iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

This game is a real treat for longtime Gears fans & newcomers. It gives me faith in the future of the franchise. I think it’s up there with 2, my personal favorite and one of the best in the series. There’s news of poor sales. If so, Xbox really painted themselves into a corner with Gamepass. 8/10.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Reyes has his own unique pathos too, navigating a war that academy training could never prepare him for while lamenting his own dire past mistakes. While past characters have been more fun or charismatic, these 2 are more appropriate for the dire, hopeless & gritty tone that E-Day portrays.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Through Mags we get to see some of the faults & realities of the COG from a time where survival against monstrous, impossible odds wasn't the only priority. We get to see how the big war machine can fail individuals in a society and how that would naturally leave anyone feeling abandoned & jaded.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

I know some have their knickers in a twist over the addition of Mags, but we’re not entertaining that bullshit here. I find her & Lucas to be great additions. They add a personal stake to the story as their city crumbles around them & their individual plots are strong & deliberate.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

While E-Day is great, it’s not perfect. Found some pretty glaring bugs in Horde Siege, One in particular which makes squadmates impossible to revive. It also posesses some of that old Gears bullshit that I suppose has become part of its identity.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Supply boxes are a godsend. It’s nice to be able to prepare a loadout, not merely scrounge what they can in their immediate vicinity. The weapon mods also add a much appreciated layer of customization & utility.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

The environments touch on some subtle class disparities more elaborate in the books. Even in ruins from other games you can tell Ephyra & Jacinto are ornate, affluent cities with old families and old money. Kalona feels indelibly blue collar & of the people. Steel & mortar vs. gilded aesthetics.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Movement has been greatly improved. I think they took to heart criticisms of navigation being tied to one button in the past. The climbing mechanics add a brand new sense of verticality that is immensely welcome & adds layers to the combat. The changes help successfully modernize Gears.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

This game is fucking gorgeous and it runs like a dream. It has some serious atmosphere as well, with notes of horror that surpass anything seen in previous games. The first act almost plays out like the events of a Resident Evil game. Every new creature feels like a new threat.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

🎮🧵 Gears of War: E-Day. First off, wow! What an absolute blast from the past. The Coalition shows immediate reverence for the established lore with references to major & minor book characters & the parts they play. The continuity feels very intact. Love that Gettner & Michaelson are featured.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Ouchies get Pokémon band-aids in this household

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Spltterhouse does a lot of things. Not particularly well, but if you’re craving a shlocky action horror gorefest it may just be for you. It sells for higher than I’d personally recommend, but it may be worth it to you. The way it ended, it’s cute they thought they’d get a sequel. 5/10.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The soundtrack is dark, dismal & gothic with some classic horror inspo paired with hard rock for the action heavy. I think I even heard some FFDP. The bloodthirsty mask which gives our protag his power is voiced by Jim Cummings & it's kinda fun to hear Tigger be crass, meta & curse his ass off.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The presentation works in its favor, but it’s not particularly deep. The plot is forgettable, the camera is uncooperative & many of the skills are unnecessary. There's a set piece early on where taxidermied heads of demons fill the room with laughter and I think it’s a direct homage to Evil Dead 2.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The game itself is rather average. You run around & beat the shit out of monsters. Blood is the name of the games here, it's literally called Splatterhouse. You fight a LOT of monsters, but variation stagnates quickly so the whole affair can become tedious long before it’s over.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

There are enemies and scenarios ripped straight from the original game recontexualized & relatively modernized, similar to Doom. It’s raunchy in a Spike TV kinda way; That marketable little slice of the “hardcore” aughts with gratuitous nudity & ultraviolence.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

🎮🧵Splatterhouse (2010) This #spookyseason pick is a lot straight from the jump. It's edgy & bears an exaggerated alt aesthetic. It shares that unabashed brutality that Doom does so well. Funny little aside, as a skater I totally clocked that our main character was wearing Globe sneakers 😂.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Ori is a tale of love, grief, toil and ultimately, sacrifice & redemption. It balances all these themes with beautiful visuals, music and reasonably challenging gameplay. It's also tightly paced and doesn't overstay its welcome. 7/10

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I wish I specced into the triple jump much earlier. Perhaps a lesson for the sequel. Navigation, above combat, seems to be the most important element to success.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

One second you’re just chillin navigating a manageable traversal puzzle then you’re suddenly fighting for your life dangling over lava while you’re rocketing upward trying to avoid a laser trap.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

There's some fangs in this tale about nature though. It gets hard as fuck at points. It’s no Hollow Knight or Ender Lilies, but the difficulty spikes are tremendous.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

🎮🧵 Ori and the Blind Forest. Absolutely beautiful game with a wide range of colors, emotions and movement puzzles. I’m struck by the constant pull between light and dark & what it means to our protagonist and the story.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

9 (more) games that shaped who I am since this one is blowing up right now!

1. Resident Evil 3: Nemesis
2. God of War II
3. Kingdom Hearts II
4. Fallout 3
5. Tony Hawk's Underground
6. Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2005)
7. Super Mario All-Stars
8. Killer Instinct
9. Gears of War

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

This shit right here is everything wrong with the gaming aftermarket. In no universe should a 5 year old game jump up in price because of the announcement of its followup

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

QTP with 4 games in your backlog! Will be playing some of these in October!

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I wish there was more of the gameplay loop past just what the story offers. New game scenarios to really take advantage of the systems they've made. By the end of it I didn't feel quite done with it but I'm glad I played it. I genuinely hope to see more of this story. 9/10

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

For a time when superheroes are ubiquitous it's always nice to find a way to recontextualize the experience and the resource management gameplay creates a fun avenue in which to explore the job and the utility of their powers.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Every performance is vaguely off-kilter, which makes them great. There are barely any weak links. The ebb & flow of the drama, tension and comedy is so rock solid. They allow real moments the space to exist and thrive, but also aren't afraid to undercut or diffuse them with perfectly timed comedy.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

In a weird place where I'm thankful the episodes are short but I also wish they were each just a bit longer so I could spend more time with characters. The eclectic personalities, wild situations & human moments all make for a story that feels rich & involved.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

🎮🧵 Dispatch. It's been a few years since I've played one of these interactive story-driven games & I honestly thought I lost most interest. But Dispatch is exactly what I needed to get back into the genre.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Saw this floating around, thought I'd give it a go. These are very off the cuff but are among what I consider my favorites ever my9games.net

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Tails of Iron 2 is a sequel worthy of that kooky yet odd little game I gave a chance and absolutely loved. I don't think it's as strong as the first and there's a sudden hamfisted plot beat, but it's still a worthy followup in nearly every way that matters. I look forward to a sequel. 7/10.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

The time of day mechanic also feels worthless. Not once did I feel like it had any bearing on the game. There's a card game collector sidequest through the game & it's fun to hear voice of Geralt of Rivia (& narrator) Doug Cockle talk about cards every once in a while. Makes me wanna play Gwent.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Exploration feels rewarding, though sometimes mundane. There are a lot of 2 or 3 part boss battles where enemies flee and chasing them can become tedious. I've already been around the map a number of times, I don't need to go chasing these things around so much.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

This series relays messages & story with basic visuals in place of dialogue in conjunction with the narration. It's simple yet very effective. I found the characters charming yet austere fantasy clichés. I also love how the moles are far more technologically advanced than the rest of the species

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

🎮🧵 Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter. Strangely enough for how much I enjoyed it, I don't have much to say about it. It matches the first game in every way. It boasts challenging combat, satisfying exploration & a unique, brutal art style.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Kudos to the man though I guess, he wanted to be in a game, he got 2 🤣. That's 2 more than me. Sure as fuck not worth the nostalgia tax. Still better than Bodycount. 5/10.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I'm also conflicted about this terrible game. There's no chance you go into it expecting anything more than what it is, so it kind of delivers some value? You've really gotta be a big 50 Cent fan to get the full experience & even then is it worth the bother?

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

It has the general miasma of that 360 era brown muddy look. There are secrets and collectibles they may as well not even bother because you'd have to have brain damage to miss them. There's only one style of boss battle, and it's repeated over and over ad nauseum.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

The shooting mechanics are almost decent but everything else about the game is clunky & second rate. Melee combat is relegated to one button QTE's with laughable variety. Its devastatingly mediocre.You can't run but there is a taunt button, so you can call the last 15 guys you killed motherfuckers!

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

It's more low effort cover shooter nonsense of its time. Wild gangstas doin gangsta shit, but in the middle east. 50 Cent, Tony Yayo, Lloyd Banks and DJ Whoo Kid run around generic urban middle eastern settings and shoot the shit out of Arab gangsters for 5ish hours.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

🎮🧵 50 Cent: Blood on the Sand. I'm emulating it because it's one of those games that sells for far more than it's acutally worth. The retro market is silly sometimes. They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but sometimes hard to find games make the head grow empty.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

With great gameplay and stunning presentation, Black Myth Wukong is a fully worthy adventure that almost justifies the fact that it almost never goes on sale xD. 8/10. Sorry for the long thread, it's hard to condense my 80ish hours with this one.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

It’s thrilling to ride the cloud in chapter 6 as it’s an iconic part of the Sun Wukong myth but it’s ultimately jarring to introduce a sandbox in the final chapter. It was my least favorite section.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I wasn't always cognizant of the environmental stories being told & there is admittedly a lot going on. It doesn't help that I'm also only vaguely familiar with the Journey to the West story, my own fault. I now have a chance to remedy that.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

The structure of the game threw me off a bit. I didn't always find diverging paths as organically as I expected. After 2 chapters I went back & found a heaping mountain of things I missed. This would become a recurring pattern. I did feel listless for large patches of time.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Aside from a handful of boss battles I found the game rather easy. It feels like a concerted effort was made to not make the difficulty too oppressive or insurmountable. The first real skill wall hit me at the end of the fourth chapter.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

I played a number of Soulslikes this year & I’m new-ish to the genre so I was struck by the ways in which it wasn't. It certainly has some elements & trappings of the genre but it's forgiving in numerous ways. It’s kinda like Fallen Order in that respect.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

The animated vignettes are quite stylish & fun. I wonder if it's CGI meant to simulate the style or if it's authentically hand drawn. Either way they're absolutely gorgeous. The one after the third chapter left me feeling raw and disgusted.

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Skate if you're nasty @errrskate.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Character designs consist of seriously varied animalistic, sometimes anthropomorphic beasts and creatures of myth or mystical humanoid forms. It definitely felt densely populated. I straight up wasn’t ready for like long necked tiger beasts and snake women xD.

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