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Giovanni Colantonio

Giovanni Colantonio

Senior Gaming Editor
Author/Co-Author of 1751 articles

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.

A man shoots demons in Shotgun Cop Man.

Shotgun Cop Man has everything I need from an action game for just $10

Shotgun Cop Man is a minimalist thrill that packs everything you could want from a good action game into a small package.
A light cycle moves through a street in Tron: Catalyst.

Tron: Catalyst has all the right sci-fi ingredients so far

We played the first hour of Tron: Catalyst, which let us derez programs and ride a light cycle around the Arq Grid.
A man holds a gun in Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3.

Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3 is more serious than it sounds, I promise

Creepy Redneck Dinosaur Mansion 3 may sound like a joke, but it's a surprisingly insightful reflection on the struggles of game development.
The two heroes of Assassin's Creed Shadows stand side by side.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows review: finding peace and quiet in a merciless world

Assassin's Creed Shadows is a surprisingly serene open-world game whose quietest moments outweigh its loudest.
33 immortals early access impressions lucifer

33 Immortals is the most fun you can have with Xbox Game Pass this month

33 Immortals launches into early access today, and it's a must try for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.
Alta operates a tea machine in Wanderstop.

Wanderstop review: cozy tea shop game embraces its flaws

Wanderstop embraces its imperfections as a tea shop management game to tell a moving story about self-acceptance.
Majima slashes an enemy in Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii.

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii review: all schtick, no substance

Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii has fun with its absurd premise, but its uncharacteristically weak story is a let down.
Rama listens to music in Afterlove EP.

When a video game becomes a eulogy for its own creator

Afterlove EP honors the memory of creator Mohammad Fahmi, who died in 2022, with a sincere story about the mess that a loss leaves behind.
Alta operates a tea machine in Wanderstop.

Wanderstop is brewing up a clever twist on the cozy genre

Wanderstop looks to spice up the cozy game genre with a more puzzling spin on the shop management sim.
A man stares down a hallway in Post Trauma.

These 4 exciting indie games need to be on your radar this year

Publisher Raw Fury is rolling out an exciting slate of indies this year and we went hands on with a few that should be on your radar.
Lydia Tar composes a Monster Hunter orchestra in Tar.

Monster Hunter producer explains that infamous Tár cameo

How did Monster Hunter end up in a Best Picture nominated drama? We asked Monster Hunter Wilds producer Ryozo Tsujimoto for an explination.
Two characters hunt a monster in Monster Hunter Wilds.

Monster Hunter Wilds fixes World’s biggest pain points

We played five hours of Monster Hunter Wilds and came away with a better understanding of how it differs from Monster Hunter World.
Fighters face off in Capcom Fighting Collection 2 art.

I found my new favorite fighting game thanks to Capcom Fighting Collection 2

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 features plenty of classics, but it's most exciting games are its Dreamcast hidden gems.
Citizen Sleeper 2 cover art.

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector review: sci-fi sequel ups the stress

Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector builds on its sci-fi predecessor with tougher survival systems and an optimistic transhumanist story.
A sniper holds a gun at night in Sniper Elite: Resistance.

Sniper Elite: Resistance review: your Nazi-hunting catharsis is served

If you're in the mood to hunt down Nazis right about now, Sniper Elite: Resistance offers some reliable ultraviolence.
A hero looks up in Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist.

What new games we’re playing this weekend (January 24-26)

If you need a new game to play this weekend, here are three indies we're digging into.
The Doom Slayer appears in Doom: The Dark Ages.

Believe it or not, Doom: The Dark Ages returns to the series’ PC roots

Is Software has fully lifted the lid on Doom: The Dark Ages, revealing its release date and some major changes coming to the prequel.
Mai poses in Street Fighter 6.

Street Fighter 6’s new character has real troll potential

Mai is joining Street Fighter 6's roster in a few weeks, and we've already taken her for an early spin.
A dragon roars in Blade Chimera.

Castlevania fans, you need to play this killer new game

If you're looking for a great 2D action game, Blade Chimera scratches the same itch as Castlevania.
Samus Aran poses in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

Our most anticipated video games of 2025: GTA 6, Metroid Prime 4, and more

What games should you look forward to in 2025? Here's 10 that we've got out eye on (and yes, that includes Grand Theft Auto 6).
Lucia and her partner rob a store in GTA 6.

4 big predictions for where video games are going in 2025

From the Nintendo Switch 2's launch to the potentially devastating impact of tariffs, here's what we predict will be 2025's most defining moments for gaming.
Nintendo Switch.

We predicted gaming’s 2024 last December. Here’s what we got right (and wrong)

We made big predictions about Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft back in January. Almost none of them were correct.
Indiana Jones rappels into a tomb in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

These December games already deserve Game Awards 2025 nominations

The Game Awards 2025 may be a full year away, but games like Indiana Jones and the Great Circler are already early front-runners.
Soh, Yoshiro, and Villagers prepare for battle in Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess.

The best games of 2024 were the ones we didn’t see coming

2024 was filled with great games, but most of our favorites are the ones we couldn't predict.
Key art for the Super Citizen Edition of Helldivers 2.

Use your Christmas money to buy these games in the Steam Winter Sale

If you've got some gift cards to burn today, consider grabbing these great PC games during the Steam Winter Sale.
A comet forms a constellation in Faraway.

This minimalist puzzle game could be 2025’s Tetris

Faraway looks to capture the flow state of Tetris in a minimalist puzzle game all its own, and it's already winning us over.
A shattered screen shows an emergency warning in Mouthwashing.

Some of 2024’s best games were only as long as movies

2024 was filled with enormous video games, but more compact projects like Arctic Eggs and Mouthwashing proved the power of a short game.
A cat sits in a room full of corn in Catly.

New Catly trailer shows what the controversial game actually looks like

After stirring controversy with its confusing Game Awards reveal, Catly now has a gameplay trailer that shows what it actually looks like.
Two astronauts frolic as bugs fly overhead in Revenge of the Savage Planet.

Revenge of the Savage Planet spins Google Stadia trauma into comedy gold

The studio now known as Raccoon Logic was bought and then spit out by Google, but now it's getting the last laugh with Revenge of the Savage Planet.
A Meta render gives you an idea of what you'll experience in VR with a Quest 3S.

If you didn’t become a VR gamer in 2024, you probably never will

The last 12 months proved that cheaper headsets and better games still might not be enough to launch VR into the mainstream.
A cat sleeps in Catly.

Catly does not use generative AI or contain NFTs, devs say

After stirring up controversy at The Game Awards, Catly's devs now say that its teaser trailer does not use AI and that the project is not a blockchain game.
A disembodied hand walks through a street in Starstruck: Hands of Time.

You need to add these oddball 2024 hidden gems to your backlog

From Judero to Mouthwashing, these instant classics were some of 2024's best games.
A soldier shooting in Splitgate 2.

Splitgate 2 is going cross-gen, and that’s good news for PC players

Splitgate 2 won't be ditching PS4 and Xbox One players, and that decision was designed to optimize PC performance.
game awards 2024 wrap up the changers speech

The Game Awards finally figured out its formula

After a rough show in 2023 defined by double standards, The Game Awards finally has a grip on how to make its mishmash format work.