to a singular cultural event, but it’s not the gold medal winner of sports sims either. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with going home wearing a bronze medal.

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Jun 17, 2021

I think that playing through Minute of Islands is worth your time if you enjoy dark themed stories and distinctive art, but don’t come with high expectations for the puzzles or platforming.

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The Elder Scrolls Online cannot be faulted for lack of content, and while each new expansion opens up new, unexplored regions or folds older Elder Scrolls lore and landscapes into the game, the DLC is starting to feel pretty formulaic. The new Companions are definitely a welcome addition to those of us who prefer to play solo, and Blackwood has a main quest, cities, and characters that are worth exploring. Blackwood — the region and the DLC — might be an odd and confusing place for new players to start their journey with the game, but for long time players the Companions and nostalgia factor baked into the expansion might be enough to give them a bit of fresh energy.

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May 31, 2021

Like so much of the Warhammer 40K universe, Necromunda is a richly imagined world filled with the potential for conflict and storytelling. Using it as the setting for an action-filled shooter makes total sense. Although its mechanics are essentially a greatest-hits collection of ideas from other shooters, Necromunda: Hired Gun is a competent introduction to this particular slice of the Warhammer 40K-verse.

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70 / 100 - Retro Machina
May 20, 2021

With its unique, effective art design and plethora of satisfying puzzles, Retro Machina has many of the ingredients of a memorable and rewarding game. It’s unfortunate that combat and some key control mechanics discolor what could be a vibrant experience. Thematically, Retro Machina doesn’t cover new ground but the way it approaches puzzles and story makes sense and feels consistent with the world it has created. As an early game from a new studio, Retro Machina is an auspicious, if flawed, debut.

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Feb 7, 2016

There is depth and relevance to The Political Machine 2016's gameplay and content. It's easy to pick up and play and whether you take it seriously and really play to win or approach it with less reverence, the game will accommodate you. Because it is so tied to the issues and candidates of the moment, it is both amusing and instructive, but probably not something you'll want to revisit after next November.

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3.5 / 5.0 - World's Dawn
Jan 29, 2016

There is real appeal to the idea of living in a little rural community where everyone is pleasant and quirky, where the rhythm of life and the gentle change of seasons are tied to working the land and the world's secrets are not dark and menacing.

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Dec 14, 2015

Literally every game genre has standout products and legions of imitators, but The Sims franchise has remained relatively free of copycats, at least games coming even remotely close in quality.

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