According to mob boss Tony Soprano, from the memorable AMC series “The Sopranos”, reminiscing is the lowest form of conversation. He says it in a scene where a couple of middle aged men are bringing up stories over dinner and start every sentence with “Remember when..” It’s a bitter sentiment from a character written to struggle with mental health, but there’s a lot of merit to his feelings on the…
Earlier this week the final version of CD Project Red’s “Gwent” was launched, a stand-alone version of the card game from The Witcher 3. The free game has been in beta for almost two years and received numerous updates and changes throughout. As someone who played it from the very first day during the closed beta that kicked everything off, I’m not happy with how it shaped up. If you…
The happiest I can be as a Tomb Raider fan, is that moment when Lara descends into an underground cavern or tomb and you really get the sense of dread and confusion of how the hell you’re suppose to go from there. Those moments when you have been staring at a puzzle or ancient contraption of levers, cogs and pulleys and just when you think “This is impossible” something clicks…
The easiest difficulty setting in the 1994 DOS game “Rise of the Triad” is called “I’m a Chew Toy” – accompanied with an image of a dog with a toy in its mouth. Probably even better known is Wolfenstein 3D’s “Can I Play, Daddy?” featuring a portrait of protagonist William Blaskowicz wearing a baby bonnet and a pacifier in his mouth. Those are classic tropes, and almost everyone who played…
It takes old fashionedly long before The Meg shows its titular monster on screen. An unexpected throw-back to the days of Jaws, Jurassic Park and Alien. Movies used to build suspense by hinting but not showing, a trope also known as “nothing is scarier”. This is a mechanic that is used a lot less now; financial stakes are higher, movies compete with each other for the most media attention and…
Avengers Infinity War definitely lives up to its hype and the overall reputation of the film series. It’s grandiose, a wild ride full of surprises and a grand achievement in super hero movie making. If you can spare two and a half hours out of your evening the coming weeks, I urge you to go and see it. This review contains spoilers. It’s when Thor Odinson refers to Rocket Raccoon as…
Are we actually moving away from the Age of Grumpy Old Men now? Or at least, Grumpy Old Men that take the lead in every damn action movie and videogame? Maybe it’s finally happening. That’s what I thought when watching Pacific Rim Uprising last week. Coincidentally I had also been playing Gears of War 4, which in turn has been compared to the new Star Wars movies in some reviews….
There’s often a moment in Marvel’s hugely successful Netflix series where the titular character looks at other people and you can see her trying hard not to be snarky misanthrope. There’s a certain look in her eyes, brilliantly pulled off by actress Krysten Ritter, that shows that struggle. You see her thinking: “Man, I know you are just trying and I don’t need to be angry with you, but it’s…
Tomb Raider with Alicia Vikander as Lara Croft is a fascinating reflection of a twenty year old franchise, being rocked back and forth between fame, brilliance, failure, controversy and reinvention. Everyone who has been part of that long running journey, no matter if you’re a fan or creator, might find something in this film that connects with their involvement. (this review will contain spoilers) The 2018 movie feels like a…
“Incomiiiiiiing!” The soldier next to me bellows over the sound of gunfire and you can hear the anxiety and fear in his voice. Without thinking twice I hit the B-button on the Xbox One controller to throw myself on the ground. My character “hits the deck” as it is called, I see his hands breaking his fall and the muddy cobblestones zoom towards me. Trucks and jeeps drew deep tire…