Riding Into Battle by Destrier Studios

I, Napoleon Review Disclaimer: I asked for and was provided a review copy of the game. I played it multiple times, until I felt that I had achieved the best ending, which to me is a mix of achieving 100 or more glory, having a legitimate son, and bringing peace to Europe all in one run. TLDR: I, Napoleon  is a very engaging solitaire game. The setup and playtime is long, so it is best played on one of those days where you have an evening to yourself and are free of responsibilities. It takes a bit to get the hang of but does a great job of making you feel like the man himself, with all the glory and tension that come with the role.          I, Napoleon  marks a professional achievement for me. It’s the first board/war game I’ve asked for a review copy of, and I made a good choice. I was nervous asking for it, but the individual who helped me out at GMT Games was very nice and the process was butter-smooth. I first learned about the game ...

Uncanny X-Men (2024) #1 Review Disclaimer: I haven’t read most of the Krakoa era, I began it and then life got in the way somewhere along the line. I’ve always liked the X-Men but when it comes to the comics I’m a real noob, unfortunately. I try not to spoil anything in my reviews. TLDR: This issue is pretty cool, it’s a new jumping on point for a core team of X-Men and although I am 100% missing context, this issue does great at establishing the new status quo and binding you to the characters you know and love.         You want to know something funny? This is my first Gail Simone comic, though it’s not the first thing I’ve experienced that was written by her, it’s my second. The first happened earlier today by complete coincidence, and now I am really biased in favor of the way she writes characters. I start college again in about a week, it’ll be my senior year and so it’s sort of my last summer I get to really spend with my little brother. We...

Path of Achra Review Disclaimer: I asked for and was provided a review copy yesterday night at time of writing. I have just over 6 hours in the game and have beaten the level track on the normal difficulty. TLDR: This game is highly addicting and excels at providing fans of old school sword & sorcery the sort of esoterica that has usually been relegated to dressing in other works. There are many playstyles and goals for one to set out to accomplish. The game makes you feel like a badass and I think most people would feel a very genuine sense of accomplishment after grasping it.          Path of Achra  is my first time asking for a review copy from a dev. I felt nervous about it because this blog is very small and the game is not expensive. I know this isn’t much of an excuse, but I hope my readers will believe me when I say that I don’t have the money to buy and play video games without making difficult choices. I asked the de...

Absolute Power (2024) #1-2 Review Disclaimer: I haven’t read any of the lead up to this event, though I have some context from YouTube videos and I don’t feel as if I’m missing critical context. I’ll try not to spoil anything beyond the advertised premise. TLDR: This event is really intriguing, I knew the premise and yet it has exceeded my expectations. The art is phenomenal and really my only complaint is having to wait to see what happens next.          Absolute Power  is DC’s newest company-wide event. It seems to be the culmination of plots that have been in motion since January of last year , but I’ve only now hopped on. I don’t really regret this, the thing with comics is that there’s always a “before” and after having read the first two issues to this event, I don’t really feel like I’m missing information that would be critical for my enjoyment. If you’ve be...

BattleTech: Mercenaries Unboxing Disclaimer: Seeing this on Kickstarter was actually my first experience with BattleTech as a franchise and despite disliking some of CGL’s choices, I love the franchise itself. At time of writing I haven’t gotten the opportunity to play a game with this expansion, but I hope to indulge more fully whenever possible. TLDR:         The appearance of the game campaign page  for BattleTech: Mercenaries  on Kickstarter was my first time ever seeing what this franchise is. Since then, I’ve learned a lot about the game, its history, and the community around it. I have opinions about its stewardship by CGL that are shared by a not-insignificant number of people, but this article is really just an attempt to focus on the Kickstarter and the product I received. Some of the tangential stuff seemed lazy (like copying online recipes for a themed cookbook) but overall I got a lot of items for $80 and I...