I have, for unknown reasons, always been drawn to the deeps. If a film/book/game is set underwater, regardless of other considerations (genre, quality, etc.), I am interested. Something about the bizarre half-lit world down there is endlessly fascinating to me. Subnautica, therefore, is absolutely my kind of thing.
Continue reading “Subnautica (Review)”One 
of the first games I ever played, on a grey giant of a Gameboy, was Harvest Moon. Unlike most other games, Harvest Moon wasn’t about violence. You couldn’t hunt or kill anything; instead, you simply farmed. There were no bosses and you couldn’t die – you just had to make the best farm you could – planting and harvesting crops each season, milking cows and tending to your chickens.
It wasn’t the most exciting game. In all honesty, it was extremely repetitive. But it was fun, and somewhat soothing. It was enjoyable to slowly build up your small herd. It was fulfilling to clear another field of rocks and debris, ready for ploughing. Even though each in-game day was roughly the same, I found myself keeping playing.
Stardew Valley is a game in the style of Harvest Moon, a new entry into a small genre that’s currently mostly known for the monstrosity that is Farmville. It’s clearly – from the graphics to the gameplay – an homage to the original Harvest Moon games, and it has exactly the same simple charm. Continue reading “Stardew Valley (Review)”
For as long as there have been people with disturbingly intense stares, there have been calls for a Total War game set in the Warhammer universe. It makes sense – they are both (on computers and tables respectively) games of tactics, controlling massive armies in battle. Moreover, they’re both the top of their respective mediums – Games Workshop’s Warhammer is the preeminent tabletop strategy game, and the Total War series is one of the better regarded strategy franchises. Continue reading “Total War: Warhammer (Review)”
Whether or not video games are art is a tired debate, and one beyond the scope of this post. Viscera Cleanup Detail though, is strong evidence for the “yes” side. Art accrues commentary and criticism, deconstructions and challenges to accepted tropes and structures. Viscera Cleanup Detail is not a normal game, but a game about games. Continue reading “Viscera Cleanup Detail (Review)”
Inconsistent Pacing 