Matt Karoglou-Contributor

Staff Writer

Contributor

March, 2023
Indie Games, RPG, Resident Evil
  • 420
    articles
  • 19
    News
  • 463
    Features
  • 30
    Reviews

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About Matt Karoglou

Matt Karoglou is a freelance writer and musician who has been playing video games for 36 years and writing about them for almost as long. When he's not editorializing about the intricacies and brilliance of the Shmup genre or playing Resident Evil for the thousandth time, he can be found most days listening to metal and hardcore records while enjoying indie titles on his Steam Deck.

Industry Focus

Primarily writes about RPGs, indie titles, Metroidvanias, Soulslikes, and the Resident Evil series. Interested in all things Square Enix and Capcom, and occasionally dabble in the industry-focused hardware piece here and there.

Favorite Games

As a massive Resident Evil fan, the original, Resident Evil 2, and Resident Evil 4 all rank among some of my all-time favorite games (both their initial releases and remakes). I'm also a huge fan of Metroidvanias and try to play as many as I can get my hands on. While my all-time favorites will always be the portmanteau's origins (Super Metroid and Castlvania: Symphony of the Night), Hollow Knight, both Ori games, and both Blasphemous games also rank high as some of my favorites in the genre. Special shout out to Chrono Trigger and The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past as quite possibly my first and second favorite games of all-time, as well as Final Fantasy IV ranking somewhere in the top 5.

Favorite Console

I cut my teeth on the NES just in time for the SNES to arrive right as I was 6 years old, and the Super Nintendo will always have a special place as one of my all-time favorite consoles. Right behind it, though, is the PlayStation. Some of my favorite franchises have either their series highlights (Castlevania, Final Fantasy) or origins (Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil) on the PS1, cementing it as an all-timer for me. Picking between the SNES and PS1 would be nearly impossible, as both have some of the most impressive libraries in the history of gaming.

Latest

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Gigabyte Aorus Master 16 Review

Gigabyte's new Aorus Master line of gaming laptops come packed with plenty of high-end features and a powerful GPU that justify the units' pricing.

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INAYAH - Life After Gods Review

ExoGenesis Studio's debut title, INAYAH - Life After Gods, is a great-looking Metroidvania that is held back by some frustrating design choices.

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How The First: Berserker Khazan Honors One of FromSoftware’s Most Controversial Traditions

The First Berserker: Khazan's Soulslike roots extend beyond its combat and progression to include one of FromSoftware's more polarizing elements.

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The First Berserker: Khazan Hides One of its Best Grinding Spots in Plain Sight

Players hoping to get some good early-to-mid-game grinding done in The First Berserker: Khazan don't need to look far for a great opportunity.

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If The First Berserker: Khazan Gets a Sequel, its Path Forward is Already Clear

The First Berserker: Khazan's success could very well lead to a sequel, and there are already some ideal elements for it to include.

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The First Berserker: Khazan - Easy vs. Normal Mode Explained

The First Berserker: Khazan is one of a very small handful of Soulslike games that offers players different difficulty options.

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How The First Berserker: Khazan's Length Compares to Other Soulslikes

Neople's The First Berserker: Khazan offers up a sizeable campaign to keep Soulslike fans busy that compares favorably to other games in the genre.

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10 Years Later, Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin Remains the Definitive Version of the Most Overlooked Soulsborne Title

A decade of hindsight shows that Dark Souls 2: Scholar of the First Sin is an important and influential entry in FromSoftware's Soulsborne library.

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The First Berserker: Khazan Makes an Overlooked Soulslike Weapon Type Viable

The First Berserker: Khazan's more limited, but curated, weapon types set the stage for an overlooked Soulslike armament to shine.

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The First Berzerker: Khazan's Gear Drops Strike a Perfect Balance Between Dark Souls and Nioh

The cadence of gear drops in The First Berzerker: Khazan sits almost directly between the curated selection of Dark Souls and the random loot of Nioh.

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Ben Starr is the Breakout Star of The First Berserker: Khazan

Ben Starr's performance as the titular hero of The First Berserker: Khazan is one of the game's high points as far as its story is concerned.

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The First Berzerker: Khazan's Skill Trees Deserve to Become a Soulslike Staple

Future entries in the Soulslike genre could benefit from taking a page out of The First Berzerker: Khazan's book concerning weapon skill trees.

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Why Players Shouldn't Skip The First Berserker: Khazan's First Optional Boss

The first optional mission and boss in The First Berserker: Khazan serves as an important stepping stone that players shouldn't skip and come back to.

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Final Fantasy 6 Party Member Tier List

Final Fantasy 6's "ensemble cast" approach to its protagonists separates it from other games in the series and primes its heroes for a tiered ranking.

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The Stars Could Finally Be Aligning for One Long-Awaited Chrono Trigger Project

Square Enix's recent announcement, in conjunction with recognizing Chrono Trigger's 30th anniversary, could point to a dream project becoming reality.

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10 Years Later, Bloodborne Remains a Singular Entry in FromSoftware's Catalog

Looking back on Bloodborne 10 years since its release proves that the game holds a unique place within FromSoftware's now-legendary catalog.

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How Atomfall Differs From Other Post-Apocalyptic Games

Rebellion's upcoming Atmofall takes an atypical approach to the post-apocalyptic genre thanks to its unique setting and gameplay.

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Atomfall's Survival Gameplay Features Explained

Survival mechanics play an important role in the moment-to-moment gameplay of Rebellion's upcoming action title Atomfall.

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Atomfall's Leads System Explained

Rebellion's Atomfall takes an atypical approach to gameplay and progression thanks to its Leads system emphasizing investigation.

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Assassin's Creed Shadows Review

Assassin's Creed Shadows is a spectacular return to form for the franchise, delivering one of the series' more tightly focused historical adventures.

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