DualShockers

Vlad Mazanko-Features Writer

Vlad Mazanko

Features Writer

  • 42
    articles
  • 41
    Features
  • 1
    Reviews

About Vlad Mazanko

Ukraine-based gaming enthusiast. One who enjoys not-so-great games like Anthem, Mafia 3, Mass Effect Andromeda, Marvel's Avengers, The Callisto Protocol, Outriders, etc.

Industry Focus

Writing about games since 2013, with years of experience in gaming news and a wide range of factual knowledge about the industry. Occasionally do lists and guides as well, but my newest passion is opinion pieces about my favorite games here at DualShockers.

Favorite Games and Genres

Primarily focus on single-player, non-live-service titles, including action-adventure, open-world, RPGs, shooters, survival horror, turn-based strategy and tactics, arcade racing.
Some of my favorites of recent years include Alan Wake 2, Resident Evil 4, Marvel Snap, Forza Horizon 4, Cyberpunk 2077, Ghost of Tsushima, The Last of Us 2, Red Dead Redemption 2, Gwent, God of War, Hellblade, Grim Dawn, and The Witcher 3.

First Game Console and Preferred Platforms

I didn't own a console until the PS4 in 2013, proudly being a PC gamer until that glorious day. However, over the years, I expanded my device range, and now I own a PS5, an Xbox Series S, and a Nintendo Switch, covering all the actual modern platforms.

Latest Articles

Cyberpunk 2077 Female V With A Katana In Night City 1
All These Cyberpunk 2077 Patches Are Starting To Get A Bit Silly

Sorry, CDPR, but I won't be replaying Cyberpunk 2077 after the 2.1 update.

BioWare Anthem open world environment and characters 1
I Still Hope That BioWare Will One Day Return To Anthem's Unique World

Anthem was a great concept poorly executed, and it deserves a second chance.

Remnant 2 The Awakened King Key Art  1
Remnant 2's Unique Structure Is A Great Fit For Even More DLC

With worlds as rich and mysterious as those in Remnant 2, I can't wait to see the next piece of the puzzle.

Sony games Final Fantasy 16, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, The Last of Us 2 1
Sony's ‘We Believe In Generations’ Pledge Remains Unfulfilled

There still aren't enough reasons to own a PS5.

Resident Evil 4 Remake Leon S. Kennedy With A Handgun 1
Hellblade 2 Melina Juergens As Senua And Alan Wake 2 Ilkka Villi As Alan Mash-Up 1
I Hope Hellblade 2 Can Match Alan Wake 2's Mastery Of FMV

Remedy's just raised the bar in blending in-engine graphics with FMV, so now it's up to Ninja Theory to embrace it.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, and Alan Wake 2 gameplay 1
I Seriously Hope This Trend Of Shorter Triple-A Games Continues

Shorter games simply means I can beat more of them.

Alan Wake 2 Alan In Combat With A Flashlight And A Revolver 1
Let's Just Slow Down And Stop Complaining About Alan Wake 2’s Slow Pace

If you think about checking your phone while playing Alan Wake 2, perhaps you’re playing the wrong game.

XCOM 2 gameplay 1
XCOM 2 Immersed Me In Decision-Making Like No Other Strategy Game

Failures and mistakes are nothing but stepping stones to your victory.

The Dark Pictures Anthology Lead Character Cast including Will Poulter, Shawn Ashmore, And Jessue Buckley 1
Not Having A New Dark Pictures Game This Halloween Feels Wrong

The anthology series has been my Halloween tradition since 2019, and the absence of Directive 8020 this year feels strange.

Final Fantasy 16 Clive Rosefield Battling A Giant Armor Knight 1
Final Fantasy 16 Needs More Than Just Good Fighting

Even the most robust combat can't compensate for the lack of other essential elements.

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Venom, Kraven, Lizard, Norman Osborn characters villians 1
Why Can't Other Marvel Games Offer As Many Villains As Spider-Man 2?

Insomniac did a really great job of packing so many varied iconic villains in Spider-Man games, and I wish other studios would follow.

Lords of the Fallen (2014) Mash-Up Harkin With Enemy Bosses 1
The First Lords Of The Fallen Actually Made Me Care Enough To Win

Surprisingly, the original game remains one of the few soulslikes I ever managed to beat.

Marvel Midnight Suns characters and gameplay 1
We May Never See Another Marvel Game Like Midnight Suns, And That's A Shame

Plenty of Marvel games are in the works, but will we ever get something so unique as Midnight Suns?

Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Solas, Corypheus from Dragon Age Inquisition, Archon of the Kett from Mass Effect: Andromeda, and The Monitor from Anthem villians gameplay 1
Dragon Age: Dreadwolf Needs To Break BioWare's Trend of Weak Villains

Dreadwolf is one of the most important games for BioWare in years, and it should avoid pitfalls of the games that came before.

Cyberpunk 2077 Open World gameplay Night City 1
Why Are We So Critical Of Cyberpunk 2077's Open World?

Night City might not be a flawlessly vivid environment, but which open worlds truly are?

Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty Idris Elba as Solomon Reed Looks at Keanu Reeves as Johnny Silverhand 1
Playing Cyberpunk 2077 After Phantom Liberty Feels Like A Step Back

Phantom Liberty's refined formula feels kinda like Cyberpunk 2077 2.0.

Cyberpunk 2077 Mash-Up Maelstrom Royce With Female V and Johhny Silverhand 1
Cyberpunk 2077 Is At Its Best When It Stops Pretending It's An RPG

I like this game most when it's stripped down to the basics.

Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 Update V Shoots Smart SMG Out Of A Car 1
I Wish The Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 Update Did More Than Fix Broken Promises

Police system and car combat are nice additions, but I'd rather have that care poured into other less noticeable elements.

The Crew Motorfest Key Artwork With An Orange Lambo And Star Trek's Picard Covering His Ears 1
Like Forza Horizon 5, The Crew Motorfest Doesn’t Know When To Shut Up

Whatever happened to just turning on the car radio?

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