Latest Articles
Latest Articles
Greats That Didn’t Quite Make The Cut As the name of this very website suggests, gamers often struggle to keep up with their extended backlog of quality video games. Sometimes, you just decide that, for whatever reason, a certain game…
La Crème de la Crème of Paris’ Premier Gaming Expo Paris Games Week came and went last month. Amid the noise and fervor caused by Sony’s impressive October 30 PlayStation Showcase (catch up on all the announcements here), you’d be…
A Punny, Satisfying Adventure Through the Fantastical Kingdom of Felingrad In the land of Felingrad, there are cats, there are puns, and there is magic. This is the essence of Cat Quest, a 2D action-RPG from the Gentlebros (and published…
Celebrating 30 Years in Style Capcom just announced a new installment in the Mega Man franchise as part of the series’ 30th anniversary live stream. Mega Man 11 does away with the 8-bit style of the previous ten games, opting for the…
Amid the Debate Over Loot Box Microtransactions and Predatory Game Design, Bungie Finds Itself in Hot Water With Destiny 2 Community In the wake of EA’s recent microtransactions debacle with Star Wars Battlefront 2, Bungie has found itself in an uncomfortable limelight. Players…
A Classic Or a Failure? While I haven’t written very many video game reviews, I could probably take any game I’ve ever played and assign it some kind of rating out of ten. Breath of the Wild? 10/10. Tomb Raider…
Journey Back to Europa Following lukewarm reception to the 2017 spin-off Valkyria Revolution, Sega has announced that Valkyria Chronicles 4 is coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch in 2018. The announcement was made via the “Valkyria Project” portal on Sega’s…
Ending on a High Note You’ve spent the entire game learning new mechanics, upgrading your skills, fighting boss after boss after boss. It’s finally time to face the head honcho, the final boss, your game’s Bowser. Before you walk through…
The Punished Podcast
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In this episode of The Punished Podcast, we discuss the past, present, and future of games media and journalism.
In this episode of The Punished Podcast, we reflect (and debate) the games that should be prioritized in our backlog in 2026.
In this episode of The Punished Podcast, we discuss the role of review scores in the gaming industry, especially for us as critics.
In this episode of The Punished Podcast, we discuss and listen to the best video game soundtracks, composers, and sound design.
Presenting the most anticipated video games of 2026, but in a stylish package: our annual Fantasy Gaming league. New year, new season.
What are the games that still hold a special place in our heart, even if we think they’re bad games? Why do they have a hold on us?
Punished Notes
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In a Punished Notes dedicated entirely to Resident Evil Requiem, Sam wonders if the post-zombification of the game’s world bears a resemblance to our own post-pandemic one.
In his latest Punished Notes, Sam gets into some New Year’s Gaming Resolutions, as well as a few predictions (and hopes) for some big gaming anniversaries coming up. Also: Wuthering Heights?
In the latest Punished Notes, Sam covers Doritos and Mountain Dew games, Kirby Air Riders, and… the blues?
In this edition of Punished Notes, Sam discusses how the incredible fall game release lineup is kind of killing him, among other thoughts
In the latest edition of Punished Notes, Sam talks about Lumines, visual novel and Roger, and other random thoughts from random games.
In this Punished Notes, Sam dives into how the latest Bethesda shooter harkens back to a simpler time in AAA gaming, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and more!
Punished Chat
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As part of our Game of the Year coverage, here are some DIFFERENT awards for the year’s best games!
Hollow Knight: Silksong is one of this year’s biggest new releases. What do the writers at The Punished Backlog think of it so far?
From the classics to new releases, we discuss the “Big Three,” the best anime ever, and what makes these series stand the test of time.
Donkey Kong Bananza is one of the biggest game releases of 2025. Does it work? Does it deserve its score of 91? We share our thoughts.
On the fence about Nintendo’s latest console? Six of our writers sat down to share our initial Nintendo Switch 2 impressions.
After a drama-packed premiere, our writers got together to share our The Last of Us Season 2 impressions so far.
Punished Favorites
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To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Game Boy Advance, here are The Punished Backlog’s favorite GBA games of all time!
The Punished Backlog writers have already covered their favorite Pokémon games. But what about our actual favorite pocket monsters?
In our list of the best Pokémon Games, find out how the generations stack up in honor of Pokémon’s 30th anniversary.
In our list of the best GameCube Games, see how classics like Metroid Prime, Melee, and Double Dash stack up.
While we here at The Punished Backlog could not be more excited about a new Nintendo console, we also figured it now is the right time to pay tribute to the first Switch and all its best games!
Indie games are labors of love, and this year, it looks like there will be a lot to love! These are our most anticipated indie games of 2025.