Andy

Andy

Wellington, Aotearoa
17
Feb
Screenshot from Bloodborne, with a hunter standing in front of a gothic township and twisted trees.

How does Bloodborne do cosmic horror so well?

Lovecraft's work left behind a genre that continues to fascinate, but only a few games seem to understand how it works.
6 min read
02
Feb
A copy of the book The Hundredth Monkey with images from The Simpsons and Metal Gear Solid overlaid.

Have you ever heard the story of The Hundredth Monkey?

"I appreciate your letting me share the drama of our megaton madness with you."
7 min read
28
Jan
Seifer Almasy from Final Fantasy VIII, standing with his back to the viewer. A cross is in the background.

Why isn't Seifer the hero in Final Fantasy VIII?

The so-called villain of the story is just an unfortunate case of misplaced heroics.
8 min read
26
Jan
A screenshot from the game Mouthwashing showing boxes in a storage room spilling out blue bottles of mouthwash.

What is the mouthwash for in Mouthwashing?

A cigar is just a cigar but a bottle of mouthwash is so many things all at once.
8 min read
09
Jan
Screenshot from Metal Gear Solid 3, in which the main character Snake sits in a cave with his shirt off, eating cooked snake.

Which Metal Gear character has the biggest hog?

This is Snake. These are Snakes. These are the snakes of Snakes.
9 min read
30
Nov
Promotional image for Fortnite featuring Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Ice Spice and Juice WRLD. Juice's eyes have been crossed out.

Should we put dead people in Fortnite?

Juice WRLD's digital memory dominates the skies of the online shooter, years after his death. The ethics seem underexamined.
8 min read
19
Nov
A still from Monkey Man (2024), with the main character standing in silhouette against a painting of a huge battle.

Why does Monkey Man talk about John Wick?

We all want to be the cool dude who kills the bad guys and drives off in the expensive car. But that's not reality for those truly suffering.
7 min read
31
Aug
Which sketch from I Think You Should Leave should you show to your normal friends?

Which sketch from I Think You Should Leave should you show to your normal friends?

I'm not doing it. I don't even want to be around anymore.
6 min read
23
May
Preston Garvey from Fallout 4 holding a rifle and saying something boring.

Do you have free will in Fallout 4's Commonwealth Wasteland?

Fallout 4 may have particularly weak writing, but it also has a lot of weak world-building and weak quest design to back that up.
8 min read
07
May
Why did they make gamer Spider-Man love cops?

Why did they make gamer Spider-Man love cops?

Doing the work of the police isn't uncommon in video games. But what does it mean for the player to be made complicit?
7 min read