menu_open Columnists
Austin Manchester

Austin Manchester

Polygon

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

FOMO won, I own a Switch 2 now

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 8

Polygon

Austin Manchester

FOMO won, I own a Switch 2 now

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 5

Polygon

Austin Manchester

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

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 3

Polygon

Austin Manchester

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

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 3

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 2

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 2

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 2

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 2

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 5

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 5

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 4

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 5

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 4

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 3

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 5

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 3

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 9

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Nintendo Switch 2 needs to let us become Pokémon again

Nintendo Switch 2 will launch June 5 with an impressive mix of splashy launch titles, from the first-party must-have Mario Kart World to third-party...

31.05.2025 4

Polygon

Austin Manchester

10 superheroes who deserve to star in their own AAA games

The past couple console generations have seen truly spectacular solo superhero video games — but they mostly all star Spider-Man or Batman. Comic...

27.05.2025 3

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Maybe Doom: The Dark Ages didn’t need mechs and dragons after all

Doom: The Dark Ages gets a lot right with its gameplay. The shield parrying is a welcome addition to the FPS space, and each of its weapons — a...

26.05.2025 2

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Celebrate ten years of The Witcher 3 by finally reading the books

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt celebrated ten years of monster slaying on May 19, and publisher CD Projekt honored the milestone with an anniversary stream...

23.05.2025 2

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Dragon Ball Daima is Akira Toriyama’s final gift to Dragon Ball fans

[Ed. note: This piece contains spoilers for Dragon Ball Daima — especially the best bits.] I don’t know why my parents let me watch Dragon Ball Z...

22.05.2025 30

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Esquie balances the darkness of Clair Obscur with unrelenting wholesomeness

[Warning: This piece includes spoilers for Clair Obscur’s late-game Act 2 reveals.] I love a serious story as much as the next person, and Clair...

19.05.2025 3

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Star Wars Outlaws is better than you think it is

Star Wars Outlaws had a bumpy takeoff when it launched last summer, and its “meh” reception has stuck with it since. Because of that reception,...

19.05.2025 30

Polygon

Austin Manchester

NetherRealm should make Injustice 3 — and there are lots of ways to top the first 2

NetherRealm Studios’ brand is bloody fighting games, though in 2013, it toned down the violence a tad for Injustice: Gods Among Us . Based on the...

19.05.2025 4

Polygon

Austin Manchester

Clair Obscur’s three female characters make me never want to switch my party

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 might be the most fun I’ve had playing a role-playing game since 2023’s Baldur’s Gate 3 . Its turn-based combat is...

14.05.2025 3

Polygon

Austin Manchester