Joshua Wolens
One of Josh's first memories is of playing Quake 2 on the family computer when he was much too young to be doing that, and he's been irreparably game-brained ever since. His writing has been featured in Vice, Fanbyte, and the Financial Times. He'll play pretty much anything, and has written far too much on everything from visual novels to Assassin's Creed. His most profound loves are for CRPGs, immersive sims, and any game whose ambition outstrips its budget. He thinks you're all far too mean about Deus Ex: Invisible War.
Latest articles by Joshua Wolens
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yvy4YEwQQRceyAXemiB8Am-320-80.jpg)
Spelunky creator comes out against god modes in brutal games like his because 'The amount of satisfaction one gets from succeeding eventually is incredible'
By Joshua Wolens published
News But he reckons it's reasonable to include god mode in "most games."
![MissMikkaa celebrates a moment of triumph as she finally beats Shadow of the Erdtree using a dance pad.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KV3mmQdZPX7w5p7KCR8wN5-320-80.png)
'I hope Miyazaki is proud of me': After 325 deaths and a 7-hour bossfight slog, streamer fulfils prophecy and beats Shadow of the Erdtree with a dance pad
By Joshua Wolens published
News The guilty set has, it turns out, got rhythm.
![Mei and Snowball in Overwatch](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HAWBQngMTProrat6PNhpGF-320-80.jpg)
Steamy 'Overwatch cabaret club' where you can pay to have women fall asleep on voice chat with you gets obliterated, is immediately replaced by even steamier Apex version
By Joshua Wolens published
News What a world.
![A fierce-looking warrior in a hooded helmet with blazing eyes, featured in Avowed.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/b4Lhx8Gp83JH3DpUgGcctT-320-80.png)
Obsidian says Larian's experience let it knock Baldur's Gate 3 multiplayer out of the park, but it wouldn't have been possible for Avowed
By Joshua Wolens published
News In Eora we go solo.
![Avowed screenshot](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/XrYfkKMeyoVMdLacEWbdHf-320-80.jpg)
Obsidian went back and made Avowed's combat 'more juicy' because we all collectively winced at its underwhelming first showcase
By Joshua Wolens published
News It's a shame PCG doesn't do itemised review scores because you just know I'd be giving that gameplay a "juicy" rating.
![Watch Dogs](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dFFaCY6c8AqAQdSCgiPwmn-320-80.jpg)
Who wants a Watch Dogs film? Too bad, you're getting one anyway
By Joshua Wolens published
News To be fair I also regularly announce commitments I only hazily remember a decade later.
![A small Master Sword replica compared against a ruler, measuring 6 inches.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bcDSE83C3ERqjBX4AP9sAF-320-80.png)
UK man imprisoned for 4 months after walking up to cops wielding 6-inch Master Sword
By Joshua Wolens published
News Anthony Bray will also have to pay a victims' surcharge of £154.
![Chris Redfield fights a zombie in 1996's Resident Evil.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pwrksahcSY9y8WDsMMoFL4-320-80.jpg)
I spent the last week roaming the Spencer Mansion and I'm here to tell you not to sleep on the new GOG release of 1996's Resident Evil
By Joshua Wolens published
Resurrected Imagine an old game, but good.
![Let Me Solo Her](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yvbC7hqxL87tpctgHYbCRg-320-80.png)
Let Me Solo Her adds fashion icon to his resume as Star Wars showrunner credits 'Elden Bling' for the design of The Acolyte's villainous Sith
By Joshua Wolens published
News Warrior, hero, star of the catwalk.
![Larry the cat as depicted in Roblox.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/p6HkNjbkNRyzH89ioRxSWn-320-80.png)
The BBC dons its game dev cap to combine 2 things I fear and don't understand: The UK General Election and Roblox
By Joshua Wolens published
News Politics? In videogames?
![Jade and friends sneak about a secret base.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/skVwDjbx2hdpWi6EgWuxnY-320-80.jpg)
The Beyond Good and Evil remaster settles 20 years of debate over Jade's parentage in a new prequel tie-in sidequest
By Joshua Wolens published
News Can't wait to find out more in Beyond Good and Evil 2, due any day now.
![Baldur's Gate 3 - Karlach in her starter gear at camp](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BGDFMfjSBLK9Dv3goWbGCc-320-80.jpg)
Race to uncover the Bigfoot of Baldur's Gate 3 cutscenes hots up as YouTuber dangles $500 carrot in front of anyone who can find it
By Joshua Wolens published
News You can use it to buy one and a half collector's editions.
![Resident Evil 1 zombie](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ge3Tfs9EyFxR6JhCSNn8tV-320-80.jpg)
GOG is bringing the original Resident Evil trilogy back from the dead, and to digital PC storefronts for the first time
By Joshua Wolens published
News Feeling pretty itchy tasty right about now.
![Jade equips a disc-launching glove.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dhXpZfNP8YAEbpjaUcufpH-320-80.jpg)
Beyond Good and Evil's remaster is the easiest way to play the game in 2024, just a shame it's also the ugliest
By Joshua Wolens published
Old and Jaded Less is more.
![Keyart for League of Legends' Vampire Survivors-like Swarm mode, showing heroes battling a horde of enemies.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pVvUNL5f2DQjfKuS8yS5eS-320-80.jpg)
Riot unveils League of Legends' summer event and, by jove, I think that's just Vampire Survivors
By Joshua Wolens published
News I mean that as a compliment.
![Artwork created by CD Projekt of Geralt slaying Mohg, from Elden Ring.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4TkPrAscMnceJxxzk4M6Pj-320-80.jpg)
CD Projekt sends in Geralt to help its devs kill Mohg as it congratulates Shadow of the Erdtree on eclipsing Witcher 3's record review scores
By Joshua Wolens published
News Even Blood and Wine has fallen under Erdtree's shadow.
![Dragon Age: Inquisition art](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TYDs2JknnCPSNFWK8Li4Ej-320-80.jpg)
You can grab all 3 Dragon Age games and all their DLC for a measly 10 bucks on Steam right now
By Joshua Wolens published
News Specifically, you can. I spent all my money on bad lattes and snacks.
![A vast landscape with a crashed spaceship in Dune: Awakening.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kFf7sej9GiBNnxrnXQRxzH-320-80.jpg)
Dune: Awakening is threatening to turn me into a survival MMO guy after a lifetime as a devoted videogame hermit
By Joshua Wolens published
Spicy Take The spice must flow.
![Jade from Beyond Good and Evil in her remastered, 20th anniversary form.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/5yzgNXiYfuvPxjexk83w9n-320-80.jpg)
After accidentally releasing its Beyond Good & Evil remaster, Ubisoft has now accidentally announced it
By Joshua Wolens published
News I'll believe it when I'm actively playing it, and maybe not even then.
![A bizarre, high-contrast close-up shot of Daniel from New Vegas' Honest Hearts DLC.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/x8ZnoQADQd9ohv4ByocPnc-320-80.jpg)
Fallout: New Vegas modders come fully unglued in a race to see who can do the stupidest possible thing to a missionary's hat, and it's lasted nearly a month so far
By Joshua Wolens published
News "Daniel has weaponized his hats. God save us all."
![Going toe-to-toe with the Exus boss.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kZktgoAE4WwK2DUJHmpjU9-320-80.jpg)
Hyper Light Breaker brought back all my memories of Dark Souls' greatest boss, and it instantly became one of my favourite demos at Summer Game Fest
By Joshua Wolens published
Boss rush Live, die, repeat.
![Box art for the original Resident Evil, showing a man with a weird face holding a shotgun.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hULez5ZfuPysKYqqycS8CU-320-80.jpg)
A PEGI rating for the OG 1996 Resident Evil has me once again preparing to enter the world of survival horror
By Joshua Wolens published
News I may need to clear off a few whole megabytes of space for this one.
![People gaze outwards toward a sunset.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mH5h5HBT252HmQxDW2BxSQ-320-80.png)
Hours after cancelling its only game, Paradox shutters its 24-person Life by You studio
By Joshua Wolens published
News Paradox Tectonic has followed Life by You into history.
![Doing a kickflip in Skate Story.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6FvKnf98VJyPkRDjfJ9qmV-320-80.jpg)
EA's Skate might have Tim Robinson, but the skating game where I played a demon on a quest to eat the Moon is my most anticipated Tony Hawk-like this year
By Joshua Wolens published
Gnarly as hell Skate Story finally answers the question: Which circle of Hell would Bucky Lasek descend to?
![Darius - an armoured warrior with a huge greataxe.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zG7uxT4WYFFMH7frnmWee9-320-80.jpg)
Senior Riot devs say the League of Legends playerbase is getting older, with fewer newbies jumping in: 'Candidly, it's not the same situation it was 10 years ago'
By Ted Litchfield published
news It's a common problem in long running live service games: how do you onboard new players into something this complex?