Matt Vatankhah

Austin

Contributor at VICE

managing editor @PrimaGames - video game music enjoyer - play Hi-Fi Rush

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Articles

‘Oblivion: Remastered’ Is Actually Just as Moddable as Its Original 2006 Release, and Another 20 Years of Unhinged Mods Is upon Us

2 days ago | vice.com | Matt Vatankhah

After a long week of anticipation over recent leaks, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered is officially real. And, released on the same day. For some folks, it’s their chance to experience a classic Elder Scrolls adventure for the first time. For fossils like me, a chance to replay one of our fondest and most beloved RPGs again. Modders, however, have a whole new can of Tamriel to play with, discovering that the Oblivion remaster is just as moddable as the original.
‘Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves’ Proves This Series Still Has Hands, Even if It Misses a Couple Shots (Review)

3 days ago | vice.com | Matt Vatankhah

While SNK’s annual King of Fighters hasn’t missed a beat since its 1994 release, Fatal Fury hasn’t seen the light of day in quite some time. After more than 25 years, the studio’s inaugural and, arguably, most iconic series is making a triumphant return. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves is the second in the “Wolves” sub-series.
Waypoint Mini Review Round-Up Episode 1: Horror, Puzzles, and More, Oh My!

1 week ago | vice.com | Matt Vatankhah

It feels like video games are coming out more often than ever, and that’s why we’re starting the Waypoint Mini Review Roundup. It allows us to chat about games we’ve been playing, as well as hoping to give some smaller titles the recognition they deserve. And for this first annual edition? We’ve got quite the lineup of games to talk about. From horror to puzzlers, and maybe a bit of Schedule I for good measure, we’re here to chat about the smaller games we’ve been playing lately.
Removing Proximity Chat from ‘Marathon’ Won’t Stop the Toxic Nature of an Extraction Shooter, It’ll Just Make It Less Engaging

1 week ago | vice.com | Matt Vatankhah

One of my first experiences with proximity voice chat was, coincidentally, in Bungie’s Halo 2. Listening to brief moments of unfettered rage after taking a shotgun to your enemy’s back is an unrivaled experience. But, in reality, proximity chat has always been so much more than a source of laughter and shit talking. Yes, even in a competitive PvP setting! Which makes Bungie’s decision to exclude the feature from Marathon all the more head-scratching.
Waypoint Wishlist: Nintendo 3DS Edition

2 weeks ago | vice.com | Matt Vatankhah

The Nintendo 3DS is one of my favorite consoles of all time. I wrote an entire article about how much I loved the oft-maligned Bread Slice version of the console, and it had one of the best libraries of games in Nintendo history. There are so many beloved titles that deserve a life that isn’t confined to a 3.5-inch screen, and that’s what we’re here today to talk about.
‘Rosewater’ Is a Rootin-Tootin’ Point and Clickin’ Hell of a Good Time (Review)

2 weeks ago | vice.com | Matt Vatankhah

It’s not always about the destination — but the friends and choices made along the way. That philosophy seems central to Grundislav Games’ Western point-and-click adventure, Rosewater. Set in the same universe as the studio’s previous Lamplight City, Rosewater features a diverse cast of characters tangled in an adventure for a lost fortune. But with branching narratives and choices that affect the story, there’s more than one way to rope a calf. Or, I don’t know, insert some other Cowboy pun here.
I Finally Stopped Ignoring ‘Tekken 8’, and Now I Understand the Hype

2 weeks ago | vice.com | Matt Vatankhah

I’ve been a fan of fighting games for as long as I can remember. But, like any insufferable purist out there, I’ve stuck solely to 2D fighters. MvC2, 3rd Strike, Guilty Gear Strive, Granblue Fantasy Versus, Street Fighter 6 – you name it, that’s my jam. I guess they call them “2.5D” fighters now, but whatever, you get the gist. When I finally decided to check out Tekken 8, on the cusp of launching Season 2 during its Spring Update, I reluctantly bit. Am I even going to like this game?
‘Path of Exile 2’ Dawn of the Hunt Starts Tomorrow, so Buckle Up and Play SSF, You Coward

3 weeks ago | vice.com | Matt Vatankhah

Path of Exile 2 is dropping its newest season, Dawn of the Hunt, tomorrow. A brand new league means brand new beginnings, with a reset economy and tons of additional skills and items available. It’s also, coincidentally, your chance to experience an ARPG like you never have before. By playing by yourself, with no help, as a Solo Self-Found character.
We’re Truly Never Getting Handheld Gaming Back Again, Are We?

3 weeks ago | vice.com | Matt Vatankhah

Well, it happened. Yesterday’s Switch 2 Direct confirmed all our biggest fears about Nintendo’s new console. What? No, I’m not talking about the exorbitant prices. Nope, I’m not referring to Nintendo gleefully basking in their “Xbox Kinect moment“. It’s even worse – throughout the one-hour-long Direct, there was no mention, not even a mutter, of a return to StreetPass. And that, folks, is kind of the nail in the coffin for the handheld era. Okay, fine, I’ll stop being dramatic.
‘Mario Kart World’ Has Free Roaming Cows - Wait, No, It Has a New Free Roam Mode and You Can Race as a Cow

3 weeks ago | vice.com | Matt Vatankhah

This is not a drill – the next edition of the biggest and best racing series in the world has officially been announced during the Switch 2 Direct. Mario Kart World is the ninth entry in Nintendo’s iconic series, and will be a launch title for the upcoming Switch 2 console. It’s bigger, better, and you can bounce off walls while racing as a cow. The World is quite literally at your fingertips, people.