Critical Cycle

Depression Quest by Zoe Quinn, Patrick Lindsey, Isaac Schankler caused quite a stir when it came out in 2013 (and bigger yet in 2014). I long avoided the game, figuring it wasn't that worthwhile for a combination of reasons: I've never had it recommended despite its significance in online gaming culture, the screenshots don't look very inviting, and I've heard negative impressions from depressed people that found it didn't represent them well. After finally giving it a go, I'm glad I did and would recommend anyone do the same ( play it here ). If I were to give it a score it would be 2/5; I don't think it's a good game (not technically a game at all, but that's another discussion). Yet I do find it interesting and thought provoking. I'll start with a summative review going over what I liked or disliked; then link some good reviews and essays concerning the game (there are a few good pieces out there, despite what you might think by reading the he...

Other studios: Ghibli | Disney I've recently gone through the DreamWorks Animation catalogue, skipping a few entries that I watched in the past and didn't like (Bee Movie) or that had poor enough reception (Shark Tale) - I also revisited this a bit in 2023, on top of adding new stuff as it comes out. They've earned a reputation for being a bit more childish than something like Pixar, another forefront CGI powerhouse around the turn of the millennium (Disney lagging behind until they bought their way out). In their broader catalogue toilet humor is a bit too common, along with whacky concepts like a baby who is also a boss (genious), and the infamous smug faces . Technically impressive animation and celebrity voices lend them prestige, but what really takes them up along-side the greats is their glimpses of earnest stories and remarkable artistry. Their earliest works are more trying to be Disney than parodies of them, without much overt humor at all, and with The Last W...

2021 >> What a year 2020 has been to look back on. Amid it all, I graduated from university a month after going homeless, taken in by soon-to-become friends. A big physical game collection at my disposal, and with a rough PC setup, I spent a lot of time playing and replaying various old and new console games. Here's a brief summary of the best and worst games I played in the not-too-distant hell year. I'll write more in depth on some later, like Outer Wilds and Depression Quest. The Best I did short reviews / recommendations of all the games I liked throughout the year on Twitter ( unrolled here ), but with a broadly tiered rating system there's still room for a (more) conclusive top 10 list: Outer Wilds (PS4) A mysterious, beautiful and awesome world, with incredible variety and quality in things to explore, as well as freedom with which to do so. Twice near the end it breaks established rules to railroad the player into poor gameplay sequences, which sucks. Re...