Old Archives

This is Diablo 4 at its best. I mean it this time. For real.

Returning to the world of Sanctuary for this latest chapter feels like a true homecoming for those of us who have spent hundreds of hours traversing its dark and unforgiving landscapes since the base game launched back in 2023. The release of the Lord of Hatred expansion marks a significant step forward in the narrative that was originally set in motion during the initial campaign and furthered by the events of the Vesse...

Exceptional audio comes at a cost.

The RIG brand has long been a staple in the gaming community, recognized almost instantly by its aggressive design and commitment to lightweight performance. With the release of the RIG R5 MAX HD, Nacon is attempting to bridge the gap between their traditionally budget friendly, durable headsets and the high-fidelity audiophile market. This headset represents a bold step forward, incorporating exotic materials like graphene and a dedicated exter...

Part Sunset Overdrive, part cancelled Prey 2, part Doom...

When the original High on Life launched, it landed with the subtle grace of a screeching asteroid. It was loud, colorful, and relentlessly talkative. It was a polarizing release that you either loved for its chaotic energy or hated for its refusal to ever be quiet. I fell firmly into the former camp. I loved the talking guns, the vibrant alien worlds, and the absolute absurdity of it all. Naturally, I went into the seque...

A story that stays with you.

It is not often that a game leaves you sitting in silence, staring at the credits while you process what you just experienced. Yet, As Long As You're Here, the new first-person narrative title from developer Autoscopia Interactive that landed on Steam on October 15, 2025, is precisely that kind of game. It’s not a game about winning, or skill, or reflexes. It’s a game about empathy, and it delivers one of the most powerful, moving experiences of th...

It's "Painkiller" but not Painkiller.

For 21 years, the original Painkiller has held a special place in the blood-soaked heart of the FPS genre. It was a glorious, gothic-punk fever dream, a "boomer shooter" before the term was re-coined. It was just you, Daniel Garner, trapped in Purgatory with an arsenal of impossible weapons and an unending horde of demons. It was weird, it was fast, and it was a solo power fantasy. The 2025 Painkiller reboot, from developer Anshar Studios, a...

A House divided.

Control was a heavily stylized, cinematic, third-person action game that very successfully blended the paranormal, supernatural, and a story that expanded and encompassed the Remedy Connected Universe. As Jesse Faden, you worked towards restoring order within The Oldest House, the ever-shifting home for the Federal Bureau of Control (FBC). FBC: Firebreak feels almost like the polar opposite of Control with only a few light threads linking the two together. That ...

The phrase "dog shit" comes to mind.

In the months leading to the release of MindsEye, I received many press mailings promoting some new information or media for the game. Many of those were passed along to you in the form of several brief news articles. One thing I didn't see in any of those mailings was information about review opportunities for MindsEye. The PR company handling these mailings usually starts to include links or details about requesting review codes well in ad...

The lighter side of survival.

Journey to the Savage Planet was always one of those games that I would have loved to have tried out, but I just never found the time to do so. Its quirky take on survival games sounded like it would be right up my alley if only because I'm not too keen on those hardcore survival games where you always start out punching trees with your fist as you slowly die from thirst and hunger. Fast-forward a couple of years and its sequel, Revenge of the Savag...

A review about Soap's soap that somehow wasn't named Soap Soap.

It is time for you to confront the ultimate Gamer^TM fear: Bathing. What if I told you there was a way for you to rid yourself of that odorous fragrance you incorrectly believe that nobody around you notices? See, there are these things called "soap" and "deodorant" available that can leave you smelling like a functioning member of society. Over the many years of running Total Gaming Network, I have had the dubious ple...

An exceptionally customizable wireless mouse.

​ Despite approaching its third year on the market, the Razer Naga V2 Pro still remains one of the most feature packed and versatile gaming mice currently available. The Naga V2 Pro offers three swappable side plates, up to 20 programmable buttons, five on-board memory profiles, and a fully customizable scroll wheel that allows you to adjust scroll tension, the number of scroll steps, and the overall haptic feel of the tactile "bump" when ...

The already stellar HexGaming Phantom now has a Hall Effect option.

In June 2024, I wrote a review for the Phantom, a then upcoming premium PlayStation 5 controller from HexGaming. My review of the HexGaming Phantom was almost universally glowing. I praised the controller for building off the already solid foundation of the PlayStation 5 DualSense while also adding new features that made a lot of sense. The features and quality improvements were things that made sense and, in my...

A lackluster remaster that may only appeal to diehard fans of the original.

Shadows of the Damned should have been one of the all-time greats of the gaming world. It featured Shinji Mikami, the creator of Resident Evil, as the producer. The story was written by Suda51, a director and writer best known at that time for crafting over the top plotlines in games such as No More Heroes and Killer7. The musical score was led by none other than the great Akira Yamaoka, the composer for s...

Refined to hellish perfection.

Diablo IV: Vessel of Hatred feels like a fresh beginning for the action-RPG that released a little over a year ago. Despite receiving generally high praise from media outlets, including my own review, fans were quite vocal about the game needing some broad, sweeping changes to several core gameplay systems. Blizzard responded to these complaints by releasing a series of updates that drastically improved and reiterated on several core gameplay mechanics. ...

It's more Elden Ring but with boss encounters turned up to 11.

Just as Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree unceremoniously thrusts you right into the new DLC, so too shall this review thrust you all straight into what I think of the only expansion for my 2022 game of the year. I do not think that Shadow of the Erdtree is a perfect piece of content. It pales in comparison to the base Elden Ring experience, but not by much. The exploration and sense of discovery do carry over from the...

A decent payday.

INGAME Studios has been hard at work since Crime Boss: Rockay City was released in March 2023. The game reviewed rather poorly during its 2023 debut and you can tell INGAME took the player and reviewer criticisms to heart. Since that release, the studio has released several major updates for Crime Boss ahead of its June 18, 2024 release on Steam. Crime Boss initially appears to outsiders as a game much akin to the Payday titles. That is, you would think that it's a...