Cobra Kai’s joke – the show’s joke – is that two 50-year-old men can’t let their feud over a high school karate tournament go. No one else cares, because it’s stupid, masculine posturing. Whether by choice or by budget restraints (the latter, most likely), Cobra Kai’s game spin-off nails that nuance. As the dueling karate… Continue reading Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues (PS4)
Cobra wins as GI Joe: Operation Blackout begins. They attack an aircraft carrier, knocking out all power to the US, and in the next scene, the White House is draped in red banners. Maybe it’s a Trump thing, but not really. It’s more a vague militaristic slant, that even when top levels of government dissolve,… Continue reading GI Joe: Operation Blackout (PS4)
Sonic, Mario both collided with 3D; Crash Bandicoot came into existence only because of 3D, running ahead in a reconfigured Frogger. Crash never needed to adapt (although failed attempts were made later). Turns out, Crash’s base formula is timeless, set on manic pace, raw level design skill, and ‘90s personality in gobs. From afar, or… Continue reading Crash Bandicoot 4 (PS4)
Odd that WWE Battlegrounds is more authentic to the WWE than other prior licensed wrestling games. McMahon exists in the story’s background, taking credit for success, while keeping profits high by stuffing talent onto cramped buses as they move across the country. Unlocking new wrestlers means cycling through a menu where talent is encased in… Continue reading WWE 2K Battlegrounds (PS4)
Five years after the Avengers were forcibly disbanded, a government-supported, rogue military group (AIM) begins rounding up “inhumans,” putting them in cages, and biased network news cheers them on. To get these obvious parables now leaves one to wonder what future Trumpian parables hold. Captain America draws a direct line to AIM and the Nazis.… Continue reading Marvel’s Avengers (PS4)
Life is Strange 2’s first antagonist is a cop, recklessly drawing a gun, leading to tragedy. Then come the racists, the bigoted conservatives, cultish Evangelical Christians, and finally, the border wall. Life is Strange 2 follows two Mexican boys – orphaned by police violence – as they road trip through Donald Trump’s America. It’s obvious… Continue reading Life is Strange 2 (PS4)
Now under the 2K banner (and a new name), The Golf Club becomes official, and with it, loses its often pompous, stuffy vibe. Donning a t-shit and jeans during an actual PGA event isn’t authentic, but freeing. Even rebellious, in the most nominal way. It’s also a series relenting, allowing greater accessibility in difficulty tuning,… Continue reading PGA Tour 2K21 (PS4)
Fast & Furious: Crossroads doesn’t count how many die during its story. A lot, probably. Driving through suburban neighborhoods and public expressways, cars shatter when hit. There’s no penalty levied against the “heroes.” The explosions look cool, anyway. Besides, this is an important mission – Peter Stormare is out to destroy America’s spy network. Some… Continue reading Fast & Furious: Crossroads (PS4)
Brushing a pine tree while riding a horse, Ellie makes the branches’ accumulated snow fall. Look toward the ground and the horse’s steps realistically imprint on a few inches of frozen precipitation. Sometimes, it’s the little things; Last of Us: Part II has a lot of little things. A character removes their shirt – perfectly,… Continue reading The Last of Us: Part II (PS4)
It’s possible to see Final Fantasy VII as a Japanese cultural study. From outside, the city of Midgar, isolated on all sides, mirrors Japan’s post-war, industrial boom. The dominate color is green, the only change from winding pipe systems and smokestacks that once defined the country’s polluted skylines. At the core though is something entirely… Continue reading Final Fantasy VII Remake (PS4)
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