Author: Matthew Dillon

Blind Luck – The Last Engineer Long Games 1 Player 45 – 60 Minutes Blind Luck – The Last Engineer is a solo RPG that gives you control of the last survivor against the spider-like scuttlers. The only way to rid your town of these nocturnal arachnids is to search through the ruins for parts to fix the generator and restore power. While scavenging, you’ll come across food, weaponry, and scuttlers. Lots and lots of scuttlers. Designed exclusively for one player, I’ll admit Blind Luck is a little out of my wheelhouse. A lot of my love for this medium…

First-person Shooter Developer: LucasArts Publisher: Aspyr Nintendo Switch Well regarded by Star Wars and FPS fans alike, Star Wars: Republic Commando leaves a lasting impact even 16 years later. The squad-based shooter gives you control of Delta-38, nicknamed “Boss,” leader of a 4 man squad of equally capable clone commandos. Blasting their way through some of the most vital battles of the Clone Wars, Delta’s adventures offer a unique take on Star Wars while uplifting one of the most frustrating game mechanics to plague the shooter genre. Despite Republic Commando’s strong cult following and Delta Squad’s slew of multi-media appearances,…

Shoplifters Will Be Liquidated #5 AfterShock Comics Writer: Patrick Kindlon Artist: Stefano Simeone With its final issue, Shoplifters Will Be Liquidated comes to an explosive finish. At the center of multiple, convoluted plots, loss prevention specialist Nussbaum finds himself. After all is said and done, he really is a single-minded, corporate drone with no real aspirations aside from the demands of the brand. And he wouldn’t have it any other way. However, Nussbaum’s lack of ambitions doesn’t save him from the fate of the schemers surrounding him. Insider trading scams and revolutionary coups end in disaster. The only one who…

Remnant Source Point Press Writer: Michael Roslen Artists: Karly Engracia and Davi Comodo Space colonization has long been a cornerstone of science fiction. In modern, climate change influenced media, humans fleeing an earth they destroyed grows increasingly prominent. But that fantasy is starting to creep into reality too, as people claim we need to get ourselves onto Mars to serve as a new home, “just in case.” One-shot comic Remnant deal with this directly, following a family that’s part of a desperate effort to colonize Mars. Their successes are hard-fought, the tragedies are endless, and it ends on a decidedly…

Mobile Suit Gundam Movie Trilogy Studio: Nippon Sunrise Mecha, Military Available on Blu-Ray Originally airing in Japan from 1979 to 1980, “Mobile Suit Gundam” is an animated TV series depicting a war between Earth and its interstellar colonies in the year 0079 of the Universal Century. The fascistic Principality of Zeon opposes the corrupt Earth Federation, who forced half their population into space decades ago. The better supplied “earthborn elites” find themselves struggling to match Zeon’s mobile suits, massive human-piloted robots. Now losing the war, the Federation’s own mobile suit prototype, the titular Gundam, falls into the hands of…

Transformers Galaxies #4, #5, and #6 IDW Publishing Written by Tyler Bleszinski, Kate Leth, and Cohen Edenfield Art by Livio Ramondelli and Alex Milne With Transformers Galaxies #4, Devastator and the Constructicons’ origins are fully revealed. There’s honestly not much to add to my reviews of the previous issues, as the end doesn’t diverge that much from the beginning or middle. Overall, it was a little too 90s, with characters stating their uncomplicated emotions. Devastator deserves his place as a fan favorite, but this story shows why the combiner’s perspective doesn’t make for a great story. Mainly because there’s not…

Shoplifters Will Be Liquidated #4 AfterShock Comics Writer: Patrick Kindlon Artist: Stefano Simeone A storm is brewing in the Caucasus Superstore. Both above and below, factions vie for control, fortune, revenge, or just the end. And the key to everyone’s success lies in loss prevention specialist Nussbaum. With its penultimate issue, Shoplifters Will Be Liquidated sets up the climax. I only hope it can cover everything its established. At this point, I’m fully invested in this book and its nightmarish chain store world. There are strong moments like Nussbaum being held captive by a hermit with a narrow view…

Transformers #17 IDW Publishing Writer: Brian Ruckley Artists: Anna Malkova and Bethany McGuire-Smith I’d argue that any good artist knows when to let their story speak for itself. That’s especially true for a visual medium. That’s been one of my biggest problems with Brian Ruckley’s Transformers run. Despite all my issues with the series ever-changing art teams, he never gives any of their work a chance to breathe. For all the information thrown at the reader in this story, there’s no time to really process or appreciate any of it. That’s especially ironic when you consider how slow Transformers has…

Transformers 15 & 16 IDW Publishing Writer: Brian Ruckley Artists: Bethany Mcguire-Smith and Anna Malkova To its credit, IDW’s new Transformers series has finally found its place. Megatron prepares to launch a full-scale war against Cybertron from the shadows. The soon-to-be Autobots have a sense of what’s coming but are too busy infighting to actually stop it. Especially since Sentinel Prime is going for the most extreme option available to him. Most of my complaints with the book, from the art to the worldbuilding have been resolved. Unfortunately, I wonder if it’s enough. While Transformers is finally where it needs…

Shoplifters Will Be Liquidated #3 AfterShock Comics Writer: Patrick Kindlon Artist: Stefano Simeone Things ramp up in Shoplifters Will Be Liquidated #3, both above and below the Causcasus SuperStore. Nussbaum struggles to survive in the breakaway society that’s formed beneath shoppers’ feet. In the consumerist world above, there’s an even more concerning development. After his recent suicide attempt, Caucasus founder Mister Provo has decided that since life itself is a commodity, there’s only one new product left to sell. Death. Nussbaum’s journey remains interesting, even if it’s lacking personal growth. He’s now a vehicle for world-building, such as suspended in…