Brandon Perkins

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REVIEW – No complaints: “Mina the Hollower” exceeds all expectations

Published 5/27/2026

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Reviewer assigned from OpenCritic API author data during automated unresolved-reviewer resolver.

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REVIEW – “Coffee Talk Tokyo” changed continents, but it’s still as cozy and familiar as your favorite neighborhood cafe

Published 5/20/2026

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REVIEW – As an old-school style video game paying tribute to the golden age of animation, “MOUSE: P.I. For Hire” succeeds Animation is quite possibly the most laborious art form on the planet, and hand-drawn animation even more so. You have to have a real dedication to your craft in order to draw hundreds upon hundreds of images of the same character in the hopes that they’ll move. It’s the reason titles like Cuphead took so long to develop; it took over seven years to produce that game, and an enormous chunk of it was spent on the individual animation cells needed to make the magic happen. REVIEW: Turtle Beach’s “Atlas 200 Headset” fits my big head nicely Comfortable but impractical to wear outside. [PAX East 2026] Hands-On: Whispers of the Eyeless is Worthy of a “Cult Following” Every year at PAX East, the Games From Poland booth always impresses me with the sheer variety of games coming from Poland. There were at least a dozen unique titles populating the booth, but one that caught my eye was Whispers of the Eyeless, a dark fantasy roguelike from Bad Gingerbread Studio. Originally I checked it out for the unique art style and turn-based combat, but I ended up staying for the fascinating dark fantasy atmosphere and cult-forming gameplay. [PAX East 2026] Hands-On: “Jigrift” is a ‘puzzling’ take on 3D platformers The PAX Rising showcase at PAX East always has a handful of titles that draw me in. It’s thanks to this booth that I have seen all sorts of great ideas put into practice. One of those games that stood out for this very reason was Jigrift, a 3D Puzzle Platformer by the solo developer at Empty Castle Games where the world is comprised of jigsaw pieces! As someone who enjoys jigsaw puzzles, puzzle games, and 3D platformers, I knew I had to give this game a try. Hands-On: The “Invincible VS” open beta shows ass-kicking potential for button mashers and combo labbers alike I’ve spent a considerable amount of time with the Invincible VS open beta this last weekend. At the end of it all, it looks like it’s going to be a polarizing game for most and honestly, I’m thankful for that. REVIEW – “PRAGMATA” is a dream of a game that represents the best design, action, and characters capable in the medium In every subjectively measurable way, this game is turbo-charged, immensely enjoyable, and such a profoundly well-executed experience that it’s already shortlisted for the top of my game of the year list. REVIEW – “Marathon” is Bungie at its most intriguing in years Marathon is a game I did not expect to get its hooks into me. On the surface, Bungie’s new PvPvE extraction shooter looked like the kind of game I had already drifted away from. I know Bungie’s work well. I put more than 1,500 hours into Destiny 2 and hundreds more into the first Destiny, enough to understand the studio’s strengths almost instinctively. Bungie knows how to make shooting feel good, how to build mystery into a world, and how to take a familiar idea and push it just far enough in a strange direction to make it feel fresh. REVIEW – “Cleaning Up!” makes cleaning more fun than it really is Ryan Gosling drives, I clean. He has a scorpion jacket. I have headphones. He navigates the streets well. I navigate dogs in the way well enough. So naturally, I’m well suited to discuss Cleaning Up!, a game all about… that. FEATURE – Spray painting at “The Rogue Prince of Persia” event was both fun and complicated The Prince looks amazing in graffiti art. REVIEW – “MINOS” melds tragedy and strategy with its smart, seductive gameplay hooks and bloody depth MINOS is a valued toolbox of devious joy and wracking despair that’s pretty easy to look at, play with, and understand even as it gets more complicated and complex. Ultimately, you’re in control, for better or worse, and any game that gives you this level of freedom and personal expression is one that should be pedestaled like a bronzed Greek god for all to see. [PAX East 2026] Hands-On: “Grim Trials” is a Hades-like worth checking out During PAX East in Boston, I had the opportunity to play Grim Trials for about half an hour, but that wasn’t nearly enough time to really sink my teeth in. Not only because that isn’t really enough time to get a full impression, but also because what I played was genuinely fun, and I’m excited to eventually dive back in. REVIEW – “Samson” is bland, buggy, and brutal to play It’s somewhat strange that there aren’t many indie games taking inspiration from Grand Theft Auto. Driving around a city while taking on crime jobs is a great loop, so when Samson was announced, I was excited to play it. That excitement turned to annoyance in very short order, though, as the game is just plain bad in most ways, from its awful driving and terrible combat to its poor balance and meaningless game focus. The incredibly bland characterization certainly doesn’t help matters either, all combining to make for a subpar experience across the board. REVIEW – “The House of Hikmah” is a beautiful but bug-riddled cultural experience When it comes to puzzle games in a 3D realm, atmosphere is what consistently keeps me hooked into the world whose mysteries I’m unraveling. Games like The Witness and The Talos Principle did so in a way that had me reflect on existentialism, and as such, remained very impactful in my experience. When I first looked at The House of Hikmah, I had a feeling this would be another special experience to immerse myself in, this time in the realm of Middle Eastern inspiration. [PAX East 2026] Hands-On: Bylina is a clunky ARPG that’s more frustrating than fun A dark, Slavic myth-themed dungeon-crawling action RPG sounds amazing on paper, and that’s what Bylina from developer Far Far Games sets out to be. This year at PAX East in Boston, I got to play roughly 20 minutes of what I can only assume is an early build of the game. Unfortunately, it was quite a buggy mess and largely unenjoyable, but the bones of a great game are here, especially if you’re a fan of other ARPGs of its ilk. I just think it needs a bit more time in the oven. REVIEW – “ChainStaff” revels in visceral action on resplendent alien worlds, invoking classics while making its own footprint Have you ever wanted to play a 2D game like Contra or Mega Man, but with the ninja rope from Worms Armageddon? Developer Mommy’s Best Games have just want you need. REVIEW – “People of Note” has its charms, but it also has plenty of issues to note As a fan of animated musical feature films, People of Note immediately got my attention when it was first unveiled late last year. The fact that it was also a turn-based RPG sealed the deal that it was a game I needed, but as I went through its mostly charming 20-hour journey, I felt like I had more moments of frustration than enjoyment. [PAX East 2026] Hands-On: We’re ready for “Mina the Hollower” It was a few days before I was set to hop on a plane to travel across the country to Boston to attend my first PAX East. My schedule was set, and I was ecstatic to check out all the new games (so much indie horror!) and wander the show floor. Then, an email notification. In a last-minute addition, Yacht Club Games, the storied developer behind Shovel Knight, was offering Mina the Hollower appointments for hands-on impressions and interviews. MOVIE REVIEW – “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” is a joy, but it’s all over the place If there was ever a movie I wished that I loved, it’s The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. So many elements that would’ve made a great Mario movie are here, but the movie’s pacing is all over the place, and the plot is incoherent. It’s also lacking proper resolutions to the different storylines, and the movie’s emotional thread falls apart repeatedly. REVIEW – Good art and performances can’t save “Legacy of Kain: Ascendance” from persistent mediocrity and imbalance So here we are, on the dawn of the return of many people’s favorite suck ‘n’ slash franchise dating back 30 years ago and it’s… not looking good. Legacy of Kain: Ascendance has a lot in its way when it comes to enjoyment of this eternal gang war between the human Sarafans and vampires. REVIEW – “Marvel MaXimum Collection” is a nostalgic collection that both hits and misses So Marvel MaXimum Collection is tough to review. In terms of price point and variation of games included, it’s solid. The collection includes six games with 13 variations spanning 8-bit systems (including handhelds), 1-bit systems, and the arcade. The collection also has features you’d expect for a retro re-release, like a music player, rewind, save states (which are sorely needed for some of the harder titles in the collection, like Silver Surfer), as well as a few display filters to make the games look a bit like they did when they were released. They even have pictures of the box… [PAX East 2026] Impressions + Discussion: “Aether & Iron” devs discuss crafting narrative excellence as a debut indie developer At PAX East, I was given an opportunity to meet with the team at Seismic Squirrel to preview their debut title Aether & Iron ahead of launch and talk to the studio leads about what went into the making of their narrative-driven tactical RPG. [PAX East 2026] Hands-On: “Fractured Blooms” is the perfect mix of cozy and creepy I was able to get about half an hour with Fractured Blooms, and came away quite impressed. I’m not typically the biggest farming sim gamer, but I am SmashPad’s resident horror guy, and the spooky vibes here were immaculate. From what I’ve played, the farming sim mechanics are as crucial to the game’s overall loop as the esoteric, psychological horror themes, and the blend of genres works well in a way I wasn’t expecting. [PAX East 2026] Hands-On + Interview: “Rain98” holds mysteries we can’t wait to solve While it was also available to play on the show floor, the only offsite demo appointment I had during PAX East this year was to play Rain98, and it was more than deserving of it. It was a good thing I had time to chat with the game’s director, because boy, did I have questions! Luckily, the director of C#4R4CT3R, the indie studio responsible for developing the game, was there on-hand to chat after I completed the demo.

Published 4/15/2026

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REVIEW – “MIO: Memories In Orbit” is a punishing take on a Metroidvania that we still recommend

Published 3/15/2026

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"Bounty Star

Published 10/27/2025

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"The Silver Case 2425" Review

Published 7/23/2021

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"Death Stranding" Review

Published 12/1/2019

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“Mass Effect: Andromeda” Review

Published 4/11/2017

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