The cynic derides Astro’s Playroom for the PlayStation commercial it is. A shameless advertisement one at that. Astro’s world doesn’t tell a story; it’s just an adventure through all things nostalgia and PlayStation, the stuff Nintendo often gets away with. It’s not even the life rafts in the shape of triangles and squares, but even… Continue reading Astro’s Playroom (PS5)
Ronald Reagan’s first appearance in Cold War makes the former President appear worthy of sainthood. It’s a dramatic, postured moment for the man staged as someone standing up to the Iron Curtain, dramatically stopping nukes, and taking down that wall. Mostly though, it’s a conspiratorial grab bag, more illusory than Oliver Stone, if avoiding a… Continue reading Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War (PS5)
Journeying from their home to new lands in England, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla’s viking tribe comes near the shore, noticing crucifixes adorning churches. It’s hilarious to them – a religion that celebrates not only a defeat, but symbolizes the torture device that killed the Christian’s prophet. It’s a clever way to sell Viking beliefs and culture,… Continue reading Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla (PS4)
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)
Recent real world reports revealed Donald Trump’s administration performed forced hysterectomies on immigrants, a story that compares to the blathering fear mongering over illegals and terrorists in Watch Dog: Legions. A privatized police force roams the city, guns almost always drawn, leering checkpoints scanning every Londoner as they pass. Given the number of cameras, there’s… Continue reading Watch Dogs: Legion (Xbox One)
It’s a misfire to see the post-Return of the Jedi Empire so flush with diverse faces. While the industry pushes for inclusiveness, that message trickles down and places all genders and races onto the side of a directly Nazi-esque regime. In brief, one-sided dialog exchanges, hearing phrases akin to real world authoritarian power grabs is… Continue reading Star Wars: Squadrons (Xbox One)
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)
Putting this Mario trio side-by-side shows evolution in design – certainly more so than with the 2D iterations beforehand – and a notable cultural change. Mario 64 existed in the earliest reality show bubble, where a camera follows and traces Mario’s steps around the Mushroom Kingdom, broadcasting them to viewers. MTV’s The Real World debuted… Continue reading Super Mario 3D All-Stars (Switch)
There’s nothing revolutionary in Mafia’s organized crime story. The cliches and drama all play to form, but Mafia does allow an exploration of America’s depression era, including the desperation and sheer naivety of alcohol prohibition. It’s not that Mafia allows players to gun down cops en masse with a machine gun (many games do), so… Continue reading Mafia: Definitive Edition (PS4)
