Eternity Is Right: An Edge of Eternity Preview | FIRST!

Edge of Eternity has two things going for it: Great voice acting and giant cat-like creatures; once the luster of those wears off, the cracks in the foundation show their ugly face. The combat is slow, bland, and boring, the writing isn't anywhere near as good as it seems when you're left to read it yourself, and there's just a general meh-ness throughout the entirety of the game. It's admittedly hard to take away a lot from a game like this based solely on the first few hours--it being a sprawling and epic turn-based RPG--but those few hours were enough for me to know I didn't want to waste a single additional second in hopes my feelings would change.

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If You're Not Fast, You're Last: A Warstride Challenges Preview | FIRST!

If you like shooting demons in the face and going fast while you do it, Warstride Challenges is the game for you. As the title suggests, Warstride Challenges is just that: challenges...and nothing else. There are no meatier levels or campaign(s) of any kind to be found, just bite-size challenges often taking only 20-30 seconds to complete (if not less time). If that sounds appealing, you'll probably enjoy your time with Warstride Challenges; however, if you're a more casual shooter fan, best play something else instead. Warstride Challenges is not casual-friendly thanks to a skill floor that requires one to be at least a certain level of "good enough" in order to progress, so, if you don't find failure encouraging, I encourage you to play Turbo Overkill (or something else) instead.

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I Think the Title Might Be a Spoiler: A Martha is Dead Preview | FIRST!

Spoilers: She's dead. Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about the game, eh. Martha is Dead is a narrative-heavy horror game with an emphasis on photography and graphic imagery--if you're squeamish or triggered by images of self harm, this is not the game for you; however, if you can handle tough topics and graphic images, the story or Martha is Dead is well told and very well acted (though one aspect made it hard for me to personally engage with it). That said, as well put together as much of Martha is Dead is, the sum of its parts don't add up to a satisfying experience and I long for the game it could have been than the game it actually is.

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The Episode Where I Say "Feels Really Good" Every Other Sentence: A Turbo Overkill Preview | FIRST!

Turbo Overkill is a good game. Turbo Overkill is a very good game. Turbo Overkill is so good that I, unknowingly, said, "Feels really good," way too many times when recording this episode. Is it annoying? You betcha, but it's probably more annoying for me than you; however, as much as I humored re-recording this episode (and I did humor doing just that), I figured I'd leave it as is and accept the fact that Turbo Overkill--a fast-paced, retro-inspired shooter--is just so good it made me sound like the most inarticulate person in the world. I mean, who needs words when you have not one, but two satisfying shotguns at your disposal for disposing of disposable baddies who are anything but good? Enough said, mic dropped, bing fucking bong.

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A Tale of Two Games: An Anguish-Filled Vanquish Review | Attack the Backlog

On this episode of Attack the Backlog, I slide my way through an average game before discovering the game I played is completely different from the game others have played, except the only way to know it's different is by being told it's different. Why? Because the game itself tells you nothing. Confused? Welcome to the club--the, "I played Vanquish, but I didn't really play Vanquish" club--it's quite crowded in here and y'all know how I feel about crowds, so hopefully this episode helps you realize what Vanquish really is before you start playing it yourself, lest you end up like me and annoyed that what you played in a far cry from what others have played.

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A Perfectly Fine and Forgettable Time: A Sorrowvirus Preview | FIRST!

The Sorrowvirus: A Faceless Short Story isn't a bad game, but it isn't particularly good either; it rests solely in the middle, falling into a purgatory of its own making as you explore the purgatory of the designer's making. Get it... 'cause it's a game all about purgatory. I played through the game once and dabbled with a second playthrough before hanging my sweater up, taking my shoes off, and calling it a day. It's not that I wasn't enjoying the game--the story is more interesting than expected--but there wasn't enough drawing me in and demanding I keep playing past playthrough number one. The Sorrowvirus is a fine game, but it's never anything more than that and, while that's fine, that doesn't lead to anything other than a forgettable time.

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I Wish I Could Claim Responsibility: A Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus? Preview | FIRST!

As someone who's not the biggest FMV fan, I don't have that much experience with the genre; however, and in spite of that, I've played a handful over the last few years and enjoyed my time with most of them. I can't say the same about Who Pressed Mute on Uncle Marcus?. What should have been a fun murder mystery was little more than a prison sentence with a family of nothing but garbage humans. By the time credits roll on your first playthrough, you'll wish you could press mute on the lot of them. Sure, I guess that means it's true to real family life, but, I don't know about you, I play games to escape shit like family drama, not relive it.

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The Most Accessible One to Date: A Monster Energy Supercross 5 Preview | FIRST!

I'm about as far from the motocross fandom as one can get, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy myself a motocross game every now and again; however, I haven't enjoyed one in years thanks to seemingly all of them going down more of a simulation route than an arcade-y route. While Monster Energy Supercross: The Official Video Game 5--it's a mouthful, I know--is still more sim-y than arcade-y, it has a plethora of accessibility options that do what they're supposed to do, making the game enjoyable even for simpletons like me. That said, it does feel a little too easy at times with everything turned on and, gone is any sense of challenge, but if you just want to relax and race some dirt bikes, Monster Energy Supercross 5 will more than get the job done.

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Do You Like Punching Kaiju in the Face?: A Dawn of the Monsters Preview | FIRST!

Do you like beat 'em ups? Do you like kaiju? If you said yes to either question, there's a good chance you'll enjoy Dawn of the Monsters, a fun, if a bit easy, beat 'em up all about beating the shit out of kaiju. You can play as one of four different characters--two robots and two kaiju--all of whom feel unique and can be upgraded and augmented to fit your personal playstyle. The game has a great look, lots of style, and what seems to be a decent amount of content, so if it looks or sounds interesting to you, I highly recommend checking it out.

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It's All Downhill After a Giant Cat Poops You Out Its Butthole | FIRST!

I'll admit, Catie in MeowmeowLand had an uphill battle before I even started playing it. While I love the art of many point-and-click adventure games, I rarely enjoy the puzzling-solving side of them. This is because, so often, the puzzles require a nonsensical way of thinking, don't make sense, or depend more on brute force clicking than creative thinking; Catie is the third of those options, relying on excessive clicking more than anything else. Sure, the game might be pretty and, sure, I love cats more than most things, but not once did I feel smart while playing and, if a puzzle game isn't making me feel smart, what's the point (other than clicking, of course)?

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