Was This Ever Really the Best Gaming Could Do? Before I begin my parade-raining, dream-crushing, actually-what-you-like-is-bad analysis of one of the most popular video games of my lifetime, let me make something clear: I like…
Sam Martinelli
Sam Martinelli
Sam has been playing video games since his earliest years and has been writing about them since 2016. He’s a big fan of Nintendo games and complaining about The Last of Us Part II. You either agree wholeheartedly with his opinions or despise them. There is no in between. A lifelong New Yorker, Sam views gaming as far more than a silly little pastime, and hopes though critical analysis and in-depth reviews to better understand the medium's artistic merit. Twitter: @sam_martinelli.
If Rare’s Latest Adventure Were Named Cartoon Pirate Simulator, Would People Feel Differently About It? In hour three of a five-hour session of Sea of Thieves recently, I found myself standing at the bow of my…
How Donkey Kong Country Crafts a Foreboding Tale of the Unknown Donkey Kong Country is among the finest 2D platformers ever and one of the best-looking and best-controlling games of its time. On the narrative…
Coming Out Swinging Recently, the Punished Backlog team looked at the best video game end sequences in gaming. But an impressive opening level is just as important as a triumphant close. Whether it be an…
Climbing the Mountain Within You Minutes into my first playthrough of Celeste, I found myself breathing more heavily than usual. The 2D platformer certainly presented some light challenge early on, but that wasn’t what was…
Putting Old Classics Under the Modern Microscope Though video gaming as a medium is still relatively nascent, enough time has passed since the original Pong that we as gamers have begun to set aside many…
Honoring the Best Publisher, Developer, and Game of 2017 The time has come. After weeks of deliberation, voting, and award coverage, we have arrived at the fourth and final wave of our Best of 2017…
The Best of Each Platform in 2017 January has come and gone, and though it’s a new month, our Best of 2017 coverage continues! Having already shared our Industry Awards and Storytelling and Presentation Awards,…
Our Industry-Specific Winners (And Loser) of 2017 We kick off our Best of 2017 feature with our Industry Awards. On New Year’s Eve, The Punished Backlog revealed its nominees for the best games of 2017. While…
The most jarring scenes in Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus, Bethesda’s latest Nazi-shooting sim, occur not during bloody firefights, brutal executions, or in the midst of a completely obliterated New York City. They occur in…