For the past year and change, I’ve been playing a lot of physical games online. By that, I mean I’ve been playing a lot of online games that were originally intended to be played in person. Sometimes these are games by Jackbox, which while mediated by a computer are definitely enhanced by being able to… Continue reading In-Person Gaming
Author: Joshua Tong
Unilateral Drone Strikes and The Winter Soldier
The Winter Soldier has a lot going on. There’s the spy thriller trope of the one good agent not knowing who he can trust (and the others not knowing if they can trust him). There’s the actual Winter Soldier, Steve Roger’s path made manifest. And of course, there’s the fact that SHIELD has been infiltrated… Continue reading Unilateral Drone Strikes and The Winter Soldier
The Terrorist Is You
As I play through Final Fantasy VII Remake I’m struck by how Extremely My Jam the game’s narrative is. Maybe I’m just a sucker for those JRPG tropes, but, man, I love the ragtag band teaming up to save the world from some cosmic evil while dealing with their own issues and becoming friends. It’s… Continue reading The Terrorist Is You
Remake!
As someone who’s a big fan of JRPGs, I’ve played my share of Final Fantasy games (and firmly hold that Final Fantasy VIII is the best). The most famous Final Fantasy is probably VII, it spawned sequel games, prequel games, and a CGI movie. Its opening scene was used as a tech demo for the… Continue reading Remake!
A Bowl of Congee
I grew up eating congee in Singapore. It’s a savory rice porridge that, in my humble opinion, is best served with sliced ginger and steamed fish, garnished with spring onions, and with some youtiao on the side. White pepper and soy sauce to taste. I’m no doctor, nor do I have any qualifications or knowledge… Continue reading A Bowl of Congee
Puzzles
I like puzzles. Which should be obvious, if my ability to write an entire post on a silly crossword joke is anything to go on. It’s why I enjoyed math in High School: What is a complicated problem but a puzzle you gotta use the right equation to get to an answer? A lot of… Continue reading Puzzles
Endings Are Hard
It’s remarkable the effect an ending can have on a story. A really good ending leaves you feeling fulfilled. Consider Casablanca, where Rick’s last-minute change of heart is the culmination of his character throughout the film as his cynicism fades. Or Inception, where the uncertain top drives home the question of reality that has permeated… Continue reading Endings Are Hard
Interactive Art
I first played Transistor about five years ago. If I remember right, it was on sale on Steam so I grabbed it, having heard great things about it. Playing it on my laptop was not ideal, the controls didn’t quite work on a keyboard and gameplay felt awkward. Not the game itself, mind you, rather… Continue reading Interactive Art
Where It Works
Being the Esteemed Man Of Culture that I am, I subscribe to the New York Times Crossword and make a point of doing it every day. I’ve gotten quite good at it in the last year! Anyway, there’s often a bit of humor in them, maybe be it the wry puzzles of Thursdays or an… Continue reading Where It Works
The Power of Mordor
My love of The Lord of The Rings is well documented, heck, I just reread the books over the summer (with my glorious hardcovers). There’s a lot I like about them, like how they marry a beautiful world to an epic quest, and how that epic quest is a story of vanquishing evil not through… Continue reading The Power of Mordor
