Jon Bailes
Jon Bailes is a freelance games critic, author and social theorist. After completing a PhD in European Studies, he first wrote about games in his book Ideology and the Virtual City, and has since gone on to write features, reviews, and analysis for Edge, Washington Post, Wired, The Guardian, and many other publications. His gaming tastes were forged by old arcade games such as R-Type and classic JRPGs like Phantasy Star. These days he’s especially interested in games that tell stories in interesting ways, from Dark Souls to Celeste, or anything that offers something a little different.
Latest articles by Jon Bailes
Marvel's Midnight Suns review: "A superhero game that encourages you to stop and smell the flowers"
By Jon Bailes published
Review
Pentiment review: "It's like scampering around inside a 16th century comic book"
By Jon Bailes published
Review
Scorn review: "Captures the sense of a place that's truly alien"
By Jon Bailes last updated
Review
Soulstice review: "A disorderly and aggressively tepid experience"
By Jon Bailes last updated
Review
Rollerdrome review: "Reaches impressive heights, but keeps dropping back down to earth"
By Jon Bailes last updated
Review
Signalis review: "Adheres too closely to Resident Evil's aging rules"
By Jon Bailes published
Review
Rollerdrome preview: Hands-on with the skating sensation born from a viral tweet
By Jon Bailes published
Features Roll7's skating and shooting combo for PS5 and PC could well be "a match made in heaven"
Trek to Yomi review: “An eager disciple, but hasn’t mastered the way of the warrior”
By Jon Bailes published
Review
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin review: "Not entirely awful, but alarmingly rough and unrefined"
By Jon Bailes published
Review
Modern roguelikes are in great shape – but where does the genre go next?
By Jon Bailes, Edge Staff published
Features The developers behind Darkest Dungeon, Hades, Spelunky, and more discuss the future of roguelikes
The Gunk review: “In this alien world, the challenges are too routine and familiar”
By Jon Bailes published
Review
Chorus review: "Conjures the feel of a good Star Wars battle scene"
By Jon Bailes published
Review
Returnal doesn't need a save system, it needs you to embrace mortality
By Jon Bailes published
Features This PS5 exclusive may draw from the legacy of roguelikes, but it needn't be beholden to the genre's idiosyncrasies
Have you tried... seeing how your arcade skills have aged with Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection?
By Jon Bailes published
Features Why Capcom's latest reboot is a deadly theatrical farce
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