Many people have heard of Dark Souls, the notoriously punishing game set in a dark fantasy world. I’m sure many have also heard of its successors or even its predecessor, Demon’s Souls, which has recently been remade for the PS5. Amongst gamers, the Soulsborne series is considered both an example of gaming elitism (git gud)…
Gaming, Venue
The State of the MMO Genre in 2020
MMOs – that’s Mega Multiplayer Online games – first (commercially) began in the 1990s with the release of Neverwinter Nights. Since then, we have seen countless titles: some which remain powerhouses today. One thing we have also seen is the stagnation of the genre, an inertia resulting from similar formulae being reproduced each new release….
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A Short Discussion of Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition
Ever since I was young, I have been fascinated – and somewhat obsessed – with the fantasy genre in all its forms. Amongst my friends, we would design and play our own Dungeons-and-Dragons-style games, although I only first played the game itself two years ago! With the revival of DnD appearing to be underway: games…
Music, Venue
Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory: Twenty years later
This year marks the twentieth anniversary of the release of Linkin Park’s debut album, Hybrid Theory. As referenced in its title, the album’s style is a hybridisation of genres, and while not necessarily unique, it helped launch the band into the mainstream with interesting musical combinations (rap, metal, scratching etc.) and Bennington’s distinctive voice and…
Music
Radiohead’s Kid A turns 20: A retrospective
Kid A is often cited as one of the greatest albums ever made. A paragon of experimental music, the album builds on the off-piste style of OK Computer to become what many, including myself, would argue is the band’s strangest album, not only sonically but structurally too. Its inspirations range from Talking Heads and R.E.M…
Gaming
Microsoft acquires ZeniMax Media: What does this mean for the industry?
Microsoft has acquired ZeniMax Media, the parent company of Bethesda Softworks, for a huge $7.5 billion. This is massive news for the next generation of consoles, and signals a large shift occurring in the gaming industry as a whole. ZeniMax Media is the parent company of well-known companies like Bethesda Softworks (Fallout, The Elder Scrolls),…
Gaming, Venue
What are you most looking forward to with the next-gen consoles?
Like so many other Xbox fans, I was hoping there’d be an attempt at VR with the upcoming Series X console, particularly after the relative success of titles on the PS4 & Oculus platforms. However, since rumours of VR being introduced have subsided, attention turns to the power of the machines and the titles to…
#BLM, Music, Venue
Iconic voices in music
A voice in music is not always vocal. For centuries, musicians with intimate understandings of their instruments have used it to express emotion like you would a voice. As many jazz musicians have said, what they play, is their voice. While John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong, or Mary Lou Williams demonstrate technical ability and a distinguishable…
Gaming, Venue
Is the Ubisoft open-world formula out-dated?
The Ubisoft open-world formula is often criticised for its tendency to bloat games with tedious and repetitive objectives, yet its influence has spread throughout the genre to games like Horizon Zero Dawn and Spider-Man – at least in parts – but is the Ubisoft formula out-dated? And what actions are being taken to address the…
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