Nick Rodriguez-Contributor

Staff Writer

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

Elden Ring Nightreign Duchess-2
Elden Ring Nightreign Probably Won't Have Any Bloodborne Content, but It Could Feature Another Beloved IP

There's an obvious reason for why Bloodborne has been underrepresented in Elden Ring Nightreign, but this doesn't apply to another popular IP.

Elden Ring Nightreign Recluse in the Roundtable Hold
Elden Ring Nightreign: Recluse Sets the Stage for FromSoftware's Rumored Magic Game

Recluse is among the breakout stars of Elden Ring Nightreign, and could be a portent for even better things to come down the road.

Elden Ring Nightreign Final Boss Kratos
Why Fans of God of War Ragnarok's Valhalla DLC Should Check Out Elden Ring Nightreign

Elden Ring Nightreign is an easy purchase for Elden Ring fans, but it might be suited to God of War Ragnarok Valhalla players as well.

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Elden Ring Nightreign Roundtable Hold Dialog
Elden Ring Nightreign Could Have Greatly Benefited from a Key Persona Feature

Elden Ring Nightreign has a unique approach to storytelling that could have been even better had it taken some notes from Persona.

Hogwarts Legacy 2 Book
The Case For Hogwarts Legacy 2 to Ignore One Common Community Request

A commonplace narrative RPG staple has been repeatedly recommended for Hogwarts Legacy 2, but maybe it should stay on the cutting-room floor.

Elden Ring Nightreign Raider
How Elden Ring Nightreign Runs With Elden Ring's Most Defining Combat Feature

Against all odds, Elden Ring Nightreign may actually surpass its progenitor in some ways when it comes to a central design conceit.

Romeo Is a Dead Man Key Art
Romeo Is a Dead Man Feels Like Suda51's Take on Dead Rising

The always unpredictable Suda 51 recently announced Romeo Is a Dead Man, the one-of-a-kind director's spin on the zombie action genre.

Elden Ring Nightreign Trios
In Defense of Elden Ring Nightreign's Three-Player Restriction

Elden Ring Nightreign has come under fire for only allowing solo or trio play, and this makes sense, but three players might be the way to go anyway.

Resident Evil Revelations Jill
One Character Has Hopefully Survived Resident Evil 9's 'Reset'

Development on Resident Evil 9 reportedly started over a few years ago, so one can only hope that one character wasn't left on the cutting room floor.

Assassins Creed Learn From Doom Dark Ages
Assassin's Creed Has a Lesson or Two to Learn from Doom: The Dark Ages

Doom: The Dark Ages shows how a long-running franchise can reinvent itself, which is a lesson that Assassin's Creed should learn.

Telltale Games Watchmen
The Best Possible DC Game For Telltale to Make Isn’t More Batman

Even if Telltale never makes a third season of its Batman series, there's a potentially better superhero option waiting in the wings.

death-stranding-2-sam-metal-gear-solid-5-snake
Death Stranding 2 is Poised to Have a Golden Opportunity Metal Gear Solid Didn't

Death Stranding 2 presents a unique situation for Kojima Productions, offering something the studio hasn't been able to enjoy before.

The Duskbloods Walking Opposite Bloodborne
How The Duskbloods Could Walk in the Opposite Direction as Bloodborne With Its Use of Blood

The Duskbloods has been drawing major comparisons to Bloodborne, but it looks like its central theme will be meaningfully different.

BioShock Infinite Combat
BioShock's Rumored Upcoming Announcement Will Really Need to Stick the Landing

If BioShock 4 really is getting an official reveal soon, it will need to bring out the big guns after so many years of radio silence.

expedition-33-gustave-sophie-lumiere-prologue
If the Next Final Fantasy Features Turn-Based Combat, It Should Take Notes from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Final Fantasy has been shying away from turn-based combat systems for a while now, but Clair Obscur shows how the series can reintegrate it.

The Witcher Original Geralt
The Witcher 1's Remake May Benefit From 'Stealing' a Fellow Fantasy Giant's Strategy

The Witcher 1's remake is on its way, and with no firm release date announced as of yet, it might be able to copy a strategy from its contemporary.

Jak and Daxter
As Unlikely as It Is, a New Naughty Dog Jak and Daxter Could Be Game-Changing For Mascot Games

If Naughty Dog ever revives Jak and Daxter, it could have significant ramifications for the broader sub-genre of mascot games.

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The Outer Worlds 2
The Outer Worlds 2's Most Outrageous Build May Already Be Clear

According to The Outer Worlds 2's developers, there could be a particularly promising build for those seeking an unconventional playstyle.

Bloodborne Moon Presence
Why a Bloodborne Sequel Could Never Be a True 'Bloodborne 2'

If FromSoftware's Bloodborne ever gets a sequel—and that's a big if—it won't be able to simply pick up where its predecessor left off.

Mass Effect 2 Suicide Mission Tali, Jack, Grunt, Garrus
Mass Effect 4 Returning Character Wish List

It's not clear how many, if any, original Mass Effect characters will appear in Mass Effect 4, but some definitely have more potential than others.

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