Ryan M.

Freelance writer focusing on gaming, media, and culture. 

Gamer Escape: Gaming News, Reviews, Wikis, and Podcasts •

I’m Keeping My Eye On Saints Row

Saints Row has been a series that never quite felt like it had a solid sense of what it wanted to be. The juxtaposition between a serious gang drama and a balls-to-the-wall Hangover-tier sandbox shooter wasn’t something that resonated with me, and my limited time with Saints Row IV however-many years ago didn’t leave much of an impression. Sure, it was fun to moon jump around and whack people in the face with a giant dildo, but the substance beyond that was lacking.

I got curious when Volition
Gamer Escape: Gaming News, Reviews, Wikis, and Podcasts •

A New Generation: Pokemon Scarlet and Violet Announced

Hot off the heels of Pokémon Legends: Arceus‘s rousing success, The Pokémon Company announced the next generation of mainline titles in their Pokémon Day presentation yesterday.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will be the first in the series to harbor a completely seamless open world and roaming Pokémon. While Pokémon Sword and Shield only had the Wild Areas, the company noted in particular that “various towns blend seamlessly into the wilderness with no borders,” calling this a “new evolutionary st
Gamer Escape: Gaming News, Reviews, Wikis, and Podcasts •

Sony Interactive Entertainment Acquires Bungie for $3.6 Billion

In the wake of Microsoft’s historic acquisition of Activision Blizzard, rival Sony has made a sizable purchase of their own.

Announced on Monday, former Halo and current Destiny developer Bungie will join Sony Interactive Entertainment in a deal worth around $3.6 billion, according to GI.biz. This deal has been in the process for close to six months. In a statement from Bungie CEO & Chairman Pete Parsons, this partnership will allow Bungie to bring Destiny 2 to even more platforms while maintai
Gamer Escape: Gaming News, Reviews, Wikis, and Podcasts •

Preview: Weird West

If you’ve been a semi-casual Gamer Escape reader this past summer (which you should be, duh), you’ve probably come across our past coverage of Weird West, a top-down cel-shaded action RPG developed by some of the core staff behind Arkane Studios and games such as Dishonored. Published by Devolver Digital, it drew me in since its initial reveal at The Game Awards 2019 with its mixture of Max Payne-esque combat and immersive RPG-like systems, all set in a mystical version of the wild west as you f
100 Word Gaming Reviews •

Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Shadow of the Tomb Raider was a perfect opportunity to improve on its predecessors, but falls apart early on and never really recovers. It has some interesting ideas, like focusing more on exploration and puzzle-solving as opposed to combat, but its clunkiness, hastily-written and retcon-heavy story and drab visuals made me wonder if Eidos Montreal actually cared about the game they were developing. I’ll give the game credit for its voice acting, but other than that, Shadow of the Tomb Raider wa
Gamer Escape: Gaming News, Reviews, Wikis, and Podcasts •

Weird West is Sleek, Stylish, and Set for Success

When Weird West was first announced at The Game Awards 2019, I was cautiously optimistic. An action RPG developed by the collective headed by the original creators of Dishonored and Arkane Studios, all while being published by Devolver Digital? It sounded way, way too good to be true.

That is, until I got invited to a live demo with the developers. And to say I was impressed is a massive understatement. Appearing over a private Discord session, WolfEye Studios developers Raphael Colantonio, Jul
100 Word Gaming Reviews •

Sonic CD

I’ll be the first to admit that this game came way before my time so there isn’t much in terms of a personal or nostalgic connection, but after playing I couldn’t understand why this game is often treated like a pillar of the platforming genre. Yes, it’s possible Sonic Mania may have spoiled me, but I just found CD to be nothing more than another solid Sonic game. I wasn’t a fan of the repetitive stages and the short length, but there’s nothing more satisfying than going fast, which is something
Gamer Escape: Gaming News, Reviews, Wikis, and Podcasts •

Yooreka Studio Announces Eight New Games

Chinese-based Yooreka Studio, who co-developed Streets of Rage 4 with Dotemu and published the game in mainland China, has revealed eight new games launching over the course of the next year as part of their E3 2021 presentation. Here’s a look at everything shown.

Set in a cyberpunk-inspired world, Loopmancer is a 3D metroidvania that combines intricate and explosive combat with exploration and puzzle-solving elements as you search for a missing journalist. Loopmancer will release on PC via Ste
Gamer Escape: Gaming News, Reviews, Wikis, and Podcasts •

Dragon Quest Celebrates 35th Anniversary With Six Announcements

To say that the Dragon Quest series’ 35th anniversary is a packed one would be an understatement. Yesterday evening, Square Enix hosted a broadcast with six announcements to celebrate the occasion that was simultaneously streamed in multiple languages. Let’s take a look at everything that was announced during the event.

Developed by NHN PlayArt, Dragon Quest Keshi Keshi seems to be a match-three game where you link up erasers to rub out other enemies. The art style is cute, with various protago
Gamer Escape: Gaming News, Reviews, Wikis, and Podcasts •

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 Sneaks Onto Storefronts Next Month

The latest entry in CI Games’s best-selling Sniper: Ghost Warrior series, Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2, has secured a release date of June 4th on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and PS4.

Taking place in the fictional country of Kuamar, Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 tasks the player with eliminating a brutal dictatorship through the use of gadgets, skills, and of course your trusty sniper. A new gameplay trailer showcases signature Sniper: Ghost Warrior gameplay—aiming up your shots just r
Nintendo Insider •

Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & The Secret Fairy Review - Switch

Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy is almost a completely different game from the first in many aspects, and while that’s not a bad thing whatsoever, it also makes me wish that more attention was paid to the systems that needed the most attention as opposed to those that were mostly fine to begin with. While this results in the second half of the game feeling rocky, I still think that Atelier Ryza 2 is one of the best JRPGs released so far this year.
100 Word Gaming Reviews •

Nier Automata

One of the most defining games of the last generation, Nier: Automata is a match made in heaven, with edge-of-your-seat gameplay and an unexpectedly thought-provoking narrative. You wouldn’t anticipate a hack-and-slash about machines fighting against each other to have a metaphysical commentary on technocolonialism and the emotions that androids suppress, but my expectations were completely blown away. Even though the game suffers from disappointing performance (at least on a base PS4), missing
Gamer Escape: Gaming News, Reviews, Wikis, and Podcasts •

PlayStation Stops Closure of PS3 and Vita Storefronts

After sparking outcry when it was announced that the storefronts for PlayStation 3 and PS Vita games would shut down in July, Sony Interactive Entertainment President & CEO Jim Ryan has walked back that decision.

In a post on the official PlayStation blog, Ryan states that the choice to shut down the storefronts “it was born out of a number of factors, including commerce support challenges for older devices and the ability for us to focus more of our resources on newer devices where a majority
The Daily Nexus | The University of California, Santa Barbara's independent, student-run newspaper. •

SBIFF 2021: Sacha Baron Cohen Accepts Outstanding Performer Of The Year Award | The Daily Nexus

Following a successful 2020 with his award-winning performances as Borat in “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” and Abbie Hoffman in “The Trial of the Chicago 7,” British actor Sacha Baron Cohen was honored with the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award at the 36th Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

The award, which recognizes “the actor or actress whose role in a film has exceeded greatness,” has previously been awarded to renowned actors and actresses including Scarlett Johansson and Adam
100 Word Gaming Reviews •

Puyo Puyo Tetris

One of my biggest gripes with newer releases of some genres like fighting and puzzle games is that they’re not always accommodating to new players, but Puyo Puyo Tetris proves otherwise. An entertaining story and hysterical characters don’t just set the groundwork for a modern re-imagining of two classic titles but also guide the player to learn the ins and outs of the game from basic techniques to advanced strategies, letting anyone become a master. With plenty of new modes, customization optio
100 Word Gaming Reviews •

Tamagotchi: Party On!

Who would’ve thought that a Tamagotchi-themed party game about running for the president of Tamaworld would end up defining my childhood? It’s not the most dynamic, especially when compared to others in the genre, but the way it oozes with charm will keep you hooked for at least a couple of rounds. Sure, the minigames don’t control very well and you’ll be screwed over by the RNG most likely than not, but the adorable characters and charming music makes for a fun time with friends as you race to
Gamer Escape: Gaming News, Reviews, Wikis, and Podcasts •

Everything Announced at New Game Plus Expo 2.0

After a successful showing in June, New Game Plus Expo returned to showcase new and upcoming games from a variety of developers.

Here’s everything that was shown at the event.

A bundle featuring both The Silver Case and The 25th Ward: The Silver Case, the cult classic debut title and its sequel from Grasshopper Manufacture are finally making their way to the Nintendo Switch on July 6.

Concluding the Mary Skelter trilogy, the last game in the dungeon-crawling series will be released by Idea Fa
Gamer Escape: Gaming News, Reviews, Wikis, and Podcasts •

Fall Guys Developer Mediatonic Acquired by Epic Games

Following the success of Fall Guys, Epic Games announced that it has acquired UK-based corporation Tonic Games Group consisting of developers Mediatonic and Fortitude Games, publishing arm The Irregular Corporation, and Skillshare-esque platform Tonic U.

“It’s no secret that Epic is invested in building the metaverse and Tonic Games shares this goal. As Epic works to build this virtual future, we need great creative talent who know how to build powerful games, content and experiences.” Epic Gam
100 Word Gaming Reviews •

Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn

Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn is cute and charming, but experienced players might not find much here to write home about. The core gameplay loop is rather simple and made redundant by the amount of power-ups available, and the 3DS version of the game is definitive but doesn’t add much aside from some mini-games, a new mode, and better controls. This is definitely a fun game to play over the course of an afternoon or weekend, and if you’re anything like me you’ll be yarn-ing for more Kirby and Prince F
Gamer Escape: Gaming News, Reviews, Wikis, and Podcasts •

Electronic Arts Cancels Anthem Overhaul

After years of lingering in limbo, EA has officially axed Anthem.

In a blog post written by Bioware Austin Studio Director Christian Dailey, new development work on the game—notably, an update titled Anthem NEXT —has been stopped, although the servers will be kept online.

The update was announced in February of last year and had been in development for around two years, with Bioware working on an extensive overhaul to the game’s core mechanics along with other improvements to the much-maligned
Through the Cartridge Slot •

Review – Ys IX: Monstrum Nox

Review code provided by NIS America, opinions are my own. Thanks a bunch!

It’s been around three years since I reviewed Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana and a lot has changed since then. Falcom has continued to push the boundaries of their storytelling with the last two games in the Trails of Cold Steel story arc as well as releasing The Legend of Heroes: Hajimari no Kiseki last year, with Kuro no Kiseki planned for this year. And despite the controversy, NISA has managed to not only fix both fix Ys
The Daily Nexus | The University of California, Santa Barbara's independent, student-run newspaper. •

Record Recap: In Memoriam of SOPHIE, Pop Pioneer and Barrier Breaker | The Daily Nexus

You may not know what SOPHIE looks like, but odds are you definitely know what SOPHIE sounds like.

With SOPHIE’s signature exaggerated production that mixes avant-garde pop with high-pressure EDM, SOPHIE has left a mark across the music industry with production credits on hit tracks like Madonna’s “Bitch I’m Madonna,” Vince Staples’s “Yeah Right” and Mike WiLL Made-It’s “Nothing Is Promised.” The Scotland native helped foster the burgeoning hyperpop movement along with the rise of the PC Music
100 Word Gaming Reviews •

Sonic Forces

Sonic Forces is the textbook definition of an identity crisis, as the game is stuck between being a decent 2D platformer and a mediocre 3D one. Prioritizing quantity over quality, the levels take around two to three minutes to complete, with the only sense of difficulty coming from poorly-designed boss battles. I’d be more positive if the game controlled better, but aside from the adequate Classic Sonic sections, the rest of it plays like you’re on the Moon. Throw in a story so nonsensical it pu
The Bottom Line •

Clubhouse: The New Coffee Shop?

Entrepreneurship. Esports. Bitcoin. Real estate. 21 Savage discussing whether or not the Nike Air Force 1 is overrated. To some, this may seem like the trending page on Twitter, but it is just a snapshot of some of the rooms available to drop in on using Clubhouse, the latest app that’s taking social media and Silicon Valley by storm.

Founded by entrepreneur Paul Davison and ex-Googler Rohan Seth, Clubhouse’s main draws are various “rooms” where people can drop in and listen to ongoing conversa
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