Dominic Tarason
@dominictarason.com
Veteran freelance games crit & PR. Hyped for indie games & mods. Bylines on RPS, PC Gamer, PCGamesN. Find my work, Steam curation & contact info below - He/Him
Find me elsewhere online at dominictarason.com
Contact email: [email protected]
Find me elsewhere online at dominictarason.com
Contact email: [email protected]
I'm trying to fathom the thought process of someone AI-generating a 'This game contains AI slop' logo/award and being goddamn proud of it.
...
I think I'm just going back to bed for another hour or two.
...
I think I'm just going back to bed for another hour or two.
December 3, 2025 at 9:50 AM
I'm trying to fathom the thought process of someone AI-generating a 'This game contains AI slop' logo/award and being goddamn proud of it.
...
I think I'm just going back to bed for another hour or two.
...
I think I'm just going back to bed for another hour or two.
As a truly wise man once said:
December 3, 2025 at 1:20 AM
As a truly wise man once said:
Also realized that this year we got CRUEL, Cultic Part 2, and we're just about to get Blood re-release with Death WIsh and Marrow built in. 48 hours to go, I think?
The stars really aligned this year, huh.
The stars really aligned this year, huh.
December 3, 2025 at 12:51 AM
Also realized that this year we got CRUEL, Cultic Part 2, and we're just about to get Blood re-release with Death WIsh and Marrow built in. 48 hours to go, I think?
The stars really aligned this year, huh.
The stars really aligned this year, huh.
You can find the first two Brutalist Jams over on Slipseer here:
www.slipseer.com/index.php?re...
www.slipseer.com/index.php?re...
You'll need Quake (obviously) and a newer engine like Ironwail or (my favourite) vkQuake.
www.slipseer.com/index.php?re...
www.slipseer.com/index.php?re...
You'll need Quake (obviously) and a newer engine like Ironwail or (my favourite) vkQuake.
December 2, 2025 at 11:23 AM
You can find the first two Brutalist Jams over on Slipseer here:
www.slipseer.com/index.php?re...
www.slipseer.com/index.php?re...
You'll need Quake (obviously) and a newer engine like Ironwail or (my favourite) vkQuake.
www.slipseer.com/index.php?re...
www.slipseer.com/index.php?re...
You'll need Quake (obviously) and a newer engine like Ironwail or (my favourite) vkQuake.
Star Ocean 6 directly addresses criticisms of the series itself (one of the protagonists is a vocally anti-federation independent), but also has that Star Trek: TNG vibe of all the characters being smart, capable experts in their fields.
No anime miscommunication here. They plan and get stuff DONE.
No anime miscommunication here. They plan and get stuff DONE.
December 1, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Star Ocean 6 directly addresses criticisms of the series itself (one of the protagonists is a vocally anti-federation independent), but also has that Star Trek: TNG vibe of all the characters being smart, capable experts in their fields.
No anime miscommunication here. They plan and get stuff DONE.
No anime miscommunication here. They plan and get stuff DONE.
A random youtube video just reminded me of a pair of genuinely great freeware gems - Vacant Ark and Iwanaga, a pair of very Treasure-inspired experimental freeware shmups from a developer known only as Buster who just kinda disappeared from the scene.
They are both very cool and hold up great today
They are both very cool and hold up great today
December 1, 2025 at 11:00 AM
A random youtube video just reminded me of a pair of genuinely great freeware gems - Vacant Ark and Iwanaga, a pair of very Treasure-inspired experimental freeware shmups from a developer known only as Buster who just kinda disappeared from the scene.
They are both very cool and hold up great today
They are both very cool and hold up great today
Doom has such a variety of tones now. How about some hot pink future-funk slaughter?
www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/...
www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/...
November 30, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Doom has such a variety of tones now. How about some hot pink future-funk slaughter?
www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/...
www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/...
Dankovsky is also a VERY funny character. His first internal reaction to seeing one of the weird steppe women is "Dear god" followed by the option to say THIS to her.
November 30, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Dankovsky is also a VERY funny character. His first internal reaction to seeing one of the weird steppe women is "Dear god" followed by the option to say THIS to her.
Ah, I somehow missed that there's a big update coming sometime for Absolum with custom difficulty! Lots of juicy options to pick from there, including the most important: Multiplying the number of enemies.
Sometimes you wanna juggle-combo five guys on every screen.
Sometimes you wanna juggle-combo five guys on every screen.
November 30, 2025 at 8:32 AM
Ah, I somehow missed that there's a big update coming sometime for Absolum with custom difficulty! Lots of juicy options to pick from there, including the most important: Multiplying the number of enemies.
Sometimes you wanna juggle-combo five guys on every screen.
Sometimes you wanna juggle-combo five guys on every screen.
Oh yeah, you don't even need to go on Gamebanana to get Celeste mods. You can browse them from within Olympus.
There are around 200 pages like this. Some of the mods have 50+ levels. Consider that vanilla Celeste has like 25, including B & C-sides.
And all you gotta do is click a green button.
There are around 200 pages like this. Some of the mods have 50+ levels. Consider that vanilla Celeste has like 25, including B & C-sides.
And all you gotta do is click a green button.
November 29, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Oh yeah, you don't even need to go on Gamebanana to get Celeste mods. You can browse them from within Olympus.
There are around 200 pages like this. Some of the mods have 50+ levels. Consider that vanilla Celeste has like 25, including B & C-sides.
And all you gotta do is click a green button.
There are around 200 pages like this. Some of the mods have 50+ levels. Consider that vanilla Celeste has like 25, including B & C-sides.
And all you gotta do is click a green button.
Okay, yeah, Captain Wayne? Easy reccomend if you like you some Doom-adjacent FPS fun. Short (under four hours if you're decent) with no difficulty settings and some rough edges, but I was basically smiling the entire way through. HUGE energy.
Even the content warning on the store page made me smirk
Even the content warning on the store page made me smirk
November 26, 2025 at 5:16 AM
Okay, yeah, Captain Wayne? Easy reccomend if you like you some Doom-adjacent FPS fun. Short (under four hours if you're decent) with no difficulty settings and some rough edges, but I was basically smiling the entire way through. HUGE energy.
Even the content warning on the store page made me smirk
Even the content warning on the store page made me smirk
Hugely customizable!
November 24, 2025 at 10:26 AM
Hugely customizable!
I'd almost forgotten how incredibly cool some of the little setpieces in Elden Ring are. A massive dragon swoops down, turns to face you, stands up on its hind legs, summons a thirty foot long energy-sword and then slashes you into nothingness with it.
Can't even be mad at dying to that.
Can't even be mad at dying to that.
November 24, 2025 at 10:03 AM
I'd almost forgotten how incredibly cool some of the little setpieces in Elden Ring are. A massive dragon swoops down, turns to face you, stands up on its hind legs, summons a thirty foot long energy-sword and then slashes you into nothingness with it.
Can't even be mad at dying to that.
Can't even be mad at dying to that.
Next time you should do Doom 2, completely unchanged and exactly how you remember it.
www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/...
www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/...
November 21, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Next time you should do Doom 2, completely unchanged and exactly how you remember it.
www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/...
www.doomworld.com/forum/topic/...
They also offered to send me a 'physical press kit'. I assumed it'd be the usual package of stickers, maybe a bit of staionary, a pen, etc.
I get a huge ominous crate with a moderately threatening letter inside and an absurd amount of packing cardboard.
Pickaxe, scented candle, brain-pills & more.
I get a huge ominous crate with a moderately threatening letter inside and an absurd amount of packing cardboard.
Pickaxe, scented candle, brain-pills & more.
November 20, 2025 at 7:00 PM
They also offered to send me a 'physical press kit'. I assumed it'd be the usual package of stickers, maybe a bit of staionary, a pen, etc.
I get a huge ominous crate with a moderately threatening letter inside and an absurd amount of packing cardboard.
Pickaxe, scented candle, brain-pills & more.
I get a huge ominous crate with a moderately threatening letter inside and an absurd amount of packing cardboard.
Pickaxe, scented candle, brain-pills & more.
It's shockingly good-looking for a game by a tiny team. But then again, so was the GZDoom version. But this iteration feels more solid - gives some real Resident Evil 7-8 vibes.
There's also more coming. Native VR support and the fantastic NG+ mode from the original version (IYKYK) are in the works
There's also more coming. Native VR support and the fantastic NG+ mode from the original version (IYKYK) are in the works
November 20, 2025 at 6:58 PM
It's shockingly good-looking for a game by a tiny team. But then again, so was the GZDoom version. But this iteration feels more solid - gives some real Resident Evil 7-8 vibes.
There's also more coming. Native VR support and the fantastic NG+ mode from the original version (IYKYK) are in the works
There's also more coming. Native VR support and the fantastic NG+ mode from the original version (IYKYK) are in the works
And OF COURSE winking and nudging all the way. Noelle is canonically an obsessive ARG-unraveling turbonerd with a near-supernatural knack for finding 'glitches' and hidden areas that nobody else seems to discover in games.
Metatextuality out the wazoo.
Metatextuality out the wazoo.
November 19, 2025 at 6:48 AM
And OF COURSE winking and nudging all the way. Noelle is canonically an obsessive ARG-unraveling turbonerd with a near-supernatural knack for finding 'glitches' and hidden areas that nobody else seems to discover in games.
Metatextuality out the wazoo.
Metatextuality out the wazoo.
Also the Citadel games, although that feels a bit more 'cheeky nod' than 'central inspiration'.
store.steampowered.com/app/3371240/...
store.steampowered.com/app/3371240/...
November 17, 2025 at 8:09 AM
Also the Citadel games, although that feels a bit more 'cheeky nod' than 'central inspiration'.
store.steampowered.com/app/3371240/...
store.steampowered.com/app/3371240/...
November 17, 2025 at 8:07 AM
There's a whole dang calendar of daily goodies and planned upcoming content unlocks. Also yes, this is a game about high school football, and is celebrating Christmas with "A battle for Earth's very survival".
November 17, 2025 at 7:07 AM
There's a whole dang calendar of daily goodies and planned upcoming content unlocks. Also yes, this is a game about high school football, and is celebrating Christmas with "A battle for Earth's very survival".
I just tried visiting the old Arcane Kids site (the indie dev group) and was suddenly reminded of how UNUTTERABLY STUPID the internet has become.
November 16, 2025 at 10:43 PM
I just tried visiting the old Arcane Kids site (the indie dev group) and was suddenly reminded of how UNUTTERABLY STUPID the internet has become.
Got a couple arcade bangers out this week - I've played both, they're legit.
Vertically scrolling shmup Birdcage, which has some Radiant Silvergun inspiration but is faster and more aggressive.
And side-scrolling run n' gunner Neon Inferno. Contra meets Cabal with a 'shoot the background' button.
Vertically scrolling shmup Birdcage, which has some Radiant Silvergun inspiration but is faster and more aggressive.
And side-scrolling run n' gunner Neon Inferno. Contra meets Cabal with a 'shoot the background' button.
November 16, 2025 at 6:52 PM
Got a couple arcade bangers out this week - I've played both, they're legit.
Vertically scrolling shmup Birdcage, which has some Radiant Silvergun inspiration but is faster and more aggressive.
And side-scrolling run n' gunner Neon Inferno. Contra meets Cabal with a 'shoot the background' button.
Vertically scrolling shmup Birdcage, which has some Radiant Silvergun inspiration but is faster and more aggressive.
And side-scrolling run n' gunner Neon Inferno. Contra meets Cabal with a 'shoot the background' button.