That July 31 Nintendo Direct sucked, but Square Enix’s newest IP does not. Check out our Adventures of Elliot debut demo impressions.
David Silbert
David Silbert
David is the founder of The Punished Backlog. He has a problem finishing games he starts.
Just beat: Donkey Kong Bananza.
Working on: Hollow Knight: Silksong.
Can't wait for: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
Follow David on Twitter at @David_Silbert to keep up to date with all things The Punished Backlog.
In this podcast episode, we discuss the history of video game difficulty, what makes a game “fun,” Clair Obscur, Souls-likes, and more.
In our Fretless – The Wrath of Riffson review, learn why this imperfect mashup of Slay the Spire, Paper Mario, and Guitar Hero is worth a go.
In our Kill the Crows review, learn why this bite-sized shooter is well worth the bite-sized asking price.
Mario Kart World has plenty of incredible new and remixed music, but its most impressive track just might be a reimagining of a Super Mario 64 classic.
In our Ruffy and the Riverside review, learn why this old-school-inspired collectathon is more than the sum of its parts.
After the July 2025 layoffs at Microsoft, I’m struggling to find optimism in the future of Xbox Game Studios. Here’s why.
On the fence about Nintendo’s latest console? Six of our writers sat down to share our initial Nintendo Switch 2 impressions.
The summer may be hot, but the games are even hotter. Here’s the latest news and shake-ups in our Fantasy Gaming league.
In this podcast episode, we discuss why we replay video games, what changes between playthroughs, old games versus new ones, and much more.