All definitions are official definitions derived from using the Major League Baseball Glossary and Baseball Savant. All of these stat categories appear in the Advanced Stats tab of the player profile for their respective categories (hitter or pitcher).

BATTER AND PITCHER ADVANCED STATS (NEW)

1st Row

• BIP – Balls in Play
• GB/FB – Ground Balls to Fly Balls Ratio
• LD% – Line Drive Rate
• GB% – Ground Ball Rate
• FB% – Fly Ball Rate
• IFFB% – Infield Fly Ball Rate
• HR/FB – Home Runs per Fly Ball rate
• IFH% – Infield hit rate
• BUH% – Bunt hit rate
• Pull% – Rate the ball is pulled
• Cent% – Rate ball is hit up the middle
• Oppo% – Rate the ball is hit opposite field
• Soft% – Rate ball is hit softly
• Med% – Rate Ball is hit with average power
• Hard% – Rate ball is hit hard (Exit Velocity equal or greater than 95 MPH)

2nd Row

• AVG EV – Average Exit Velocity of hit balls
• MAX EV – Highest exit velocity of hit balls
• AVG LA – Average Launch Angle of hit balls
• Barrels – How many balls are barreled. A barreled ball a ball must have an exit velocity of at least 98 mph and a launch angle between 26-30 degrees.
• Barrel % – Percentage of hit balls in play that are barreled.
• Hard Hit – Number of balls in play that are hit over 95 miles per hour
• xBA – Expected Batting Average is the likelihood that a ball in play will fall in for a hit
• xSLG – Expected Slugging Percentage is the expected rate at which the batter will slug the ball based weighted by each type of hit the player has tallies. The formula is (1B + 2Bx2 + 3Bx3 + HRx4)/AB)
• wOBA (For some reason there is no tracking of this in OOTP 27 but including it for you stat nerds because it relates to the below stat) – Weighted On-Base Average is a look at what kind of hits (and walks) a player used to get on base rather than just if they did or not.
• Determined via historical scoring data to get an average contribution to run production. This changes every season as new numbers are added to the data.

• Home Run: Worth approximately 2.037 runs.
• Triple: Worth approximately 1.252 runs.
• Double: Worth approximately 1.252 runs.
• Single: Worth approximately 0.882 runs.
• Walk: Worth approximately 0.691 runs

Looking at those numbers, it can be stated that the average homerun is a 2-run homer.

xwOBA – Expected Weighted On-Base Average uses the same factors for each kind of hit.

Batter Only

HITTER STATS

BATTER STATS YOU MAY CONSIDER ADVANCED IN BATTING STATS TAB (OLD)

OPS+ – Adjusted On-Base Percentage + Slugging Percentage
WAR – Wins Above Replacement

To find these change the view of the Career Batting Stats or Batting Splits tabs of the Batting Stats of the player card.

• wOBA – Weighted On-Base Average
• ISO – Isolated Power
• BABIP – Batting Average of Balls in Play
• wRC+ – Adjusted Weighted Runs Created
• WPA – Win Probability Added
• UBR – Base Running Value
• BsR – Total Baserunning Runs Value

Percentile Rankings (Batters)

Batted Balls

• Batting RV – Batting Run Value – This is the odds that a run will score during his at bat. In this case Gunnar has a 23.5% chance of having a run score during his at bats. It also shows the percentile for this stat. (Gunnar Henderson in this simulated season was in the top 4% of batting run value)
• Baserunning RV – Baserunning Run Value – This is the number of runs a player contributes when they are on base whether it is stealing bases or getting extra bases. In the case of Gunnar, when he was on base the Orioles were able to score 2.2 runs which puts him in the 90th percentile.
• Fielding RV – Fielding Run Value – This number is the amount of runs a player’s defensive performance (all aspects of it including holding runners from stealing in Gunnar’s case.) contributes to the team. In this case, Gunnar, who is typically not great defensively, causes his team to actually lose 1.5 runs per his defensive action putting him in the low 38th percentile of fielders.
• HR/FB – Home Runs per Fly Ball
• Soft % – Percentage of balls in play that are hit under 95 MPH.
• Solid % – Percentage of balls in play that are hit just under the definition of a barreled ball (See above for barreled ball definition)
• Barrel% – Percentage of balls in play that are barreled. (See above for barreled ball definition)
• Hard% – Percentage of balls in play that are hit over 95 MPH.
• Avg EV – Average Exit Velocity
• Max EV – Highest Exit Velocity achieved

Superstats

• xBACON – Expected batting average on contacted balls
• xSLGCON – Expected slugging percentage on contacted balls
• xwOBACON – Expected Weighted On Base Percentage on contacted balls
• xBA – See definition in Batter Advanced Stats (New) Section
• xSLG – See definition in Batter Advanced Stats (New) Section
• xwOBA – See definition in Batter Advanced Stats (New) Section
• K% – Percentage of strikeouts in at bats
• BB% Percentage of walks in at bats
• SB% – Percentage of stolen base success

Pitch Value

• Fastball RV – Run value on fastballs faced
• Breaking RV – Run value on breaking balls faced
• Offspeed RV – Run value on offspeed pitches faced
• Whiff% – Rate at which batter swung and missed at pitches
• O-Swing% – Rate at which batter swung at pitches outside the strike zone
• Z-Swing% – Rate at which batter swung at pitches in the strike zone
• Swing% – Rate at which batter swung at pitches thrown to him
• O-Contact% – Rate at which batter made contact with pitches outside the strike zone
• Z-Contact% – Rate at which batter made contact with pitches in the strike zone
• Contact% – Rate at which batter made contact with pitches thrown to him

Batter Spray Chart

• This shows where a batter has hit the ball. As you can see you can change what is shown. The legend contains:
• GO (Groundout)
• FO (Flyout)
• SI (Single)
• DO (Double)
• TR (Triple)
• HR (Home Run)

Pitcher Only

PITCHER STATS YOU MAY CONSIDER ADVANCED IN PITCHER STATS TAB (OLD)

• BABIP – Batting Average of batters faced when they put the ball in play
• ERA+ – Adjusted Earned Run Average – Earned Run Average that also takes into account ballpark factors. A full table of Ballpark Factors can be found here at Baseball Savant
• WAR – (See definition above)

3rd Row in Advanced Stats

• Pitches – Number of pitches thrown
• O-Swing % – Percentage of pitches thrown outside the zone were swung at
• Z-Swing % – Percentage of pitches thrown inside the zone were swung at
• Swing% – Percentage of pitches thrown were swung at
• OC% – Percentage of pitchers thrown outside the zone
• ZC% – Percentage of pitches thrown inside the zone
• Zone% – The ratio in percentage of balls thrown in the zone to balls thrown out of the zone
• RV – Run Value
• RV-FB – Run Value on Fastballs thrown
• RV-BR – Run Value on Breaking Balls thrown
• RV-OFF – Run Value on Off Speed Pitches thrown
• Close% – Percentage of pitches thrown in a 2-strike count
• Whiff% – Percentage of pitches thrown that resulted in a swing and miss
• Chase% – Percentage of pitches thrown outside the zone that batters chased at

Percentile Rankings (Pitchers)

Batted Ball

• GB% – Percentage of pitches hit that ended up as ground balls
• GB/FB – Ground ball to Fly ball ratio on pitches hit
• HR/FB – Homerun to Fly Ball ratio on pitches hit
• Avg EV – Average exit velocity for balls hit
• Soft % – Percentage of pitches thrown that were hit into play softly
• Solid % – Percentage of pitches thrown that had solid contact made on them
• Barrel % – Percentage of pitches thrown that were barreled
• Hard % – Percentage of pitches thrown that were hit hard

Superstats

• xERA
• xBACON – Expected batting average on contacted balls
• xSLGCON – Expected slugging percentage on contacted balls
• xwOBACON – Expected Weighted On Base Percentage on contacted balls
• xBA – See definition in Batter Advanced Stats (New) Section
• xSLG – See definition in Batter Advanced Stats (New) Section
• xwOBA – See definition in Batter Advanced Stats (New) Section
• K/BB
• K% – Percentage of strikeouts in at bats
• BB% Percentage of walks in at bats

Pitch Result

See other definitions in Pitcher 3rd Row of Advanced Stats except for Contact %, which can be found in the Batter’s Pitch Value Section.

Pitch Type

• Pitching RV – Pitching Run Value – Avg number of runs a pitcher prevented based on his pitching
• Fastball RV – Fastball Run Value – Avg number of runs a pitcher prevents when throwing a fastball
• Breaking RV – Breaking Run Value – Avg number of runs a pitcher prevents when throwing a breaking ball
• Offspeed RV – Offspeed Run Value – Avg number of runs a pitcher prevents when throwing an offspeed pitch
• All Fastball% – Percentage of any type of fastball thrown
• Breaking% – Percentage breaking balls are thrown
• All Offspeed% – Percentage of any type of offspeed pitch thrown
• FB Velo – Average Fastball Velocity

Pitch Usage Chart

This shows the percentage of pitches the pitcher used.

If anything is missing from this guide that you feel should be added, please contact me on X at @darthpyrin.

The post Out of the Park Baseball 27’s Advanced Stats Guide appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

This demo, also remastered, starts with a bit of info on the cancelled game. The story apparently focuses on Kain’s continuing quest to purify the Pillars of Nosgoth to heal the land once more. Also, it seems this game would have continued to focus on the demon beings known as Hylden, whom you faced in Defiance as both Raziel and Kain. These beings are a central theme in the Legacy of Kain story and are the reason the vampires are immortal yet sterile. Janos Audron, whom Raziel awoke in Defiance, is also mentioned as central to this story. All of these factors connect to the Pillars and how they were eventually corrupted.

Once that pop-up closes, you are free to explore this small slice of the beginning of the game. From what the pop-up states and the time I spent in this very short demo, I sensed this mountain pass was supposed to lead to some sort of entrance way to the Demon Realm. The enemies you fought to get to this portal were vampire hunters and Hylden, similar to those you fought in Defiance.

The themes of this unmade game certainly feel similar to those of Defiance. The difference is that you only have one protagonist in Kain. Since Raziel was absorbed into Kain at the end, with the Soul Reaver ultimately destroyed, it seems you are working towards restarting the cycle of the timeline by involving Janos, the keeper of the Soul Reaver. This is the sword that you wield as Raziel in Defiance, and it has a whole game named after it in the series.

The Legacy of Kain series focuses on a cyclical timeline. With what we know about this unreleased sequel, it seems Kain was working on breaking that timeline. If that is what this game could have been, perhaps the Legacy of Kain could have gotten some closure. Instead, we will never know what could have been.

After playing the remaster of Defiance, I could see a modern Legacy of Kain game being made that focuses on this. While the story repeating itself could open the door for some interesting alterations to each timeline, I think giving Kain and Nosgoth a chance to rest in peace could be something worth exploring. Defiance ends on a cliffhanger, and Kain wanders out into the world to continue his quest.

The post Unreleased Legacy of Kain: Defiance Sequel – What Could Have Been appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

A Fun Little Story

As one would expect with a game whose main character is Professor Hamster Jones, the story is simple and sweet. When Hamster Jones gets a package containing the creature Charaon (who is quite polite to the ladies), the creature challenges him. And what better place to have this challenge than a pyramid? So, Jones and his posse (one named Chris Ceratops; guess what kind of dinosaur he is) head to Egypt.

The cutscene in the beginning is all in French, but I appreciate the English subtitles. It does not affect the story or the gameplay in any way, and many indie developers cannot afford localization. You start your journey in the treasure room. This is the top of the pyramid and acts as your hub where you can talk to your friends. Often, after certain room objectives, they will have some important dialogue that advances the story. Charaon will often taunt you as the story progresses, all in an attempt to waver the player’s confidence.

Lots of Puzzles!

Hamstermind has multiple types of puzzles. Getting through the game only requires you to solve the big center puzzle in each room and collect the glowing orbs. As you go deeper into the Pyramid, the puzzles become more complicated. Not only do you go vertically through the Pyramid, but there are also side routes. Each route, labeled with a letter from A to E, has a different number of rooms. Routes B through D circled back to route A. The “E” rooms were what really took me by surprise. To really beat the game, you have to get over 200% completion.

The main puzzles are made up of tiles. These can be rotated and sometimes moved depending on the formation of the rooms. Later in the game, you have to flip some of the rooms as well. It is a lot of furious trigger pressing, and the game does recommend a controller when you boot it up. At the time of writing this review, I have still not reached the end of Route “E,” though I plan to.

Every room also has a scarab puzzle, and these start off very easily and get very difficult as you get closer to completionist status. They involve rotating a box and trying to get a labeled tile into the right spot. The labels are images of snakes, insects, and other critters. Scarabs unlock skins and hints for the translation puzzle. There are 5 different skins to unlock, from a spaceman to a cool Easter egg and a nod to One Piece with their version of a pirate.

Yes, More Puzzles!

The translation puzzles look like vending machines. When you use them, you will see a grid with symbols, blank spots, and weights. Don’t worry, the game will eventually teach you what everything means as long as you do the scarab puzzles. The translation puzzles involve putting symbols in the correct blank spots.

Some rooms also have a puzzle involving unlocking the entrance to other routes. In these puzzles, you must direct a bug to hit all the buttons on a web. Players must use the change of direction buttons to ensure the bug touches them all. Once you complete that, the passageway will stay open permanently.

Cute and Challenging

Hamstermind was a lot more fun than I expected. With it being their first PC game, Righteous Tree did not disappoint. Going around and trying to beat all the puzzles has been quite frustrating and fun at the same time. Your brain really has to work on some of the puzzles.

Can you help Professor Hamster Jones achieve archaeological glory?

Pick up Hamstermind on Steam. The game is currently 25% off with its introductory sale.

The post Hamstermind Is a Deceptively Deep Puzzle Game (Review) appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

This review will cover Crisol’s unique mechanics and how managing your ammunition could mean the difference between life and death, more than in most other games. As Gabriel, you dive deeper into the dark island of Tormentosa. Nestled off the coast of this world’s Spain, named Hispania, help uncover a conspiracy of godly proportions.

Sun vs Sea

In Crisol: Theater of Idols, you play as a servant of the Sun, a god who is at war with the Sea. Players are thrown onto the island, which is rainy and dark. Through this, it seems the Sun is not welcome. Your mission is to reseal the Sea into a prison by finding four daggers. Along the way, you have to fight walking statues, rock monsters, flying babies, and other creepy enemies. You also meet a group of rebels called Solari, led by a spunky youth named Mediodia. Luckily, they are also servants of the Sun, but you don’t meet them until after the prologue. You then end up at their base, and it will become your hub.

Throughout the game, memories will appear to you, uncovering more of the hidden stories that haunt this island. If you are a completionist (I am not), this is an incentive to find them all. The story as a whole has a lot of elements to it. At 15-20 hours, you get a lot to dive into. Luckily, there is a journal that records every note, memory, and more. This helps and creates a nice codex for the player. Oftentimes, you will find books and notes that have clues for future puzzles. The puzzles are a lot of fun and tie into the story, so you are never pulled out of it. In the end, it is a solid story with some good twists. As you are hunting for the daggers, you uncover why this war is happening and how to stop it.

Blood Bullets

The reason Crisol: Theater of Idols has the survival tag is due to the unique ammunition system. For your guns, the player has to use their own blood. Every time you reload your gun, you drain some of your blood. Fear not, because your health bar is upgradeable. Depending on the gun depends on how much blood you use. Shotgun is different than SMG, which is different than pistol. One nice aspect of this mechanic is that you can reload your gun partially. Gabe starts with a pistol, with a total of 5 guns to find. Each gun also has its own animation for reloading, which adds to the fun of this mechanic.

Every gun is upgradeable. Damage, reload speed, fire rate, and ammo capacity are what you can put points into. Each point costs coins that you find throughout the island. As you go through the game, you can earn discounts by freeing crows. These crows belong to the fortune teller, where you can purchase these upgrades. The more crows you free, the higher the discount goes.

This unique mechanic made for a really intense game. Oftentimes, you will be going into a new area with a lot of ammo and a little health or vice versa. It is a matter of finding a perfect balance, collecting blood as often as possible from dead NPCs, animal carcasses, and blood fountains. Some NPCs you drain will also give you items for quests or solari tokens that can unlock chests at the hub.

Your syringes are an important part of your toolbelt. Upgrading that pouch at the fortune teller is crucial as you get deeper into the game. Certain skills also add to how you are able to heal, reload, and manage this whole mechanic.

Skills and Tools

The skill system is rather straightforward, and players may not unlock all of them before completing the game. To unlock each one, the player uses essence collected from killed enemies. There are also crow skull relics that players must find. Each skill has a different skull value ranging from 2 to 4. Once again, crows are involved because skills are unlocked through the fortune teller.

Another tool in the player’s arsenal is the knife. The knife, as a weapon, is very useful in mid-battle should you run out of ammo and are low on blood. Oftentimes, an enemy will be down to a torso and legs, or even just legs, and a couple of swipes with the knife finishes them off. The knife does lose durability as you use it, and can be restored via a sharpening station. Players must use gas cans, found strewn across the island, to operate these stations. The knife’s durability is upgradeable via the fortune teller.

Players will use many tools on their travels across Tormentosa. Bolt cutters will get you through many parts of one chapter, while a mini ship’s steering wheel will aid you another time. Another part finds you using a brake lever. Each part of the island has its own mechanisms, traps, and puzzles.

Aesthetics, Environments, and Music, Ole!

The very nice thing about Crisol is that the game is very linear and story-driven, yet it feels very open. As a player in this sort of game, you want to not feel too boxed in. Crisol manages this wonderfully. The designers developed a beautiful yet forlorn world that has a lot of different places to explore. As players go through each chapter, they will visit each different district.

Every district is a different theme, and the styles of buildings and decorations really exemplify what that theme is for each one. I was not once disappointed at what I was looking at. The colors used were just the right palette to reflect the tone of the game. And it ran beautifully on the highest graphic settings at 2K resolution (I am running a 12th gen i7, 64 GB DDR5 RAM, and a 4070 TI).

The music in Crisol: Theater of Idols created perfect moments and added to the intensity when it was necessary. Whether running from Dolores, a 10-ft tall monstrosity, or enjoying the carnival games in the hub, I was able to appreciate what was playing in the background. Players will be able to enjoy the music in the main menu as well through vinyl record collectables found throughout the world.

Extras! Extras!

Games like Crisol often have multiple treasures to discover in their world. Whether you find a vinyl record or a page that can reveal a new part of the story, Crisol is a treasure trove of content. You can also win tickets at the fair to unlock different useful and collectible items. Achievements are important for extras, too, with each one having a value. Once a player is done with the story, they will be able to unlock virtual models of many of the items, enemies, and weapons in the game. Additionally, this feature really allows you to appreciate the hard work Vermila Studios has put into the game. Players can also feel good about their hard work through their achievements. Listening to the few vinyls I have unlocked also tempted me to go back and find the rest. Yes, the soundtrack is quite good.

Final Reaction

Blumhouse has a winner with Crisol: Theater of Idols. Despite some minor bugs that I am sure the developers will patch up, it did not affect the gameplay. If I were to have any complaint, it would be that the running mechanic felt a little sluggish, and there were a few boat rides that felt the same. I think the sluggish running is on purpose, as it added to the sense of urgency. I still would not mind a springier Gabe, though. But really, the only real complaint is the slow boat rides.

Crisol: Theater of Idols is one I highly recommend checking out. With a great story, unique mechanics, and engrossing environments, first-person shooter and horror fans alike will want to check this one out. It is not a perfect game by any means, but Crisol: Theater of Idols makes me excited for what the folks at Vermila Studios have up their sleeves.

Pick up Crisol: Theater of idols now on Steam, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5.

The post Crisol: Theater of Idols Review – How Blood Becomes Ammo in Blumhouse’s New Horror Game appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

As a disclaimer, I do not jump scare easily, so I was about to heavily judge the game on how well it could do that. I expected a hide-and-seek style game, but what I actually got was more of a Saw-style experience.

A Simple Story

The protagonist is masked, as they usually are in this sort of horror story. As is par for the course, this character will be your tour guide for the death house you are about to experience. He tasks you with collecting Rainbow Coins, and to keep you in suspense, there are more than 5 and fewer than 10. The game does a good job of driving you to the point where you really want to find out what is going on. As you delve deeper into Rainbow Gate, things get odder and creepier, but the payoff does not really quantify the time spent in the facility.

There really is not much to the story of Rainbow Gate. Someone close to the player goes missing. The last place they were seen is the defunct animatronic amusement known as Rainbow Gate. The caveat is that this person close to you was investigating others going missing. When you first enter the world, it is clear the facility has been closed down for a while now.

A Puzzle of Suspense

As the game got deeper, the puzzles became more complex and less forgiving. This is a game you may have to put down and sleep on to get through, as was the case with the last coin puzzle. Games like this should not have you wanting to take a break, and so this was a let-down. However, since playing, the developer has released a balancing patch for this very complaint, so kudos to 7Evil for being a responsive developer.

Now I was hoping to play a game such as Out of Sight, avoiding a hunter while travelling through a maze of animatronics with forgiving puzzles that cater to accessibility. Once I really dove into Rainbow Gate, I understood the intensity of a game like this. I was playing Saw with killer teddy bears. Without spoiling too much of the experience, there are land mines, spiked gauntlets, and puzzles that test your mettle as well as your patience. And most of the time, you are avoiding characters that want your blood.

Aesthetically Pleasing

Built in Unreal Engine 5, the world of Rainbow Gate is beautiful. The lifelike assets, characters, and environment are the real winners of this game. Without the amazing graphics and sounds, Rainbow Gate would just be another game. However, since the colors, music, and everything else in between are so fluid and immersive, you really feel like you are actually there. The camcorder HUD and VHS-style overlay really play into this, too.

The use of lighting in some of the areas added to the creepiness. That seems to be the vibe Rainbow Gate wants to give. Rather than scare you, the game seems to want to creep you out more. It makes one wonder if we need a new horror sub-genre of games: Creepy Horror.

Scary Controls

The subgenre Rainbow Gate is put into is survival horror. The survival aspects of the game were clear through the way you had to play the game. You are given an inventory where you can store things you need to progress through certain areas, such as cranks, coins, and other items. You also have to store health pens and night vision batteries. This is a place where the game really fails. In order to use your health and night vision batteries, the player has to open the inventory and then press a hot key. This convoluted approach to item use may have been implemented on purpose. The clunky controls actually add to the suspenseful nature of the game because of having to stop to use certain items. I can see many players hating it, though. There is evidence of this in the Steam reviews already. Perhaps this will be another change the developer will make with a patch.

Not So Scary Verdict

Coming into writing this review, I was ready to be more critical of the puzzles towards the end of the game. Seeing that the developers have already addressed this is a very bright light in this industry that many indie developers create. These small teams want their games to succeed, and the team even admits in the Steam AI disclaimer that, because they are a small team, they needed to utilize AI for certain aspects of the game. This seems to be becoming more of a reality.

Did Rainbow Gate scare me? No, it did not really do a great job at that. I probably flinched 2 or 3 times the whole game. However, for me, that is quite a lot, so I have no doubts the game would scare others who play horror games for that endorphin rush.

At a decent price point of $13.99, Rainbow Gate won’t break the bank. Unless you are a big horror game fan, this one will probably pass you by. However, for fans of the genre, definitely give it a look.

The post Rainbow Gate Will Please Hardcore Horror Fans (Review) appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

New & Familiar Mechanics

A good platformer only goes as far as the gameplay systems it employs. Big Hops does this wonderfully. When you think about classic platformer characters like Mario, Banjo-Kazooie and even Link, you look at the unique styles they brought to this genre. Mario’s jumping, Banjo’s zooming, and Link’s climbing are all present in Big Hops, which shows the influences that the developers at Luckshot used to build the game. Other mechanics from these games include fruit to heal and pots with coins in them. What sets Big Hops apart, though, is Hop’s tongue.

You quickly learn in the opening area of the game how important the tongue is. Whether it is grappling, grabbing food off bushes and pots with coins in them, picking locks, or pulling levers, it is not surprising that a game with a frog as the main character uses his tongue in this way. I often found myself running around the world seeing what the tongue could do. The nice thing is that the tongue will only work when you need it to. Many games, like Big Hops, will simply let you use their main mechanics willy-nilly. A visualization of what button to press (depending on your input device) for the tongue pops up when you are close to an item you can use it on. As one would expect, this could be challenging when navigating large gaps, but that did not take away from the enjoyment of the game.

Some other mechanics really played into the character playing a frog. You want to jump higher? If you crouch (bend those knees!) while jumping, you could go higher. And don’t forget about the slick reptilian body of a frog, either. Hop can slide around on his body, and doing this can make you go very fast. One of the trinkets you unlock and equip even displays a speedometer on screen.

As mentioned, the tongue is also used to grab food off bushes. Food is used for health, but it is also used to get to places you thought you could not reach. Mushrooms allow you to bounce higher, and apples make a stamina break while climbing, to name a few. These and other items can be stored in your backpack, which starts with four slots and can be expanded through trinkets.

Trinkets, Insects, and Upgrades

Trinkets are a great mechanic in the game. I really like the use of stickers on Hop’s backpack for trinkets. It added to the immersion for sure. With only a few trinket slots to begin with, the main antagonist of the game, Diss, tasks you, the player, with collecting dark drips, as he calls them.

After you collect so many pieces of a drip, Diss will appear at one of his many designated areas in the world. Here you will be able to unlock a trinket. The player gets to choose between two. Some trinkets will give you more health, others extra trinket slots, while others affect gameplay mechanics to your benefit, such as holding your breath longer. Some trinkets that you can choose from are upgrades of previous ones, such as the underwater breathing one.

Swimming, as one would imagine, is a very important mechanic in a game with a frog as the main character. However, when you start the game, Hop does not know how to swim well. The underwater swimming mechanic unlocks as you progress through the main story. Players can find Diss’ purple platforms throughout the different areas, so switching out trinkets is possible. I found myself switching out trinkets often. This was especially true as I unlocked more trinkets than I had slots for. The slots maxed out at eight, which caters to the many play styles of different gamers.

And what sort of game starring a Frog would Big Hops be if it did not include insects? As you travel the different areas, Hop will encounter different kinds of bugs and spiders. Depending on how many different kinds you find, you will be able to upgrade things like your wallet size and how many hearts you have. While not important for the story, this is a very cool part of the game that will make you always wonder if you have found that bug or not. From a distance, I would ask myself, is that a new one?

All About Family

The main story of Big Hops is a heartwarming one centered around family. The game starts with Hop camping with his family. Your main goal is to get back home. As you navigate the valley, looking for a way out, Diss appears and whisks you away to a void. He explains that the world is ending and the only way to fix it is to collect the dark drips. Throughout the five areas you get to explore, you meet colorful characters that need your help to fix their area’s problem. You will make friends with rabbits, otters, bats, and more, who help move the story along. From the desert to the void and back home, the question remains throughout the whole game. Why does Diss need Hop’s help? You will have to play to find out for yourself.

Final Reaction

Luckshot Games has given us a very fluid and enjoyable experience. With fun mechanics and a simple but pleasant story, Big Hops is a title that all platformer fans should have a look at. Many worry about indie titles because of possible bugs due to a lack of outside testing, but no game-breaking bugs were found. Big Hops is a solid entry that will give you hours of enjoyment. Pick up Big Hops now on Steam, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.

The post Big Hops Is a Fun and Nostalgic Platformer (Review) appeared first on Nerd Reactor.

What Is Citizen Pain?

As the heroine Catherina, Citizen Pain takes you on a quest to fight the Undead King. On the way, you will battle a variety of enemies from undead soldiers to knights with shields. The enemies are either large and imposing or small and quick. Trying to avoid the knights that throw firebombs while dashing around the undead charging you can be quite challenging and nerve-racking. The game makes no apologies for how difficult it is, and it is a misconception that game journalists are great at games. Most of us are average gamers, and I will not tell a lie when I say this was one of the hardest games I have ever played, and Alessandro, I know, will be happy to hear that. The final boss took me almost a week to beat. While you are doing all this, you are also against the clock.

Throughout the levels, there are pickups. These pickups are health (which were few and far between), souls (the currency for leveling up), and temporary weapons that had a durability bar. The nice thing about the stages is that you were able to go back for the pickups. Say you did not get hit in an area that has health: move on to the next and come back for it if you get hit. The same goes for the weapons. The souls mechanic in Citizen Pain really drives the roguelite part of the game home. You earn them both by killing enemies and through pickups. After you beat a level, you go back to the hub, where you can spend the souls. This is where the multi-genre aspect of the game really comes into play.

All the Genres

Citizen Pain combines first-person melee combat with Soulslike and roguelite elements. You see it every second you play the game. The sword play is obviously the first, the parrying and dodging is the Soulslike aspect, and the dodging is also a dash, which really is a roguelite gameplay mechanic that you see in many iso camera roguelites. The souls’ currency also really drives the roguelite part of it home. Like many roguelites, when a run ends, you can upgrade your character and try it again. In this case, the game is a little more flexible, as when a stage ends with your death, you can choose to try the level again or go back to the hub and upgrade. Being able to do this will keep you coming back to the game.

Satisfaction After 6 Days

As stated above, this is one of the most difficult games I have ever played. Beating each stage was like beating a mini game of its own. I often found myself too tired or wound up to get through a stage. This game requires patience and focus. But it keeps you wanting to come back and beat your previous score. Every stage grades you based on time, max combo, and hits taken. Each of those is given a letter grade, with the highest being S.

Final Reaction

The fact that this game was built by one person is a testament to the hard work and dedication Alessandro Capriolo has put into this game. We live in an age of large publishers and conglomerate entities that drive the industry. Much like it was highlighted by Geoff Keighley at the Game Awards, indie development is starting to make more of an impact in gaming, and we are here for it. I look forward to seeing what else Alessandro gives us in the future, but until then, check out Citizen Pain, now available on Steam.

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Casey Hudson Returns

The biggest gripe people have with Hudson is how he left the Mass Effect series and the disaster that was, is, Anthem (Anthem is shutting down in January of 2026). However, I beg you to “come, stay a while, and listen” (yes, I know that is from Diablo 2). I will regale you on why Fate of the Old Republic is the game that Star Wars fans have been waiting looking forward to for a while.

First, I would like to say that yes, we were all disappointed by the ending in Mass Effect 3. It felt rushed and like your choices earlier did not matter. However, game development has certainly changed since Mass Effect 3 was released. Fans are now more involved in game development. They play the games before they come out in alphas and betas. Developers look at social media more to see what fans are saying. There are more chances to show off your game and more people to get eyeballs on it through that same social media. Hudson and the folks at Arcanaut will know if the fans are happy before the game even releases.

Also, remember, Hudson had nothing to do with the 4th game in the series. He did, however, have a hand in Anthem. My argument for this was that the game industry was starting a shift to live service, and everyone was trying it. Having played Anthem, in what we want to call its prime, I actually enjoyed the gameplay and doing the missions with my friends. The game has not aged well, which is why it is shutting down, but Hudson is not at fault for that either. Now that we have squashed the negatives about Hudson, let’s move on to the game itself.

Death Star Plans Acquired

The year is 2004, and you just popped Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic into your original Xbox, Duke controller in hand. You marvel at the graphics, squeal at the story, and cheer at the gameplay. Fast forward 20 years, and the game, while still fun, has not aged well. The controls are archaic, and the cameras and graphics are janky. All of this reminds me of another game. This, too, is an amazing game, but it did not age the best, as many games do not. If you guess that I was speaking about Final Fantasy VII, you get yourself a gold star.

Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth reinvented a game that is almost 30 years old. Modern technology allowed it to look beautiful and play smoothly. The switch to ARPG really helped open the game to players who are not keen on traditional turn-based mechanics. Plus, with modern technology, Square Enix was able to throw in award-winning motion capture and voice acting. Hudson and Co. have their blueprint for Fate of the Old Republic.

Star Wars on the big and small screens has been somewhat shaky recently. However, Star Wars games over the past decade have been pretty on point. Sure, there have been a few misses or two (eg, Star Wars Hunters and the Battlefront 2 lootbox debacle), but overall, Star Wars titles have had good stories and great gameplay. From the Fallen Order series to Outlaws, the longevity of Star Wars: The Old Republic, plus all the great LEGO games, gamers heading to a galaxy far, far away have rarely been disappointed.

What also really helps the case for Fate of the Old Republic is how many modern spiritual successor games are successful. Games like Bioshock (System Shock), Legend of Zelda: The Breath of the Wild (Ocarina of Time), Elden Ring (Dark Souls/Demon Souls) come to mind. They all took games that had limited technology, moved the story forward while also creating new experiences with modern mechanics. Hudson aims to do the same.

A Game for All Fans

Casey Hudson and Arcanaut Studios have a big task ahead of them. With the model of the recent Final Fantasy VII games, the modern technology at their disposal, and the voice of the fans, the model for how to make a modern RPG that fans love is right in front of them. Making a game like Knights of the Old Republic but for the modern gamer with modern mechanics that anybody can pick up and play, is a winning formula. As a long-time gamer, I grew up on turn-based RPGs. I understand they are not for everyone, and the menus can often be overwhelming in battle. So, all gamers and every Star Wars nerd rejoice! We are getting the game we deserve.

Star Wars: Fate of The Old Republic still has no release date. Check out the website and stay with Nerd Reactor for more updates on the game as they are given to us.

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Disclaimer: This article is based on a preview build of the game. This preview only covers single player.

On a ‘Journey’

The single-player mode has nine areas to play through. Each area has multiple stages, and these stages get more difficult as you go along. If you have never played a Lumines game, the object is to make as many 2×2 squares as possible. Once you hit the goal, the next stage begins.

The visuals are incredible and will take your eyes on a rollercoaster ride. The music does a great job transitioning as you move into a new stage in the given area. There are no intermissions until an area is fully completed, and the action is non-stop.

Each stage uses different visuals for the pieces. At times, you feel like you are in a dance club, while at others, it could feel like you are wandering through the rainforest. Not only does the music immerse you into the stage, but there are often detriments that can affect your vision, reflexes, and overall interaction with the stage. I have to admit, I was not ready for some of these, and they definitely add to the fun and challenge of the game.

Other Modes & Mechanics

Lumines Arise will be a game you can enjoy in many different ways. Of course, there will be the single-player Journey, and once you complete that, you will be able to access the Missions mode. There is also a playlist mode that will let you play stages you have completed in any order you want. I am really glad the developers added this last mode since there were some stages and songs that I really enjoyed more than others. These are stages I could see myself going back and playing.

Another cool feature in the game is being able to customize your Loomii. As you play, you earn currency called Pon. You use Pon in the Loomii-Pon, and every 300 Pon unlocks something new for your Loomii. These range from nameplates to heads.

A Futuristic Retro Experience

I grew up playing Tetris in the ’80s and ’90s and still play it on occasion, yet I had never experienced anything like Lumines Arise in all my years of gaming. I often found myself “oohing” and “aahing” at the way the game presented itself. Much like other games in the genre, like Tetris, Dr. Mario, and others, Lumines Arise checks all the boxes for this type of experience. If you are a gamer who likes challenging puzzle games and some good heavy beats, then this is one you will want to check out.

Lumines Arise drops on Steam and PlayStation 5 on November 11, 2025.

Make sure to stay current with all your pop culture news at NerdReactor.com.

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Meet Robert Robertson III

The first episode introduces you to the main character of Dispatch, Robert Robertson III, voiced by Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad). When you meet Robert, he is the independent superhero named Mecha Man. This first episode is the tutorial episode, teaching you the ins and outs of the game. Much like a TellTale game, which is definitely at the root of the experience, dialogue choices are very important. On top of what your character says, multiple quick-time events can affect how the rest of the episode plays out. Some minigames require certain keystrokes to get by.

The main plot of the game is right in the title. You are a superhero dispatcher, but you do not start as one. Being able to see how that comes to be is quite satisfying. The writing is excellent, and the folks at AdHoc definitely know how to spin a tale. The characters in the first episode are compelling and over the top, which adds to the entertainment value. It is a good introduction to this alternate reality of Los Angeles and the world that is full of superheroes.

As the episode winds down, you are given an actual dispatching tutorial to go through. By the end of it, you will have a good understanding of how to send a superhero on a job. What this episode does not do is introduce you to your team fully. While you meet some of them, the second episode does an actual introduction to each one and throws you into being a dispatcher.

Second Episode

The second episode throws you right into the action. With the tutorial finished, it is time to get to work. Your first day at the office has you running into a familiar face. If you played the demo of the game, you will know who this is referring to since this portion is part of the demo. (We meet Jeffrey Wright’s character.) The writing between him and Aaron Paul is good for laughs, especially because Wright’s character is full of sass, contrasting Paul’s dry humor.

Once you enjoy some great banter, you are then given the dossier for your superhero team. Each hero has a pentagon skill chart. The five skill categories are Combat, Intelligence, Charisma, Mobility, and Vigor. They have their own strengths and weaknesses, as well as quirks that make them better for certain jobs. Once you meet them, your first day continues with your first real shift. This gives you the chance to get to know your heroes better, level them up a few times, and see which heroes work best in those particular jobs. Sometimes you need a fine-toothed comb, and others you need a bulldozer.

Your heroes, being former villains, will talk smack and try and make your first day miserable. They will also attempt to request jobs. What jobs you send them on, and what you say to them, will affect your relationships with that hero in future episodes. The dispatch system is quite simple to use, and much like most TellTale-like games, you will spend most of your time clicking your mouse button or primary controller button. Navigating the whole system becomes like clockwork. Like any new game, it took me a few tries to remember to click everything I needed to and who was best for what. Once I figured it out, it became easier and my team was met with praise. Of course, the insults were still flying in.

Ready for the Rest

I’m a big fan of The Wolf Among Us and other TellTale games, and Dispatch has been a fantastic game. The first two episodes are everything I could have asked for in this type of experience. I had also played a bit of the demo, so I knew that the team at AdHoc had put a lot of love into this title. With the next episodes dropping on October 29th, I can’t wait to play and be a part of the rest of the story.

You can play the first two episodes of Dispatch now when you pick up your copy on Steam or PlayStation 5. Stay tuned for more Dispatch coverage on Nerd Reactor.

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