Jesse Lab
- Features Editor, Flixist
- Contributor, SavePoint Gaming
- Writer, Freelance
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Articles by Jesse Lab
Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave Review – A Grand but Exhausting Epic
It took me 132 hours to see the credits roll in Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave. That is more time than I have spent on any other single game, excluding multiplayer titles and repeat playthroughs, and those hours left me with two feelings that have been difficult to reconcile. At its best, I was more absorbed in its world than I have been with any other entry in the series. At its most frustrating, I wanted nothing more than to put it down and play something else.
Street Fighter (2026) Review – Chaotic Fun Pulls Its Punches
There is nothing wrong with a Street Fighter movie being ridiculous. This is a franchise where a green man generates electricity, an American soldier has hair that defies gravity, and martial artists settle their differences by throwing fireballs. A little absurdity comes with the territory. The challenge is making that silliness work alongside characters whose fights we actually care about. Capcom, Paramount Pictures, and director Kitao Sakurai’s Street Fighter occasionally find that balance.
Orbitals Review – Gorgeous but Gone Too Soon
Asymmetrical co-op games have to strike a delicate balance. Both players need meaningful roles, challenges have to accommodate different skill levels, and new ideas need to arrive frequently enough to stop one side of the partnership from feeling like they are simply going through the motions. Games like Split Fiction attack that problem by constantly reinventing themselves, throwing players from one elaborate set piece to another with barely enough time to settle in.
Resident Evil (2026) Review – Bloody, Stupid, Brilliant Fun
Zach Cregger did not make the Resident Evil movie everyone expected. After Weapons turned Amy Madigan’s Aunt Gladys into an Oscar-winning performance, the director could probably have taken his pick of projects, only to dive headfirst into one of gaming’s most recognisable horror franchises and immediately start doing things his own way. That naturally invited questions. Where were Leon Kennedy and Jill Valentine? Why wasn’t the film adapting one of the games? Why was there so much snow?
All 'Insidious' Monsters, Ranked From Least To Most Nightmarish
Monsters in horror movies are like peanut butter and chocolate: They go together brilliantly. Individually, they’re great, but when combined, some delicious results can follow. Just look at the Evil Dead series. Whenever a new movie like Evil Dead Burn(2026) comes along, fans wonder what kind of new, twisted Deadites await them. While most audiences will probably think of the Insidious franchise as a horror series about ghosts, it has its own fair share of demons and monsters to terrorize its cast.
Where You Know 'Soulm8te' Star Lily Sullivan From
Blumhouse is one of those studios you either love or hate. Since its first major horror release, Paranormal Activity (2007), it has earned a reputation as the go-to home for all sorts of horror subgenres, whether low-budget shlock or atmospheric mood pieces. Not all of Blumhouse’s films are hits, and there are definitely some that have bombed both critically and commercially. However, when it succeeds, you have huge hits like Obsession(2026), Five Nights at Freddy’s(2023), and M3GAN(2022).
Top 10 Most Anticipated Anime of Summer 2026
It’s that wonderful time of the year again! No, it has nothing to do with the summer sun, beach trips, no school, and spending the nights roasting s'mores by the fire. It’s time for another season of new anime titles! Traditionally, the summer season tends to be a bit lighter, and compared to all of the high-quality anime that were released this past spring, the summer may seem a bit dry by comparison.
Star Fox Review – Old Wings, New Shine
Star Fox 64 is a game with a significant legacy. Over the years, nostalgia has elevated it into a beloved Nintendo experience, one that has come to define its respective series in much the same way Ocarina of Time became the reference point for The Legend of Zelda. The difference is that Zelda eventually evolved in new ways, especially through Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom. Star Fox, on the other hand, has never quite escaped the shadow of Star Fox 64.
How Scary Is 'Leviticus'? Here's The Horror Vibes To Expect
Indie horror films have always been a breeding ground for unconventional ideas that push against societal standards. Good horror movies not only terrify the viewer, but also make them think about heavy themes that traditional Hollywood films dare not touch.
Mina the Hollower Review – Striking Gothic Gold
Mina the Hollower was described as a “make it or break it” release for Yacht Club Games, and that kind of pressure is almost impossible to ignore. Announced in 2022 on Kickstarter with an original estimated release window of December 2023, the game was delayed multiple times and eventually became more than just the studio’s next project. According to founder Sean Velasco, if Mina underperformed, the developer behind Shovel Knight may not have survived.
Yoshi and the Mysterious Book Review – A Gentle Toybox Letdown
There was a time when Nintendo considered itself a toy company first and a video game company second. Whether that still holds true today is up for debate, especially given the company’s recent pricing controversies, but that philosophy still appears in how Nintendo builds many of its games. At their best, they feel tactile, playful, and eager to surprise.
The Ending Of ‘Backrooms’, Explained
To say that Backrooms(2026) was highly anticipated would be an understatement. Across the country, theaters were sold out for Kane Parson’s big screen debut as he released a theatrical adaptation of his bizarre and surreal internet horror series. The Backrooms has become synonymous with liminal horror, and audiences clearly wanted to see how surreal and uneasy the Backrooms actually were.
Does 'Backrooms' Set Up A Sequel?
It’s safe to say that after one weekend at the box office, Backrooms(2026) is a huge hit. The film made $118 million at the box office over the course of four days, becoming A24’s biggest original release of all time. It’s helped popularize the concept of liminal horror and has given that term mainstream recognition. Not only that, but as a series that originally debuted on YouTube before making its jump to the big screen, that alone makes it pretty noteworthy.
Devil May Cry Season 2 Review – A True Double-Edged Sword
Netflix’s Devil May Cry has always worked best when it feels like it is sprinting directly out of the mid 2000s with a sword in one hand, a bad attitude in the other, and absolutely no interest in apologising for either. Season 1 was messy, juvenile, loud, and occasionally too pleased with itself, but it also had a very specific identity. It was not just another video game adaptation trying to prove that it respected the source material. It had its own strange pulse.
Star Wars Fans Ranked Their Least-Wanted Solo Movies - And The Results Are Hilarious
Star Wars, as a franchise, is in a weird place. The sequel trilogy concluded nearly a decade ago with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker(2019), and since then, the franchise has been wildly inconsistent. One day you can have great spin-offs on Disney+ like Andor(2022), and other days you can get The Book of Boba Fett(2021).
What Was Freaky Nikki's Backwards Walk? Obsession's Most Viral Scene, Explained
After only a few weeks, it’s safe to say that Obession(2026) is a smash hit. Not only did it earn over $80 million at the box office on a budget of less than a million, but it’s rightfully earned plenty of critical acclaim too. The film has blown up on social media, whether it’s fans discussing the nature of the One Wish Willow, the mysterious phone call Bear received, and now, Nikki’s unsettling backwards walk.
'Obsession's Telephone Scene, Explained: Where Is Nikki Really?
A man sits in a car and calls up a customer service number. The man seems unnerved, like he’s been through something rough. An agent picks up the phone. The man asks if he can alter a wish that he’s made, to which the agent replies that it isn’t possible. The man on the phone begins to question if what’s happening to him is real, and if “her love” is real.
Opinion – It’s Never A Good Sign When Nintendo Remakes Star Fox 64
Nintendo has officially revealed Star Fox for the Switch 2, a full remake of Star Fox 64 launching on June 25. The game is being positioned as a cinematic reworking of the Nintendo 64 classic, with fully voiced dialogue, an orchestral soundtrack, and a complete visual overhaul, and it’s releasing in less than two months! On paper, that should be easy to celebrate. The franchise has been dormant for years, and any meaningful return for Fox McCloud ought to feel like an event.
Samira Mohan Exits 'The Pitt' Season 3: Who Else Is Confirmed To Return Or Leave?
=The Pittwrapping up Season 2 on HBO Max means the award-winning medical drama is also bidding farewell to a character who has been on the show since the beginning: Supriya Ganesh’s Dr. Samira Mohan. Despite only beginning the fourth year of her residency, she will not be at Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center (PTMC) when The Pitt returns for Season 3. Samira’s arc in the sophomore season sees her debating her place in emergency medicine, as well as a movie back home to New Jersey.
All 'Bring It On' Movies In Order
Teen cinema, especially in the early 2000s, would not exist without the load-bearing cheerleading comedy, Bring It On (2000). Though it’s far from perfect and a product of its time, this movie commented on cultural appropriation and stereotypes. It celebrated its 25th anniversary just last year with cast reunions and renewed conversations about the movie’s impact.
Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake Review – Polaroid Nostalgia
The PlayStation 2 era was a fascinating time for horror games. As technology improved and developers grew more ambitious, the genre began to branch in striking directions. Some games leaned into psychology, others into provocation, and others still into mechanics that felt wholly distinct from the zombie shooting and monster slaying that often dominated survival horror.
Romeo Is A Dead Man Review - Surreal Excess Without Substance
Few directors in the industry possess a voice as unmistakable as Goichi Suda. Through his studio Grasshopper Manufacture, Suda51 has built a legacy on abrasive style, confrontational themes, and an unapologetic embrace of the absurd. From the anarchic swagger of No More Heroes to the fractured storytelling of Killer7, his works have long blurred the line between satire and sincerity. Romeo Is A Dead Man initially feels like the purest distillation of that ethos.
All ‘Toy Story’ Movies Ranked In Order Of Audience Scores
Pixar's Toy Story(1995) is arguably one of the most popular franchises and the one that's had the biggest impact on '90s kids. I'm pretty sure this movie is the reason I'm convinced all my inanimate objects have feelings, and I walk around apologizing to things when I bump into them.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Review - Reverent, Restrained, & Reluctant to Evolve
For a franchise so revered, Metroid has always existed in long stretches of absence. Years pass, hardware cycles come and go, and yet Samus Aran remains patiently awaited. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has lived in that waiting room longer than most, first announced in 2017, quietly restarted in 2019 with Retro Studios, and now finally landing on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 with the weight of expectation firmly on its shoulders. That history matters.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Deserves To Be GOTY - Here's Why
Throughout 2025, one game has consistently dominated the topic of conversation, and it’sSandfall Interactive’s debut title, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. If you had mentioned it back in January, most people would have tilted their heads in confusion. It wasn’t a major game from a major studio, it launched at a budget price, and its marketing push only truly ignited after release.
Pokémon Legends: Z-A Review - When Innovation Falters in Lumiose City
Pokémon has long resisted change. Since the Game Boy era, its formula — catch, battle, collect — has been a constant, a ritual more than a reinvention. That predictability once felt comforting, but as other long-running series evolved with each generation, Pokémon remained steadfast, sometimes stubbornly so. Pokémon Legends: Arceus was the rare exception. It felt alive, bold, and purposeful — a game willing to disrupt its own legacy.
After the success of Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, fans have been wondering what Konami will remake next. The natural hope, of course, is the original Metal Gear Solid — the 1998 classic that defined stealth action and introduced the world to Solid Snake. At New York Comic Con 2025, during a panel celebrating the game’s anniversary, the cast reflected on that legacy and whether they would be open to stepping back into their roles. The response was unanimous.
Silent Hill f Review - Beautifully Haunting, Fatally Flawed
When Konami first announced Silent Hill f in 2022, it was billed as the bold new direction for the franchise. The haunting red lilies and rural Japanese setting promised something fresh, even if details were scarce. Now, years later, this entry has arrived — and it has split the community wide open. After two playthroughs, I find myself equally divided.
The 10 Best Halloween Movies To Celebrate Spooky Season
Halloween is the best time of the year. There’s plenty of candy to go around, the days start to get colder, and everyone starts to plan which horror movies to watch to get into the spooky season. There’s no shortage of horror movies to choose from, and plenty of people will be satisfied just watching the scariest movies imaginable to get in the mood. But for some, Halloween is a vibe. It’s a state of mind, a way of life, and the time of year for horror movies that can be scary, but aren’t.
Hollow Knight: Silksong Review - Brutal, Gorgeous, and Worth the Wait
After what feels like an eternity, Hollow Knight: Silksong has finally arrived. For years, it lived in meme territory, edging toward vaporware status. Still, Team Cherry’s follow-up to their acclaimed Metroidvania has stormed onto the scene and reminded everyone why the wait mattered. With barely two weeks’ notice before release, indie developers scrambled to move out of Silksong’s way, while even AAA titles like Chronos: The New Dawn and Hell Is Us were overshadowed.
Donkey Kong Bananza Review - Yearning For The Bananium Mines
Donkey Kong 64 is one of my favorite video games. I feel like it’s essential to bring up, given that Donkey Kong Bananza is the first new 3D platformer for DK in 26 years. Donkey Kong 64 is by no means a perfect game, and its maximalist approach to the 3D collectathon rubbed many people the wrong way, but I personally loved it.
Superman Review - A Hopeful Start To The DCU
The world is a bleak place. There seems to be conflict no matter where you go, and the future looks grim. Cynicism is the go-to feeling towards others, and no one really wants to help each other. Even when someone does do the right thing and helps those in need, it’s frowned upon and criticised to no end, making everyone all the more bitter and unwilling to do what’s right. That’s the world according to 2013’s Man of Steel.
Deltarune Chapters 3 & 4 Review – Tomorrow Comes Today | SavePoint Gaming
I remember being stunned when Toby Fox shadow dropped Deltarune back in 2018. While I can’t really say that its predecessor, Undertale, impacted me in the same way that other role-playing games had, seeing a sequel to it release for free, sport the same high quality as that Indie gem, and leave a plethora of unanswered questions that teased more to come was a bold move to say the least. Fast forward seven years, and a second chapter was released in 2021.
Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker Review – A Magical Curtain Call | SavePoint Gaming
2023 is probably one of the best years for video games in recent memory. Between games like the Resident Evil 4 remake, Street Fighter VI, and Baldur’s Gate III, there was a non-stop stream of classic games releasing, but arguably, Sabotage Studio‘s Sea of Stars was my favourite. I’ll admit, I’m an easy mark for a game like Sea of Stars. I love classic SNES JRPGs, rich world-building and complex narratives, and deep and rewarding combat systems, all of which Sea of Stars has in spades.
US$50 Games Are the New Gold Standard in 2025, Not US$80 Ones
The future of video games is grim. And it’s all because of Mario Kart World. By all accounts, it looks to be an excellent entry in the series. I have a lot of personal affection for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, but World looks to be a logical evolution for the series. And yet, many gamers, like myself, view it as an albatross of sorts, ready to crucify it for breaking an unspoken cardinal rule of the industry.
Into The Restless Ruins Review – Dungeons and Deckbuilding | SavePoint Gaming
Over the past decade or so, roguelikes have grown into one of the most popular genres of games in the Indie space. From Slay the Spire to Hades, roguelikes have garnered critical acclaim, but due to their popularity, some may argue that the genre has become a bit stale. Ant Workshop and Wales Interactive‘s Into the Restless Ruins seeks to change that. Into the Restless Ruins isn’t just as straight-up rougelike.
The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy Review – A True Last Stand | SavePoint Gaming
In many ways, Too Kyo Games and Media.Vision’s latest game, The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, is the definition of an underdog story. Directed by Kazutaka Kodaka and Kotaro Uchikoshi, who were the creators of the Danganronpa and Zero Escape franchises, respectively, The Hundred Line is a game that’s a make-or-break moment for their studio, because if it fails, it will most likely lead to the end of Too Kyo Games.
Into The Restless Ruins Preview – Deckbuilding By Day, Dungeon Crawling By Night | SavePoint Gaming
While plenty of mythologies have been explored and mined in gaming, in my opinion, Scottish folklore tends to be underrepresented. Its inclusion is one of the reasons that Wales Interactive and Ant Workshop‘sInto the Restless Ruinsis so interesting to me, but that’s just scratching the surface. The game is a blend of various genres and ideas. Immediately, comparisons can be made in presentation and combat to Vampire Survivors, but that wouldn’t be the most accurate reflection.
Best Sims 2 DLCs and Stuff Packs
When I was growing up, I loved to play The Sims 2. I would load up the game on my GameCube every day after I got it for Christmas one year, and now in celebration of the franchise’s 25th anniversary, it’s back and with all of its content.
How to Watch Every Best Picture Nominee From the 2025 Oscars
It’s that time of the year when film lovers are getting ready for the Oscars, and there’s no better way to do so than to watch all of the 10 nominees for Best Picture. If you’re interested in watching all of them before the 97th Academy Awards, here’s how. While most of these movies are available on streaming services, some are exclusive to one or two platforms while others may cost you a bit to rent.
The Nintendo Switch 2's Backwards Compatibility Is Its Most Important Feature
There’s a lot we don’t know at the moment about the Nintendo Switch 2, but there’s one thing we do know – it’s backward compatible. For me, and probably for many gamers, that’s going to be its most important feature. From a consumer standpoint, there are no real negatives to buying a system that is backward compatible. It’s a convenience given to consumers where we’re allowed to keep playing the games we have already purchased, whether they be physical or digital.
Ranking Every Donkey Kong Platformer, From Worst to Best
When you think of Nintendo, most people will think of Mario. However, back in the day, it wasn’t Mario who was headline Nintendo’s first hit, it was Donkey Kong. So, With over four decades of releases, we’re going to be ranking every major game starring the big ape. With so many games under DK’s belt (or tie), we’re going to need to set some ground rules. First, we’re only focusing on platformers that DK, or his extended family, starred in.
Castlevania: Nocturne Season 2 Stumbles Its Way Into Amazing Action Scenes And Character Moments [Review]
When Castlevania: Nocturne debuted in 2023, I claimed it was the best Castlevania season, which I still stand by. The animation, tone, and complexity were welcome changes, but Season 2 had the potential to undermine all of that. Thankfully, for the most part, it didn’t. While Castlevania: Nocturne’s second season may have a few more flaws than its stellar first season, it’s still ultimately a good show that kept me hooked for its eight-episode run.
Most Anticipated Video Games of 2025 & Their Release Dates
While it may be sad to see 2024 and its awesome selection of games in the annals of history, 2025 has plenty of interesting and exciting games to look forward to, and here are some of our most anticipated games of the new year! Now of course, plenty of games are coming out in 2025 that haven’t been announced yet and just as many games don’t have a confirmed 2025 release date. Because of that, we’re only going to be looking at games that, for now, are confirmed to release some time in 2025.
The Best Nintendo Switch Games of 2024
The Nintendo Switch has lived a long life, and with 2024 most likely being the last full year for the again console before it’s replaced, let’s look back and see which were the best Nintendo Switch games that were released in 2024. Naturally, we’ll be factoring in games that were released exclusively on the Nintendo Switch, but we’re also going to consider multi-platform games as well, provided that the Nintendo Switch version is considered to be the best version.
The Escapist's Best Games of 2024
Over the past 365 days, countless games have been released. While some games are definitely not worth your time, we here at the Escapist have come together and voted on what we consider to be the best games of 2024! Our process was simple – over the course of around a week or so, our editors and writers each voiced what their top five favorite games of the year were. From there, we assigned points to each game based on their position in a person’s list.
The Best Horror Games of 2024
Whether in a movie theater or in your living room, horror thrived in 2024, and that includes horror video games. With so many excellent games to choose from, here are the best horror games of 2024. The rules for this list are simple – if it was an original horror game that came out in 2024, it’s eligible. It doesn’t matter what system it’s for, as long as it came out from January 1st to the middle of December, it’s valid.
Best JRPGs of 2024
If there was one video game genre that thrived in 2024, I’m sure most people would point to JRPGs. From January to December, there were excellent JRPGs released every month, and we’re going to look at the five best of 2024.
Best PS5 Games of 2024
While Sony may not have had as many first party games released as in previous years, that isn’t to say that there weren’t some excellent new games released for PS5. Here are the best PS5 games of 2024. If a game was released on the PS5 during 2024, then it qualifies for this list, but we’re going to put a particular focus on console-exclusive games. To qualify for this list, the game had to be a PS5 console exclusive and not appear on any Nintendo or Microsoft system at any point this year.
Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Provides Everything a Sonic Fan Could Want [Review]
Let’s get this out of the way – I was always going to like Sonic the Hedgehog 3. I’ve been a fan of the series for years, and when I heard that this movie would adapt elements of my favorite game in the series, Sonic Adventure 2, I was all in. I just wanted to be upfront about that because while I am going to try to be rational and critical of the movie, there’s simply no denying that I loved almost every second I spent watching Sonic the Hedgehog 3.
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