It’s difficult to take Horizon seriously – this is dopey sci-fi fiction, filled with robot dinosaurs, flying people, and an allegory that’s insufferably on point. Even its heroine Aloy represents a confluence of the modern liberally-inclined generation, accepting other cultures, if arrogantly rolling her eyes at their conservative religious beliefs, all while saving Earth from… Continue reading Horizon: Forbidden West (PS5)
A rousing, smart distillation of western society over the past few years, Ratchet & Clank’s return fits complicated world events into a comfortable platform/my-first-shooter frame. Rebellion against a bumbling authoritarian leader, multiverse traveling akin to Marvel, and genuinely nuanced approach to character drama allow A Rift Apart to eclipse the seemingly perfect predecessor. Where that… Continue reading Ratchet & Clank: A Rift Apart (PS5)
It’s odd to see lycanthropy lore warped from a tormented curse, with the afflicted forced to live with their uncontrolled murder, into something celebrated for its brutality, cruelty, and viciousness. Rather than fear, Werewolf: The Apocalypse treats the primal and instinctual bloodlust as a defensive means against a comically crude oil corporation. In its own… Continue reading Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood (PS5)
Originated in the early ’80s, the term cyberpunk (and resulting genre) rooted itself in anti-Japanese phobia, arriving in mainstream fiction as Japan became a technology-centric export economy. Cyberpunk 2077 looks the part, as does most cyberpunk. The neon signs, the noodle vendors, skyscrapers. A murder mystery too, revolving around a vicious generational divide and rebellious… Continue reading Cyberpunk 2077 (PS4)
In Godfall’s fantasy world, two brothers war with one another. Like everything else in Godfall, it’s stock fantasy fluff. Looking only at the in-game story, whether the hero and villain are human, robot, anthropomorphic animal, alien, or whatever else isn’t made clear. They just exist as tropes and it never matters. If this is someone’s… Continue reading Godfall (PS5)
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)
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