More than 20 years after release, Metal Gear Solid 2 continues to reflect the anxieties and sad political realities of modern America.
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.
In honor of International Women’s Day, we wrote about 20 of our favorite games made by womxn.
In anticipation of big 2024 remakes like Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, here’s our staff’s list of most wanted video game remakes.
From God of War to Baldur’s Gate, David and Sam discuss what they’re playing as part of the 2024 Gaming Backlog Challenge.
In this edition of Punished Notes, Sam gets into his experience with Golden Sun’s storytelling, the best narrative mechanic of Baldur’s Gate 3, and other thoughts.
In The Punished Podcast episode 6, we celebrate 28 years of Pokémon! We discuss the formula’s greatest innovations, stagnations, and more.
In The Punished Podcast Episode 5, we share our most anticipated games of 2024, restart our Fantasy Gaming league, and talk some Zelda!
Sam’s two 2024 New Year’s gaming resolutions revolve less around challenges to overcome and more around reprioritizing his time and money.
2023 was great for games, but also terrific for movies. From prestige dramas to heartwarming comedies, here are my top 10 movies of 2023.
Looking for new video games to play in 2024? We have you covered. Check out our 13 most anticipated indie games of 2024.