Opinion – Page 3 – Savior Gaming

Advice for a New Game Journalist/Blogger Part 1

Every so often, while I screw around on Twitter, yes, I refuse to call it X still, or Facebook, or that toxic hell pit we call Reddit, I come across someone asking for advice on how to get into reviewing games and how to make videos, or even podcasting. Sometimes it is even a real-life friend, and I always felt weird answering these questions because who am I to give this advice? I have always been upfront about the fact that I don’t make my living doing this; this is my passion project, so to speak. I simply love gaming.

Lately, however, people in my life have been pointing out that while I don’t make a living doing what I do, I have come a long way for someone who does this as a hobby. 10 years ago, I was a guy reviewing games and movies I owned, and I wouldn’t send a company an email because I didn’t think anyone would ever send me even a small indie game. When I finally did, I was mostly ignored. When I wasn’t, I was told I didn’t have the viewers, or they didn’t know who I was, and good luck. Now I’m not exactly being sent AAA titles or anything, EA and Rockstar aren’t exactly kicking down my door to review their stuff. They don’t need to either.

I have gotten to review games like Disgaea from NIS America, all of them that have come out in the last like 8 or 9 years, actually. I got to work with Sega and review Two Point Hospital Review (PS4), in fact, some of the very same companies that once told me no, now send me emails asking me to cover their games.

So my first piece of advice in what I hope becomes a series of weekly advice posts is this. Stay the course, and measure success in your own terms in a reasonable way. Maybe it is getting your first review code, which you can’t get unless you ask. Maybe it is your first 100 views or your first 1000. Whatever it is, don’t let other people define it for you, or it will eat you alive, and you will fail. Remember, sometimes success is simply holding the line and taking a step forward while everyone else takes a step back. Feel free to drop a comment, hit me up on Twitter, or shoot me an email if you have a question about this, and I will do my best to help. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

The Cabin Game reveal trailer

There’s a few rare times I see a trailer for anything and truly have no idea what the hell went on. This game is one of those cases. I got a bit of a PT vibe meets Cabin in the Woods feel which could be pretty cool. Some of the imagery was interesting. Honestly this one of those games I’m pretty invested in just to find out what the hell is actually happening. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

How My Review Scoring Works

Recently, I was asked how my scoring system works. This is a fair question, considering I always consider myself quite transparent. For example, plenty of companies send me review keys, and I always reveal this, and those are the games I give real scores to. I feel like this helps people know the difference between a game I am simply playing and a game I am reviewing. A fail-safe, if you will, if you happen to miss me thanking the company for the game, you will see the score. If you see neither, you know I am just playing a game. Also, I’m adding random ferret pictures for your enjoyment.

Also, I judge games based on what is expected. I will never compare a $20 indie title against a $60 AAA title. I didn’t review these games as I was not sent copies, nor are these the scores I would give them. But IF I said Final Fantasy 7 Remake was an 8 and Vampire Survivors was a 9, that does NOT mean Vampire Survivors is a better game; it simply means Vampire Survivors is a better game than what one would expect from an indie game at that price point.

Now, how did I come up with the actual numbers? Basically, my scale is 1-10, with a 1 being the lowest score possible. I have never been sent a 1, but a 1 would have to be quite literally unplayable and have no redeeming qualities. This would be the type of game that proves God is dead, and this is the weapon that killed it. It would have to crash constantly, have no story, or make no sense, falling through the levels. It is hard to describe how bad this would have to be.

Now in the middle is a 5. This means the game functions as intended for the most part. The game has no or an acceptable amount of issues that don’t prevent someone from enjoying the game. I have been sent a few of these. The concepts in the game are nice, but they aren’t done better or worse than anything else out there, and the game does nothing interesting, but it also doesn’t do anything wrong. It is a fun playthrough, at least it will be for some people. You are probably better off waiting for a sale than risking your hard-earned money.

I have never been sent a 10; these games are damn near perfect. Anything wrong with them is being nitpicky to the point that it is meaningless to bring it up. These are the holy grail of gaming, and very few of these exist in my opinion. One of my biggest pet peeves in the game reviewing community is how often people toss this score out there. Almost every time I have ever bought a “Perfect 10” game, I have been left feeling lied to. Some deserve it absolutely; Elden Ring and Red Dead Redemption 2 are legendary, for example. Baldur’s Gate 3, for as good as it was, was not a 10. Phantom Pain was also not a 10. Anyway, I digress; that is essentially how it works. Depending on how bad or good things like glitches, music, and graphics are, or just how fun the game is, determines where I move it. Best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory. Also, I hope you enjoyed the ferrets.

The Florist-Gardens of Death gameplay trailer

So once again I came across a game channeling some old school horror vibes ala the Tortured Souls series. Admittedly this game gives off a huge, classic Resident Evil 1 vibe with the scenery. What I think is cool is the idea of killer plants and plant monsters. In that regard I was getting a lil bit of Poison Ivy’s section of Batman: Arkham Asylum feel too. The tank camera is a lil bit of a con but if the game is smoother, I’ll be ok with it. In the end, I’d definately would keep on eye out for it when it comes to PS5. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Lanterns trailer 2

So likely due to the backlash over the first trailer for the latest DC show, it was pulled off much of the internet. So now we have round 2 and I think it looks much more promising. There’s a few scenes of Hal Jordan looking pretty badass. The sci fi elements came through a lot more and it’s at least starting to look like a Green Lantern property. I’m not super sold on the suit still, I think it’s still too brown and unappealing for my liking. I can’t say I’m super hyped for this show, but I’m starting to see some promise which is a big step forward. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Welcome, Dear Human announcement trailer

Sometimes I find some really cool stuff wandering down the Youtube rabbit holes. The trailer looks odd but the art style is really eye catching. The concept looks pretty interesting and I can see it being a fun kinda creepy. Admittedly the narrator made me think of Patrick Stewart which also helps. Anyway, this game looks like something interesting I’d like to check out someday if it lands on consoles. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Remothered: Red Nun’s Legacy

So I never played Remothered so I can’t say I was hyped for this game. However, this installment peaked my interest. The imagery alone is off putting and looks to be more suspense driven then your typical running sim or survival horror experience. I’m always looking to expand my interest when it comes to horror games so I would definitely like to see more. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 trailer

Aliens: Fireteam Elite was one of the video games of all time. No, that last sentence wasn’t a typo. It was a alright experience with some cool moments but even as a fanboy of the Alien series, I wasn’t really blown away by it like I was Alien: Isolation nor was it the hilarious trainwreck of Aliens: Colonial Marines .

As for the sequel, I’m getting much the same vibe. We see some new Xeno types that barely resemble the iconic monster. I’m sure me and Savior would get some level of enjoyment out of it but I highly doubt it’ll be full or even half price worth. I did laugh seeing the queen at the end- remembering the travesty of the finale of the previous game. In the end, I’m pretty meh but with friends I’m sure it’ll be fine but if you want a epic horde shooter, there’s always Left 4 Dead or the surprisingly awesome John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando. May the gaming gods bring you glory.

5 Games I Can’t Wait for in 2026

The start of the year is usually pretty slow for new games, but it is always exciting to realize we have a ton of new games and news to discover. So here are five games I can’t wait to get my hands on in 2026.

Resident Evil Requiem is the upcoming mainline title in the Resident Evil series, and while it has many people nervous with its splitting the game between two characters and game styles, the action-oriented Leon Kennedy and survival horror Grace Ashcroft, I remain hopeful after the last couple of games.

Grand Theft Auto 6 is making the list because it has a November release date, not because I believe it will come out this year. Don’t get me wrong, I look forward to playing it, but I don’t care to look at the game or news about it. It will simply arrive when it arrives.

Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined is a game most of you probably knew would be on this list. I am a sucker for old turn-based RPGs, and Dragon Quest has been one of my favorites since the days it was called Dragon Warrior.

The Severed Gods has a lot in common with Octopath Traveler, but has a much more mature story. A small indie title with big dreams set to release this year, I am hoping this one is a good as it looks. The people developing it are very friendly and very active with the community, which are very good signs.

Steel Artery is a Train City Builder, one I have actually already played during a playtest. It basically covered the tutorial and covered how to build the train and get it running, and let you see how the game works. There was quite a bit to it all, but it was very simple to get into, surprisingly for how deep it was, and getting my hands on the full game can’t come soon enough.

Those are the five games I am most excited for, in no particular order, so best wishes, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.

Happy New Year, And Thank You All

Today, I wanted to be a little sappy rather than give you all gaming news or a review. It’s been a long couple of years for old Savior; some things have gone wrong, and some have gone right. Thankfully, one thing has stayed pretty consistent. My readers at Savior Gaming, while not the most talkative bunch, always show up to read what I have to say. That means more to me than any of you can really know. In a world where I teach people to throw axes ( yes, that’s my real job), I get to come on here and share what games I am playing with you people.

And to all the companies that trust me enough to send me review codes, tabletop games, or even an umbrella, it has been a great year and fantastic to work with all of you. I hope to work with all of you more in the coming year. Stay safe everyone, and may the gaming gods bring you glory.