George Yang

George is a freelance writer specializing in video games and other entertainment.

Selected Works

The Guardian •

Can boba tea be high-protein and tasty? I tested 14 flavors to find out

Americans are obsessed with protein, but they’re not all gulping raw eggs out of a glass like Rocky. The last decade has given us protein bars, shakes, cereal, pancakes, chips, crackers, jerkies. More recently, Asian American entrepreneurs have made their own contribution to this protein bonanza: protein boba tea.Boba tea (or bubble tea, as it’s also called) originated in Taiwan in the 1980s before becoming a phenomenon in the United States in the last decade.
Rolling Stone •

How Hidetaka Miyazaki Made 'Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree,' His Biggest Expansion Yet

Elden Ring was undoubtedly 2022’s Game of the Year, winning numerous awards across different shows and publications. With its dark fantasy atmosphere, punishing combat, and challenging difficulty, players keep coming back for more. It was also developer FromSoftware’s first open-world game, so it needed to have more content than any game that the studio had made before.
Variety •

‘The Boys’ Star Karen Fukuhara Makes Her Video-Game Debut With ‘The Callisto Protocol’

Developed by Striking Distance Studios, “The Callisto Protocol” is a survival horror game set in the Black Iron Prison on one of Jupiter’s moons, Callisto. Players assume the role of an inmate named Jacob Lee, played by “Transformers” and “Shotgun Wedding” star Josh Duhamel. He meets Dani Nakamura, the leader of a resistance group called Outer Way, and together they must uncover the Black Iron Prison’s dark secrets and escape with their lives. Dani is portrayed by “The Boys” star Karen Fukuhara.
Digital Trends •

The Mega Man Battle Network esports scene is thriving in 2023

Imagine that your Nintendo Switch didn’t have the ability to connect online and that the competitive game you’re currently playing only supported local multiplayer. It’s a little hard to picture in 2023, right? That’s what Mega Man Battle Network fans had to deal with during the early 2000s. If you wanted to have a battle with your friend during Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance days, they’d have to be within your immediate vicinity and have a Link Cable available to connect two GBAs.
Complex •

The Live-Action ‘Halo’ Series Delivers High Impact Sci-Fi Storytelling

Taking video game plotlines and adapting them for television has had a shaky past. What kind of story should the series portray? Should it be an exact retelling of the source material? If so, why not just play the game itself? For gamers and television fanatics, it’s important that a new experience is created that’s appropriate for the medium. This challenge is what Paramount+ has taken on with the critically acclaimed Halo series (streaming now on the platform). Taking the iconic Xbox franchise
NPR •

'Shadow Warrior' tries to mend its flawed history with race by recasting its hero

Shadow Warrior 3 is the latest in a series of blood-soaked action games following assassin Lo Wang. It's got plenty of gunplay, sword fights, and fantastical monsters, but for the first time in its 25-year history, it now features an Asian actor to voice its Asian protagonist. For years, Lo Wang was played by Jason Liebrecht, a white man, but for this title, publisher Devolver Digital and developer Flying Wild Hog tapped Hollywood actor Mike Moh for a more authentic cultural portrayal.
IGN •

Why Japanese Games Are Increasingly Releasing at the Same Time Across The Globe

Since time immemorial, Japanese video games have followed a typical release schedule. Launch in Japan first, followed by a localized release for other countries a few months, or even years, later. But this trend shifted dramatically in 2021. Many high-profile Japanese games such as Tales of Arise, Shin Megami Tensei V, and both Monster Hunter Rise and Monster Hunter Stories 2 have been launched day-and-date worldwide.

So, what has changed? A simultaneous global ship date allows Japanese games t
The Verge •

‘The little handheld that could’: examining the Vita’s impact a decade later

Christian Phillips still remembers the most jaw-dropping moment he experienced on the PlayStation Vita — and it was something that was never actually released.

Phillips, a former senior director at Sony, describes a tech demo that ultimately led to the PS4 game Days Gone. Sometime after shipping Uncharted: Golden Abyss, Bend Studio showed leadership the Vita tech demo that was similar to the famous Jerusalem scene in the movie World War Z.

The demo had a scene with a horde of zombies scramblin
Wired •

Orientalism, 'Cyberpunk 2077,' and Yellow Peril in Science Fiction

2020 has been one of the most tumultuous years in recent memory, but at least, in a few days, the most anticipated game of the year will come out. That game, Cyberpunk 2077, has already drawn both praise and criticism, but one of those criticisms is of how it handles different cultures—especially Asian culture, which is inextricably tied to the cyberpunk genre.

The Origins of the Cyberpunk Genre

The origins of the cyberpunk genre involve Western anxieties about the East. Techno-orientalism is
Washington Post •

How some savvy fans are preserving the PS3’s multiplayer games

It wasn’t hard to understand why players reached this conclusion. Although “Mercenary’s” servers eventually came back online (the reason for the shutdown is still unknown) Sony has earned a reputation over the past several years for unceremoniously shutting down multiplayer service for its first party franchises. In October, Sony announced that it was updating the PlayStation Network webstore to only feature PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4 titles for purchase, effectively locking away PS3, PS Vi
Polygon •

The personal experiences that Lev and Yara’s actors brought to The Last of Us Part 2

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Both Ian Alexander and Victoria Grace had never worked on a video game before, and neither had any prior experience with performance capture. However, in a recent interview with Polygon, both agreed that playing the Seraphite siblings in The Last of Us Part II was one of the most transformative experiences they ever had.

Alexander plays Lev, a former member of the in-game extremi

Latest Work

Game Informer •

Octopath Traveler 0 Review - Going From Zero To Hero

Octopath Traveler 0 offers a significantly overhauled – and improved – PC and console port of the previously mobile-exclusive Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent. With the gacha mechanics stripped out, Octopath Traveler 0 is a premium, well-paced game. Its expanded gameplay mechanics distinguish it from its predecessors and it has a stronger focus on storytelling, but its bloated cast makes it hard to care about most of the characters.
Roger Ebert •

“Dispatch” is a Superhero Drama Equally Mighty and Emotional

You’ve probably heard the term “superhero fatigue” everywhere, with people getting sick of media showing supernatural beings saving the day. Sure, the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn’t quite reached the same highs as it did during the “Endgame” days, but I’d argue that people are only tired of superhero movies because they fail to give us meaningful stakes.

Enter “Dispatch,” the debut game from AdHoc studio, created by former Telltale, Ubisoft, and Night School Studio developers. These studios...
Nintendo Life •

Review: DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO (Switch 2) - A Brilliant Brawler With A Colossal Roster

When Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero launched last year on non-Nintendo platforms. I was taken aback at how much time had passed since the last entry in this series. I was a teenager still in school!

With the launch of Nintendo Switch 2, a flurry of ports are coming to the updated console and handheld system, including Sparking Zero. I’m glad to say that Switch 2 is a great way to play this action-packed 3D brawler filled with content, if you can forgive some of the performance issues.
Stardust Magazine •

The Starting Line Brings Pop-Punk Glory to The Novo

I vividly remember being eight years old and seeing the music video for The Starting Line’s “The Best of Me” on YouTube in 2002. I instantly became a fan. Their catchy guitars and infectious choruses ripped through my ears, and as I grew through my teenage years, the band grew with me. Over the years, their lyrical topics matured, and frontman Kenny Vasoli’s voice became noticeably deeper with each release.

When the band eventually went on hiatus in 2008, I felt a hole in my heart and assumed I’d never get a chance to see them live. After a few reunions throughout the 2010s, The Starting Line finally came back together more permanently, almost 17 years later, and released their new album, Eternal Youth. It felt like the perfect moment to finally catch a show.
Stardust Magazine •

Color, Catharsis, and Crowd-Pleasers on All Time Low's 'Everyone's Talking' Tour

All Time Low is one of the most formative pop-punk bands of the mid-to-late 2000s, bursting onto the scene with brightly colored skinny jeans and swooped hair. Now, 20 years into their career and 10 albums deep, they’ve proven they’re here to stay.

Their latest album, Everyone’s Talking, arrived on October 17, and the band kicked off an eponymous tour to support it. I’ve been listening since middle school, so on a personal level, I was excited to finally see them in Los Angeles at the YouTube Theater on October 22—just days after the album drop.
The Guardian •

Can boba tea be high-protein and tasty? I tested 14 flavors to find out

Americans are obsessed with protein, but they’re not all gulping raw eggs out of a glass like Rocky. The last decade has given us protein bars, shakes, cereal, pancakes, chips, crackers, jerkies. More recently, Asian American entrepreneurs have made their own contribution to this protein bonanza: protein boba tea.Boba tea (or bubble tea, as it’s also called) originated in Taiwan in the 1980s before becoming a phenomenon in the United States in the last decade.
IGN •

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Review

With last year’s Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, Square Enix managed to successfully tow the line between recreating that authentic, old-school RPG experience while still offering plenty of modern adjustments so it didn’t feel outdated. Now it’s rounding out the original Dragon Quest trilogy with Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, and it’s every bit as impressive as its predecessor. Individually, both games in this package still stand on their own, and Square Enix has added exciting new content in a way that feels natural.

Their combat systems and stories are a product of their time, with simple mechanics and very black and white motivations – but that’s part of the charm, as this approach oozes confidence in keeping things classic. And while I could have done without some returning difficulty spikes, Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake is the perfect send off to one of the best RPG trilogies of all time.
The Escapist •

Once Upon a Katamari review: A Throwback of Nostalgia

The Katamari series is a cult-classic that first appeared on the PlayStation 2 and was really unique for its time. In these games, you play as the Prince, a green humanoid creature who has to roll a ball around to capture various objects and create stars and constellations on behalf of his father, the King of All Cosmos.

Once Upon a Katamari’s chill yet surprisingly challenging gameplay and blocky aesthetic harkens back to those nostalgic PS2 days but with brand new stages and items to create an exhilarating modern gameplay experience.
Forbes •

‘Keeper’ Xbox Review: A Colorful And Digestible Journey

Double Fine Productions, the beloved developer behind the Psychonauts series, was acquired by Xbox Game Studios in 2019. Since then it has published two games: Psychonauts 2 and the upcoming Keeper.

Keeper continues the psychedelic aesthetic that Psychonauts left off, with its bold colors and light puzzle gameplay. It’s not a game that’ll light the world on fire, but it’s a brisk and meditative romp that won’t take more than a day to complete.
Fangoria •

LITTLE NIGHTMARES 3 Is Co-Op Horror Done Right

The horror genre is filled with gory, bloody, violent, and horrific games like Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Dead Space. In instances like these, the games are made for more mature audiences in mind. The Little Nightmares series tones it down a notch and relies more heavily on environmental and contextual storytelling. This time around, Little Nightmares 3 engages players more deeply with co-op and evolved combat, while retaining its unsettling atmosphere.
GamesRadar •

Find ALL the Ghost of Yotei Altars of Reflection? Oh go on then

Altars of Reflection in Ghost of Yotei give you skill points to unlock new abilities, and while some are in plain view, some are well hidden in this action adventure revenge story. You can reveal their locations by exploring the world, talking to people, buying maps from a Cartographer (who can be found at the locations listed below) and other methods. Or by using this guide where we've already found all 61 of them.
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