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Giovanni Colantonio

Giovanni Colantonio

Senior Gaming Editor

As Digital Trends' Senior Gaming Editor, Giovanni Colantonio oversees all things video games at Digital Trends. As a veteran of the industry who first began writing about games professionally as a teenager, Giovanni brings a wealth of knowledge and historical context to Digital Trends' gaming coverage. He brings that expertise to everything he writes, from interview features to reviews. His specialty is criticism and he's committed to raising the bar for video game reviews. Just read his ambitious UFO 50 review as proof!

Giovanni majored in Film and Photography at Ithaca College, and that skill set had intersected with his games writing through his career. He previously worked as a Segment Producer on Polygon's daily gaming show, Speedrun, and has contributed video content for sites like Prima Games and Hard Drive. He's always willing to experiment with new media, whether that be via podcasts or creating videos for Digital Trends' YouTube channel. He has previously written for Inverse, Fanbyte, The Inventory, and more. He began working with Digital Trends in 2019 as a Destiny 2 guides contributor before moving into his current role as Senior Editor.

His love of gaming dates back decades. Giovanni grew up in Massachusetts with his mother's hand-me-down Atari 2600. He was hooked from that point on, spending his childhood obsessively playing Sega Genesis or Super Smash Bros. Melee with his friends. He carried that passion into college, where he hosted and produced Ithaca College's own studio format video game news show. Since then, he has been committed to giving back to the video game industry that raised him by providing honest criticism, sharp analysis, and thorough coverage.

Giovanni is currently based in Brooklyn, New York where he works alongside his cat, Mirah. On weekends, you can find him birdwatching in local parks or watching professional wrestling, his second love behind gaming.

Luigi kicks a shell in Mario & Luigi: Brothership.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership review: Nintendo’s new RPG will leave fans divided

Mario & Luigi: Brothership adds more RPG depth to the series, but its flat writing and overabundance of gimmicks drag it down.
Snoop Dogg in Fortnite.

Fortnite Chapter 2 Remix teams up with Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and more

Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Ice Spice, and Juice WRLD are all coming to Fortnite as part of Chapter 2 Remix.
A trading card battle on mobile.

PokĂ©mon’s free mobile card game is nostalgic fun, but watch your wallet

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket captures all the simple pleasures of card collecting, but just be wary of its microtransactions.
Aloy standing in knee-deep water with her bow and arrow in front of some ruins.

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered looks incredible. Does it matter?

Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered gives the 2017 classic a major visual overhaul that you need to see to believe, but does that really make it worth revisiting?
Two characters face off in Concord.

Concord review: dead PS5 shooter didn’t deserve to be Sony’s scapegoat

Concord is perfectly fun multiplayer fare, but it struggles to capitalize on its colorful characters and rich world-building.
Zombies shambling in Black Ops 6.

War is hell, but Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 makes it a carnival game

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6's campaign is at its best when its delivering dumb fun and at its worst when it gets too close to reality.
A Xenomorph hangs over a planet in Alien: Rogue Incursion art.

Alien: Rogue Incursion could be the best Alien game since Isolation

Alien: Rogue Incursion brings the series to VR, and it's every bit as tense as that sounds based on our deadly first demo.
A prison guard fights The Sentient in Redacted.

The Callisto Protocol’s first spinoff is a strange, fun Hades clone

The Callisto Protocol's first spinoff game, [REDACTED], looks like a horror-themed Hades clone, but it has a few bright ideas of its own.
Old Sonic runs away from Metal Sonic in Sonic Generations X Shadow.

Sonic X Shadow Generations review: Sega finally lives and learns

Sonic X Shadow Generations brings together a flawed classic and a long-overdue sequel together for one vital collection.
A survey titled Bad to Touch\ appears in The Jackbox Survey Scramble.

The Jackbox Survey Scramble will turn your game night into Family Feud

Jackbox's latest game is all about the joys of filling out surveys, and it's surprisingly more thrilling than that sounds.,
Batman stands near fire in Batman: Arkham Shadow.

Batman: Arkham Shadow review: the Bat’s best game since Arkham Asylum

Batman: Arkham Shadow proves the VR doubters wrong by delivering the best Batman game since Rocksteady's Arkham Asylum.
Puzzle pieces appear on the floor in Wilmot Works it Out.

Wilmot Works it Out is the ultimate video game for jigsaw puzzle lovers

If you've ever enjoyed an evening quietly putting together a jigsaw puzzle, Wilmot Works it Out is a video game built for you.
The villains of Romancing Saga 2: Revenge of the Seven stand in a line.

I wish I played the original Romancing Saga 2 before its misguided remake

Romancing Saga 2: Revenge of the Seven reimagines an RPG cult classic, but its modern touches sand down the the original's pixelated charm.
Different Tetris boards appear in Tetris Forever.

Tetris Forever includes a new game with a time-warping twist

We checked out Tetris Forever ahead of its November release, and we got to play a new game created for the collection.
Estevez shining a flashlight at a tall paint creature surrounded by smoke.

Alan Wake 2’s Lake House DLC takes cues from Annihilation and Alien

Alan Wake 2's final expansion, The Lake House, is out today. We spoke to Remedy about how it brought the world of Alan Wake and Control together for the DLC.
A woman hides from a spotlight-headed creature in Fear the Spotlight.

Fear the Spotlight review: Blumhouse’s lo-fi horror game is imperfect, but sincere

Fear the Spotlight doesn't quite land as a '90s horror throwback, but it delivers some great puzzles and eerie lo-fi images in a sleek package.
The Megazord appears in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind finally lets you pilot the Megazord

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind isn't just a classic 2D arcade beat-'em-up. It'll let you punch Goldar out from the Megazord's cockpit too.
A flashlight shines on a hallway in Phasmophobia.

PC hit Phasmophobia comes to consoles this month with PSVR2 support

PC horror hit Phasmophobia is finally coming to consoles, and PS5 users will be able to experience it in VR.
The Alarmo sits on a nightstand.

Nintendo’s Alarmo turned my bedroom into a battleground

The kids in your life are sure to love Nintendo's adorable Alarmo, but couples may want to think twice about the chaos it'll bring to their bedrooms.
A man in a suit dances in Just Dance VR.

Just Dance VR is the best (and most dangerous) way to play

Just Dance feels right at home on the Meta Quest 3S thanks to a new VR version, but you'll want to be very careful about where you play it.
Donkey Kong and friends walk next to a Wiggler in Super Mario Party Jamboree.

Super Mario Party Jamboree review: party staple takes its Switch victory lap

Super Mario Party Jamboree juggles a few too many ideas at once, but it still mostly delivers a reliable hit of multiplayer fun.
Alba and Neva walk on sky platforms in Neva.

Neva review: gorgeous 2D platformer still has room to grow

Neva isn't the most creative puzzle-platformer, but it makes an emotional impact where it counts.
A light cycle moves through a street in Tron: Catalyst.

A new Tron game is coming next year, and it’s got Light Cycles

Big Fan Games' first licensed project is Disney Tron: Catalyst, a top-down adventure game set in the Arq Grid.
Metaphor: ReFantazio's protagonist.

Metaphor: ReFantazio fixes my one big Persona pet peeve

Metaphor: ReFanazio is full of great quality-of-life considerations, but one feature fixes an annoying Persona quirk that's always bugged me.
A Ninendo Alarmo sits on a night stand.

Here’s a much closer look at the Alarmo, Nintendo’s oddball alarm clock

If you're dying to know more about the Alarmo, Nintendo's oddball clock, we've got more details and a much closer look at its design.
Luigi kicks a shell in Mario & Luigi: Brothership.

I wasn’t expecting Mario & Luigi: Brothership to surprise me as much as it did

Based on our hands-on time with Mario & Luigi Brothership, it looks like the upcoming adventure is adding some serious innovations to its RPG formula.
A PS5 sits on a table with a DualSense standing up next to it.

The PS5 is finally on sale for Prime Big Deal Days. Now’s the right time to buy it

The PS5 Digital Edition is on sale for $400 for Prime Big Deal Days. That's a price worth jumping for, even with the PS5 Pro right around the corner.
undisputed hands on impressions crawford boxing match

Undisputed is no heavyweight boxing sim, but it still packs a punch

Boxing simulator Undisputed is finally coming out of early access, and the final version holds its own despite it being a bit of a featherweight.
Pyramid Head wields a weapon in Silent Hill 2.

Silent Hill 2 review: faithful remake understands the assignment

Silent Hill 2's remake keeps the original PS2 game's eeriness intact, even if it's a little bloated by comparison.
A Windblown team stands on a cliff.

Dead Cells follow-up Windblown already feels like a roguelike classic

Dead Cells follow-up Windblown is heading into early access later this month and it's already feeling spectacular.
A list of Jokers stacked together from Balatro.

Balatro is one of 2024’s best games. Now, there’s an even better way to play it

Balatro was already one of 2024's best games, but its smooth mobile version cements it as an all-time great.
Mario and friends cut vegetables in Super Mario Party Jamboree.

Super Mario Party Jamboree’s motion-control modes have real Rhythm Heaven energy

In our second hands-on session with Super Mario Party Jamboree, we got a quick taste of one of the party game's newly announced motion modes.
A house is customized in MySims: Cozy Bundle.

Wii cult classic MySims feels right at home on Nintendo Switch

Wii cult classic MySims is coming to Nintendo Switch, and it already feels like a perfect match based on what we've played so far.
Hades 2 key art from its first trailer.

10 essential Steam Deck games you’ll keep coming back to

Some games feel like they were built especially for the Steam Deck. These are the 10 that we're never uninstalling.