Refunct is one of those perfect examples of a pleasant surprise. I came across it by pure chance during the Steam Winter sale. Saw it was cheap (less than a dollar at the time) and that the reviews were good, so I figured it was worth a shot. Plus, it described itself as a “peaceful,…
2016. There’s nothing to be said that hasn’t already been said, and I don’t want to drag down what should be a celebration of the year in video games. But the fact is 2016 wasn’t pleasant, to put it mildly. Thankfully, what was generally a disastrous year for the world was actually a rather good…
It’s New Year’s Eve. Usually the end of the year is bittersweet, but it also provides some kind of relief. We made it through another year, now let’s make the next one better, we tell ourselves. The start of a new year always feels like a fresh start of sorts, a chance to wipe the…
If there’s one thing that Telltale’s really good at it’s playing with our expectations. Their dealing of third-party franchises has seen mixed results over the years, and while they’ve been mostly positive, there’s no helping feeling a little uneasy seeing them step out of their comfort zone. That was the case when it was announced…
By now, after two complete seasons of The Walking Dead by Telltale, anyone jumping in knows what they’re getting into. Whether or not you have actually played the previous seasons, it’s pretty safe to assume things aren’t going to go well in this new season, taking into account the murderous nature of both the TV…
Videogames so often deal in destruction and violence that anytime one comes along that focuses on rejuvenation it feels fresh. That the entire crux of Okami, for example, was to restore life and color to the world was a big part of why it resonated with me so deeply. I always prefer games that focus…
Many are considering 2016 to be one of the worst the world has ever seen. Games, however, have been pretty freaking great all year round, so at least they’ve helped keep people entertained while all sorts of chaos takes place in the real world. Here are a few of my personal standouts. Are some of…
It can’t be easy being Empress. Think about it: Not only do you have to run an entire empire by yourself, everyone blames you for basically every problem. Maybe the harvest has failed or there’s a rebellion in the northern isles or your favourite warship has sunk; there is never a spare moment. Sometimes you…
Watch Dogs 2 is a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. Unlike its 2014 predecessor set in Chicago, San Francisco’s turn at being the stage of open world hacking shenanigans is anything but a silly romp, and it’s great for that. Thankfully, there’s more to this game than simply being in on the whole…
Escapism is one of fiction’s most potent uses. When times are tough we use it to get away from the world and our struggles, to forget our unfortunate circumstances for a while. Few of us may do so consciously — I’d hazard a guess and say we rationalize reading books, watching movies, or playing videogames…
