Articles – Page 4

REVIEW – “inKONBINI: One Store. Many Stories” is so cozy, it might be too cozy

by Danreb Victorio | PC PlayStation 5 Reviews Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 06 May 2026

inKONBINI: One Store. Many Stories is a game that had my attention as soon as I laid my eyes on it. I vividly remember the game at the corner of the room at Day of the Devs: San Francisco Edition in 2025 with a line that would never end, but I was fine with not playing it because it just wasn’t the right atmosphere for it. Luckily for me, it was featured at the first Steam Next Fest this year, and I loved what I played in the demo, despite it toying with my anxiety.

REVIEW – Cozy-punk narrative sim “Wax Heads” perfectly encapsulates an incredibly important relationship between community and music

by David Rodriguez | Nintendo Switch PC PlayStation 5 Reviews Steam Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 05 May 2026

Wax Heads still understood me on a level that another game really hasn’t in the 30 years I’ve been playing them. I laughed (a lot), I cried (a bit), I smiled (endlessly).

HANDS-ON – “D-Topia” demo is a window into a relaxing puzzle-solving experience

by Michael Fertitta | PC PlayStation 5 Previews Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 05 May 2026

Annapurna Interactive has always been a name I associate with developers and publishers that create games with fascinating and deep narratives. With the rise of AI in nearly every aspect of our lives, it opens the door for a larger conversation about the existentialism of working alongside technologies that can grow beyond human comprehension. D-Topia, an upcoming puzzle game from Annapurna, seeks to tell a story in a similar manner, and I was interested in checking out how far the demo dives into this increasingly relevant topic.

REVIEW – “Motorslice” has a lot of unique ideas but cuts up its controls too much

by Andrew Farrell | PC Reviews | 0 Comments | 03 May 2026

I’d been patiently waiting for Motorslice for actual years. Seeing as so much of the game has you cut down robots in a manner reminiscent of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, I was sold from the get-go. However, it’s not really an action game, focusing more on a Prince of Persia-esque experience. While there are many things to like about it, some baffling control issues significantly damage the game. I don’t regret playing it, but I do hope the devs improve the controls in the coming weeks to make the game less aggravating.

Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with Steam’s first AAPI Games Sale

by Danreb Victorio | Features | 0 Comments | 01 May 2026

May is Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month in the United States, and in celebration of this special month, Steam will be running a 10-day activation from May 1 through May 10 featuring games by and about made by development teams with a focus on the AAPI diaspora. Assisting with the spotlight for these titles, developers, and publishers in AAPI in Gaming, a community platform dedicated to amplifying the voices of the Asian American and Pacific Islander diaspora in the video game industry.

REVIEW – “Invincible VS” is a scrappy addition to a turbulent fighting game market, but a lightweight on playable content

by David Rodriguez | PC PlayStation 5 Reviews Steam Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 30 Apr 2026

Invincible VS is good. It’s a big game even if it feels small at times. Good production does it some nice favors and with DLC already lined up, hopefully Quarter Up and Skybound Games can take notes from the community, deliver some surprises, and forge some longevity

REVIEW – “Kiln” is exactly how you’d expect a Double Fine multiplayer game to be in the best ways

by Chris Penwell | PC PlayStation 5 Reviews Xbox Series X | 0 Comments | 29 Apr 2026

Kiln is an enjoyable concept and game that’s filled with soul as you’d expect from Double Fine Productions, the creators of Psychonauts and Headlander, but it currently lacks in content, and hopefully this is something that turns around sooner than later.

REVIEW – “Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun” has throwback stealth tactics that still hit like it’s 1999

by Leigh Lamb | Nintendo Switch 2 Reviews | 0 Comments | 29 Apr 2026

Set in early Edo-period Japan, a new Shogun is trying to stabilize the country, and he’s dependent on a small team of specialists to help secure that stability by putting down rebellions, completing covert operations, and being all-around badasses that no one can know about. This is Shadow Tactics.

Hands-On + INTERVIEW – “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth” Director Naoki Hamaguchi talks Switch 2 performance

by Myles Obenza | Features Nintendo Switch 2 Previews | 0 Comments | 28 Apr 2026

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was one of 2024’s best games, earning SmashPad’s #6 spot on our Top 10 Games of 2024. It originally released on the PlayStation 5, eventually seeing a PC release in January of last year. But this June, both Xbox and Nintendo gamers will get the opportunity to play the gargantuan Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy’s sophomore outing. I recently had the opportunity to test the Switch 2 version of Rebirth for about half an hour, and even chatted digitally with game director Naoki Hamaguchi about porting the game to Nintendo’s handheld hybrid console, the concessions made, and what we can expect in the future.

REVIEW – “Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth” is the nice big hug we need in the world right now

by Adriana Rodriguez | Nintendo Switch Nintendo Switch 2 PC Reviews Steam | 0 Comments | 27 Apr 2026

Over the years, I’ve caught glimpses of these small, round creatures with gentle eyes and every time I’ve thought to myself, “That’s a Moomin. I don’t know how I know this, but I do.” I wasn’t aware of the fact they had been around since the 1940’s. Or that were created as a form of escapism and fear during World War 2 for Finnish author and painter, Tove Jansson. While playing Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth, I felt like it was finally time to learn about the history and lore behind the Moomin’s. Now, after doing so, every heart warming emotion I felt playing this makes so much more sense. This review will be spoiler free so you can still experience this cozy game with fresh eyes.

REVIEW – “Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream” is a solid Switch experience that would’ve been way better with Switch 2 capabilities

by Kayla Merritt | Nintendo Switch Reviews | 0 Comments | 27 Apr 2026

What is Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream? To me, it’s the experience of watching the man of my Mii’s dreams go back and forth on whether he’s going to ask them out. My Tomodachi Life is about the adventures of a giant praying mantis bonding with his roommates over their shared love of night terrors. It’s about watching a man in a hamster suit scream about golf clubs at the ocean. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is whatever you want it to be.

REVIEW – The Switch feels like a nice, new home for “Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta” even though hardly anything changed

by Danreb Victorio | Nintendo Switch Reviews | 0 Comments | 24 Apr 2026

While it may be Falcom’s current longest-running series, the history of the Ys’ series is cloudy at best. Thought of by many to be a return to form for the series, “Ys IV” was actually made up of two games; there was Ys IV: Mask of the Sun for the Super Famicom and The Dawn of Ys for the PC Engine. Both games were sort of combined into one and remade into what later became Ys: Memories of Celceta, which came out on the Vita in 2013 followed by later releases on the PS4 and PC. Now, under the Ys Memoire label, the game is finally available on the Switch in the form of Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta.

Category: Articles

REVIEW – “inKONBINI: One Store. Many Stories” is so cozy, it might be too cozy

REVIEW – Cozy-punk narrative sim “Wax Heads” perfectly encapsulates an incredibly important relationship between community and music

HANDS-ON – “D-Topia” demo is a window into a relaxing puzzle-solving experience

REVIEW – “Motorslice” has a lot of unique ideas but cuts up its controls too much

Celebrate AAPI Heritage Month with Steam’s first AAPI Games Sale

REVIEW – “Invincible VS” is a scrappy addition to a turbulent fighting game market, but a lightweight on playable content

REVIEW – “Kiln” is exactly how you’d expect a Double Fine multiplayer game to be in the best ways

REVIEW – “Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun” has throwback stealth tactics that still hit like it’s 1999

Hands-On + INTERVIEW – “Final Fantasy VII Rebirth” Director Naoki Hamaguchi talks Switch 2 performance

REVIEW – “Moomintroll: Winter’s Warmth” is the nice big hug we need in the world right now

REVIEW – “Tomodachi Life: Living The Dream” is a solid Switch experience that would’ve been way better with Switch 2 capabilities

REVIEW – The Switch feels like a nice, new home for “Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta” even though hardly anything changed

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