Author Archives: Robert Allen

Since being a toddler, Robert Allen has been immersed in video games, anime, and tokusatsu. Currently, his days are spent teaching at two southern California colleges. But his evenings and weekends are filled with STGs, RPGs, and action titles and well at writing for Tech-Gaming since 2007.

TRI: Of Friendship and Madness review

Robert’s Take: Successful puzzle games allow the seemingly impossible to be accomplished, leading players down a path of nearly imperceptible path of breadcrumbs. The genre’s most prestigious titles are able to perform this feat with ...

Read More »

Skylanders: Trap Team review

Many franchises feel the pangs of stagnancy by their fourth iteration. After a trio of titles that define, then gradually refine a series, the fourth game often exhibits a divisive tension between prudent evolution and ...

Read More »

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments review

Robert’s Take: Across Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s four novels and fifty-six short stories, Baker Street’s distinguished detective imparts an essential axiom: details are imperative, but if you don’t take a step back, it’s easy to ...

Read More »

Ar nosurge: Ode to an Unborn Star review

Although Japanese role-playing games are habitually criticized for having derivative battle mechanics, verbose dialog, and trope-filled plots, the genre flaunts one prodigious advantage; no other type of game routinely offers such a rich depiction of ...

Read More »

New Game Releases: October 2nd-8th, 2014

From The Creative Assembly’s attempt to provide Alien aficionados with an experience that matches the white-knuckle tension of the original film to Visual Concept’s sixteenth iteration in their beloved basketball franchise, this week itinerary of ...

Read More »

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax review

While it’s not unusual for a game franchise to sidestep stagnation by switching genres, 2012’s Persona 4 Arena was a truly curious crossover. With its source material exhibiting the resonant characterization and rich storytelling that’s ...

Read More »

Anomaly 2 review

2011’s Anomaly: Warzone Earth turned the tower defense genre on its head, tasking players with snaking their way around a procession of alien turrets. Unsurprisingly, the mechanic struck a chord with both critics and consumers, ...

Read More »

DG2: Defense Grid 2 Review

Robert’s Take: I put a chicken pot pie in the oven, and boot up DG2: Defense Grid 2 to help pass the hour-long cooking time. Within seconds of navigating through the slick, StarCraft II-esque menu ...

Read More »