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Austin Manchester

Austin Manchester

Polygon

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I forgot how much of an annoying grind classic Pokémon games were

I forgot how much of an annoying grind classic Pokémon games were

Look at this amazing giant Snorlax rug you’ll never have February closed out with a Pokémon Presents stream celebrating 30 years of the franchise...

06.03.2026 2

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Star Wars: Republic Commando deserved better

Star Wars: Republic Commando deserved better

Star Wars has seen plenty of great games in recent years. Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and its sequel are the best games to come out of Star Wars’...

02.03.2026 1

Polygon

Austin Manchester

In defense of the object Pokémon

In defense of the object Pokémon

Object Pokémon got a bad rap, and have had a tough time shaking it. When Pokémon Black and White ushered in Pokémon’s fifth generation, there was...

01.03.2026 2

Polygon

Austin Manchester

My biggest regret in life is selling my Pokémon games for five bucks

My biggest regret in life is selling my Pokémon games for five bucks

3 Pokémon games that didn't get the love they deserved The most heartbreaking Pokémon episode isn't the one you're thinking of To...

01.03.2026 3

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Highguard's big new update is a step in the right direction

10.02.2026 4

Polygon

Austin Manchester

My first encounter with Mass Effect was watching Shepard die

The first time I met Mass Effect’s Shepard, I watched him die. Before fully getting into BioWare’s space opera circa 2013, a year after the...

13.01.2026 30

Polygon

Austin Manchester

11 small games that could become huge in 2026

05.01.2026 20

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Mario Kart lost its grip on the kart racer throne in 2025

Since the dawn of time — or 1992, I suppose — Mario Kart has been the quintessential kart racer. Whether we’re talking a college dorm party or a...

28.12.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

5 years later, Christopher Nolan's most divisive movie is better than you remember

20.12.2025 8

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Mega Dimension fixes Pokémon Legends: Z-A’s Mega Evolution battles

12.12.2025 6

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Kirby Air Riders is perfect for my brain-rotted attention span

07.12.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

10 years later, I'm still holding out for a sequel to The Order: 1886

01.12.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Even Charlie Cox thinks his Game Awards nomination for Clair Obscur is misplaced

26.11.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

The Game Awards are overdue for a board game category

22.11.2025 6

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s Game Awards nominations show ‘indie’ is still a meaningless term

19.11.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

An ode to the DualSense, my favorite gimmick of this generation

15.11.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Mass Effect 5’s best chance for success might be by going AA

09.11.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Pokémon Gen 10 should combine the best elements of past games

04.11.2025 7

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Ghost of Yōtei’s sickest gameplay addition is easily its throw mechanic

28.10.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Ghost of Yōtei buries a crucial stealth skill, but that's fine because combat is way cooler anyway

17.10.2025 30

Polygon

Austin Manchester

One year after launch, Dragon Ball Sparking Zero fans are hungry for more

12.10.2025 9

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Ghost of Yōtei nails the art of open-world exploration

11.10.2025 9

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Let’s hear it for Hades 2’s game-changing cast ability

01.10.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Waiting a year to play Hades 2 was absolutely the right call

26.09.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Silksong isn't stressful enough, it needs health bars

21.09.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Hey I actually really wanted an EA Sports college basketball game

07.09.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

5 years later, Christopher Nolan's most divisive movie is better than you remember

07.09.2025 7

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Happy two-year anniversary to Immortals of Aveum, 2023's most underrated game

22.08.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Returnal is every bit as exhilarating now as it was four years ago

19.08.2025 7

Polygon

Austin Manchester

We’re witnessing the rise of a new game genre — the Burtonlikes

15.08.2025 6

Polygon

Austin Manchester

One of the most mind-bending puzzle games in years hits Xbox today

12.08.2025 8

Polygon

Austin Manchester

The Switch 2 needs a superhero game — so bring back Marvel Ultimate Alliance

10.08.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

FOMO won, I own a Switch 2 now

Well, that didn’t even last two months. Just after the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, I wrote about how, despite the tremendous amount of FOMO, I,...

03.08.2025 20

Polygon

Austin Manchester

FOMO won, I own a Switch 2 now

Well, that didn’t even last two months. Just after the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2, I wrote about how, despite the tremendous amount of FOMO, I,...

31.07.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

I can’t wait for FromSoftware to wrap up its multiplayer era

According to July 17 reporting from MP1st, FromSoftware has an unannounced game in the works that will be playable “no later than next year.”...

25.07.2025 9

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Bonkers for Bananza, but no Switch 2? Play the dev team’s previous hit instead

Donkey Kong Bananza is a certified Nintendo Switch 2 hit, fully displaying Nintendo’s modern design philosophy and furthering essential discourse...

21.07.2025 5

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Superman continues James Gunn’s horrifying war against characters’ eyes

The 2025 Superman reboot is, by all accounts, a resounding success. Critics like it a lot, moviegoers are loving it, and it made bank during its...

18.07.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition just makes me want to play Baldur’s Gate 3 again

Over the past decade, Dungeons & Dragons has gone from a nerdy niche tangled up with a satanic panic to a mainstream IP where a bunch of nerds can...

17.07.2025 8

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Superman commits the sin that set off endless fights over Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel

Before DC Studios brought James Gunn and Peter Safran on board to reboot its cinematic universe, another auteur was given the reins more than a decade...

16.07.2025 5

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Where are all the good dog games at?

If the internet loves one thing, it’s cats. Cat memes, cat rescue stories, cat vids. Cats have taken over people’s lives, real and virtual, and...

14.07.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

The Alters has a fascinating ending, once you trudge through its final act

After 20 hours with The Alters, I just wanted to fast forward to the end. Throughout most of The Alters, the resource management gameplay bounced off...

04.07.2025 8

Polygon

Austin Manchester

The Alters’ Act 2 choice doesn’t feel right either way, and that’s a good thing

[Ed. note: This post contains spoilers for Act 2 of The Alters.] Just when I got my Jans into the clear and avoided death by irradiating sunrise in ...

26.06.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

This summer is being propped up by indie and AA gems

For video games, the summer season kicker off with a double-header: the release of the Nintendo Switch 2, smack amid the three-day slew of game...

23.06.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Clair Obscur only gets better after you beat its final boss

Amidst all the Summer Game Fest announcements and shadow drops, there’s still one game holding my attention like none other: Clair Obscur:...

17.06.2025 7

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Fight the FOMO: Odds are you don’t need a Nintendo Switch 2 right now

So, busy week in the world of video games, huh? The Nintendo Switch 2 has finally launched and landed in the hands of gamers around the world, eight...

11.06.2025 6

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Marvel is lapping DC in video games right now, and it isn’t close

Closing out Wednesday’s PlayStation State of Play was a banger of an announcement: Sony revealed Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls , a tag-team...

07.06.2025 9

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Elden Ring Nightreign isn’t for you? This Bloodborne mode is a good alternative

Elden Ring Nightreign has shot out of the gates, selling 2 million copies its first day, yet the critical and player reception hasn’t reached the...

05.06.2025 7

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Tiny Bookshop made me miss being a bookseller

I’ve always wondered about the appeal of workplace simulators. Would a truck driver really want to go home and boot up American Truck Simulator?...

05.06.2025 6

Polygon

Austin Manchester

I played Doom: The Dark Ages for lore and only got (glorious) demon-killing vibes

Heading into Doom: The Dark Ages , I thought the game being a prequel to the 2016 series reboot would make a good entry point for the series. Despite...

03.06.2025 9

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s story hits even harder the second time around

[Warning: This article includes full spoilers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.] Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been on my mind a lot lately. I’m...

31.05.2025 10

Polygon

Austin Manchester