George Yang

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

Selected Works

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

Roger Ebert •

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is a Touching Story about Love and Loss

Back in 2019, video game auteur Hideo Kojima and his studio, Kojima Productions, released their highly anticipated game, “Death Stranding.” It was a highly divisive game, with some critics praising its sci-fi universe while others lambasted its glorified “delivery simulator” gameplay. Its story concepts were completely out of the box, and arguably only Kojima would have the guts to create such laborious gameplay mechanics to challenge players.
Anime News Network •

Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army Game Review

Originally a spin-off of the Shin Megami Tensei series, Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army separates itself from Atlus's other games. One aspect is that the story's tone sits between Shin Megami Tensei and Persona's. It's not as apocalyptic as Shin Megami Tensei, but you're also not saving the world with the power of friendship like in Persona. This helps Raidou Remastered forge its unique identity amongst the SMT spin-offs.
Stardust Magazine •

Head in the Clouds 2025: Day 2

Yung Kai and Piscee were up next, establishing a more laid-back tone with their sets. Of course, Yung Kai performed his most famous song, “Blue,” which I’ve heard a million times on TikTok. But it was nice to finally hear it in person, as its lyrics about falling in love really resonated with the audience.Number_I, Piao, Higher Brothers, and 4EveJonah Love and Japanese Boy Group Number_I switched up the atmosphere with hip-hop performances. Number_I stood out in particular as they had backup dan...
Stardust Magazine •

Head in the Clouds 2025: Day 1

Warren Hue, ARMNHMR, and BabebeeAdmittedly, my first Head in the Clouds festival was last year in New York, so I was actually unprepared for how much bigger this one in Los Angeles was. It was at least 10x the size, and the artists were split between two separate stages. At first, I wasn’t a fan of walking across festival grounds in order to check out all of the artists, but I quickly realized that the setup was necessary in order to keep the rotation of performers running smoothly.
Anime News Network •

Persona 5: The Phantom X Makes Smart Changes to the Traditional Persona Formula

Persona 5 was released almost a decade ago in Japan. Since then, we've had many spin-offs: Persona 5 Strikers, Persona 5 Tactica, Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight, and Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth. I'm surprised we haven't had a Persona 5 spin-off fighting game. While the whole world is waiting for even the slightest crumb of Persona 6, there's yet another Persona 5 spin-off coming.

Enter Persona5: The Phantom X, a free-to-play mobile spin-off of Persona 5.
Roger Ebert •

"Elden Ring Nightreign" is a Fun Multiplayer Game but Only Under the Right Conditions

When From Software revealed “Elden Ring Nightreign” last year, Souls fans around the world were curious to see what the studio’s take on fully-fledged multiplayer was. After all, From Software’s previous games like “Dark Souls” and “Bloodborne” were single-player with some co-op elements. “Nightreign” is the next step in the evolution of the Soulslike formula after the base “Elden Ring” game went open world.
Rolling Stone •

'Clair Obscur: Expedition 33' Has 'Final Fantasy'-Level Bona Fides

When Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was first revealed during Xbox Games Showcase 2024, it instantly caught the attention of role-playing game fans. Here was an RPG from a brand new IP that mixed the turn-based combat of Japanese games like Metaphor Refantazio with a more realistic aesthetic akin to Western titles like Dragon Age. Many also clocked shades of Persona 5, which shares a similar dynamic gameplay camera and user interface.
Digital Trends •

The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy review: the student surpasses the teacher

When a video game developer makes a big hit that earns it recognition, it’s only natural that it might try to stick with the same formula and try to make lightning strike twice. Atlus’s Metaphor: ReFantazio is a prime example, doubling down on the Persona structure to create a refined RPG that hits a lot of the same beats. Similarly, The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, created by Too Kyo Games, heavily borrows elements from Danganronpa. It’s no surprise that the creators behind that eccentric visual novel series are responsible for this excellent new RPG that builds on its DNA.
Digital Trends •

Lunar Remastered Collection is my new favorite retro RPG package

In Lunar Remastered Collection, it’s the little touches that matter. For instance, the RPG collection reminds me that I love being able to save my progress any time, anywhere.

I remember playing Digimon World 3 on the original PlayStation when I was a little kid and not knowing what saving my gameplay progress meant, or even that I needed a memory card to do so. Every time I booted up my game again, I’d start from the very beginning, thinking that this was supposed to happen. Then I got a Game Boy Color and played my first Pokémon game, the Gold version. It was a fellow six year old child who taught me that I needed to save my progress by going into the menu.
Digital Trends •

The Nintendo Switch 2 is missing one small thing that speaks to a bigger problem

With the Nintendo Switch 2, it looks like Nintendo is finally catching up with its peers like PlayStation and Xbox. That’s not just about 4K visuals and 120fps framerates. For example, Nintendo finally has a unified account system, letting players carry over their original Switch purchases over to the upcoming console. Nintendo’s previous consoles and handhelds all had siloed digital purchases.
Rolling Stone •

'Assassin's Creed Shadows' Is a Ninja Nerd's Dream Come True

The Assassin’s Creed series tells the ongoing fight between the Templars and the Assassins. The former is an organization trying to usher in the New World Order by seizing political power, while the latter is a hidden peacekeeping organization protecting humanity. The series uses different historical settings to tell standalone stories, going all the way back to Ancient Egypt with 2020’s Assassin’s Creed Origins.
IGN •

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Review

In an era where open-world games are a dime a dozen, Xenoblade Chronicles X soars above the pack. There’s an unparalleled feeling of freedom and exploration as you fly your mech suit across the massive planet of Mira, the size of which dwarfs other RPGs like it. While its story about humanity finding another home can be forgettable at times, an already engaging battle system is bolstered by the dramatic quality-of-life improvements this Definitive Edition makes, resulting in an RPG unlike any other.
Roger Ebert •

“Split Fiction” Has Compelling Gameplay Held Back By Pacing Issues

Developer Hazelight Studios has made a name for itself by strictly making co-op games, a genre where two people have to play simultaneously. The studio won the coveted Game of the Year category at The Game Awards 2021 for “It Takes Two.” Now, Hazelight is back with its newest co-op outing, “Split Fiction.” While its level design and gameplay hooks are top-notch, the levels tend to overstay their welcome.
Digital Trends •

Suikoden I&II HD Remaster taught me to love random encounters again

I’m not a fan of random encounters in RPGs anymore.

As someone who had adult responsibilities on top of reviewing video games, I find my time to be much more valuable than when I was 13 years old. I get why they exist. Back in the day, implementing random encounters was a way to get around hardware restrictions, as it was too technically demanding to generate multiple enemies in an environment simultaneously.

Other times, random encounters were creative decisions meant to simulate the “randomness” of RPGs like Dungeons & Dungeons. With hardware limitation not being a problem nowadays, many games have gotten rid of random encounters in favor of visible enemies on the field. This lets players decide whether they want to engage in battle or not.
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