Nick Rodriguez-Contributor

Editorial Team

Contributor

August, 2023
Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing, University of Illinois
Action RPG, From Software, Mass Effect
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About Nick Rodriguez

Nick is a freelance writer from Chicago, IL, with a BA in Creative Writing from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His lifelong belief in the artistic power of video games led him to contribute to The Best War Games and Screen Rant, platforms where he has managed to share helpful news content, thoughtful opinion pieces, and more than a few hot takes.

While he believes all gaming genres and categories have worth, Nick's interests lie primarily in the realm of single-player experiences, with hand-crafted stories, tight and challenging gameplay, and emotive, unique visual and audio design. On the industry side of things, he is committed to supporting creators, identifying and criticizing exploitation, and combating negativity and toxicity.

Aside from gaming, he enjoys long-distance running, reading, contributing to his blog, working on his Honda CX650C, writing fiction, and having a beer or two.

Favorite Games

- Bloodborne
- Disco Elysium
- Death Stranding
- Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
- Mass Effect 2
- Red Dead Redemption 2
- Dead Space
- Signalis
- Hades
- BioShock
- Super Mario Galaxy
- The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Industry Focus

A bit of everything, but with a particular affinity for indie games, industry news, gaming events, and new technology.

Favorite Console

Easy win for the PS2.

Latest

Red Dead Redemption 2 Arthur Morgan first act
Red Dead Redemption: The Case for Playing the Series Out-of-Order

The Red Dead Redemption series has attracted a lot of newcomers in recent years, but many are likely left wondering which game they should start with.

Hellmart Creature Jump Scare
Why Five Nights At Freddy's Fans Shouldn't Miss Out on Hellmart

Five Nights at Freddy's has spawned a number of imitators, and the upcoming Hellmart looks like an especially promising game in this category.

Call of Juarez Arthur Morgan
Call of Juarez's Rumored Sequel Could Be a New Home for Red Dead Redemption Fans in More Ways Than One

Call of Juarez could be making a comeback, which would be great news for Red Dead Redemption fans, on at least two major fronts.

Palworld Samurai Pal
Palworld Fans on PS5 Can Check Out These Games While They Wait For an Autosave Bug Fix

Palworld may be suffering from a crippling auto-save bug on PlayStation 5, but there are other games that can take its place for now.

Persona 5 The Phantom X Ichigo
Persona 5: The Phantom X's Ichigo Shikano Is Atlus Absurdity at Its Finest

Atlus games are known for their colorful and sometimes bizarre characters, but P5X's Ichigo Shikano sets a new bar for silliness.

Velvet Room Merope Persona 5 The Phantom X-1
Persona 5: The Phantom X: How Does Merope Compare to Other Velvet Room Attendants?

As Persona 5: The Phantom X's Velvet Room attendant, Merope is especially intriguing, but how does she measure up against her predecessors?

Persona 5 Royal Persona 5 The Phantom X
Persona 5: The Phantom X's Canon Status Could Open a Can of Worms

Persona 5: The Phantom X has been officially declared as canon, though this could lead to some complications for Persona lore.

Persona 5 X Multiplayer Case
Persona 5: The Phantom X Makes a Case for a Proper Multiplayer Persona Game

Multiplayer features are the last thing gamers think about when it comes to Persona, but Persona 5: The Phantom X pulls them off quite well.

Persona 5 The Phantom X Wonder
Persona 5: The Phantom X 'Beating' Persona 5 Royal Shouldn't Send the Wrong Message

Persona 5: The Phantom X has snagged a good bit of success, but its developers should keep in mind why exactly it's become so popular.

Persona 5 The Phantom X Joker and Wonder
Persona 5: The Phantom X's Famously Long Runtime Comes With a Big Asterisk Attached

Like other Persona games, Persona 5: The Phantom X will take players a while to beat, but this length is organized in a fundamentally different way.

Persona 5 The Phantom X Protagonist Wonder
Persona 5: The Phantom X Missed a Big Opportunity With Its Protagonist

Persona 5: The Phantom X has a lovable and charming cast of lead characters, but it could have been improved with one long-awaited change.

Persona 5 The Phantom X Main Characters
One Persona 5: The Phantom X Feature Makes It the Odd One Out, But It's Not All Bad

Persona 5: The Phantom X makes some less-than-ideal changes to a series staple, but its live-service elements could help improve matters over time.

tony hawk pro skater 3 + 4 key art
After Tony Hawk Pro Skater 3+4, The Next Step is Already Clear

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 is well on its way, and it should pave the road for another obvious-but-significant Tony Hawk project.

Persona 5 The Phantom X Subway Slammer
Persona 5: The Phantom X: Why Is Everyone Talking About the Subway Slammer?

The Subway Slammer, the villain of Persona 5: The Phantom X's first chapter, may seem silly, but he is based on a disturbing real-world phenomenon.

persona-5x-manaka-game-rant
Why Persona 5: The Phantom X's Manaka Nagao is a Big Deal for the Franchise

Persona 5: The Phantom X has introduced a variety of new and unique characters, with Manaka Nagao being among the most impactful.

Resident Evil Re_Verse
In Defense of Capcom Keeping the Multiplayer Resident Evil Dream Alive

The Resident Evil franchise has had a complicated history with multiplayer, but Capcom shouldn't give up on the dream of a good multiplayer game yet.

Persona 5 Party Members
Persona 5: The Phantom X's Gacha Mechanics Have Driven Me Back to Persona 5

Persona 5: The Phantom X is surprisingly good, but its monetization is making me long for the days of some good, old-fashioned Persona 5.

Persona 5 Riko Tanemura
If Persona 5: The Phantom X Inspires One Change for Persona 6, It Should Be This

Persona 5: The Phantom X might fall short of other Persona games in some ways, but it has at least one feature that should bleed into Persona 6.

persona-5-phantom-x-protagonist-wonder-phantom-thieves
Persona 5’s Biggest Piece of Cut Content Would’ve Been a Slam Dunk for The Phantom X

Persona 5 has one notorious piece of cut content that would have been an obvious, worthwhile addition to Persona 5: The Phantom X.

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Persona 5 The Phantom X Janosik
Persona 5: The Phantom X - Who is Janosik?

Janosik is the name of the player's first Persona in Persona 5: The Phantom X, but some may be surprised to learn that he's based on a real person.