Gaming off the Beaten Path

I haven't really been in a survival horror mood as of late, so I had to find another way to keep it spooky this Halloween. I mean, few gaming series have their roots as deep in classic horror as Castlevania. I wouldn't exactly call these games scary, but they definitely lean heavily into that spooky season aesthetic that everybody is looking for this time of year. It's not exactly an "Off the Beaten Path" franchise, but it is one I'm not overly familiar with. I have certainly played the games before, I am a huge fan of Symphony of the Night and the lesser know Lament of Innocence was one of the first games I ever reviewed, but it's not a series that I am super heavily invested in. I've played most of the mainline ones, but not necessarily to completion, but I haven't really branched out to many of the lesser known titles. I certainly haven't played any of the handheld entries in the franchise before. Speaking of things that are scary, I kind ...

Well, we knew we would find our way back here eventually. I'm not sure if I've covered any series as much as I have Mega Man. I can't say I'm surprised. It's one of my favorites, the games aren't that long and they typically offer plenty to talk about.   Heck, they even kind of fit into the whole theme I'm going for. Mega Man is incredibly well known, but it always feels like the series is just a notch below some of the more iconic gaming franchises in terms of recognizability. I guess that's why the blue bomber doesn’t see as many new releases as Mario, or other similar series'. Mega Man 11 was something of a surprise for fans of the series when it was announced. It had been eight years since the previous entry in the franchise, Mega Man 10 in 2010, when MM 11 finally came out in 2018, a long but not excessive time between releases. But what was truly surprising about this new title was the new direction it took the series. Mega Man 9 and 10 were ...