Tomas Franzese

Former Digital Trends Contributor

A former Gaming Staff Writer at Digital Trends, Tomas Franzese now reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting developments within the video game industry in a freelance capacity. Tomas is passionate about sharing game developers' stories, analyzing video game history, and contextualizing those things within the modern video game industry. He attends industry events like Summer Game Fest and appears on podcasts like ComicBook Nation’s Quick Save. Tomas' byline also appears on GameSpot. Before Digital Trends, he was a Video Game News Writer at Inverse for two years. Prior to that, Tomas honed his skills at DualShockers for nearly four years, working his way up from Staff Writer to News Editor. As News Editor at DualShockers, he supervised and edited the website’s news coverage, and that experience still comes in handy at Digital Trends today. His favorite games include Star Wars: Battlefront II (2005) and Batman: Arkham City. Based in Virginia, Tomas graduated from Old Dominion University in 2020 with a B.A. in Intercultural & International Communication. He returned to Old Dominion University in 2024 to pursue an M.A. in Lifespan & Digital Communication. Through his communication and media-related research, Tomas can better understand how video games and culture intertwine.

Borderlands 4 pushes the series forward while addressing past mistakes

We spent several hours with Borderlands 4 and found the series' most experimental game yet.

Features         June 18

I’m already having a blast with FBC: Firebreak’s creative co-op action

Our first hands-on demo of FBC: Firebreak assured us that the co-op shooter is a Remedy game through and through.

Features         May 14

EVE Fanfest 2025 proved that EVE Online’s influence is undeniable

A trip to EVE Fanfest 2025 in Iceland showed us just how impactful the legendary game really is.

Features         May 10

EVE: Vanguard hits early access next summer, but you can play it in September

During 2025’s EVE Fanfest, CCP Games revealed when players can get their hands on the next playtest for shooter EVE: Vanguard and teased when the players will be able to experience the whole game via Steam Early Access. EVE Vanguard is an MMO FPS connected to the popular game EVE Online where players control warclones […]

News         May 2

Arc Raiders is fun, but I’m still doubtful about extraction shooters’ future

I had a good time playing Arc Raiders at a preview event. So, why don’t I feel like playing it again at launch? Arc Raiders is the latest game attempting to stand out in the extraction shooter space. This shooter genre is very hardcore, tasking players with safely finding valuable loot across large levels and […]

Features         April 29

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 review: A challenging game for challenging times

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an ambitious new RPG inspired by RPG classics, and most of the risks it takes pay off.

Reviews         April 23

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is great, but shouldn’t have been two parts

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is a fantastic narrative adventure game, but the way it was released did it a disservice.

Features         April 20

Moonlighter 2 is a more ambitious sequel to a fantastic indie game

Digital Sun Games recently outlined all of the ways Moonlighter 2: The Endless Vault improves upon its 2018 indie hidden gem of a predecessor.

Features         April 8

Winter Burrow finds the cozy middle ground between Don’t Starve and Mouse Guard

Winter Burrow is the next cozy crafting-survival game you should be keeping an eye on.

Features         April 8

The Switch 2’s higher prices won’t hurt its chances at success, analysts say

Nintendo Switch 2 and its games are more expensive than expected, but analysts don't think that's disastrous for Nintendo.

Features         April 4

This underrated Switch 2 feature demonstrates why Nintendo handhelds thrive

GameShare was one of the most underrated new Nintendo Switch 2 features shown off in the latest Direct.

Features         April 2

Every Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive game trailer from the latest Nintendo Direct

Check out the trailers for Nintendo Switch 2 exclusives like Mario Kart World, The Duskbloods, and Donkey Kong Bananza.

Features         April 2

Den of Wolves understands what made the Payday series special

Den of Wolves is taking the idea of Payday and reinventing it into something fierce. We went hands-on with 10 Chambers' new co-op shooter.

Features         April 1

Everything announced at the March 2025 Nintendo Direct

We're doing a live recap of everything announced during the March 2025 Nintendo Direct focused solely on Nintendo Switch.

Features         March 27

Sunderfolk release date and more announced at Dreamhaven Showcase

The Dreamhaven Showcase hosted by Geoff Keighley included four major reveals, including Sunderfolk's release date and a new sci-fi shooter called Wildgate.

Features         March 25

The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy feels like something special

We checked out The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy at GDC and already feel like the strategy RPG could be a surprise hit.

Features         March 25

Steel Hunters is the most approachable extraction shooter I’ve ever played

Based on what we played at GDC 2025, Steel Hunters is shaping up to be one of most approachable extraction shooters out there.

Features         March 25

ZA/UM explains what sets Project C4 apart from Disco Elysium

While ZA/UM's troubled history can't be ignored, Project C4 is building on the base of Disco Elysium to offer up a intriguing game about espionage.

Features         March 24

Blades of Fire is the most surprising game I played at GDC 2025

Blades of Fire is the latest game from the developers of Metroid Dread, and it's one of the most innovative action games I've played since For Honor.

Features         March 22

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers may just satiate your Bloodborne appetite

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is another fast-paced Soulslike to satiate us while we wait for more Bloodborne.

Features         March 21

Atomfall will let you kill every character you meet

Players can kill any NPC they encounter in Atomfall, a new survival RPG set in an England decimated by the Windscale disaster.

News         March 7

Atomfall flips typical RPG conventions on their head, then nukes them

Atomfall is shaping up to be a memorable, experimental RPG based upon the Windscale Fires disaster in the U.K.

Features         March 7

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is shaping up to be one of 2025’s big sleeper hits

We played a slice of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, and it looks like it has to potential to be a breakout hit for fans of classic turn-based RPGs.

Features         March 3

Splitgate 2 might have a little too much variety

Splitgate 2 offers a lot more variety than its predecessor, but that's not always a good thing.

Features         February 27

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage proves that narrative adventures can still innovate

Lost Records: Bloom & Rage brings innovation to a narrative adventure genre in desperate need of new ideas.

Features         February 18

Avowed review: Obsidian’s latest RPG is its best

Avowed embraces what works best about Obsidian's RPGs to offer an unforgettable adventure.

Reviews         February 13

Is Black Ops 6 getting stale? Then you should check out Killing Floor 3

Killing Floor 3 embraces Unreal Engine 5 to create a substantial sequel to a standout co-op shooter.

Features         February 12