Mikhail Manfredo

Born with a controller in one hand and a slice of pizza in the other, Mikhail is a lifelong gamer with a Jersey edge. He covers games with personality, passion, and just enough attitude to keep things interesting. Whether it's classic throwbacks or next-gen hits, he’s here to keep PlayRatedGames.com sharp, honest, and just a little loud.

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Born and raised in New Jersey but always chasing the next stamp in the passport, Mikhail Manfredo is a writer, editor, and the kind of gamer who still has emotional scars from getting no-scoped in Halo 3 lobbies. He came up during the golden age of online trash talk, Mountain Dew-fueled all-nighters, and the constant fear of the Red Ring of Death—so trust him, he knows how gamers think, act, and argue.

As co-founder of PlayRatedGames, Mikhail’s mission is simple: keep it real. Authenticity isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the difference between a good game and a forgettable one. Whether he’s breaking down a review or stirring the pot on the PlayRated Podcast, he calls it like he sees it, no sugarcoating, no press-release parroting. And when he’s not doing that? He’s vlogging his way around the globe as GlobeTrottingGuido, proving that gamers can touch grass.

I like doing a bit of everything when it comes to gaming content. I write reviews whenever I can (though let’s be honest—gamers are forever haunted by the endless backlog). Whether it’s retro classics, relatively recent releases, or the newest titles I finally get around to, I love diving in and sharing my thoughts.
I cover gaming news here and there, but what I really enjoy is making predictions—so I can leave a paper trail and proudly shout, “I KNEW IT!” when I’m right.
And lists? Don’t even get me started. Top favorites, least favorites, totally random subjective rankings—I’m all about them. If it’s listable, I’ll list it.

When Mikhail's not gaming, he's out exploring the real-world map — one passport stamp at a time. Catch his adventures, travel vlogs, and cultural deep dives over on

https://www.youtube.com/@Mikhailmanfredo
 🌍✈

Articles By Author

Snowboard Kids 1 & 2

Childhood favorites revisited

PlayRatedGames Newsletter

A Way Out

If you can't do the time, play this game instead

Rogue Warrior

"Better dead than red, asshole!"

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About

‘Lost Planet Trilogy’ has been lost to time

I remember being intrigued by the reveal of the very first Lost Planet game (Lost Planet: Extreme Condition). I eventually got around to borrowing the game from a friend years after its release and playing through the entire thing on the Xbox 360. Lost Planet: Extreme Condition is like trying to survive an alien snowstorm while wearing lead boots. The controls feel like Wayne is perpetually walkin...[Read More]

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Great game bogged down by a shitty checkpoint system

I think people should give ‘The Last Guardian’ another chance

Team Ico had a solid legacy of critical acclaim with their first two titles. The fittingly named 2001 debut video game ‘Ico’ was a decent success and grew in popularity as the years went on, garnering a cult following. I personally enjoyed Ico and thought it was a charming and unique little game, but like most, the studio earned my fandom after their titanic hit ‘Shadow of the Colossus’. Fans were...[Read More]

Stray

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Resident Evil 4 Remake

As far as remakes go, (Buy Here –>Resident Evil 4 is the cream of the crop. In the last decade or so, the gaming industry has been swarmed with, Remakes, Remasters, Reboots, Reimaginings, etc. Many gamers have been open to the idea of their favorite games receiving the update treatment. The mainline Resident Evil games seem to all be going through this process with Capcom’s new RE Engine. RE...[Read More]

Dead Space Remake

The gaming industry has been killing it with the remakes lately. Just when we thought that everyone was fatigued by retreading, Capcom showed us that sometimes a remake can even surpass the original. The latest Dead Space does just that. The 2023 remake of Dead Space (<– Buy Here) is a masterclass in modernizing a beloved classic while staying true to its roots. From the moment you step b...[Read More]