By Ronald Gordon

Happy Spring and welcome back to the Roundup, where we gather up the stories of members and interns alike to give them a shoutout! This time around we’ve got news about: Lost Records: Bloom & Rage Tape 2, AC Shadows and its amazing world, the beautiful world of Koira the best Gaming PCs of 2025 so far, and so much more! 

I’d also like to start by saying I posted an article on Stephen Totilo’s Game File, where I got to interview a Brazilian solo developer by the name of Fernando Tittz. Founder of the studio Games from the Abyss, Fernando had an interesting road to being who he is today, starting at first as a personal trainer. If you’d like to know more about it, read the full article on Game File!

Aeth Finch played and enjoyed a game that was trying to kill him, because it brought fun despite its murderous intent. Stately Snail’s hilariously named adventure puzzler may be trying to kill you, but it does so in such an entertaining way that it’s almost hard not to explore more. Aeth comments on its satisfying aspects, writing “But more importantly, the game really is trying to, as they said in Mortal Kombat, finish you. But even failure in this game is enjoyable. One of the features I really like is that if you die in the computer game, something happens to you in the cabin based on how you died. If you die from a bomb, you get sent to a corner of the cabin. If you slip into water on the computer, the bottom of your chair will fall out and you will drown. It’s great attention to detail and really gives the feeling that the game is in fact trying to kill you – because it will! Boss battles, avoiding spears, and dodging bombs add even more variety to this already diverse gameplay.”

Khloe Wilkerson chases the intriguing narrative of Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, continuing into Tape 2. After experiencing the rambunctious riot grrrl vibes via Tape 1, Khloe was enthralled when Tape 2 delivered an emotionally-driven narrative, with even more emphasis on empathy. Summarizing one of her favorite moments, Khloe writes, “There’s also a shift in how the game handles its characters emotionally. One of the most memorable moments is Autumn’s panic attack. Heavy breathing, distorted vision, that sense of losing control. And the game lets you be there in it. Whether it’s Swann trying to calm her, or small distractions like word games or old videos that only halfway help, the scene feels raw. For a game so focused on memory and trauma, this was a standout, especially showing people the realism of anxiety. It also gave Autumn a voice, showing how left out and forgotten she felt after the group fell apart.” Bloom & Rage Tape 2 has a lot to offer, but sadly it doesn’t have all the answers to questions you might have, and actively leaves a lot of the story unclear or up to interpretation. Khloe’s final thoughts reflect her disagreement with this approach, she writes “The story seems to suggest that some things are better left unsaid, better left buried. But after spending so much time with these characters, it’s hard not to want closure.”

The winner of our Rockstar scholarship, Saniah Etienne, reminisces about her start in gaming as she plays through Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and its splendorous Japanese environments. As the newest and brightest of the Assassin’s Creed games, AC Shadows has a lot to offer both old and new fans of the franchise. Saniah, having more experience with Assassin’s Creed than most others, starts her thoughts with a comforting tale about the franchise, writing, “I had my first experience with the Assassin’s Creed franchise at age nine, playing Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation. I was fascinated by the storyline and the allure of the protagonist: Aveline, a female assassin who liberated enslaved people in French Louisiana. That was almost nine years ago. I am seventeen now—I just committed to Howard University—and so much has changed. But the Assassin’s Creed franchise’s ability to develop compelling stories and dynamic characters has not.” 

There aren’t many things that can grab Karoline Castillo-Troncoso, but Koira’s beautiful forest and animal friends are indeed among the few things that can. Although brief, Karoline’s review of Koira tells the reader all they need to know about her enjoyment of the game, especially when it comes to the art style. She writes, “Dark and muted hues convey solemn moods which dominate the Koira’s atmosphere, yet the setting is illuminated when the playful puppy makes an appearance. The game’s musical appeal not only enhances the ambience but also reinforces the setting it portrays.” Which explains that Koira may look like a simple game. But the way it blends its art and music expands its fun factor by a longshot. When paired with its plot and the lovable animal characters you play as, Karoline can’t help but end her thoughts by saying, “I’d recommend Koira to players who love story-oriented games, instrumental music, and, well, animals. Seeing the elements come together to create this seamless masterpiece is beautiful. Not only that, but the emotional plotline is one you’ll grow to love and become fully invested in.”

Harold Goldberg brings another mini roundup from the New York Times, featuring the 3 Video Games You May Have Missed in April. April has been a fun month for games, with many new announcements catching a lot of eyes. Some of these landed on Harold’s radar like the game with the most absurd title ever: Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion III. With the latter title coming from the mind of Xalavier Nelson Jr and Strange Scaffold, Harold was blown away by what Dinosaur Mansion III was portraying, stating, “There is so much going on in Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion III that it’s hard to absorb it all. On the surface, it’s a Match 3 symbols game, somewhat like the addicting time-waster Candy Crush Saga. But this is actually a major deconstruction of the genre.” If any of April’s missed games are of interest, check out Harold’s article, only on the New York Times! 

Deven McClure is upset, and for good reason. There’s barely any Animal Crossing representation in Mario Kart World! Mario Kart is one of many fan favorite game series out there, as it can feature any number of guest characters from all throughout Nintendo’s roster of games. One such game is Animal Crossing, which featured in Mario Kart 8 as playable racers Isabelle & the Villager, as well as a whole map made around central locations within the games. So when it came to the question of there being no playable Animal Crossing characters shown so far in Mario Kart World, Deven had concerns. She writes, “As someone who religiously mains Isabelle in any game in which she’s available, her absence has been a big blow to my personal brand and principles. Considering there’s no current timeline of when the next Animal Crossing will release, I take any crumbs I can get, but it appears I’ll be out of luck when it comes to Mario Kart World.” 

There’s going to be a Split Fiction Live adaptation soon, and Shannon Liao has an educated guess on who Syndey Sweeney could potentially be playing. Hazelight Studios’ Split Fiction is no stranger to praise, with Split Fiction being one of the most popular games of 2025. And while a live adaptation was a shocker to most, the casting choices may end up being fairly straightforward. Shannon writes, “While Vulture reports that we don’t officially know what role Sweeney is cast for yet, fans of the game will likely be able to hazard a clue. The two female protagonists of Split Fiction are wise-cracking city slicker Mio, who’s a woman of color with brown hair and eyes, and Zoe, a blonde woman from the countryside imbued with endless optimism. Our bet is on Sweeney being cast as Zoe.” As there are only two main characters, aside from several important side characters and such, Sydney Sweeney sounds like a great choice to play Zoe. The only real hurdle to jump is how she refines Zoe’s English accent, and what sort of spin she may put on such a bubbly character. 

Times are tough now that tech is being tariffed, but worry not. Tony Polanco brings a list of the Best gaming PCs in 2025, most of which have great sales going on right now! From the latest Alienware desktop to a budget PC that won’t break the bank if you’re lucky, there’s bound to be something in Tony’s list for anyone looking to buy new tech while prices are still fair. His first paragraph states, “The best gaming PCs are the ones you can afford that have enough power to run the games you want to play. We test and review dozens every year and though they can quickly get very expensive if you shop for the best of the best, there are great gaming PCs in a variety of sizes and prices,” which serves as a reminder that Tom’s Guide is here to help anyone find what works, be it a budget PC or one that can run everything in 4K with no issue. 

Christopher Cruz starts his review of Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves with a true remark, “There’s no one way to properly revive a classic.” It was 1999 when the last Fatal Fury installment, Garou: Mark of the Wolves, was released and fans wondered if there would ever be a proper revival of the series. Finally, after 25 years of waiting, SNK Corporation finally delivered Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, leaving fans overjoyed, though a lot of newcomers are left questioning what Fatal Fury even is. Christopher Cruz delivers all the context one could need, stating, “So, what even is Fatal Fury? If you’re old to remember a time when arcades were a thing, or even just arcade cabinets at pizzerias, video rental stores, and the lobbies of chain restaurants, you’ve likely seen the names SNK or Neo Geo. Fatal Fury was the first big fighting game for Japanese publisher SNK, arriving in 1991 on Neo Geo arcade and home platforms. The game inspired multiple sequels and other series like Art of Fighting and The King of Fighters — all of which cross over with a shared continuity and characters, although the latter is the most famous.” If there’s any question on what Fatal Fury as a series is, or where its inspirations lie, Christopher’s article is the place to go! 

Beyond The Circle

There’s been a lot of news around the VTubing community recently, especially around graduations. For those who are unaware, VTubers (Virtual YouTubers) are Streamers and online personalities who make most, if not all, of their content while speaking through an animated avatar. There’s a whole range of VTubers out there, some that are independent and others that are signed onto an agency like VShojo, Hololive! While VTubing has been on the rise, that doesn’t mean that it’s without issues. Take the recent graduates from Hololive, including two of its biggest members Gawr Gura & Nanashi Mumei, who both have over one million subscribers on YouTube. Just as a rockstar hangs up their stage name, graduating as a VTuber means the ceasing of any and all content around their specified avatar. While it may be sad to see a Japanese company losing some of their English-focused members, there have been moments where a VTuber graduates only to reemerge as a different character independently. So there’s hope to see them again in the future.

Ronald Gordon is a New York Videogame Critics Circle Member & Mentor. He was the first of our writers – or any intern anywhere – to complete an internship at Rockstar Games.

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