Author: Jordan Ashley

As you might well have heard, Red Dead Redemption 2 is releasing this week. The huge game from Rockstar has come at the cost of 100 hour weeks. It has provoked some interesting conversation about the ongoing state of working in the video games industry. Big releases in the last quarter of the year tend…

Super Mario Party is a return to the foundations of the franchise. It ditches the car and the points for effort that have made the last few iterations so nice and friendly. Instead it brings back the life ruining arguments. So what better way to augment this than with a drinking game? Why have an obnoxious…

The Book Ritual is a unique title in which you talk with and destroy a physical book. The simplistic game is characterised by its use of an ‘alternative controller’. in this case a book and bin or shredder. You are primarily interacting with a physical object. Destroying a book is just not something many people want…

The first episode of Life is Strange 2 took a particularly honest view of racism and racial issues. The reaction to it has mainly been positive. However, the plot of the game has also brought some bizarre reactions. Especially compared with the successful of the very safe prequel. There has been the usual boycotts and complaints…

Spider-Man has had a such huge impact in the half a week its been out, its inspired pretty much every hot take going. Many of these have upset one side of the spectrum or the other. Quite a few have been ridiculous, like discussion over the World trade Centre Tribute or the absent Trump Tower. Others…

We all have our favourite Nixon themed Video Games. Developers have long embraced the one thing, no matter our political affiliation, we can all agree on – that Richard Nixon’s inclusion makes for a good game. The Republican President’s appearances help to break the liberal stronghold over gaming culture. We each have our favourite Nixon…

Fans of The Simpsons are no strangers to the franchise developing in uncomfortable ways. The heavy drop off in quality leading to the current show is well analysed and documented. One side effect of The Simpsons going from sitcom to merchandise franchise, seems to have been the birth of the Tapped Out style game. It’s an example…

Gaming Disorder has recently been recognised as a medical condition, and in many countries can now be treated as such. The news has had varied reactions. Most outlets just used it as an excuse to film some kids who play Fortnite a lot. Recognition of digital services as exploiting human tendencies for addiction has been…

Fortnite.  It’s the biggest game in the world right now, and a fitting analogy for Libertarianism; complete with its flaws and misinterpretation. As the latest development in the online shooter genre, Fortnite says more about the taste’s of those communities than most would admit. It reflects the development of toxic masculinity in these communities, while it’s…

Further Extracts from the Diary of an Incel in Animal Crossing plagued by cats..(Continued from) Day 4 I have now introduced myself to most of the residents and I think I’m beginning to figure each of them out. It’s been a disappointing experience, I had hoped to find intelligent animals, but most are just as dumb as the…

The most recent incarnation of Zelda will not be included in the Smash Bros Ultimate roster, because she is ‘not much of a fighter’. This is a fair estimation of the character, which reflects how Breath of The Wild failed Zelda and representation. Characters in the game are varying in their development, but Zelda really suffered. What…

Over the past weeks Nintendo has issued a storm of cease and desist letters, shutting down the two largest ROM hosting sites. This push to stop the flow of pirated games has made a dent, at least for a little while. Although it’s highly unlikely the situation will stay that way. There are some ethical…

An extract from the diary of an Incel in Animal Crossing: Day 1 Moving to a new town, leaving the human world and its petty focus on attractiveness behind. I’m going somewhere where I’ll be appreciated as the nice guy that I am. In Incel City, the population is all animals. I’ve always preferred animals. They don’t…

Video Games don’t have a fantastic record of depicting mental health. The increasing attention on plot focused games has shown the medium is pretty far behind. As well as fantastic LGBT representation, Night in The Woods depicts mental health in an honest and relatable way. It makes the characters seem real, while still not defined by…