Reviews | Lollipop Magazine

Dragon’s Crown Pro – Review

May 9, 2018

It understands the genre and delivers satisfying, bombastic combat in short bursts, but also finds ways to deliver a full-length adventure that meets modern expectations.

Monster Magnet – Mindfucker – Review

March 31, 2018

They’ve gone from tripped-out, psychedelic fare like Spine of God and Dopes to Infinity to a more straightforward rock ‘n’ roll sound on Mindfucker, their 11th album.

Shadow of the Colossus – Review

March 9, 2018

Shadow of the Colossus is an all-time classic, and this excellent remaster provides a vital opportunity to play it again or discover it for the first time.

Celeste – Review

February 23, 2018

The star of Celeste is definitely the palm-sweating finger acrobatics required by the devious level designs.

Hooded Menace – Ossuarium Silhouettes Unhallowed – Review

February 1, 2018

Rest assured that by the closing notes of “Black Moss” you’ll feel suitably torn asunder and buried alive, with the grime under your fingernails to prove it.

Like Moths to Flames – Dark Divine – Review

November 3, 2017

Metalcore stalwarts Like Moths to Flames make a huge step forward on Dark Divine, their fourth record.

For The Sake of Heaviness: The History of Metal Blade Records – Review

October 27, 2017

Seeing the Metal Blade name associated with a band is as good as a guarantee that it’s the real deal, and this book shows what it took to make that a reality.

Cuphead – Review

October 3, 2017

The detail and charm in Cuphead means it was made with a lot of love, but that would just be window dressing if it wasn’t a solid action game.

36 Crazyfists – Lanterns – Review

September 25, 2017

As bleak as things can get on Lanterns, ultimately it ends up sounding hopeful.

Comeback Kid – Outsider – Review

September 1, 2017

Comeback Kid manages to outdo their previous work yet again.

Yakuza Kiwami – Review

August 29, 2017

Yakuza Kiwami (“Extreme”) lets gamers experience the wacky fun of the original Yakuza in a remake with modern graphics and gameplay polish.

Superhot – Review

August 1, 2017

Rather than run headfirst into a firefight, you’ll think multiple steps ahead and carefully consider where your enemies will intersect with your bullet.

Nex Machina – Review

June 29, 2017

Nex Machina infuses the classic Robotron twin stick formula with breakneck speed, adds in the wild voxel-based visual style of Resogun and sharpens it to a razor edge.

The Surge – Review

May 26, 2017

Developer Deck13 — creators of 2014’s Lords of the Fallen — bring the Souls sensibility to a grim, mechanized future.

Sweat Lodge – Tokens For Hell – Review

April 25, 2017

It’s their swan song, as everyone involved has already decided to put the band on hiatus and go raise kids or pursue other projects.

Snake Pass – Review

April 5, 2017

Charming, accomplished and fun, a quietly ambitious puzzle platformer that nods to a bygone era but exhibits gamemaking acumen that is distinctly modern day.

Nier: Automata – Review

March 30, 2017

The fascinating semi-open world structure has been fleshed out and augmented with the combat know-how of developer Platinum Games: It looks and plays great.

Monster Movie – Keep The Voices Distant – Review

March 24, 2017

Everything here is just as long as it needs to be, from the beautifully somber title track to the engrossing, multi-part closer “Dead in the Water.”

Iron Reagan – Crossover Ministry – Review

March 15, 2017

Back to the heyday of D.R.I. and Sui-cyco-style crossover metal, the aptly titled Crossover Ministry from Iron Reagan has all you want from the forgotten genre.

c.Kostra – Now I Feel It – Review

January 31, 2017

Heavily distorted vocals push, pull, and mold these tracks into beautiful miniature soundscapes that sound fresh and innovative while managing to be accessible.

True Widow – Avvolgere – Review

December 30, 2016

2016 may have dropkicked all our hopes and dreams, but it also gave us this killer album, so it might be a wash.

Watch Dogs 2 – Review

November 20, 2016

The sprawling, sun-soaked and varied terrain of Grand Theft Auto V’s Los Angeles and Watch Dogs 2’s San Francisco Bay Area truly feel like gigantic playgrounds.

Pain – Coming Home – Review

November 11, 2016

From industrial to country to metal to classic rock, Tägtgren is just endearingly weird – in the Les Claypool or Devin Townsend mold- when he’s in Pain mode.

Dean Ween Group – The Deaner Album – Review

November 7, 2016

Mickey Melchiondo’s new offering, The Deaner Album, with his band the Dean Ween Group, sounds like, surprise, a Ween record.

Wovenwar – Honor Is Dead – Review

November 4, 2016

Wovenwar sounds unshackled here, free to create a melodic metalcore sound that feels natural rather than predictably soft/heavy, good cop/bad cop.