Author Details
Leonardo Faierman is a games & film critic, comic creator, podcaster, and persistent freelancer in parts both known and unknown. He's one of the cofounders of Albany Poets, Inc., cocreator of the comic book Snow Daze with Marcus Kwame Anderson, and 1/4 of the long-running podcast #BlackComicsChat.
A recent comic, "Sámaras," was published in Power & Magic Press' Latin American Sci-Fi Anthology Mañana, with gorgeous art by Richard Zela, which has also been translated into Spanish.
Oh, and it's pronounced "Fireman."
Industry Focus
Leo has a longstanding penchant for independent video games, where the hardscrabble magic of interactive imagination thrives. There are two phases of contemporary independent gaming: before Super Meat Boy and after Super Meat Boy. Hotline Miami was the equivalent of the Sex Pistols' Lesser Free Trade Hall show.
As a cinephile and film critic, memorable moments include: getting drunk with two Star Wars prequel actors, crying alone at a screening of Notes From The Field, and discerning Lost Highway during a sleepless night. Ask me about it.
Favorite Media
Leo's list of his favorite games of all time must include: Shadow of the Colossus, Guardian Heroes, Towerclimb, The Beginner's Guide, Final Fantasy IV, River City Ransom, Star Control 2, Overwatch, The Binding of Isaac, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, Towerfall, Bloodborne, Fight'n'Rage, Nuclear Throne, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
His favorite film of all time remains Mad Max: Fury Road.
Latest Articles
"An Unholy Union of Stealth-Based FPS and Weird Western Horror" - Blood West Review
Blood West's excellent stealth-based FPS gameplay pairs perfectly with its weird western setting, delivering on its original Early Access promise.
"A Premium Prospect For Roguelite Veterans": Risk of Rain Returns Review
Risk of Rain Returns sees the decade-old roguelite meaningfully updated and reinvigorated, delivering the best version of this classic.
"Can Feel Like An Exercise In Frustration": Sanabi Review
Sanabi is a stylish grappling hook platformer, but its cumbersome story and interrupting pace risks sacrificing the parts of the game that work.
"A Delightful Rendition of a Historic Treasure": Super Mario RPG Review
Super Mario RPG brings the fan-favorite classic back with welcome bells and whistles, inspiring players young and old to rediscover this Mario curio.
BlizzCon 2023 World of Warcraft Interview: Maria Hamilton & Kristy Moret
Two formative leads on World of Warcraft's worldbuilding discuss their design principles, in advance of The War Within's release sometime next year.
BlizzCon 2023 World of Warcraft Interview: Linny Cooke Saverline & Timothy Jones
Two members of the World of Warcraft Classic team discuss what's coming up for the fans in Season of Discovery and the upcoming Cataclysm expansion.
BlizzCon 2023 World of Warcraft Interview: Principal Designer Eric Holmberg-Weidler
Upcoming World of Warcraft arc The WorldSoul Saga features the highly-anticipated Warbands system; we speak to its designer, Eric Holmberg-Weidler.
A Deep Dive on New Brawler Tank Mauga with The Overwatch 2 Team
Members of the Overwatch 2 team discuss the game's 39th hero Mauga, a fiery tank brawler with a nasty new ult.
"A Fun Hang For A Few Hours" - Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord Review
Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord sees 4-players team up against cartoony ghosts in VR, but may need an injection of content to justify the price.
"A Great Game & Everything An Adaptation Could Wish For" - RoboCop: Rogue City Review
Robocop: Rogue City delivers an inspired and enthusiastic take on the classic franchise, even if some of its budgetary constraints are apparent.
"Very Few Platformers Let You Hug A Yeti" - Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story Review
A boy and his yeti take center stage in Song of Nunu: A League of Legends Story, an accessible 3D platformer with light puzzles and very basic combat.
"Could Use Some More Inspired Gunplay" - Wizard With A Gun Review
Wizard with a Gun needs more wizardry and guns, but this casual crafting survival game should connect more with those who love organizing inventories.
"Shaping Up To Be A Must-Have Holiday Release": Asgard’s Wrath 2 Preview
We take the Meta Quest 3's premium pack-in Asgard's Wrath 2 for a spin in our preview, revealing a robust and responsive mythological VR adventure.
"A Tragically Beautiful Blunder" - Hellboy Web of Wyrd Review
Hellboy Web of Wyrd impresses on all fronts except for gameplay, offering up a sluggish, superficially simple action-roguelite beat 'em up.
"Things Often Go From Routine Rut To Restart In The Blink Of An Eye" - Endless Dungeon Review
Endless Dungeon offers a fun co-op tower-defense/twin-stick shooter challenge, but its roguelite framework begs for more chaos and gameplay mixups.
"Always Keeps Its 16-Bit Heart In The Right Place" - Pixel Ripped 1995 PSVR2 Review
Pixel Ripped 1995 hits the PSVR2, a nostalgic and brief all-ages adventure through classic gaming that leverages 3D interactivity in inventive ways.
"A Few Good Hours of Jokes, Meta Silliness, and Gore" - High on Life: High on Knife DLC Review
High on Life gets its first DLC with High on Knife, a brief but entertaining content chunk for the gross-out humor FPS that should satisfy its fans.
"Co-Op Fans Should Jump Into This One Early": Relic Hunters Legend Preview
Rogue Snail's online-only cartoon looter-shooter Relic Hunters Legend enters Early Access fully-formed and loaded with content.
"Elegantly Well-Balanced With A Considerable Skill Ceiling": Broken Edge Review
Broken Edge is a one-of-a-kind sword-dueling fighter which now has a home on the PSVR2, though it's arguably limited in its singleplayer offerings.
"A Fun But Underweight Action-Roguelite" - AK-xolotl Review
AK-xolotl presents a cute run'n'gun roguelite concept, but an overall simplicity and lack of post-credits gameplay leaves it ultimately underexplored.