Spider-Man: Miles Morales – The Harlem Show

Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a third-person superhero action game by Insomniac Games. It’s a spin-off/sequel to Spider-Man from 2018. I’m not much of a superhero fan – you could actually say I kinda hate the genre for the most part, but that is thanks to the movies. However, I do enjoy a few of the more grounded heroes when they are not connected to some greater absurd universe. Batman, Spider-man, and The Punisher are some of the few I can read, watch and play without feeling too much disgust. I decided to play this after enjoying the 2018 release, and what can I say? Well, like much modern-made stuff, the writing is absolutely abysmal, and it’s probably the most on-the-nose game I have ever played when it comes to its divisive politics, virtue signaling, and general “wokeness”.

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Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem

Eternal Darkness is a Lovecraft-inspired survival horror from all the way back in 2002. It was made by Silicon Knights and released for Nintendo Gamecube only. However, thanks to emulators (Dolphin in this case), it’s possible for even me to play it without too much trouble. I did try it out when it was released, though, since I borrowed a friend’s Gamecube to play this game specifically and Resident Evil (the remaster). I don’t remember the reason, but I never got very far – I can only assume my focus was on finishing Resident Evil before I had to return the console. Anyway, here we are, and I have just completed Eternal Darkness, and what can I say? It’s a great addition to the genre, even if a bit linear at times. It did feel good to once again have to use tank controls and experience fixed camera angles. It’s kinda ironic because nowadays developers are hell-bent on cinematic experiences, yet, have totally ignored fixed camera angles, which to me personally feels very movie-like. If embraced, it would make their lives much easier since the game director has full control over what you will see and how.

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The Last of Us 2 – Retcon Central

Like many others, I consider The Last of Us a true gaming classic. It was a fine blend of survival horror, and excellent story-telling with captivating characters you learned to care for. So, the wait for the sequel was not without hype, but unfortunately, the story leaks would crush any longing to once again take the helm of Joel & Ellie. Two years after release, I would get the chance of playing the game through a rental service at my local library. I’m not sure what overcame me since I knew the sequel would butcher the characters I once liked, but I guess I wanted to see the disaster for myself. PS. The references to P. D. James and Philip K. Dick were not lost on me!

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