Skip to Main Content
New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

All content by Brian Savino
An illustration of a Black woman in a green shirt and a white woman in a yellow shirt listening to music through wired headphones. The cord of the headphones spells out “Listen to This.”

Listen to This: Harry Styles announces a new album with single ‘As It Was’

Read about this week’s most notable singles by Alexander 23, Father John Misty and more.

Harry Styles is back — and the world is ready for it, with “As It Was” hinting at what fans can expect on the new album. This week, we also review songs from pop giants Alexander...

An illustration of a man holding a gun and wearing a khaki trench coat. Behind him there is a mill, and to the left there is text: “Call of Duty Vanguard Warzone Season Two.”

‘Call of Duty’ brings subtle yet impactful changes with new season

With season two’s arrival comes a plethora of updates to “Warzone” and “Vanguard” that add innovative content, alter gameplay, and fix old glitches (but not without adding some new ones).
Brian Savino, Contributing Writer March 31, 2022

“Call of Duty: Vanguard," and “Call of Duty: Warzone" are the two active installments in the “Call of Duty” first-person shooter franchise. But not much has changed since...

An illustration of a Black woman in a green shirt and a white woman in a yellow shirt listening to music through wired headphones. The cord of the headphones spells out “Listen to This.”

Listen to This: Caroline Polachek dazzles in new song ‘Billions’

Read about this week’s most notable singles by Father John Misty, Alexander 23 and more.

Caroline Polachek dropped her latest single, “Billions”, on the same day she started touring with Dua Lipa — talk about having a full plate. And love him or hate him, Ed...

An illustration of a Black woman in a green shirt and a white woman in a yellow shirt listening to music through wired headphones. The cord of the headphones spells out “Listen to This.”

Listen to This: Another posthumous release from XXXTENTACION

Read about this week’s most notable singles by Lauv, Wallows and more.

Pop, rap, rock. What isn’t covered this week? Dive into these eclectic reviews to find the freshest new music to add to your library. “vice city” by XXXTENTACION Jordan...

An illustration of a Black woman in a green shirt and a white woman in a yellow shirt listening to music through wired headphones. The cord of the headphones spells out “Listen to This.”

Listen to This: After teasing it on TikTok, Charlie Puth’s ‘Light Switch’ is finally here

Read about this week’s most notable singles from Father John Misty, Destroyer and more.

Welcome back to Listen to This! We’re back with the first edition of the spring semester. Spanning several genres, we’ve got nine great songs this week, which all came out...

Developed by 343 Industries, “Halo Infinite” is the newest installment in the “Halo” franchise. The game has successfully blended familiar aspects of “Halo” with modern first-person shooter elements. (Staff Illustration by Manasa Gudavalli)

‘Halo Infinite’ multiplayer: the revival of a franchise

After years of anticipation, “Halo Infinite” multiplayer has been released with a fun factor that masterfully combines series traditions with novel first-person shooter elements.
Brian Savino, Contributing Writer December 8, 2021

There has been immense pressure for the Halo franchise to return to its roots after fans experienced years of disappointment from developers. The newest installment’s multiplayer...

“Call of Duty: Vanguard,” the newest installment in the “Call of Duty” series, will be released on Nov. 5. The multiplayer beta, which allowed players to try the game’s multiplayer mode before release, proves to be promising despite a few issues. (Staff Illustration by Manasa Gudavalli)

Review: ‘Call of Duty: Vanguard’ beta revives the first-person shooter

Although the “Vanguard” beta had its problems, it shows promise for the series as long as the developer makes some necessary changes.
Brian Savino, Contributing Writer October 18, 2021

It’s mind-blowing that developers have churned out a new “Call of Duty” game almost every year since 2003. As November approaches, fans are dutifully preparing for the latest...

Though historical revisionism is an issue in video games, taking liberties with the details can enhance the game play experience. (Staff Illustration by Manasa Gudavalli)

‘Call of Duty: Vanguard’ demands historical distortion

Brian Savino, Contributing Writer September 20, 2021

The spread of misinformation is as rampant as ever, and video games are no exception to this. Despite the need for historical accuracy in both scientific and political fields revolving...

Video games depend on delivery on many different fronts. Stars Wars: Battlefront II is close to that but not quite. (Staff Photo by Manasa Gudavalli)

‘Star Wars Battlefront II’ lacks gameplay balance

Video game success is dependent upon numerous factors, and “Star Wars Battlefront II” delivers on all fronts — except gameplay balance.
Brian Savino, Contributing Writer September 15, 2021

As the technology behind video games advances, developers are eager to incorporate the best graphics, audio and cosmetics into their games. But these aspects are not the only things...