menu_open Columnists
Matt Vatankhah

Matt Vatankhah

Vice

We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close

With ‘Monster Hunter Wilds’ Palicoes Their Most Expressive Yet, I Think It’s Time to Revisit the Palico-Controlled ‘Prowler Mode’

Thrilling combat with menacing beasts and the satisfaction of sewing their parts together for fashionable apparel. It’s the focal point of any...

friday 1

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Monster Hunter Wilds’ Becomes Capcom’s First Game to Break One Million Players on Steam Just Hours After Launch

The Capcom sweep shows no signs of stopping, as the Japanese studio continues to launch hit after hit each year. Today, with the launch of the highly...

friday 3

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Arceus’ Fans Unite: ‘Pokemon Legends Z-A’ Gets a Late 2025 Release Window

It’s an exciting day for Pokemon fans, as the Pokemon Presents stream reveals even more information about the next entry in GameFreak’s lineup....

friday 1

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Fellowship’ Brings the Thrill of ‘World of Warcraft’ Dungeons Without all the Necessary Set Up (Demo Impressions)

They say it’s not about the destination, but the journey. In the MMO world, that journey normally entails hours of grinding, questing, and side...

27.02.2025 1

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Mecha Break’ Is Pretty Fun Once You Sift Through Its Layers of Live Service Hell (Demo Impressions)

I’m always looking for the next multiplayer mech battler, a genre that doesn’t seem to get as much love as I’d like it to. Adhesive Games’...

27.02.2025 3

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

This ‘Stardew Valley’ Deluxe Edition May Be the Most Adorable Bundle of Goods I’ve Ever Seen

Stardew Valley, the cozy life sim that stole our hearts in 2016, is now available in an entirely too adorable physical Deluxe edition for collectors....

26.02.2025 5

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Among Us 3D’ Adds a Whole New Layer of Suspense to Its Gameplay (Demo Impressions)

Among Us certainly isn’t the first social deduction game, but it undoubtedly reignited the craze for them while we were all stuck inside in early...

25.02.2025 2

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Monster Hunter Wilds’ Is a Masterclass in Combat and Consequences (Review)

In Monster Hunter, the hunt has always been at the forefront of the game. Admittedly, and like many others, that’s all I’ve ever really cared...

24.02.2025 2

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Shotgun Cop Man’ Brings Satan to Justice in a Platforming Trip Through Hell (Demo Impressions)

I’ve always said there simply aren’t enough games that let you throw a pair of cuffs on Satan before tossing him into the slammer. Sure, DOOM sees...

22.02.2025 3

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘GO FKN FAST’ Is an Indie Platformer That Focuses on What Really Matters: Speed

For decades, 2D platformers have been a staple in the world of video games. Nearly everyone on Earth could likely point to one as the first video game...

20.02.2025 2

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

More than 10 Years Later, ‘Darkwood’ Is Still the Scariest Horror Game I’ve Ever Played

I’m always looking for the next horror game to truly scare me. Not to simply jolt me awake with a jump scare, but to really strike fear in me. To...

20.02.2025 20

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

Backrooms Horror Works Best When You’re Alone with Your Thoughts, Not Chased by Creatures

Today, the announcement trailer for The Backrooms 1998 released, marking yet another game banking on the craze of The Backrooms lore. As per usual...

19.02.2025 6

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

At Long Last, ‘Path of Exile 2’ Has Finally Added a Map Stash Tab in the Newest Patch

It’s been a long two months since Path of Exile 2 launched into early access. While its December 6 launch included a decent amount of both early and...

18.02.2025 3

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Death Howl’ Never Aimed for Its “Soulslike” Twist, It Kind of Just Happened (Interview)

Soulslike: it’s a term thrown around quite loosely these days. Since the release of FromSoftware’s genre-defining Dark Souls, we’ve seen...

08.02.2025 3

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘World of Warcraft’ Reveals More Details on its Upcoming Housing System While Throwing Some Shade at ‘FFXIV’s Archaic Model

After more than 20 years, World of Warcraft is getting a long-standing MMO feature players have always wanted. Player housing will finally make its...

07.02.2025 3

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Monster Hunter Wilds’ Gets Its PC Requirements Lowered, but Players Are Calling the New Benchmark Tool ”Misleading”

Yesterday, Capcom lowered the system requirements for the upcoming Monster Hunter Wilds PC release. Alongside a list of more accessible specs required...

06.02.2025 4

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

I Never Understood the Hype for Idler Games, until Steam’s ‘Idler Fest’ Sale. Now, I Get It.

As I’m typing this, a little frog dude named Ropuka is chopping away at overgrown grass on a floating island. That island, blending naturally into...

05.02.2025 5

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Age of Empires/Mythology’ Coming to PlayStation 5 with New Expansions as Microsoft Cozies up Even Closer to Rival Consoles

Today, Xbox Game Studios announced a new expansion for their highly successful RTS franchise, Age of Mythology: Retold. The first expansion, called...

05.02.2025 3

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Silent Hill 2 Remake’ Helped Konami Reach Record High Quarterly Profits, Now Can We Get a New ‘Castlevania’, Please?

It’s been a successful year for Konami. In fact, one of its most successful, as shown by its third-quarter financial results. Citing Silent Hill 2...

01.02.2025 4

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Undertale Plus’ Is an Upcoming Collection of Addons That Completely Change the Way You Play ‘Undertale’

It’s never a wrong time to go back and play Undertale, but with it approaching its 10-year anniversary, you’ve probably seen all it has to offer....

01.02.2025 4

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Kiosk’ Serves up a Late-night Cooking Simulator with a Side of Scares

It’s a dark, rainy night, and the first at my new job running a small food kiosk. I look around the kitchen, preparing ingredients for any hungry...

31.01.2025 4

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

You Can Play ‘DOOM The Dark Ages’ as a Classic ‘DOOM’ Mod, Because of Course You Can

DOOM has to be the most ridiculous game of all time — but in the best way possible. Its die-hard community has been faithfully modding it for...

31.01.2025 3

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

The New ‘Enshrouded’ Update Makes Its Superior Building System Even Better

It’s the open-world survival game that keeps on survivin’. Enshrouded V0.8.0.0, titled ‘Pact of the Flame,’ has been released. Now, with a...

30.01.2025 3

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

PlayStation Network Sign-in Becomes Optional for PC, but Sony Will Still Dangle Bonus Content for Those Who Follow Suit

Tomorrow (01/30/25), Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 will finally see its PC release. Additionally, a contentious requirement involving Sony’s PlayStation...

30.01.2025 5

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

PC Modders Are Already Going to Town on ‘Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’ in the Best Ways

We all saw this coming, right? As is the case for, well, just about every PC game, the modders have descended upon Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in droves....

29.01.2025 1

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

Phil Spencer Speaks on the Future of Xbox Exclusivity: ”We’re Not Going To Put Walls Up”

A year ago, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer hinted at four Xbox-exclusive games headed to rival consoles like PlayStation and Nintendo. At the time,...

25.01.2025 30

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

Indie FPS ‘Selaco’ Devs Would Rather Sell Less Copies Than Be Associated With Your Goofy Award Show

Last night, a crowd-funded award ceremony celebrating Real Gamers® made its shining debut. Allegedly raising over $25,000 in funds, the pre-recorded...

25.01.2025 5

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

“My Futon Flew Away! With Rocket Launcher” Is My New Preferred Way of Transporting Bedroom Furniture

Did you know futons are Japanese in origin? Me neither! The traditional bedding set usually consists of a mattress and a duvet and is easily foldable...

24.01.2025 10

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

As if Doomguy Wasn’t Strong Enough, ‘DOOM: The Dark Ages’ Turns the Power Fantasy up to 666

It’s been almost five years since we’ve skewered, stomped, and blown demons to bits in the boots of our favorite UAC Marine. While DOOM (2016) and...

23.01.2025 7

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

Reggie Fils-Aimé Keeps It Real: ”’Astro Bot’ Almost Outdid Nintendo at Its Own Game”

The New York Game Awards held its 14th annual event last night, celebrating another year of achievements in 2024’s list of gaming excellence....

22.01.2025 5

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’ Looks and Feels as Incredible as You’d Expect on PC (Review)

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth initially released in early 2024 to (unsurprisingly) glowing critical acclaim. The follow-up to its 2020 predecessor,...

22.01.2025 3

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Death Howl’ Is an Innovative Take On Deck Builders and I Simply Must Have More

Last week, I wrote about The Outer Zone’s upcoming Soulslike deck-building game, Death Howl, and how it could easily become my most anticipated game...

22.01.2025 5

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

With the Switch 2, Nintendo Has a Chance to Bring Back One of Its Most Revolutionary Features

For decades, Nintendo has consistently prioritized innovation with its consoles. The N64’s Rumble Pak, for instance, would introduce vibration in...

18.01.2025 5

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

No Game Speaks to Me More than Soulslike Deck Builder ‘Death Howl’

There’s a few things that get instantly greenlit to my “I need this” list. Soulslike elements? A bit overdone, but check. A Lovecraftian...

18.01.2025 10

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Hyper Light Breaker’ Has the Potential To Be My New Favorite Co-Op Roguelite, but It Needs More Time To Cook (Impressions)

I’ll be the first to admit it. When I discovered Heart Machine’s new entry in the Hyper Light series would be a co-op roguelite, packed with...

17.01.2025 9

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

Finally, A Game Lets Me Beat Up Murderous Weirdos with My Stinky Feet

David Szymanski, known for unhinged retro-inspired hits like DUSK and Iron Lung, reveals the release date of his upcoming project. Butcher’s Creek...

16.01.2025 10

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

It’s Hard To Believe It, but ‘Phantom Blade Zero’ Looks Just as Good as It’s Reveal Trailer Did

Remember when the reveal trailer for Phantom Blade Zero was shown off? The one with the gameplay looked far too good to be true? Well, it looks like...

14.01.2025 4

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Tails Noir’ Is a Gripping Narrative That I Wish Was More Fleshed Out (Review)

(Hi, Slow Game Club family!) From the first few moments of Tails Noir, Eggnut’s post-noir narrative adventure, I was immediately hooked. In an...

14.01.2025 4

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

Square Enix Threatens Legal Action Against Harassment Because Final Fantasy XIV Players Can’t Be Normal

On Friday (1/10/2025), Square Enix published a new policy regarding harassment toward their employees and partners. The ‘Group Customer Harassment...

10.01.2025 3

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘The Roottrees are Dead’ Is a Puzzling Narrative That Made Me an Armchair Detective (Review)

It’s always a thrill to solve a mystery. Even more so when it requires digging for clues to build logical bridges between questions and answers....

10.01.2025 6

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

Whoops! EVO Fighting Game Championship Leaks Its Own 2025 Lineup a Week Ahead of Schedule

The annual EVO Fighting Game Championship had one of its most exciting events last Summer. Its eight-game lineup brought professional players...

09.01.2025 2

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

Elon Musk Streams His ”Totally Not Boosted” ‘Path of Exile 2’ Character, Proves He Has No Idea What He’s Doing

Last November, Tesla founder and Twitter destroyer Elon Musk became the number one Diablo 4 player globally. His sub-two-minute Pit 150-speed run...

08.01.2025 4

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

A CEO Finally Does Something Cool: ‘Stellar Blade’ Studio Shift Up Gifts All 311 Employees PS5 Pros and an Extra Bonus

Yesterday, South Korean studio Shift Up held a New Year’s event for its employees, ringing in 2025 by celebrating its successful release of Stellar...

08.01.2025 5

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

New York Jets Owner Denies Report Teenage Sons Are Helping Run the Team

Things are bad for the New York Jets. That’s nothing out of the ordinary, as the team just completed another lost season. That marks the 14th...

07.01.2025 10

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

At Games Done Quick, One Runner Will Be Playing ‘Mario’ Songs on Piano While Speedrunning ‘Mario’ with His Head

Games Done Quick (GDQ) is always my favorite time of the year. When Christmas break ends, and we return to real-world stuff, a week of watching our...

07.01.2025 2

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

Gaming Giant Tencent Blacklisted by U.S. Department of Defense for Allegedly Aiding Chinese Military

In a report published Monday (1/6/25), the U.S. Department of Defense added gaming goliath Tencent to its list of firms allegedly aiding the...

07.01.2025 5

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Marvel Rivals’ Eternal Night Falls Trailer Shows off Release Date, the Fantastic Four, and Yes, More Cake

Marvel Rivals is on a roll for holding its players’ attention. Just a week after the conclusion of its Christmas event, a new trailer for its first...

06.01.2025 2

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

Microsoft Turning Down a Secret Level DOOM and Halo Crossover Was the Right Move, Because It Should Have Been Isabelle

According to its creators, a DOOM x Halo crossover episode for Secret Level could have happened. Microsoft, however, wasn’t too interested in the...

04.01.2025 3

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

‘Elden Ring Nightreign’ Is a “Compressed RPG” Loosely Inspired by Speedrunning Culture

When From Software comes knockin’, the gaming world listens. Even as much as a cough from the Elden Ring creators sends the internet into a...

03.01.2025 8

Vice

Matt Vatankhah

PS3 Classics May Be Coming to Modern Consoles, Thanks to Retro Emulation Studio ‘Implicit Conversions’

You may have never heard of ‘Implicit Conversions,’ and I wouldn’t blame you – I hadn’t either until recently. But all of those classic...

03.01.2025 10

Vice

Matt Vatankhah