Alex Rowe

Steam Next Fest was supposed to help small games get noticed. This month it listed more than 8,000 demos. That's not a festival. That's a landfill that I can't hope to sort through. A friend of mine writes down stuff he wants to try, but we end up playing so many janky things.

2026 was a weird year for remakes. I ranked my top three, and the winner is a game that probably shouldn't exist. Star Fox, Yakuza Kiwami 3, and a PS2 brawler rebuilt in Unreal Engine 5. Plus a dishonorable mention for Ubisoft. Free to read on Analog Stick!

BioWare shutting down wasn't a surprise. That's what makes it sting. Nobody really expected Mass Effect 5 to be a return to form. But as long as the studio existed, it could have been something cool. My friend / Analog Stick contributor Rachel Addison laments it as "the death of possibility."

Squeaky floors, thunderstorms, turnip jack-o'-lanterns, and a séance on Halloween night. 🕯️ @emwriting.bsky.social reviews The Séance of Blake Manor, a Gothic detective game set in 1897 Ireland, and says it's the perfect thing to play this October. Check it out over on Analog Stick!

Hot take: the next console generation is in real trouble. Over $1000 per console, AI-driven memory prices, and a Switch 2 that already covers most of what people want. I tried to make a list and get hyped. It just bummed me out.

Before Clair Obscur, there was the Judgement Ring. @cryinocto.bsky.social replayed Shadow Hearts for its 25th birthday, 20 years after he first beat it, and wrote an honest look at going back to a game that shaped him. Spook 'em Ups 2026 continues on Analog Stick 👻

In the wake of Wolverine and in the days leading up to GTA VI, I've found myself thinking about Spider-Man 2. It's still totally awesome, and it probably has my favorite combat system in an action adventure. I know that some folks love to hate on Insomniac, but I think they're Sony's best studio.

When critics call a game "empty," Eric Biancalana argues they're really asking for authorship. His example is Worldless, where the map opens inside your character's head and the skill tree is mapped onto their body. New on Analog Stick and @medium.com : medium.com/analog-stick...

Crimson Desert is barely half a year old. Since then: near-weekly free updates, half the script rewritten and re-recorded, and now a $25 expansion. Nobody in AAA moves this fast, and I can't keep up. medium.com/analog-stick...

Sometimes game glitches defy the laws of physics. Like these two Crimson Desert NPCs, sitting in the same chair.

For our second Monday piece, @cryinocto.bsky.social returns once again to Analog Stick with a fantastic review of Koudelka. I've never played it and now I feel like I absolutely missed out! medium.com/analog-stick...

Gaming on PC? Stop plugging your wireless mouse dongle straight into your PC. USB 3 ports can interfere with the signal. That's why good mice come with an extension cable. medium.com/analog-stick...

Red Dead II on PC is still so beautiful. I had to write about it. medium.com/analog-stick...

I published a review of the @hyperxgaming.bsky.social Cloud Alpha Air headset. Spoiler: Just buy it! medium.com/analog-stick...

I hit 400 followers on my gaming pub Analog Stick this week! If you'd like to come join them, please do so at your earliest convenience! medium.com/analog-stick

I hope Belmont's Curse does well, even though I'm not sure it's for me. medium.com/analog-stick...

I've been really "going through it" on the whole AI-in-tech and writing thing this year on @medium.com. Here's where I'm personally at right now. I still don't generate any articles, nor take any sponsorships, nor use any affiliate links. xander51.medium.com/i-have-begru...

I published a review of Minecraft Dungeons II. It's...totally fine? But I bet it'll be much better in about a year or so. medium.com/analog-stick...

Hey, remember when game controllers used to change all the time? medium.com/analog-stick...

Today @cryinocto.bsky.social returns to Analog Stick with a review of the Fatal Frame 2 remake. This is the one part of the Koei Tecmo catalog I've never spent much time with, and it seems like I'm missing out! medium.com/analog-stick...

I sat down to write about GTA 6 on @medium.com, and ended up going on an odyssey through my favorite era of Rockstar Games. medium.com/analog-stick...

The incomparable Rachel Addison returns to Analog Stick and @medium.com with a story of Christmas gifts, gaming, and rare fatherly kindness. medium.com/analog-stick...

I spent a week using @corsair.com's newest budget wireless headset, and it's a good solid performer that blows away certain other more expensive models. medium.com/analog-stick...

Today, the excellent @cryinocto.bsky.social returns to @medium.com and Analog Stick with a look at the iconic action classic, Bullet Witch. medium.com/analog-stick...

It's nowhere near a "perfect port," but the obvious and immense effort that went into cramming Dynasty Warriors 3 Remastered onto the Switch 2 fascinates me. medium.com/analog-stick...

I've finished enough of DW3 Remastered to review it...and I'm going to keep playing it for the next several weeks, most likely. It's a weird thing and hey it's forty dollars! medium.com/analog-stick...

An exciting day! @cryinocto.bsky.social returns to my @medium.com pub Analog Stick with the most in-depth and enjoyable Resident Evil Requiem review I've read so far on the internet. medium.com/analog-stick...

I loved most of Control Resonant. But then it broke my brain and this @medium.com piece came tumbling out. Maybe I've become the sort of guy who should have spent 18 hours hitting dudes as Wolverine instead. medium.com/analog-stick...

The Witcher 3 Remastered is fully awesome on Switch 2, and it's going to dominate my gaming week (alongside Dynasty Warriors 3). medium.com/analog-stick...

I had other plans for today, but Razer announced they are pushing forward with their goofy AI gaming headset and I just had to chime in. medium.com/analog-stick...

The Switch 2 Lego Batman port is genuinely great. I didn't think that was possible. medium.com/analog-stick...

Microsoft fired hundreds more people from Xbox this week. They gave Halo to Activision. They're paying Kojima millions while shutting down Ninja Theory. None of this is a plan. It's panic. medium.com/analog-stick...

I played the new Dynasty Warriors 3 Remake demo several times on several machines, and wrote about it. It's super weird and I'm kind of shocked it's coming out! medium.com/analog-stick...

I published some Spoiler-free thoughts on Control Resonant over on @medium.com! medium.com/analog-stick...

Rachel Addison returns to Analog Stick on @medium.com with some wistful thoughts about Mass Effect 3's ending and romances, and the oft-hated character of Ashley Williams. medium.com/analog-stick...

Carl St. James returns to Analog Stick with a deep dive on one of gaming's most iconic characters. medium.com/analog-stick...

Sean Maldonado returns to Analog Stick on @medium.com with some thoughts on the solo-developed RPG Chained Echoes! medium.com/analog-stick...

You might know Carl St. James over on @medium.com for his Apple coverage, but back in January he wrote this epic awesome list of the best video games from each of the last 25 years. It now has a new home on Analog Stick! medium.com/analog-stick...

I often play loot-focused games in the background/between other games. I found one I should have skipped. medium.com/analog-stick...

If you’re into gaming sword combat, two really awesome examples of it came out last week. medium.com/analog-stick...

My new @medium.com piece about my favorite game design choices also secretly contains my first impressions of Blood of Dawnwalker! medium.com/analog-stick...

Today on Analog Stick, newcomer Jon Jansen Campos returns with one more tale of his time in the industry...and some good context about why game development offices often look like internet cafes. medium.com/analog-stick...

Today on Analog Stick, Jon Jansen Campos is back with part two of his look back at a life in gaming. medium.com/analog-stick...

Analog Stick (and @medium.com) newcomer Jon Jansen Campos is here with a personal story about Ragnarok Online, and how it inspired a whole career in game development! medium.com/analog-stick...

I caved on the Switch 2 version of Elden Ring. The newly added stuff is cool, and it's great that other platforms got it as a tiny DLC pack! medium.com/analog-stick...

Analog Stick contributor @emwriting.bsky.social returns with a review of a cool new indie roguelike/deck-builder/creature collecting game! medium.com/analog-stick...

New Analog Stick contributor Ben Copeland arrives with a look at the gaming sensation that is Big Walk. It stands out in a crowded genre by doing its own thing, and seems like a perfect co-op game. medium.com/analog-stick...

Here's a lighthearted one to end my writing week. Crimson Desert has my favorite take on audio logs in a long time. I'm editing some other pieces from Analog Stick contributors that will also be out soon! medium.com/analog-stick...