‘Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst’ review
'Mirror’s Edge Catalyst' will feel familiar to fans of the 2008 cult classic, but crumbles under the weight of expanded story and a bad open world.
‘Overwatch’ review
In Blizzard’s expertly designed multiplayer shooter, the most fun comes from working together with other players.
Doom (2016) review
After more than a decade out of the spotlight Doom captures the magic of the original first-person shooter, but doesn’t quite make a great game.
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End review
Uncharted 4 is next-gen farewell to one of last generation’s best franchises, but how does it stack up to the games you remember?
Star Fox Zero review
Star Fox Zero is a return to form for the long-missed series, but is it a Wii U swansong or too little too late?
Dark Souls III review
For those new to the series, Dark Souls III feels deliberately tuned to offer tribulations and triumphs, without sending players packing in frustration.
Quantum Break review
Despite its ambitious premise, Quantum Break could not figure out how to juggle game and TV narratives and deliver on the promise of a new form of dual-media storytelling.
Tom Clancy’s The Division Review
The Division dumps stat-building MMO elements into a tactical shooter, but doesn’t press “blend” long enough for this shooter smoothie to taste good.
Firewatch review
Though it excels at interpersonal drama in a beautiful, natural setting, Firewatch’s greater mystery collapses under a forced conclusion.
‘XCOM 2’ review
XCOM 2 avoids the “sophomore slump” and improves upon an already excellent game with this hotly-anticipated sequel to XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
Rainbow Six: Siege review
Rainbow Six: Siege’s focus on teamwork and tactics create some amazing moments, but the total package can get repetitive.
Star Wars Battlefront review
Star Wars: Battlefront nails the epic feel of the original Star Wars trilogy, but the game underneath that spectacle can be frustrating.
Rise of the Tomb Raider review
Carried by one of the best game protagonists in the industry, Rise of the Tomb Raider is a fun, exciting, spectacular experience that transcends its parts.
Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 review
There’s a lot packed into Treyarch’s latest CoD entry, but much of it is a step back for the franchise.
Fallout 4 review
Fallout 4 arrives on tidal waves of expectations. Does the post-apocalyptic RPG live up to the hype?
Halo 5: Guardians review
Halo 5: Guardians brings some excellent new multiplayer offerings, but its weak campaign, dull plot and co-op-heavy design make it frustrating to play alone.
OptiShot 2 Golf Simulator review
The Optishot 2 touts itself as a leader for in-home golfing at a budget price. But does the device live up its billing as an accurate golf simulator?
Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate review
More than two years after hitting Nintendo 3DS in Japan, Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate finally makes its way to the US to try and bring the series to new players. Thanks to subtle but affecting changes, the game is more welcoming than any of its predecessors.
The Order: 1886 review
What the hell is going on in The Order: 1886? The game gives good screenshot and little else; it's gorgeous to look at, but completely lacking in any sense of creativity or fun.
Dying Light review
Dying Light is light years better than the Dead Island series, but it suffers from many of the same flaws. It doesn't understand its own strengths, but when it gives players control it can be great.
Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell review
Saints Row: Gat Out of Hell’s shift in character focus and overall mediocrity makes for a deeply disappointing follow up to Saints Row IV.
Destiny: The Dark Below DLC review
Destiny's first expansion, The Dark Below, layers more of the same on top of the game that shipped in September 2014. It's essential for daily players, but it doesn't address some of the game's most significant criticisms.
Saints Row IV: Re-Elected review
Saints Row IV is a fun game, and it’s a funny game. While it’s absurd comedy about an alien invasion is solid on a surface level, it’s the underlying perspective on the sum total of video games that makes it genius.
Resident Evil HD Remaster Review
This new HD re-mastering of the 2002 Gamecube version of Resident Evil is the best way there is to enjoy Shinji Mikami’s puzzling horror thanks to admirable presentation and smartly reconsidered controls.
Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMix review
Kingdom Hearts 2.5 HD ReMix is an admirable preservation, warts and all, of gaming's weirdest, most personal success story.
Far Cry 4 review
Far Cry 4 carries over the living world sensibilities that made its last two predecessors such noteworthy games, but it's clearer now than ever that the series' narrative aspirations are in dire need of a re-think.
Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers 20th Anniversary Edition review
Gabriel Knight earns its keep as a classic of the adventure game genre by holding up remarkably well after two decades, but it lost a little bit of soul in the remake process.
Lords of the Fallen review
The most surprising thing about Lords of the Fallen is not how blatantly it borrows element after element from Dark Souls, but that it took so long for this to happen.
Sunset Overdrive review
Insomniac Games unloads with both barrels in Sunset Overdrive. The game’s sharp mix of fun and funny, further enhanced by deeply interlocked systems of play, make this one of the strongest Xbox One titles yet.
Civilization: Beyond Earth review
By Sid Meier’s rubric of 33% familiar, 33% improvements, and 33% brand new for a Civilization game, Beyond Earth certainly earns its keep as a strong new entry in the series.
Bayonetta 2 review
Bayonetta 2's gargantuan barrage of sex, violence, and surrealism sets the mind on fire in ways most other action games never dream of, let alone on Nintendo's game-hungry Wii U.
Persona 4 Arena Ultimax review
An excellent sequel to Persona 4 Arena, Ultimax broadens both the accessibility and the technical mastery of its fights while making welcome tweaks to its single-player content. Unfortunately it's even more inaccessible to series newcomers.
The Evil Within review
Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami turns in his first horror game in nearly a decade. Rather than a triumphant return, The Evil Within is a naked effort to recapture past highs that fails almost entirely.
Dark Souls II: Crown of the Ivory King review
The third and final expansion to Dark Souls II, Crown of the Ivory King caps things off perfectly with a beautiful and complex new area to play, explore and die in.
Skylanders: Trap Team review
Skylanders: Trap Team brings a clever new mechanic to the hit franchise, but favors the new (and expensive) over collectors' old favorites and existing collections.
Alien: Isolation review
A remarkable work of science fiction tension and stress, Alien: Isolation's brilliant first half is almost eclipsed by an abysmal second following what should be its climax.
The Walking Dead Season Two review
The Walking Dead: Season 2 is a masterful fusion of plot and play that builds on the successes of the first season as it follows a very clear, powerful arc of growth and evolution.
Senior Gaming Editor
As a veteran of the industry who first began writing about games professionally as a teenager, Giovanni brings a wealth of knowledge and historical context gaming coverage. He brings that expertise to everything he writes, from interview features to reviews. His specialty is criticism and he’s committed to raising the bar for video game reviews. Just read his ambitious UFO 50 review as proof!
Giovanni majored in Film and Photography at Ithaca College, and that skill set had intersected with his games writing through his career. He previously worked as a Segment Producer on Polygon’s daily gaming show, Speedrun, and has contributed video content for sites like Prima Games and Hard Drive. He’s always willing to experiment with new media, whether that be via podcasts or creating videos for Digital Trends’ YouTube channel. He has previously written for Inverse, Fanbyte, The Inventory, and more. He began working with Digital Trends in 2019 as a Destiny 2 guides contributor before moving into his current role as Senior Editor.
His love of gaming dates back decades. Giovanni grew up in Massachusetts with his mother’s hand-me-down Atari 2600. He was hooked from that point on, spending his childhood obsessively playing Sega Genesis or Super Smash Bros. Melee with his friends. He carried that passion into college, where he hosted and produced Ithaca College’s own studio format video game news show. Since then, he has been committed to giving back to the video game industry that raised him by providing honest criticism, sharp analysis, and thorough coverage.
Giovanni is currently based in Brooklyn, New York where he works alongside his cat, Mirah. On weekends, you can find him birdwatching in local parks or watching professional wrestling, his second love behind gaming.