Jake Buchalter-Staff Writer

Editorial Team

Staff Writer

August, 2012
5+ Years in the Gaming Journalism Industry, 10+ Years Experience in the Design & Illustration industries, & 25+ Years of Experience gaming in general
Indie Games, Roguelike, Fighting
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About Jake Buchalter

Jacob Buchalter (he/him) is a full-time Staff Writer based in the US and is an all-around creative media-obsessed individual who truly cares a bit too much about pop culture media, art, and all things gaming. He also streams games to show his obsessions over at FoolJuice on Twitch.

Jake is a perfectionist honestly to his own detriment, as he'll almost always at least triple-check any information he puts into any article to make sure it's correct (feel free to let him know if there's anything he missed).

Additionally, Jacob Buchalter is an absolute lore fiend when it comes to any IP, and will almost always have all the lore in his brain ready to gush about if anyone ever gives him an excuse to do so. 

Jake also has a relatively diverse background in the creative industry, as he has worked in many different fields and has experience with a lot of different mediums & formats. Lastly, Jake has a deep love and respect for any artist in the gaming industry, especially in regard to character design or UI/UX design, since he has illustration, design, and motion graphic experience himself. 

Proudest Gaming Achievement

Getting every Steam Achievement in a game called Enter the Gungeon. That game has a truly overwhelming amount of content in it and it only gets more difficult the further you go, so fully clearing it out was not only a ton of fun but also incredibly rewarding. 

Favorite Games

My favorite games list is always growing every year, but off the top of my head, I would say Enter the Gungeon, Hades, Hades 2, Metal Gear Solid IV: The Phantom Pain, Skul: The Hero Slayer, Risk of Rain 2, Deep Rock Galactic, any Monster Hunter game, Remnant 2, Bloodborne, Tiny Rogues, and Atomicrops. 

Industry Focus

My focus in a broader sense is on the gaming industry as a whole, with a secondary focus on the different artistic fields related to gaming such as UI Design, UX Design, Character Design, Environmental Art, Effects Design (AKA VFX), and so on.

In a more specific sense, my focus is typically on the roguelike, soulslike, and all-around indie areas of the gaming industry as a whole. I've put so much time into so many different roguelikes as well as soulslikes, and I have so much respect for indie developers for the massive workload they take on to create a game. 
 

Latest

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Dead Island 2: Police Dept Keycard Location

Dead Island 2 players are going to need the Police Dept. Keycard in Venice Beach to complete a specific sidequest, as well as obtain some great gear.

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Dead Island 2: Plumbing the Depths Walkthrough

Finding Bob and fixing the water pipes for the Serling Hotel in Dead Island 2 is a bit harder than it might first seem. Let's go over all the steps.

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6 God Design Changes In Hades 2

Just about every returning God or Goddess character seen in Hades 2 has had their design updated in some way, so let's look in-depth.

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Hades 2: 7 Ways Melinoe Plays Nothing Like Zagreus Did

With players now able to get their hands on Hades 2 through the Technical Playtest, they can find out how different Melinoe & Zagreus are.

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11 New Characters Seen in Hades 2 Playtest

The Hades 2 Technical Playtest has a ton of content to show from this sequel roguelike. The new characters, in particular, are fantastic.

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8 Best Slowburn Manhwa

Not all manhwa start off bombastic and high energy. Some spend a good amount of time building up the story and world before really taking off.

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8 Isekai Anime & Manga Where Protagonists Must Navigate Intricate Political Plots

There are hundreds and hundreds of isekai series out there. But there are only a handful of them that actually dive deep into political plots.

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The Outer Worlds: All The Companions, Ranked

The Outer Worlds has six companions available to obtain through the main story and the two DLCs. So, let's see how they stack up against each other.

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8 Best Manhwa for Video Game Fans

There are a lot of fantastic manhwa out there for people to read, but only a certain subset of them will appeal to video game veterans.

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Dragon's Dogma 2: Best Early-Game Weapons For Strength Builds

There are a ton of fantastic weapons to use in Dragon's Dogma 2, but not all of them are available early on. Thankfully, these weapons are.

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Dragon's Dogma 2: Best Magick Archer Weapon Skills, Ranked

The Magick Archer is one of a couple of 'hidden' Vocations that players can unlock in Dragon's Dogma 2. Here are the best Skills for this Vocation.

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Dragon's Dogma 2: Best Greatswords, Ranked

There are quite a few Greatsword options for Warrior Vocation players in Dragon's Dogma 2, and here are the ones they should look for the most.

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Tekken 8: Eddy Gordo Guide - Combos, Move List, Rage Arts, & More

Eddy Gordo has returned to Tekken in Tekken 8. The Capoeira is back in full force and better than ever. Let's break down how exactly he works.

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Elden Ring: All The Obvious Berserk References Throughout The Game

Fans have been obsessed with comparing every aspect of Elden Ring to Berserk since the game was released, but how many actual references are there?

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Dragon's Dogma 2: How to Get to the Volcanic Island

There are actually multiple ways the Arisen can reach the Volcanic Island in Dragon's Dogma 2, so here are the methods you'll need to reach it.

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Best Dragon's Dogma 2 Mods To Try Out

There are already quite a handful of user-made mods for Dragon's Dogma 2. Here are some of the best mod options created so far.

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Dragon's Dogma 2: 8 Ways To Make Sure Your Pawn Gets Picked Often

There are a ton of benefits that come with having a popular Pawn in Dragon's Dogma 2. So, here are some great tips to help your Pawn's popularity.

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Dragon's Dogma 2: 8 Mechanics You Didn't Know About

There are a lot of smaller systems at play in Dragon's Dogma 2. Here are some of the key systems and mechanics you're probably unaware of.

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Dragon's Dogma 2: Best Early Game Mage Build

Mages early on in Dragon's Dogma 2 can feel a bit weak if you don't know what Spells and Augments are best. Here are our overall recommendations.

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Dragon's Dogma 2: Should You Change Pawn's Equipment?

Keeping your Pawns, or at the very least your Main Pawn, fully equipped in Dragon's Dogma 2 is pretty important, and here's why.