Vlad Mazanko-Senior Author

Staff Writer

Senior Author

April, 2024
Open-World, Action RPG, Racing
  • 382
    articles
  • 363
    Lists
  • 19
    Guides

About Vlad Mazanko

Vlad Mazanko is Ukraine-based gaming enthusiast, writing about the industry since 2013 and covering everything from games and studios to movies and TV shows. He joined the Valnet family back in 2021, with past works featured at TheGamer and DualShockers. Over the years, he has worked on news, guides, lists, and reviews, always aiming to ensure a combination of factual accuracy and an engaging overall read.

Industry Focus

With years of experience in gaming news and a wide range of factual knowledge about the industry, his newest passion is doing lists. These allow to deliver brief squeezes of his favorite games, genres, and their creators. Mostly covering open-world action and RPG titles, soulslikes, and racing games, he also strives to complete every game before covering it to share a full picture with the readers.

Favorite Games

Some of his favorites of past years include Elden Ring, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Alan Wake 2, Resident Evil 4, Marvel Snap, Balatro, Cyberpunk 2077, The Last of Us Part 2, Red Dead Redemption 2, God of War, Black Myth: Wukong, Grim Dawn, and The Witcher 3. He's also able to find joy even in not-as-universally-beloved games like Anthem, Mafia 3, Mass Effect: Andromeda, Marvel's Avengers, The Callisto Protocol, Outriders, or Suicide Squad.

Favorite TV Shows

With a recent renaissance in video game adaptations, he greatly enjoyed Arcane, The Last of Us, and the Fallout series. Other notable TV shows and miniseries he'd recommend to anyone are Legion, Watchmen, Euphoria, Undone, True Detective, Sugar, and Fargo. He enjoys distinct visual storytelling coupled with a strong emotional core, as well as entangled stories with plenty of mind-blowing twists.

Latest

Open-World Games Where Money Actually Matters
7 Open-World Games Where Money Actually Matters

Unlike many other games where soon you're quickly drowning in cash, every coin matters in these open worlds and can be put to good use immediately.

Open-World Games Where Every Path Leads Somewhere Interesting 2
7 Open-World Games Where Every Path Leads Somewhere Interesting

An unpredictable journey lies at the heart of any open-world experience, and these games are definite standouts in that regard.

Best Open-World RPGs For Deep Progression, Ranked
6 Best Open-World RPGs With Deep Progression, Ranked

Players of every stripe will be satisfied by the depth of character and gear progression in these massive open-world action RPGs.

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Meet The Next Massive Sci-Fi Games
Meet The Next 5 Massive Sci-Fi Games

These are the most promising sci-fi games releasing this Spring that fans of all things futuristic should keep a close eye on.

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Soulslikes With More Fluid Combat Than Elden Ring
6 Soulslike Games With More Fluid Combat Than Elden Ring

Elden Ring may be the king of variety, but some soulslike games leave it far behind with their more fluid, precise feel to combat.

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The Open-World RPGs That Could Define the Next Console Generation
The Open-World RPGs That Could Define The Next Console Generation

Here's a look at some of the most promising open-world RPGs brimming with potential, even if they're still years away from release.

Open-World RPGs Where You Can Accidentally Doom Entire Regions
5 Open-World RPGs Where You Can Accidentally Ruin Entire Regions

Embodying choices and consequences like few other games, players can really mess up the world in these open-world RPGs.

Open-World Games That Feel Alive Even When Doing Nothing
7 Open-World Games That Feel Alive Even When You Do Nothing

Simply existing in these atmospheric open worlds and soaking in their atmosphere can be as fun as actually playing.

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Best Games That Give Players God-Like Powers
7 Games That Give Players God-Like Powers

If you want to feel like a god, welcome to these explosive action games that let you be one or wield spectacular god-like powers.

best-games-that-let-you-hunt-dragon
Best Games That Let You Hunt Dragons
RPG

Few gaming moments can compare to facing mighty dragons, and these titles stand as some of the best for such thrilling encounters.

Biggest Combat Frustrations in Elden Ring (& Soulslikes That Solve Them)
5 Biggest Combat Frustrations In Elden Ring (& Soulslike Games That Solve Them)

Elden Ring might be the king of the soulslike genre, but some of its frustrations could be easily avoided, as these other titles prove.

Most Perfect Games Released During The 2000s
The 10 Most Perfect Games Released During The 2000s

They may not be the most important, but they're definitely the most perfect games that were impossible not to fall in love with back in the 2000s.

10-greatest-epic-video-game-masterpieces-to-play-right-now
The 10 Greatest Epic Video Game Masterpieces To Play Right Now, Ranked

If you somehow missed out on any of the games below, 2026 should be the year that you finally experience their greatness.

Open-World RPGs Where Loot Really Matters
5 Open-World RPGs With Loot That Actually Matters

Forget tons of meaningless loot that you have to sort through every now and then, as these games approach itemization very differently.

2026 Biggest Upcoming Soulslike Games
Get Ready To Die In The Biggest Upcoming Soulslike Games Of 2026

How many times will you die, die, and die some more in 2026's biggest Soulslike games before finally achieving victory?

Most Exciting Features Confirmed for Forza Horizon 6
6 Most Exciting Features Confirmed for Forza Horizon 6

From the biggest city in the series yet to reworked progression and base-building elements – here are the top reasons why fans are excited about FH6.

Upcoming Open-World RPGs That Promise Hundreds of Hours at Launch
Upcoming Open-World RPGs That Promise Hundreds of Hours at Launch

If you're searching for your next big obsession to sink hundreds of hours into, keep an eye out for these open-world RPGs when they release.

Open-World Games Where You’re Feared by Everyone
6 Open-World Games Where You’re Feared by Everyone

These are the best games that perfectly embody the idea: “I’m not locked in here with you... You’re locked in here with me!”

10 Best Open-World Games If You Want A Second Life
10 Best Open-World Games If You Want A Second Life

These open-world games are not only incredibly long but also feature immersive mechanics to keep players engaged in their virtual worlds for hours.

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10 Most Perfect Games Released Since 2010, Ranked
The 10 Most Perfect Games Released Since 2010, Ranked

It’s almost impossible to find serious flaws in these games that represent the pinnacle of gaming over the past 16 years.

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