Fresh Look: AAA Gaming Is Following the Hollywood Blockbuster Playbook
As budgets climb and development cycles stretch, Fresh Look’s Neal Sayatovich worries that AAA gaming is adopting Hollywood’s safest habits with fewer enormous bets on new projects and less room for unusual ideas that might become tomorrow’s cult classics.
Fresh Look: EA’s Latest Sports Ad Plan Raises Bigger Questions
Fresh Look’s Neal Sayatovich takes a look at EA’s new advertising platform and argues that even if the company says the changes are aimed at sports titles, the bigger concern is what more in-game ads could mean for players and across the industry.
Fresh Look: Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order Is Still Worth the Trip
Fresh Look columnist Neal Sayatovich this week enjoys the action-adventure title Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. A deep sale finally gave him the excuse to try Fallen Order, and he describes his amazing Star Wars experience.
Fresh Look: Finding Fun With Star Wars Outlaws in an Uneven Galaxy
Fresh Look columnist Neal Sayatovich returned to Star Wars Outlaws expecting a rough experience but found that it was more enjoyable than its reputation suggests, even if its worlds, systems and story never dig quite as deep as they should.
Fresh Look: Going Back to War With Total War: Rome Remastered
Fresh Look’s Neal Sayatovich this week enjoys Total War: Rome Remastered, the remastered version of one of his favorite strategy titles. He finds that it does exactly what a good remaster should do: preserve the feel of the original while making enough smart improvements for a modernized experience.
Fresh Look: When a Business Sim Becomes an Educational Tool
A graduate school capstone course led Fresh Look’s Neal Sayatovich to an unexpected discovery: a free-to-play business sim that not only teaches economic principles but also shows how some games can become useful tools in modern education.
Fresh Look’s Guide to More Affordable Gaming
With console prices rising and new releases regularly hitting around $70, Fresh Look columnist Neal Sayatovich this week looks at some practical ways to stretch your gaming budget.
Fresh Look’s Brief Respite With Jeanne d’Arc and Resident Evil Village
After a few hectic weeks away, Neal Sayatovich returns to Fresh Look with thoughts on two very different titles: the strategic calm of Jeanne d’Arc and the lingering tension of Resident Evil Village.
Fresh Look Examines Highguard’s Sudden Shutdown and the Live Service Problem
The upcoming shutdown of Highguard only weeks after launch highlights a growing problem in the game industry. As more titles adopt the live service model, players are increasingly expected to treat them like daily obligations rather than entertainment.
Fresh Look Examines the Polarizing Effect of Soulslikes
Columnist Neal Sayatovich reluctantly steps into the punishing world of soulslikes this week. Despite his reluctance, he discovers why this brutally difficult and challenging genre inspires both fierce loyalty and total burnout.