Pixar’s Onward got a raw deal: The movie only had two weeks in theaters before the pandemic set in and movie theaters shut down. Disney released the feature film on the Disney Plus streaming service, but the die was already cast, so to speak. So imagine my surprise when tabletop game publisher The OP Games […]
Ride Your Wave Is A Beautifully Tragic Depiction of Grief In Anime
Loss isn’t something you can predict. Even when you can, the emotional impact is often insurmountable. There’s no wrong way to deal with grief, whether you push past the empty void with happy smiles, sad tears, or general indifference to a huge shift in your life. I tend to find experiences I can relate to […]
Returnal is a relentless meditation on not giving up
I was losing faith in Returnal until I encountered the second boss. After a few dozen runs, the enchanting presentation and sense of discovery from my first few hours had started to wear off. I felt weak compared to the colossal creatures that defended their territory against an unwanted visitor. I had seen and used […]
Dark Souls’ The Bed Of Chaos Is The Worst Boss Battle Ever
Dark Souls is one of my favourite games of all-time, but I’ll be the first to admit it has its fair share of bullshit. Lordran is a bitterly evil place, one that will kill you time and time again before your eventual triumph. Even when this victory has been achieved, it remains unclear if you’ve […]
I Don’t Want To Go Back To Peter Parker In Spider-Man 2
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales improves upon the original Marvel’s Spider-Man in a lot of ways. The side quests are more interesting, the pacing is a lot better, and even the web-swinging is more energetic and engaging. The biggest change, of course, is Miles’ new stealth and venom powers. Peter and Miles are very different Spider-Men […]
Mini-Game Mashup Loco Dojo Unleashed Heads to Oculus Quest in 2021
British immersive studio Make Real might be better known for its training and simulation solutions for virtual reality (VR) but it also knows a thing or two about gaming. Back in 2017 the team created four-player party title Loco Dojo for Oculus Rift, where players had to quickly complete crazy mini-games. Today, Make Real has […]
Nier Replicant And The Value of Remasters Showing Restraint
The original Nier was never a visually spectacular game, even for the console generation it occupied it paled in comparison to others in the genre. Textures were often muddy, while performance across both platforms failed to live up to expectations. It was a rocky experience, but the art and character designs shone through, proving so […]
New Pokemon Snap Review – Who Needs Battling Anyway?
Grookey and Pichu dash between the legs of an enormous Bouffalant herd before coming to a halt in front of your NEO-ONE, a hi-tech railcar that combines Jurassic World’s spherical vehicle design with Jurassic Park’s, er… rails. As Grookey bangs his stick on the ground like a toddler with an object they have been explicitly […]
The Chadwick Boseman NFT Is Getting Redesigned, But That Doesn’t Address The Real Issues
Earlier today, Andre Oshea, the artist that created the Chadwick Boseman NFT for the Oscars, released a statement on Instagram that attempts to address the controversy around the project. On Sunday, Oshea revealed the NFT artwork, a golden model of Boseman’s head, and announced that it would be auctioned off after the Academy Awards, with […]
Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater’s Warehouse Might Be The Best Opening Level Of All Time
Gaming is full of iconic first levels. World 1-1 from Super Mario Bros. comes to mind, along with Sonic the Hedgehog’s Green Hill Zone. There’s also the opening sections of the likes of Mass Effect 2, The Last of Us, and Resident Evil 4, which while not traditional first levels in the way of Mario […]