After two deadly school shootings in the Philippines, video games are once again part of the conversation. Games can influence us, but influence and causation aren’t the same thing. If we want to prevent another tragedy, we need to ask harder questions than what game a child played.
Our party climbed out of a beholder’s lair straight into a city under siege by the undead. What followed was the best D&D battle I’ve ever run, a near-TPK saved by creativity, sacrifice, and a little bit of luck.
Pragmata combines third-person shooting with a clever hacking mechanic, but Hugh and Diana’s relationship is what stayed with me. Somehow, a sci-fi adventure on the Moon ended up making me think about family, sacrifice, and the kind of uncle I want to be.
Ghost of Tsushima is beautiful, brutal, and filled with some incredibly satisfying samurai combat. But what stayed with me was Jin Sakai’s choice to sacrifice the life he deserved for the people who needed him most.
The Witcher 3 in Concert was more than hearing some of my favorite game music performed live. It was the experience of sitting among hundreds of people who loved the same world I did, and being reminded that through the things we love, we’re never really alone.
Resident Evil Requiem balances Grace Ashcroft’s helpless horror with Leon Kennedy’s glorious zombie-kicking catharsis. Underneath both, however, is a surprisingly emotional story about redemption and choosing to do the right thing despite your past.
This isn’t really a Dead Space review. It’s about what happens when survival becomes your entire identity, work starts hollowing you out, and you realize that staying alive isn’t the same thing as actually living.
I first played Dishonored expecting a story about revenge. Years later, I see it differently. It’s a game about what you choose to become when the world gives you every reason to become something worse.
Bloodborne is brutal, beautiful, and definitely not the easiest game for beginners. For me, though, finishing it became about more than beating another Soulsborne game. It was about proving I could still do it.
You don’t need decades of Warhammer 40K lore to enjoy being a massive armored super-soldier. Here’s my beginner-friendly take on Space Marine 2 and whether it’s worth the price.