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

GTA 6 Jason In Bed Trailer
What GTA 6's First Trailer Doesn't Show is Equally as Important as What It Does

Grand Theft Auto 6's world-famous reveal trailer is laser-focused on one character, but that probably isn't representative of the final product.

The Last of Us 2 Ellie with Animals in the Museum
The Last of Us: Why Animals May Be the Answer to the Eventual Cure

The Last of Us seemingly abandoned the zombie cure storyline after the first game, but there's one way the series could bring it back.

Silent Hill Ascension Key Art
Silent Hill's Renaissance May Need a Major Backup Plan if Things Go South

Silent Hill is ramping up for a major return to the spotlight, but Konami might want to hedge their bets in case things don't go as planned.

BioShock Infinite Columbia Fire NPC
BioShock 4 Needs to Strike While the Iron is Hot

BioShock 4 is in active development, but Cloud Chamber will need to show something for it soon, because it has some stiff competition.

god of war ragnarok kratos shirtless
God of War: One Kratos Arc Has Overstayed Its Welcome

God of War will need to move its narrative forward in a major way, and tossing one prominent theme in the bin could help achieve this end.

The Elder Scrolls Skyrim Sweetrolls on a Platter
Bethesda's Elder Scrolls 'Stolen Sweetroll' Meme Explained

Most Elder Scrolls players will be familiar with the 'stolen sweetroll' joke from Skyrim, but the gag goes back further than some might think.

Resident Evil Village Open World Exploration
If Resident Evil 9 Rumors Are True, Evil Within 2 May Be a Perfect Source of Inspiration

Some rumors have emerged about Resident Evil 9, and if they turn out to be true, The Evil Within 2 could be a good blueprint for the game.

Helldivers 2 squad fighting
Why Helldivers 2 Should Use Vehicle Stratagems Sparingly

There's reason to believe that vehicles will be making their way to Helldivers 2, and they would be best implemented in a constrained manner.

Hollow Knight Silksong Hades 2 Needle
Just Like Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hades 2 Doesn't Need to Move the Needle Much

Hollow Knight: Silksong and Hades 2 reinventing the wheel is very much on the table but not necessary for either of them to be successful.

Yasuke Black Samurai Painting Assassin's Creed Red
Assassin's Creed Red: The Real-World History of African Samurai Yasuke Explained

Rumors allege that Assassin's Creed Red will star a man known only as Yasuke, a real-world African man who became a samurai in the 16th century.

The Last Of Us 3 Bittersweet
Why The Last of Us 3 Could Be Even More Bittersweet Than You're Probably Expecting

The Last of Us Part 3, if and when it gets released, will probably be both exciting and saddening, and not just in terms of story.

Hollow Knight Silksong Hornet
Hollow Knight: Silksong Could Benefit From Another Beloved Indie's Accessibility

Hollow Knight is quite challenging, and its sequel could make major strides in accessibility by learning from another breakout indie hit.

Hades Assassin's Creed
Hades Should Forever Evade an Assassin's Creed Approach

Hades could easily go in the direction of the Assassin's Creed franchise, given its premise, but it should probably do things differently.

p-31
BioShock 4 Hopefully Goes in the Opposite Direction of Judas

BioShock 4 should seize an opportunity to separate itself from older BioShock entries and Judas, the upcoming shooter from series creator Ken Levine.

Fallout 76 Three Players Walking On Street
The Case For Fallout 5 To Be a Fresh Start

Fallout 5 is likely still a bit far away, and with such a breadth between mainline release, it may be best for Fallout to hit the reset button.

RDR2 Van Der Linde Gang Tier List
Red Dead Redemption 2 Van Der Linde Gang Tier List

The Van Der Linde Gang is the heart and soul of Red Dead Redemption 2, as it boasts a wide spread of iconic, unique, and well-written characters.

Cyberpunk 2077 Gangs of Night City Board Game
How Cyberpunk 2077's Board Game Shifts The Original's Perspective

A promising Cyberpunk 2077 Kickstarter board game is flipping one of the source material's core elements on its head in an exciting way.

mass-effect-4-baldurs-gate-3--game-rant
Mass Effect 4 Has the Perfect Class Blueprint in Baldur's Gate 3

Mass Effect 4 will be bringing the franchise into the modern era, and learning from Baldur's Gate 3's approach to classes would help serve this end.

berserk-manga-armored-core-elden-ring-game-rant-2
It's Time for FromSoftware to Go Full Circle with Berserk

FromSoftware has long drawn from the Berserk series for inspiration, and it might be time for the studio to approach the IP more directly.

Elden Ring Miquella Cocoon in Moghwyn Palace
Elden Ring Has a Wealth of Cut Content That Could Appear In the Shadow of the Erdtree DLC

Like most major releases, Elden Ring has a lot of cut content, but some of it could come back in a major way for Shadow of the Erdtree.