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The Tomb Raider I-III Remastered Starring Lara Croft has dropped, and it doesn’t seem to be making much of a splash. That’s too bad, because Lara Croft did for gaming what Indiana Jones did for movies–and that was to introduce us to the world of less-than-ethical artifact procurement. But despite Indy’s popularity, Lara Croft established herself as the crypt invader du jour back in the nineties and early 'aughts. She has fallen off the radar a bit in recent years–especially after the lackluster reception of Shadow of the Tomb Raider–but if you were ever itching to jump into her classic adventures, this Remaster is a great way to do it. This isn’t the first time a Tomb Raider game has been remastered, with the original Tomb Raider being rereleased as Tomb Raider Anniversary. But this original trilogy isn’t being released as a “remake” but instead as a “remaster”--that’s why the graphics in Anniversary might look “better” despite Anniversary coming out seventeen years before this. But while Anniversary was part of a reboot trilogy for the series (the first of two) this Remastered Trilogy are just the three original games with a little bit of modernization love shown to them. The first three Tomb Raider games are really old at this point. Originally released on the Sega Saturn (bet you didn’t know that!) Tomb Raider became a sensation–and for good reason. It might seem extremely primitive to today’s standards, but after a recent playthrough I can attest that it still holds up–somewhat. You might still have to put on some thick nostalgia goggles to truly enjoy them. And that’s where this remastered trilogy comes in. But boy does this game have an unwieldy name: Tomb Raider I-III Remastered. It should have been called Tomb Raider Remastered Trilogy, but I’m betting Aspyr went this route to avoid any confusion with the multiple continuities that have been made since it has been rebooted. This is THE original Tomb Raider trilogy, well before Crystal Dynamics. These are Core Design’s original games that started out the franchise and solidified Lara Croft as a household gaming name throughout the late nineties and into the ‘10s, with her popularity finally waning in the last decade. In this remastered trilogy you play as Lara Croft in her first three adventures ever. It’s a remaster of an older game, so don’t expect complex geometry in levels. Lara, however, looks great–with her design being closer to the Legends trilogy. As Lara you explore mostly empty tombs in the first game, punctuated by the occasional enemy encounter. However, once you get deeper into the trilogy the emphasis on combat increases, until you’re regularly dispatching bad guys. Lora goes beyond ancient tombs to more contemporary locales, but the heart of the trilogy remains consistent throughout. Just like 343 pulled off in the Halo Master Chief Collection, you can easily swap between old school graphics and the Remastered graphics with a push of button. While Tomb Raider I-III Remastered feels a little old even in its remastered form, switching to its 90’s graphics really gives you an appreciation for how far Aspyr Media went in remastering these games. There are also some more modern bells and whistles, with the most notable being the ability to set the control scheme away from the “tank” controls and into a more modern configuration. This, for me, was mind blowing, and completely changed the way I looked at the original trilogy of Tomb Raider games. It doesn’t necessarily make it “easier” however–in fact, I found that the modern control scheme contributed to me misaligning jumps. But it’s an overall improvement to this classic Trilogy. I don’t know if I can recommend Tomb Raider I-III Remastered to modern gamers. I think this release might just be for us older gamers who grew up with the classic Tomb Raider games. However, Aspyr Media does a great job of taking this original trilogy and updating it just enough to make it palatable to modern gamers, while not sacrificing any gameplay from the original. And not only that, this Tomb Raider I-III Remastered is a great way to preserve these titles going into the future. Tomb Raider I-III is available now on Steam, for Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and of course for PlayStation on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5?

Next Fest has come and gone, and while I’d like to say everything was beautiful and nothing hurt, there were a few stinkers that ended up in my queue. Quite a few stinkers, actually. But I’m not here to throw water on any project that might be starting to heat up–because the vast majority of these games are still in development. And while I’m saving my final verdict on these games for their full release, I wanted to talk about a few things I liked and didn’t like about each. These games appear in no particular order. Deathbound The first game I fired up–and one of the ones I was most excited about–was Deathbound. I don’t know what it is about non-Fromsoft soulslike titles that seem interesting to me. That is, until I start playing them. No one has quite mastered the tight, satisfying controls and combat from the soulsborne series, and Deathbound is as clunky and janky as the worst of them. Still, it has an interesting premise with its mixture of technology and fantasy. However, a good premise does not a good video game make. Deathbound, unfortunately, has quite a ways to go before it will be a title I could recommend. However, it does have some great features going for it–including the ability to swap between different characters in a way that’s slightly reminiscent to Mortal Shell, but mostly reminded me of Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles for the NES–yeah, I know. Ancient game. But in that one, you can switch between the four turtles, turning to another one when your health was running low. Deathbound does have a few more rules to how health is given or removed, but the premise was pretty similar. In the demo we could switch between a knight, a rogue, a cater and a heavy knight. None of which really stood out in a novel way. It doesn’t help that the entirety of Deathbound seems to be obsessed with death in the edgiest, cringiest ways possible. While I didn’t have the best time with the demo, I’ll be keeping an eye out for this one in the future. Outcast - A New Beginning I remember the original Outcast when it released, and it’s even had a few rereleases even despite a failed Kickstarter for the same. However, Outcast: A New Beginning is finally a follow-up to the 20+ year old Outcast. However, despite it being a modern sequel, it seems to have its head buried in the sand of the early aught’s with dialogue and voice acting straight from another era But I can’t complain about how visually appealing it is. The Unreal engine is gorgeous–you can’t deny that. And while the original Outcast was about using CPU power to eschew traditional video cards, Outcast A New Beginning uses all of the bells and whistles your graphics card can muster up. The demo allowed you to play three activities–open world exploration, combat, and city gameplay. Let’s fact it: Outcast A New Beginning feels pretty early still. Gliding with the energy winds and jetpack is fun–but it’s definitely nothing new. Similarly to the open world activities. And even the combat was a little lackluster. However, Outcast A New Beginning definitely has potential to be a great title–especially if the open world doesn’t get in the way too much. This one I’ll definitely play when it gets a full release. Lightyear Frontier This was a demo I wish I had more time to play. What would you get if you mashed up Stardew Valley and/or Animal Crossing with a mecha game? I’m not sure, but Lightyear Frontier definitely has a mech in it. Okay, I’m being a bit fatuous, but the truth is nothing beyond the mech and its futuristic eye towards farming makes Lightyear Frontier stand out. However, if you ever wanted a mech in your cozy game, you’re in luck. Which, incidentally is something I never knew i wanted, so I’ll be playing this game on full release–even if I’m worn out of playing farm on my computer. Homeworld 3 While Homeworld 3 is one of my most anticipated games of the year, I can’t say I really played much of its two predecessors. Well, that’s not fair–I did review them and finish them both. However, there is such a cult following behind these games that I never felt like I spent the time with them that they require. Homeworld 3 looks to modernize the space RTS game with this latest entry, and Gearbox is doing a great job achieving that. Homeworld 3 looks to be in really good hands, and while I got absolutely crushed by the sweaty lobbies, I’m really looking forward to playing through Homeworld 3’s campaign. Too bad about that delay, though. Winter Survival There are a few things I indulge in outside of my retro and contemporary video game playing/coverage. One of those things is reading books about people surviving (or not) in horribly inhospitable–usually arctic–conditions. It’s rare that two of my hobbies overlap so specifically, like what happened with The Long Dark. That game is pretty much my standard for winter themed survival games, and while Winter Survival is a little janky–it’s also like The Long Dark on crack. When you first drop into Winter Survival, you’re greeted with a few psychological questions to prime you for the upcoming game, but it also works as a difficulty setting. Its implementation is unique, even if the concept itself isn’t wholly novel. The gameplay itself is definitely not as slow as The Long Dark. You move faster, but the action happens quicker too. Even on the easiest difficulty levels wolves were tearing out my throat. In fact, I think I died more times with the Winter Survival demo than I have in my entire time with The Long Dark. I don’t know if that’s a good or a bad thing, to be honest. But the demo was brutal, and dropped me into some pretty unsurvivable situations. I’d love to see what the full release has to offer–and I plan on following it through its Early Access. Children of the Sun Children of the Sun was easily the standout title I played for Next Fest. I didn’t really have high hopes for it, and my initial impressions weren’t great. However, it has such a striking visual style–that reminds me so much of the TTRPG game Mork Borg–and its unique approach to sniper gameplay really made this my most anticipated game of the year so far. First off, it’s just fun. It’s rare that I want to replay a level in a game to get a higher score, but Children of the Sun has a unique mechanic where you actually can control the bullet you shoot to an extent–and even redirect it after a hit, or after other criteria are met. I can rarely say this nowadays, but Children of the Sun is unique and unlike anything I’ve ever played. And it was easily my favorite demo of Next Fest. I don’t want to give too much away, though – you should definitely check it out. Hell Galaxy If you’ve followed my coverage, you know I love horror games, especially when they’re in space. And I love games where you can pilot a spaceship.. The more sim-like the better, but even third person action styled space games like Everspace 2 can scratch that itch for me. With Hell Galaxy’s self professed unique blend of story and space fighter gameplay, I was hoping I was in for a treat. Everything looked set up to be a great experience on paper, but I just coudln’t find the fun. Hell Galaxy seemed intent on torturing me with its muddy visual style and floaty movement. It’s rare I get motion sick from a non-VR game, and even with me fiddling with the settings I couldn’t get Hell Galaxy to be comfortably playable. The gameplay wasn’t anything to push through the pain for, either. Generic space-based shooting, just not with an edgier theme–like cenobites got the urge for space exploration and they endeavored in earnest. There is huge potential here, but Hell Galaxy does not seem poised to realize it. Jesus wept. Alisa There have been quite a few “old school” games styled like Resident Evil, but it’s rare for them to go as hard into the “old school” feel as Alisa. A wise movie character once said “you never go full retard” in regards to an actor taking on the role of a disabled character. Alisa’s tank controls feel like the video game equivalent to that statement. Though as horrible as they are, they really help to drive home Alisa’s retro style. Alisa looks the part, and plays the part. It even has a setting that might be stronger for that specific type of gameplay than even Resident Evil was. Resident Evil’s strange esoteric puzzles feel a little tacked on and game-y to modern eyes, but Alisa takes place in a dollhouse where strange contraptions with moon logic answers feel right at home. And despite Alisa looking like it consists of pre-rendered background, it useless fully 3D environments (i’m assuming) made to look like pre-rendered background. It’s very cleverly done. It does have some heavy Eastern European influence, and as such there’s things like the protagonist Alisa being forced to wear tight clothing that resembles something a doll would wear–and I can’t help but feeling a tad grossed out by it. But hey, the game looks like its going to be pretty great. And even the misogynistic undertones fit in with the 90’s retro feel. Right guys? Right? Abiotic Factor While co-op Half-Life was always a possibility with mods like the great Sven Co-Op mod, Half-Life was never meant to be played in a cooperative fashion. Abiotic Factor is a Half-Life style game that flips the script AND is built from the ground up with multiplayer in mind. Oh yeah, and it’s a survival game, not a story driven FPS. Okay that doesn’t sound like Half-Life at all. Let me start again: imagine if you got to play as one of the scientists during the Black Mesa incident. Okay, yes, Gordon Freeman was a scientist, but I mean like helpless labcoats you can help or kill throughout the game. Sure Blue Shift and Opposing Force made you take on shoes of different personnel in Black Mesa, but playing as a helpless scientist really changes things up. Now Abiotic Factor doesn’t take place at Black Mesa or in the Half-Life universe–but it might as well. You find yourself deep in the heart of the Cascade Research Facility after some sort of emergency causes lots of monsters to come spilling into the halls. You have to use your scientific prowess to devise blueprints in a wonderful “inspiratino” mechanic that sees your scientist use their brain to devise makeshift tools based on the resources at hand. And those resources are usually chairs and computers you can smash to harvest parts from. A nice departure from smacking tree. Star Trucker Space games are my jam, man. I used to joke that Elite Dangerous was my space trucker simulation, but now someone’s gone and made an entire game based on that concept. Now Space Trucker isn’t a “sim” per se, but it does have a lot of tactility in its gameplay. You have to switch buttons on your rig to turn on and off lights. If there’s a hull breach you have to get out of your seat, don a suit, and do some extravehicular activity to get those holes patched up. Driving in Star Trucker is as slow and cumbersome as you’d imagine–just like I’d want. There is lots of big rig skill involved as you have to navigate busy yards–but now in three dimensions–while dropping off your trailer(s) in the designated drop-off zone. This is one “slow” game that I’m really looking forward to. Sometimes it’s relaxing to kick back and just move around some cargo for awhile. Indika I’m used to playing strange games. In my tenure with the indie game scene in Chicago, I’ve come across quite a few. Indika feels right at home among those art house games, but it also manages to be fun and extremely intriguing. Indika’s store page describes it as a puzzle game, but it’s more of an adventure game with puzzle elements. Oh yeah, and a really sarcastic talking head that revels in your failures. You play as a nun, you see, and you have to deal with temptation along the way. I never thought I’d be so excited to play a game where you’re a nun, but here we are. And it’s a very strange game, with pixelated an over gamified score and resultant musical cue juxtaposed with the muted imagery. It’s quite a breathtaking game, and it has a wonderfully discordant soundtrack that does a great job setting the mood. Stormgate I didn’t play much of Stormgate during NextFest, but I definitely know it’s a game I want to look out for. It captures that perfect feel of a Blizzard-style old school real-time strategy game. And it’s a damn shame that no one makes games like that anymore–until now. Pacific Drive Take a drive through the Olympic Excursion zone, dodge anomalies, and discover secrets while trying to keep your car running. It’s like Jalopy with a cold war era containment feel. While it’s demo tempered my excitement some, I’m still excited to check out Pacific Drive once I can get ahold of it again, even if it’s just to discover what strange mysteries await. Tribes III Rivals Last but not least is Tribes III. To say I was a Tribes fan when I was younger is an understatement. I spent many hours spamming VGS (shazbot!) on Tribe’s video game voice system (also VGS)--one of the first of its kind. Tribes III takes the best of what made the original so good, and modernizes it. There have been attempts recently with Hi-Rez making (and then abandoning) the pretty good Tribes Ascend. But Tribes III Rivals is shaping up to be a damn good Tribes game in its own right. I had limited time with it during Next Fest, but I’ll definitely be mid-airing some flag carriers once the game hits retail.

Everything must come to an end and this past weekend, Deap Vally stopped by Thalia Hall on their grand farewell tour. The duo of guitarist Lindsey Troy and drummer Julie Edwards have been at at it for over a decade, dishing out some incredibly fun rock songs across their discography. I still distinctly remember when I first saw them open for Peaches in 2015 and being absolutely in love with their sound. They've been a staple of my personal rock playlists and while bittersweet, I'm glad I got the chance to see them one last time before they call it quits. Opening up the night was the absolutely splendid Sloppy Jane. The incredibly interesting project of Haley Dahl is known for her impressive stage presence that is befitting her equally impressive avant rock tracks. Clad in an all blue ensemble, Dahl immediately had the crowd and her band following her every move. Whether she was jumping around the stage, writhing on the floor, crawling out from the back of the stage, rocking out in the middle of the audience, or serenading them top a stool, Dahl was a sight to behold. During that outing into the crowd for "Where's My Wife", Dahl hollered the question from deep inside, cuing the audience to do the same as she stuck her mic into the faces. The crowd held their own in the call and response, energizing Dahl for even more theatrical moves. Dahl is such a talented musician that its shocking when she admits that talking on stage fills her with anxiety. She clearly is much more conformable belting out these amazing songs and being an absolute bad ass. She ended her time with Thalia hall with a New Years countdown, honoring her favorite holiday and as a way giving anyone who was a little down a new fresh start. Then it came time to say good by to Deap Vally. I still remember very distinctly seeing them open for peaches years ago at Metro and instantly being hooked by their straightforward rock sound. The pair just had the spitfire way of performing that couldn't be stopped by anyone other than themselves. While this year and tour sees the end of the band it's also a celebration the 10th anniversary of Sistronix, the release of their final album SISTRIONIX 2.0 (which is a re-recording of the their debut in a Deap Vally Verison if you catch their meaning) and just a damn good time. I couldn't think of a better was to say goodby. Lindsey Troy and Julie Edwards emerged on the stage in boxing robes embolden with DEAP and VALLY respectively. The pair hugged and immediately went to their ends of the stage, ready to ignite the rock and roll fire that was about to blow the devoted crowd's minds. Playing the entirely of the Sistrionix songs as they appear on SISTRIONIX 2.0 , Troy and Edwards as intense as ever as the explosive drums and opening lines of "End of the World" dug deep in to the crowd. "I said there's no time like the present/To open up our hearts and let love shine in" feels like such a perfect way to describe this final run for Deap Vally. "Baby I Call Hell" followed with its driving guitars and boisterous drums, never letting any moment drifting away from the intensity of their songs. Every song off the excellent debut got it's due, raging as hard as it ever did. Troy's incredibly vocals flowed out of her with unbridled urgency just as Edward thrashing crashed upon her drums. While the proper set was devoted to Sistrionix, their encore was an ode to select hits from the rest of their oeuvre. while it would have been nice to hear "Put a Spell on You" I was more than satisfied with the final few songs. "Ventilator Blues" and "American Cockroach" wonderfully exemplify the duos strengths." Smile More" stands out as a great defining track for the duo. The song pushes against any preconceived notions of the band, women in music, and being a woman in such a judgmental society as Troy and Edwards just barrel through with self realizations. "And yes, I am a feminist But that isn't why I started doing this" goes the track as it lit up the crowd. If this is goodbye Deap Vally, then it was a blast. All photos by Julian Ramirez. This post was originally publish at Third Coast Review

Our writer Julian Ramirez is a big proponent of physical media, always lauding formats new and old (mostly old nowadays). Whether is vinyl, cassettes or CDs; 4k UHD, Blu-ray, or VHS, he believes that physical media is an important part of preserving art and imbues another dimension of appreciating the work.  This series will focus on some of his favorite pieces of physical media in his collection. It's that time of year again, when the Record Store Day list comes out and half the vinyl collectors can lament about it being a terrible list full of fluff that shouldn't be repressed and the other half proclaiming it the best list in years! However, that's a post for a different time (probably some time in the next week). But the list being released and RSD being right around the corner reminded me of one of my favorite and more unique RSD pick ups: Liars' single 12in of "Mess on a Mission" from their album Mess (and the album itself). Liars (lead by Angus Andrew and at the time of Mess featured fellow original member Aaron Hemphil and long time member Julian Gross) are a band that is always, without hesitation, changing up their sound with every new release. While that may seem exhausting, there is still a connective tissue that makes every release a product of Liars madness. That said, the album was coming on the heels of  the band's most accessible album WIXIW and Mess was an experimental dip into the stranger side of electronica. When the album was announced, a very special vinyl edition was also nuzzled in between the standard edition, CD, etc. Nowadays variants of records aren't just the norm, but a necessity for our fiendishly collector times. But then it actually felt special to see a band go above and beyond with a release and Mess certainly did that. The album would be pressed on two clear slabs of vinyl and housed in a plastic casing featuring a vacuum sealed mess of yarn representing the regular cover art. It was a site to behold, a little pricey but something I needed as a fan of Liars (and hopefully the whole album when I preordered). "Mess on a Mission" was the album's lead single and it's a doozy. High pitched chorus repeating the song's title over glitched out instrumentals that only find reprieve within abstract verses that alluded to the social anxiety about finding clear answers to the questions that fill our lives (and ultimately not being able to). "Facts are facts and fiction's fiction" is another line chanted throughout, which nowadays takes on a more nuance and troubling meaning. Even the music video edges on prescient themes that give it a timely feeling even nine years later. Safe to say, I was all about this album and unlike my cousin who has kept his copy of the album vacuum sealed as a collectible, I opened the the vinyl side of the package and spun those bad boys. Sacrilege for the collectors out there i know, but for the vinyl lovers its a must. The front cover with the yarn is still intact and I got to enjoy the incredible howls of Liars. Safe to say, I was all about this album. Somewhere in between my pre-order and the release, Liars announced that the "Mess on a Mission" single would see an RSD release that one-ups even the full length special edition release. The 12in vinyl would feature actual yarn pressed into the vinyl. It was an impressive feat and I'm sure plenty of people wrote it off as another gimmick, but it was a gimmick I really wanted. On that fateful RSD I lineup at at Dave's Record (which has sadly closed) with my cousin in hopes of capturing that sought after single. Unfortunately only I was able to grab a copy since I got there insanely early. But the early bird get the worm and all that. Now, whenever anything is pressed into vinyl there is inherent risk of it not being perfectly contained between the wax and possibly damaging the needle. Add to that the disc was sold in a PVC cover which is a big no-no for the vinyl fans (Remember kids, PVC can cause out gassing when it's touching vinyl and will ruin the disc). Luckily my copy was perfect as can be. Seeing this guy spin on my set up is always a treat and it's one of those records I always show to newbies in the vinyl world to experience just how unique the hobby can get. Like I said before, it may be a gimmick, but sometimes these gimmicks are genuinely fun, interesting and worth getting seeking out. Liars' Mess is celebrating its 10 year anniversary in 2024 and is being repressed on special colored vinyl. While it may not be these ultra weird and collectible editions (which are out there on Discogs and elsewhere), I highly encourage you to pick up a copy of the new pressings and experience this incredible album on wax.

There's a lot of ways you can tell spring is coming here in Chicago where we Culture Combiners make our home. There's the annual groundhog thing in the beginning of February, of course, and we embrace that since the film was actually shot in nearby Woodstock Illinois. There's the random 50 degree days when we get out our flipflops, the sopping wet patches of leftover snow, now a muddy grey brown, and then there's the Chicago Auto Show. The Chicago Auto Show, put on by the Chicago Automobile Trader's Association (or CATA) is the largest such auto show in the US. And at least in our world, it's the first big show of the year at the largest convention center in the Western Hemisphere, McCormick Place. This event is open to the public and shows off a wide variety of vehicles, from concept cars and prototypes that aren't road ready to the latest models of some of our favorite daily drivers and all American sports cars. There's also cars that have been in films, cars owned by celebrities, military vehicles, police vehicles, and even a booth the Secretary of State hosts where you can get your license renewed and take care of other vehicular paperwork on site. Every year, certain automakers make big splashes with amazing prototypes, ridiculously over the top presentations (like Subaru's steam-filled geyser reveal for one of its 2023 models last year) and usually a pretty solid "ride" that everyone can enjoy. Traditionally this 4x4 adventure is put on by none other than Jeep, but this year's show saw Stellantis pull out of the show due to budget concerns, meaning Camp Jeep would not be a thing, nor would any debuts or vehicles of any kind at all from the likes of Stellantis' other holdings, Fiat, Dodge, Ram, Alfa Romeo and Chrysler. This took the show down from two giant show floors to just one, and would have left us with no fun rides to indulge in had it not been for Ford's massive presence. Where Camp Jeep had pulled the stakes up and left, Ford decided to be the main attraction for giddy car enthusiasts, and their offroading experience featuring the Bronco and Raptors was not only a thrill, with us white-knuckling our way through a tilt that nearly tipped us out of the doorless 4x4s, but showed off the unique capabilities of the vehicle, including an industry first hydraulic system that can actually drop a wheel on the fly to allow for more traction in tricky rock-crawling situations. There's also EV test tracks and Toyota's own test drive area where you can pick one of their ever-popular and ever-running vehicles to take a quick ride in. As for trends, EVs are everything, with nearly every auto manufacturer showing off some sort of electric vehicle, from SUVs to pickups and everything in between. The 2024 Chicago Auto Show was the first for EV manufacturer Lucid, and its Lucid Air was born to impress. Not only does it have the curves and fine lines we expect in high-end sportscars and luxury vehicles, its got an interior made to match, an available 500 mile range, far outpacing some of the industry giants, and an available dual electric motor that can pull an insane 1234 horsepower -- this is no putt putt electric car. Design wise, there were enough electric oranges and eye-catching blues to satisfy even the likes of Michael Bay -- and we're glad that automakers have done away with the all too familiar and yawn inducing champagnes, gunmetals and silvers of the past few decades to put out more interesting and arresting hues. One of our favorites on the floor as far as standout hues was the Ford Mustang Dark Horse, which appears to be a sort of steel blue on the surface, but features an iridescent rose gold glitter we couldn't resist. There were tons of anniversaries to be celebrated too, from the 75th anniversary of the Volkswagen Beetle to the reintroduction of its bus, the 50th anniversary of the Ford Bronco, and the 90th anniversary of Nissan, and the triumphant display of its Pole to Pole Nissan Ariya, which recently finished an expedition that took it, you guessed it, from pole to pole to show off what an EV is truly capable of. There's also never a lack of special cars on site, from the Ferraris, Rolls Royces, Alfa Romeos and Bentleys you can aspire to own to military vehicles and police squads. Also on display this year were some beautiful matte finish cars belonging to Robert Downey Jr. that you can enter to win. Tesla was also out on the floor and with it came one of the oddest vehicles on the floor, the Cybertruck. Having never seen one in person I was perplexed by its angles, intrigued by its stainless body (full of fingerprints and needing a good polish) and honestly, slightly disappointed by the interior, which for some reason isn't as hyper techy luxe inside as we were expecting, instead seeming rather Spartan. A vehicle that could never let us down though, was the mother-flippin' DeLorean. This OG time machine, stainless steel beauty was on site in all its glory, and in an unexpected stroke of luck, you can even sit in it! It's screen accurate and surrounded by other movie props that'll flip your shiny, tie-dyed lid, and it can be rented out for whatever reason you'd want to rent it out -- do you even need a reason? All in all, even without Stellantis' lineup, we had a great time ogling new vehicles, vehicles to come, and those that could take us back to the future, and we hope you enjoy our gallery so you can get a taste of it as well, whether you can make the trek to the show, which is open to the public for another five days.

I’m a bit of a sucker for metroidvanias, so when I heard that there was a critically acclaimed Prince of Persia game using the side-scrolling metroidvania formula, I thought to myself, “hey, I’m a critic, I can acclaim!” I’m very happy to report that while Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown may not be perfect, it definitely lives up to the hype. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a side scrolling action adventure game in the metroidvania style. That is, you explore the map looking for the next power-up or ability that will allow you to overcome novel obstacles, survive or destroy certain hazards, etc. And while The Lost Crown does that a fair amount and in predictable ways, the game also managed to subvert my expectations and surprise me a few times. In The Lost Crown you play as Sargon, one of The Immortals led by Vahram, as you enter a strange city lost to time to rescue the prince of (you guessed it) Persia. The Immortals themselves have a recurring role throughout the story. I don’t want to spoil too much of the story, because The Lost Crown does a magnificent job of crafting a tale that is full of twists and surprises–something I can’t really say I’ve seen at this level. But that’s not the main draw. Exploring the map and obtaining new abilities to get past novel obstacles is your main activity. Interestingly, you can choose whether or not you want The Lost Crown to be a pure metroidvania experience, or one that shows you where to go via waypoints. This is along with numerous other difficult settings that can make it easier for those that want to play a game for fun, and not necessarily tackle a white-knuckle challenge. If you do want a challenge, however, The Lost Crown delivers that in multiple ways. Combat can be relatively challenging, and enemies are of a mixed variety of ranged and close-up damage dealers with different behaviors. Each major zone also has a boss or two to create their own unique challenges. As Sargon you fight using your dual swords, bow, and chakram. These can be upgraded, and you can also upgrade how many potions you can carry–they replenish at every wak wak tree, in soulsborne style. You can also equip different abilities called Athra Surges. These range from a projectile you shoot to giving you enhanced combat ability for a while. Amulets are also able to be upgraded, however, I wish the system for this was a little easier. You can’t upgrade them directly from your inventory, so you'll have to select which to upgrade while at the blacksmith. This led to me looking back and forth to double check names, as some later upgrades require you to spend hard to acquire currency. Amulets are another way to change the way you play as Sargon, and they can really change things significantly. Amulets can enable extra attacks in a combo, give you temporary health, increase ability damage, and so much more. I found with the right amulet and athra combo most combat scenarios were easily defeated–even bosses. Beyond combat, there are some great traversal challenges or what I like to call “jumping puzzles.” There was a time when platforming video games seemed quaint and out of style, but since Super Meat Boy I’ve craved hard and deadly platforming. The Lost Crown delivers on this in a great way. There are also further jumping challenges that are incorporated into The Lost Crown organically as a way to test yourself beyond what the main game requires. My time with The Lost Crown wasn’t perfect, however. I did encounter a fair amount of bugs along the way, some of which actually soft locked my game, forcing me to restart. This didn’t just happen once, or in the same spot–but multiple times. I even got Sargon stuck in the world geometry a few times in a way I couldn't extract him. If I run into a bug that makes me lose progress, it’s frustrating. Having it happen multiple times in a playthrough can be maddening. If The Lost Crown wasn’t as good as it is, I would have given up after the second soft lock. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is certainly the darling the critics gushed about earlier this year before Palworld and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League took over headlines. It’s too bad that this flash-in-the-pan might be forgotten by year’s end. Though I suspect it’ll pop up on some game of the year lists, even despite its bugs–which I hope are fixed by then. If you manage to take a break from Palworld and are looking for some great platforming metroidvania action, The Lost Crown is a great choice.

It's always a nice treat when a member of a fantastic band releases a solo project. You honestly never know what your going to get. Maybe its a continuation of what the band has made, maybe it's a complete departure, or somewhere in the spectrum between the two. No matter what its refreshing to see musicians stretch their legs and try something new. This time around it's Cadien Lake James of Twin Peaks who just announced his upcoming solo album Dizzy under the lake j pseudonym. The album under a month away (March 1) and it's looking like an exciting release. Dizzy is described as having "lyrics inspired by Wong Kar Wai films", which that alone is enough to garner attention. But add to that an impressive list of contributors, many of which are local favorites, including Julien Ehrlich, Max Kakacek, Will Miller & Malcolm Brown (all from Whitney), Macie Stewart (FINOM), Yuma Abe, Andrew Humphrey, and Colin Croom (Twin Peaks). Alongside the announcement is a taste of whats to come with it's lead single "My Own Mess". The song is an ode to taking ownership of your past errors as James takes inventory of whats left. No matter how much things seem to be going awry in the track ("But plans unwind", "I'm piling up trash just like all the rest", "I spent my dime/Now I have none") James' calming voice drenched in the warm instrumentation is there reassure the listener with every passing verse. "I'm happy to lose placing my own bets" he sings amidst the vibraphone tones and Wurlitzer synths before nestling back in: "Right here in the middle of my own mess." If the rest of the album sounds this good, I can't imagine a better place to be. This post was originally published on Third Coast Review.

Our writer Julian Ramirez is a big proponent of physical media, always lauding formats new and old (mostly old nowadays). Whether is vinyl, cassettes or CDs; 4k UHD, Blu-ray, or VHS, he believes that physical media is an important part of preserving art and imbues another dimension of appreciating the work.  This series will focus on some of his favorite pieces of physical media in his collection. I'm definitely of the age that has wonderful memories of walking into video stores as a tiny child and perusing the aisles and aisles of movies for something new to watch. Or more likely something I'd seen hundreds of times and just couldn't afford the ridiculous old school VHS prices. While there was always a slew of mainstream movies of the shelves, they were matched in numbers by the strange short run movies or direct to video fair that often was just as fun if not more so as the big budget ones. I was far to young to differentiate between the different studios releasing those fascinating genre films, but as I've grown certain names have risen to the top. Empire International Pictures is one of those studios and the one at the center of Arrow Video's Enter the Video Store collection. The boxset is a wonderful love letter to the Empire film cannon (tangentially related pun intended), specifically looking at the more over the top, outlandish, and downright entertaining fare. Some of the more higher profile Empire films like Re-Animator and Trancers are absent from the boxset, but it's certainly not for lack of want. Rather this boxset is curated towards the even more obscure films in the catalog, the ones that would catch your eyes in the video store aisles, and giving them their much need due. Things like Robot Jox, which certainly has a strong following, but would have been all the bigger had it not been such a difficult to find movie for decades. I've only had the opportunity to watch two of the five films but what's there is of the highest quality (well, you know what I mean). Robot Jox feels simultaneously like an homage to the the stop motion monster movies of the past and the mecha anime that was still rising and a precursor to the modern day kaiju films like Pacific Rim. It's a wholehearted attempt to capture a really fully realized post apocalyptic future that isn't just your standard run of the mill dusty landscapes. Plus with Stuart Gordan in the directing chair, their is a bit of panache in every scene that just works. Cellar Dweller take the premise of a creators work coming to life and adds a hefty does of jovial genuine schlock to the affair. Everything abou the film screams with genre film-making royalty with a pretty fun leading lady in Debrah Farentino (Mullowney at the time), an opening scene cameo from Empire mainstay Jeffery Combs, a script from Chucky creator Don Mancini (credited as Kit Du Bois), and directed by John Carl Buechler who's make-up work is present in every film in the boxset. The Limited Edition edition of the boxset is out of print, but considering the success and hype of the set, it would have been silly for Arrow not to release a standard edition (like they noramlly do). The standard edition is the bare bones version of the collection. instead of a boxed version of the cover out it's slimmed down to a slip case. All the physical extras like the movie specific posters (each featuring both the original and the newly commissioned artwork), post cards featureing screen shots form the film, Arrow Video Store membership card facsimile (with the faux wear on the barcode), and the booklet featuring articles on all the films are omitted. While that may be the most sought after stuff for some collectors, the true bread and butter are the well restored movies and video extras that Arrow lets the Blu-rays overflow with. The standard edition retains those features and makes it a necessary get for fans of true 80s fun. Be on the look out for full reviews of each film in the coming weeks. I highly recommend you get yourself a copy of this incredibly fun release. There are a few places out there that still have the LE edition like Arrow Video, Zavvi, or DiablikDVD. You could also just get the Standard edition which has the most important part of the whole set: the movies! And while not the ideal choice (but the free choice), most for the films are available to stream Tubi (with the exception of Cellar Dweller which is unfortunately not on any US streaming service for some reason). Also I'm aware of all the colons in the title.

Our writer Julian Ramirez is a big proponent of physical media, always lauding formats new and old (mostly old nowadays). Whether is vinyl, cassettes or CDs; 4k UHD, Blu-ray, or VHSs, he believes that physical media is an important part of preserving art and imbues another dimension of appreciating the work.  This series will focus on some of his favorite pieces of physical media in his collection. Just a little bit over ten years ago, I started writing for Gapers Block. It was a small outlet out of Chicago focusing on arts, culture sports, you name it they covered it. I mainly wrote for their music section called Transmission. It was a blast and in those first six months really got me even more excited for music than I already was. One of my first assignments was King Krule’s first Chicago show at Lincoln Hall. If that’s all it was or were to be, it’s a pretty big show considering King Krule's standing as one of the most interesting UK artists to debut since then. But in the following years this show has become something special to me. It was a show that wouldn’t have even been on my radar had my cousin Maya not recommended it to me months before on the way to other concert, really selling me on lead singer Archy Marshall’s voice and guitar work. 6 Feet Beneath The Moon was maybe a month old at the time and from the first listen of the opening track during that car ride, I was hooked. Those droning strums of the album opener “Easy Easy “careen into Marshall’s unbelievably deep voice, much deeper than any 19 year old should have. It’s a stellar intro to Marshall and had I been more of aware of King Krule songs like “The Noose of Jah City” or “Out Getting Ribs” (a song that has become a personal and obvious fan favorite) would have set an insane bar for Marshall to meet. But the rest of the album does so marvelously. The gentle and chill out jam that underlines “Neptune Estate” is almost the antithesis of “Lizard State”, a song that relishes in excess and boisterousness. The entire album vacillates between moments of calm (“Baby Blue”) or melancholy (“Cementality”) and jaunty tracks (“The Krockadile”). When it finally came time to see the man and his band, I made sure to arrive early enough that the main floor wasn’t packed and the upstairs balcony seats were still plentiful. I took  a little lap around the venue before I planted in my spot up, stopping at the merch stand for a sec to just to see what they had on hand. It was the usual spread of shirts from both King Krule and the opening band TOPS (who are also excellent), a screen-printed poster for the show by Leslie Herman, and physical copies of their respective albums. That’s when my eyes widened. In the center of the table was a copy of 6 Feet Beneath The Moon , King Krule’s debut album, but it looked different. Instead of the typical black and white cover art created by Mister Gone, the cover was drawn over with colorful designs. It was as abstract as the original cover, signed mr. gone and priced at $10 more than the regular release.  I asked the person behind the table what the deal was with this unique edition and she didn’t really know anything about them. It feels dumb to say but I didn’t immediately purchase it. I thought about it for a long while but ended up back in my balcony seat with nothing. But every passing second my thoughts returned to that special looking edition of the album and before not too long I rushed back down to the table and immediately asked for a copy. Or what I thought would be a copy. The record, which was sleeved to protect its unique designs, was also taped down to the table. I figured the King Krule crew had made a bunch of these records and they would just grab one from the back and hand over a non-display copy. But no, it was the one from the table getting cut from its sticky confines and handed over to me (along with one of those gorgeous posters). Even without the the special drawn on art, the psychical album is a treasure. Mister Gone's art is displayed throughout the gatefold, highlighted by photographs of the band shot by Reuben Bastienne-Lewis. It a messy hand made style that works in tandem with the emotions and vocals that Archy Marshall pours over the albums instrumentals. In the moments between sets I stopped back down to the merch table to pick up the opening band TOPS’ own debut album and they informed be that the King Krule crew had a very limited number of copies of those hand drawn albums, pretty much only having one per stop. Months later I would come to find out that Mister Gone (mr. gone) was Jack Marshall, Archy Marshall’s brother, and likely the one who drew on my copy. Years later I would find other fans that also had unique copies of 6 Feet Beneath The Moon from this tour. And a bunch of fans who wanted to buy my copy occasionally messaging me in hopes of purchasing it. Photos of different variations of King Krule's 6 Feet Beneath The Moon from Discogs Just under nine years later, my cousin Maya, who opened my eyes to the sounds of King Krule passed away suddenly. A little over a decade later I play my vinyl copy of the album while staring at it's uniwue cover. and am flooded with memories of the year it came out. Memories of jamming out to that album in car on the way to the show that now feels like a footnote. Memories of King Krule commanding the stage with a deftness far beyond his years. Memories of my cousin feeling proud about recommending such a damn fine band. Physical media is not just owning something I could easily stream on the tons of available services. It's about the beauty of the physical item, the memories it can conjure, and the new ones that can be imbued on it. You can purchase a copy of King Krule's 6 Feet beneath the Moon at your local record store or favorite online retailer. You can also stream the album if you must, but I highly recommend you get a physical copy.

It's been a couple of years since Liam Kazar's excellent debut Due North graced our ears. The album is a distillation of over a decade of Kazar's musical talents, which he has lent to tours and collaborations with the likes Jeff Tweedy, Kevin Morby, Sam Evian and more. Due North blends a variety of genres into this enthusiastically fun album that bears constant rotation. "Shoes Too Tight", which rollicks around lyrics that are equally dizzying as the jaunty instrumentation, is completely different from "On a Spanish Dune" which crafts this magical serenity that swirls together with wondrously melodies. This gives Kazar's sound an air of timelessness, making his songs feel like they are from an era that just feels... familiar. Thankfully we don't have to wait any longer for a new tracks from Kazar as he just released "Next Time Around". "Next Time Around" continues on that path of timeless quality, embracing a warmth and outright tender sonic bed (unlike the one mentioned in the song). Kazar's voice is the clear star of the new track, adding an even more welcoming touch with his soft croon details a relationship that has come to an end. "Our love went dark and it’s all my fault" opens the song and he never pulls any punches as melancholic after melancholic line passes by. Kazar's verses are as straightforward as can be, but still hold a poetic complexity that keeps you coming back, even if that isn't the case for the romance at the center. "I feel your ghost inside these walls" he laments and Kazar makes you feel every bit of it with his near demoralized, yet affable croon. But even as "Next Time Around" constantly drenches the listener with the sorrow of this past love long lost, there is a shred of hope (not matter how hopeless it may seem) in Kazar's voice as he cautiously notes "I’ll just have to catch you the next time around." Catch Liam Kazar the next time around at the Hideout where he will be performing on April 7th. You can check out his fantastic album Due North on your favorite streaming platform or music store here. Feature photo by Alexa Viscius This post was originally published on Third Coast Review.

It doesn’t look like Microsoft is going to get out of the hardware business anytime soon. However, there are some rumblings across the internet–mostly led by Xbox boss Phil Spencer–about the future of Microsoft’s console, especially when it comes to console exclusives. Phil Spencer on X (formlery Twitter) tweeted: "While Bethesda will launch its Indiana Jones game first as an Xbox console exclusive, it’s currently set to have a rather short period of exclusivity we’re told." This sent Xbox fans looking for answers on various social media outlets. With Phil Spencer saying later on X (formerly Twitter): “We’re listening and we hear you. We’ve been planning a business update event for next week, where we look forward to sharing more details with you about our vision for the future of Xbox. Stay tuned.” This firestorm of speculation of the fate of Xbox wasn’t sparked by Spencer’s cryptic message, but it didn’t help matters. In fact, some of the Xbox fandom’s most loyal supporters are seemingly having a console wars crisis (yeah, I guess that was still a thing for some people). A lot of Xbox exclusive titles aren’t even exclusive at all, with most already available on PC via Microsoft’s storefront or third party apps like Steam. However, fans seeing formerly ‘exclusive’ titles crossing the line into PlayStation territory has them questioning their loyalty to Xbox at all. The ones that seem to benefit the most from this are the PC players. With formerly exclusive games from Sony being ported onto the PC (with mostly good results) it makes sense for Microsoft to cast its net into new waters as well. However, the future theoretical PlayStation library will definitely benefit those with PlayStation consoles more than Xbox players. It really makes you wonder, if you can play all of the games you want on PlayStation or PC, what’s the point of even owning an Xbox? And with the recent rumors of Xbox shifting to all-digital, maybe it’s the early warning signs of Microsoft bowing out of the hardware business–at least when it comes to consoles.

While the Homeworld 3 demo is available now on the Steam Next Fest, it looks like the full game’s release is going to be delayed until May 13th, 2024. The space-based real-time strategy game is a proper sequel to 2003’s Homeworld 2 and is hotly anticipated by fans of the cult series. The full statement from Gearbox Studios follows: Hello, Commanders – We hope you all have been enjoying your first-time going hands-on with Homeworld 3 during our public demo of War Games. Watching you share your experiences, exchange and debate strategies, and give us constant feedback has been incredible. This was our first time seeing the game played at scale, which is always an equally thrilling and nerve-wracking moment. We also recently gathered a dedicated group of players from outside our organizations to play through the full game. This resulted in additional insights and perspective that will be incorporated to make Homeworld 3 the best experience possible. After careful analysis of feedback, we made the decision to delay the global launch of Homeworld 3 until May 13, with advanced access set for May 10, to ensure that we’re making the final tweaks needed to deliver at the level of quality that we strive for and you deserve. To say that you as a community of players have been waiting patiently for this next installment would be an understatement, and we are deeply appreciative of that. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress. As always, you’re welcome to send your feedback via social channels, the Homeworld Universe Discord, and through our support page. Thank you all for playing, and we’ll talk again soon – Gearbox and BBI