I’m getting set to head back to the US soon, and into the anxious mess that is the American Covid Response. It’s terrifying, and disheartening to have to go back to all of That (I’m currently in Singapore, which, through a combination of vaccination, tracing, masking, and distancing has kept things under control enough to… Continue reading Returns
2021 In Review
Well. This year was exciting. Last year I said I’d rather not do 2020 again, and yet, here we are. So after taking Christmas off last week, here’s the usual look back at the posts on this blog from this year. Five Most Popular / Viewed Posts #5 Adventuring Colonialism Oh, we’re starting off with… Continue reading 2021 In Review
Spiders, Man!
While watching Spider-Man: No Way Home I found myself oddly distracted by the spoilers. The internet has been absolutely a titter over the last year or so about the movie, with crackpot theories based on trailers and leaked set photos guessing who was going to be in the movie. I still really liked the internet,… Continue reading Spiders, Man!
Awakenings
Courtesy of a cross-Pacific flight, I finally got around to starting Link’s Awakening. It’s still pretty novel, to be able to play on a console like the Switch on a plane when not fading in and out of consciousness while seeking a semblance of sleep or finishing N. K. Jemisin’s The City We Became (which… Continue reading Awakenings
Hawkguys
Hawkeye is a really good adaption of the Hawkeye comics, and probably more of a direct adaption of a Marvel comic than any of the other movies or shows. Most MCU properties borrow parts or ideas from source comics while making something new; Iron Man 3 took cues from Extremis and Infinity War took both… Continue reading Hawkguys
Best Zelda Game
Link’s Awakening is the best The Legend of Zelda game. And I say this as someone who loves Breath of The Wild for its exploration and horse music. I usually prefer the classic top-down Zelda games (Link To The Past, the Oracle games, Minish Cap), maybe because I like how tight meticulously crafted their worlds… Continue reading Best Zelda Game
Cinenarrative Dissonance
Why does Mario have extra lives? Oh I get it, it makes sense for a game, but is he a supernatural plumber that can come back from the dead? It’s good old-fashioned ludonarrative dissonance, the tension between gameplay and story that haunts gaming criticism. But for all the talk about its presence in video games,… Continue reading Cinenarrative Dissonance
Loopynarrative Resonance
So I’ve been digging into Deathloop lately, a new PS5 game that I’m playing because I now have a PS5. It’s a really rad game, the central idea being that you’re stuck in a time loop — like Groundhog Day or Palm Springs — and wanna get out. The twist is everyone on the island… Continue reading Loopynarrative Resonance
Playroom
In anticipation of Horizon Forbidden West, I set about to try and get myself a PS5 and, after several tries, got one. I’ve started playing Deathloop (which is a delight) and do look forwards to playing the upgraded Spider-Man soon, but what’s really charmed me is Astro’s Playroom. It’s included on the console and is… Continue reading Playroom
Reading Time
I haven’t been reading as much since I’ve moved. A big part of that is due to longer having my subway commute. You can’t exactly read while you’re driving, owing to the whole, y’know, fact that you’re driving. I’m sure I could put on an audiobook (though it’s not the same), but I do wish… Continue reading Reading Time
Essays, Not Rants! 