Discussing the creature design in his gruesome 1982 adaptation of The Thing – a movie which, incidentally, opens with Kurt Russell losing his shit over a computer game – John Carpenter once observed that “I didn’t want to end up with a guy in a suit”. It’s a pitfall many so-called “reverse-horror” games tumble into. …
Carrion review – an unforgettable monster chews its way out of a solid Metroidvania Read More »
Deep within an underground laboratory, tests are being conducted on an amorphous alien that, depending on how it is positioned, appears to be either all tentacles or teeth. This creature doesn’t want to be contained, and would like nothing more than to kill every scientist that poked and prodded it. In Carrion, you release this …
The annoying thing is, for the first ten hours or so, I absolutely adored Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. What a wonderful feeling to finally plunge into a Star Wars game with carefully-crafted alien worlds, references to delight die-hard fans, and new lore to expand that galaxy far, far away. Since EA acquired the licence …
Taito’s comeback continues with this revival of its most famous series, and while it’s slim the old magic remains. It’s been a mighty fine year for comebacks, so you’ll be excused if you’ve missed one of the more remarkable revivals of them all. Yu Suzuki and Hideo Kojima’s return to the frontlines of game dev …
Amanita Design’s latest is a game of vast but delicate imagination, at once rambling and toy-like. Released alongside a crop of triple-A games that demand to be played for days, Creaks has the soothing conciseness of a key fitting into a lock. Its entire world is visible on the main menu from the outset: a …
Creaks review – great puzzles in an eerie underworld of living objects Read More »
It’s the insidiousness of Spankles that bothers me at first. It’s a small thing at first, of course. It almost always is. Even before you breach Union City’s walls, there’s a kiosk giving away free cans of the stuff – actually, there’s a lot of vending machines that give away the stuff. “Wow!”, you think, …
There’s always been something unique in Paper Mario’s wafer thin worlds: a sense of place and personality, an ability to linger and explore, a chance to stop and befriend. In its cardboard castles and papercraft dioramas, Paper Mario’s mix of adventuring and role-playing has always managed to showcase Mario’s surroundings as more than just background …
The literature of neurology is rich and varied, yet it is almost always concerned with understanding. It’s concerned with the quest for understanding, hard-earned and often incomplete, and with the value of understanding, and the fundamental differences it can make. This is not surprising. Right near the top of the list of needs, I would …
Before I Forget review – a vital addition to neurological art Read More »
When Paper Mario debuted on the N64, it took the turn-based RPG battles from Square’s Super Mario RPG and wrapped them around a clever papercraft aesthetic to create a wildly humorous adventure. Over the years, the Paper Mario series has moved away from traditional stat-based RPG leveling and tried various new mechanics with mixed success, …
Paper Mario: The Origami King Review – Just Above The Fold Read More »
Quite early on in Ghost of Tsushima, you’ll be introduced to its dramatic, one-on-one duels. Two warriors, a dozen yards apart, face each other down across the divide. Up close: narrowing eyes and crumpled brows. Hands hover at hips, knees bend, feet press down into the earth, muscle, sinew and fingers tighten. Then – bang! …
Ghost of Tsushima review – a likeable, if clunky Hollywood blockbuster Read More »