Axel Cushing

Peoria

Editor-In-Chief and Writer at Game Luster

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Articles

Blades of Fire Review - This Blade Does Cut

2 weeks ago | gameluster.com | Axel Cushing

One of the hobbies I’ve long wanted to get into has been blacksmithing, and bladesmithing in particular. Blame Robert Adams (of Horseclans fame) for putting the idea in my head back in the dim days of my youth. The idea of forging weapons and armor has a certain atavistic thrill, and far too many fantasy novels play up the “practical magic” of turning lumps of iron into creations both elegant and lethal.
Void Sails Review - Squamous Oddities In The Bilge

2 weeks ago | gameluster.com | Axel Cushing

I’ve already had one disappointment this year trying to mix Lovecraftian elements into something other than a Call of Cthulhu-style adventure or RPG. The saving grace there is that the title in question is in Early Access, and has time to perhaps become better. About the same time that other title came up on my radar, so did Void Sails. The teasers suggested a more colorful and whimsical take on the Mythos, something a little less grim than Sunless Skies.
Decade Review - Can't Quite Break The Divergence Barrier

3 weeks ago | gameluster.com | Axel Cushing

When you grow up reading sci-fi and fantasy as a kid, you’re going to be dealing with time travel. For me, it was the full course: The Time Machine, Doctor Who, Bradbury’s A Sound Of Thunder, Lieber’s Changewar stories, Back To The Future, Steins;Gate – there have been lots of ideas on the subject which have been plugged into my head. So when Decade popped up on the radar, I figured I’d give it a whirl and see where it went. So far, there’s seems to be a lack of movement.
RailGods Of Hysterra Early Access Review - Shambling Horrors

1 month ago | gameluster.com | Axel Cushing

I have an older cousin to thank and/or blame for my introduction to the Cthulhu Mythos by way of his copy of Chaosium’s Call of Cthulhu TTRPG. It was inevitable I’d pick up on Lovecraft and his Mythos, and all the writers who contributed to it over the years. In some respects, it’s gratifying to see that Lovecraft’s works have gained the popular appeal they didn’t seem to catch when they first came out.
Apple Found In Violation Of Injunction In Apple v. Epic

1 month ago | gameluster.com | Axel Cushing

Just when you thought the Apple v. Epic fight was well and truly over, Apple has managed to bring down fresh ire from the US District Court of Northern California. In an 80 page document filed Wednesday, Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers has found Apple to be in violation regarding an injunction which went into effect in January 2024 after the Supreme Court declined to review the case.
The Fool's Apprentice Review - A Confederacy Of Dunces

1 month ago | gameluster.com | Axel Cushing

There is a school of thought in modern corporate management that motion inherently equates to action. That if you look busy, you must in fact be busy. And that in order to be busy, you have to tell everybody how very busy you are. This is, of course, completely ridiculous to anybody who hasn’t had the complimentary lobotomy bestowed alongside the typical MBA.
Hollywood Animal Early Access Review - Animal Moviehouse

1 month ago | gameluster.com | Axel Cushing

Last year, I took a look at the demo for Hollywood Animal and came away wanting more. Well, it’s not quite a year later, Hollywood Animal has just had its Early Access launch, and it’s the damnedest thing. I’m still left wanting more, but not in the good way. To refresh your memory, Hollywood Animal puts you in charge of a recently acquired movie studio at the start of 1929. The stock market crash hasn’t happened yet, businesses are flush, and the last year of the Roaring 20’s looks to be a big one.
Chains Of Freedom Review - Take Away This Ball And Chain

1 month ago | gameluster.com | Axel Cushing

I do love me some good old fashioned tactical RPGs. Hard to be otherwise, really, given my exposure to titles like the original X-COM and Jagged Alliance, along with more recent titles like Fire Emblem Awakening. However, it’s also left me with a high standard for the genre. If you’re going to give me grizzled warriors going toe-to-toe with vicious foes both human and otherwise, it had better be the right mix of blood, thunder, and personality.
Emperor Of The Fading Suns Enhanced Review - Old Glory

1 month ago | gameluster.com | Axel Cushing

The late 90s were an odd time in gaming. New technologies were coming out and the ongoing transition from DOS to Windows remained a thorny mess in the gaming space. For all that, there was definitely a more experimental vibe – a willingness to try new things and see if they stuck. Historically, Master of Orion was the gold standard in the 4X genre (and still is for some folks). Then came Emperor Of The Fading Suns.
IXION Review - The Dark Between The Stars

2 months ago | gameluster.com | Axel Cushing

For a long time, I thought that Outpost would hold an unchallenged position as the most functionally broken game I’d ever played. The degree of dumb luck you needed to find the right spot and not have the game decide to screw you over definitely put a damper on the wonder of trying to build a new colony far from Earth. And then IXION came along to show how you can make things so much worse.