True Detective’s fourth season is done, and man: what a disappointment. I’d say Night Country is probably the biggest disappointment after season 2 failed to live up to what made the first season so excellent. But boy did new showrunner, writer, and director Issa Lopez try. Not only did she try to capture the crushing nihilism of the first season, she went back to the bleak philosophical navel gazing that made Matthew McConaughey’s Rust Cohle so fascinating. I can’t say she exactly succeeded, but it was an interesting attempt–even despite the original showrunner Nic Pizzolatto reveling in the bad press the fourth season has been getting. I had high hopes for Night Country based on the first glimpses and promos we got. Jodie Foster is taking the reins in an investigator's role. And man, does the Alaskan setting have potential. I was expecting heaping spoonfuls of nihilism served up with a confounding mystery–and we got that. The Tsalal Research station is empty with only a severed tongue left behind. Something obviously strange is happening, and by the end of the first episode the frozen mass of corpses confirmed that it was going to be a confounding mystery. But the only confounding element turned out to be odd character choices, nonsensical plot developments, and a mystery that was intriguing at first. Except Issa Lopez failed to stick the landing in a catastrophic way. Let’s make this shit into a sandwich, because while Night Country does some great stuff, it is logically unsound. The stuff I was initially excited for worked out: it had a great setting it utilized well. The cinematography was great, and the atmosphere was thick–dark and with the feeling that danger lurked in the dark. Even the supernatural elements had a bit of an ambiguity to them that I could initially look over–and when I couldn’t, I learned to accept. Spoilers Follow! First of all, there were some great characters. Also, the atmosphere at times absolutely oozed dread. There were some genuinely great beats, like when the frozen bodies of the Tsalal researchers were being excavated. And while the season was uneven, episode 5 was the high water mark and I actually started to change my mind about the series after seeing it. But the lack of urgency around the central mystery, and the logical lapses  were ultimately too much for me to enjoy the season. I’m sure there are explanations why the ice cave was blocked from the wrong side, or the fact that Navarro’s sister’s body was found by the coast guard, identified, and her next of kin notified all within a couple of hours. I mean, I guess her ghost could have pointed them in the right direction. However, the show’s lack of investigation around Tsalal Research station–you know, presumably where part of the crime took place–seemed ridiculous by the end of the show. Even the supposed remote ice caves they were investigating had to be adjacent to Tsalal research station. The lack of logic there is really mind boggling. And while I didn’t exactly hate the concept of who the killers turned out to be, there was lots around the reveal that I found to be anywhere from ridiculous to downright infuriating. I mean, as Jake from Brooklyn 99 said “cool motive, still murder.” I mean, the fucking cleaning ladies doing it could have been brilliant, but the landing was so flubbed it makes the whole concept laughable. I wasn’t thrilled about how it was revealed, either. With terrible acting by our murderers who were wearing a wry smile on their face the entire time. I mean, you could forgive them because they made all of these men out to be absolute monsters–again, something that I highly doubt would have happened. I mean, unless they really believed that they were sacrificing this single woman to save the entire world. Or something. And despite the mine CEO seemingly having a deeper connection in episode 5, all of those threads are ignored for that silly final reveal. Absolutely wasted potential. But it wasn’t all bad. There were some good characters, even if Issa Lopez did her best to write them like we’re not supposed to like them. But that’s okay because they’re flawed, and they were buoyed by fantastic performances by Jodie Foster and Kali Reis. The people themselves were terrible, but the writing and portrayals were great. True Detective Night Country is destined to be known as bad TV–and rightfully so. It wasn’t the worst, but it very well might be the end of True Detective. At this point, I’d be okay with that. Time is a flat circle, everything we’ve done or will do will be done over and over again–and fuck me if I’m forced to watch this show all over again someday.

I don’t think I would have ever had “sequel to 1999’s third person mech game Slave Zero” on my radar. But if I did, I definitely wouldn’t have guessed that it would have been a side scrolling beat’em up style fighting game. Slave Zero X has you play as Sho, who takes a biomecha called X on a rampage against the oppressive government. It’s over the top, with a premise that reminds me of Ghostrunner. It’s done in a Sega arcade style, aping a time when bigger characters meant better graphics. But while Slave Zero X has its heart in the right place, it doesn’t manage to be very good. First of all, I have to complain about its visual style. While I’m a huge fan of retro games, and I even like those games that came around in the infancy of 3D. However, Slave Zero X is just an ugly game with a confused, incoherent art style. There was an attempt to blend 2D sprites with 3D low poly backgrounds. And while that doesn’t sound terrible in theory, the execution in Slave Zero X is abysmal. It almost feels like the sprites and the backgrounds are from two different games. Scrolling through the “2.5D” space looks awkward most of the time–like you’re playing with paper dolls. That isn’t to mention how the 2.5D aspect doesn’t lend anything at all to the gameplay. There are a few filters you can slap on to make Slave Zero X look a little better. But these filters are at the cost of in-game currency that you can use to enhance your character. It might just be a personal preference, but I don’t think you should have to choose between optimizing your character and choosing the visual style you prefer. The best part of Slave Zero X is its gameplay, and even that has its issues. I really appreciate the combo-based fighting game style. There are a number of moves you can pull off by using different combinations of movement and strong/light attacks. Fighting feels okay, even if the character movement feels sluggish. But that sluggish feeling fits right in with the old school Sega arcade style feel. However, there are no I-frames when you get hit–which means there is potential for you to be juggled around the screen. Especially when you have to fight large groups of enemies at once. If you mess up once, it could mean you could be juggled until you die. Thankfully, there’s a way to spend energy to break out of these combos, but it’s just annoying to deal with. Another issue with the gameplay is that it's a little too unrelenting. There are few meaningful moments of respite even to just enjoy the world in which Slave Zero X is set. Because its world is pretty well realized and amusing, even if its not exactly novel. But I also found that I was getting literal hand cramps from its gameplay–and I’m someone who plays a lot of video games. And I realized that its aping a style the Sega arcade style of game, and most of those are over in about an hour–far shorter than Slave Zero X’s 6ish hours of gameplay. Still, Slave Zero X just didn’t work for me. Its interesting blend of 2D and 3D graphics doesn’t work because the art style is so ugly. It does have compelling beat ‘em up style gameplay, but there isn’t enough variation to keep me interested enough to want to keep playing. It’s a shame, because there is a lot of potential in Slave Zero X, but it’s just not a fun game. Slave Zero X is available now for PC via Steam and on Xbox Series S|X, and PlayStation 4/ PlayStation 5.

Last week Thalia Hall was treated to a wonderful pre-Valentines Day gift. Amidst all the love in the air, Sarah Jarosz and The Ballroom Thieves graced the Pilsen venue's stage for an evening of incredible music highlighted by some fantastic performances. The Ballroom Thieves  started off things off with a magnificent set that truly set things up perfectly. The duo of Calin Peters and Martin Earley stood at the center of the Thalia Hall, facing each other throughout, and delivered gorgeousness renditions of their songs. The pair shared vocal duties throughout, jumping from beautiful harmonizing to tender solo verses, always playing so well off each other. "In the Morning" was an obvious standout in there set as they trades off lines and left the everyone in awe of their tender performance. There was no time to waste as Sarah Jarosz and her band made their way to the stage and jumped into their set. Fresh off her latest album Polaroid Lovers, Jarosz made sure to dedicate a hefty amount of the setlist to it; just shy of playing the entire new album live. But that's alright since most of the set was stuffed with exquisite songs. Opening track "Jealous Moon" found itself in the same spot for the live crowd, ramping up the night with heartbreak song. But this was a night all about love and as the next song "When The Lights Go Out" serenaded the crowd with endless thoughts of falling completely in love. There were plenty of older songs at play too. "Green Lights" saw the stage light switch form the warm tones of the night to the green hues to match the song. The gentle love of "Build Me Up From Bones" had the crowd completely entranced by Jarosz's pristine voice. The emotionally heavy "Morning" hit all the right notes. She explained that all the songs off Blue Heron Suite are meant to played together, to evoke all the feelings she was experiencing during her mother's cancer diagnosis and the memories of her youth flooding in. But that didn't stop her from somehow synthesizing all that into "Morning", letting it overflow with it's beauty. One of the biggest highlights of the evening came late into the set as Jarosz stepped to the age of the stage, leaving her guitar behind and performing with only her mic in hand. A familiar groove emanated from the band, slowly building to let Jarosz absolutely blow everyone's mind with a cover of Massive Attack's "Teardrop" The song is so iconic at this point having been covered endlessly and being the theme song to shows like House, but it safe for me to say that this may be the new acme of the song for me. Jarosz's voice was immaculate and the track fits snugly in her set, showing off her vocal range as eloquently as possible. The covers didn't end there as she gave Thalia Hall a little treat in her encore with Bob Dylan's "Ring them Bells". Jarosz and the band really gave it there all for this one, taking there time with great track. She ushered the appreciate crowd off with "Mezcal and Lime" a self assured love song that is perfect for warmer nights. But Jarosz made it work regardless of the temps outside. With lines like "You intoxicate me like mezcal and lime", you couldn't help but feel the love in the room. All photos by Julian Ramirez This post was originally published at Third Coast Review.

Ah Record Store Day. To some it's a day to celebrate the vinyl music hobby where special limited edition copies of records are released. It's a day where you camp out and hopefully talk to some like minded music fans and wax poetic about what release is you're hoping to score. For others is a corporate money grab where unneeded represses flood shops that are barely hanging on and add to the FOMO culture that is unfortunately inherent in the collection game. But like a little girl in the old El Paso commercial once said: por qué no los dos? Record Store Day (RSD) is as nuanced as my own thoughts on collecting in general (I hate capitalism but love me some kickbacks), but at the end of the day I try my best to only get what I can afford, support my favorite record shops, and share my love for music pressed on vinyl as much as I can. This year's list is interesting. I'm usually of the opinion that if there is at least one thing I really want, it's a good list. I think too many people tend to want a huge lineup of their favorite niche albums ready to pick up on that fateful 3rd Saturday of April. But vinyl collecting is already a niche hobby and expecting that super rare, impossible to acquire private press record from the 70s to get a repressing is well, silly. The same goes for those lamenting the records that don't "deserve" a repress. While I agree they are clogging up the vinyl pressing lines with their less than desirable chaff, it's silly and honestly elitist to just disregard them. That being said, there are always a few confounding releases (which I'll touch on in another post). Here I'm taking a moment to share my wish-list and maybe even direct people to some gems on this years RSD. Although if I'm honest, this first of many RSD posts is my personal list of release that called to me on first glance. I'm sure that some releases that a skimmed over will end up ranking higher that these, but for now these are the ones I'll be searching out on RSD. Various Artists - Lost In Translation Deluxe Edition This is definitely one of the more conflicted picks in my list. This at one point was a very sought after RSD release. One that was snapped up quickly upon its release and remained so until a repress came a few years later. Now I'm not opposed to represses especially if they are in a different color (in this case the RSD was maroon and the regular release was plain black). But it does feel weird to see it back on the list, even if it is a hefty upgrade with an extra two sides of music from the film and kitschy karaoke versions. Ugh. But those extra songs, supervised by one of my favorites Brian Reitzel, really do make it a worthy addition to the list. Son Lux - Stranger Forms I'm a huge fan of Son Lux, dating back to their early days on Bloomington Indiana label Joyful Noise. The trio of Rafiq Bhatia, Ian Chang, and Ryan Lott released Bones in 2015, their first together as a group as Son Lux was mainly Lott's project previous. This release is a great little collection of re-imagined and expanded tracks from that era of the band, and much like last year's Alternate Forms, gives fans a deeper look at the incredible group. As a Son Lux completionist, this is a must get. Team Sleep - Team Sleep Team Sleep came out at a time where my music habits were finally being cemented. I was listening to everything and anything I could get my hands on on the pre streaming days. Algorithms weren't dictating things just yet and music blogs/forums were my guides. And despite that wealth of information, I had no idea that Team Sleep was a side project of Deftones' Chino Moreno. If anything I was drawn to the album by the album cover and was hooked by the incredible jams on the album. It didn't take too long (but definitely longer than I care to admit) for the Deftones connections to hit, but this is a perfect example of an RSD release: never pressed to vinyl, getting a cool color release, and featuring extra tracks with Mary Timony (!) and Mike Patton (!!!). Parliament - Osmium Ok, I know that when it comes to Parliament records, people want those first or early pressing that all sound like liquid gold being poured straight into your ears (this analogy got away from me). But unless you're willing to shell out hundreds, that's not really an option. This is the first US press since the original (there are foreign presses but those are dubious at best and the alternative titled Rhenium isn't the same), so this is a great opportunity to get the iconic group's debut on vinyl Dean & Britta - L'Avventura (Deluxe Edition) This is another conflicted one. Years I ago, while Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips were on tour with Luna, I saw that they had listed vinyl copies of their debut album L'Avventura on their website. The album only ever had a single pressing and it was hard to come buy even then, so I grabbed a copy. It's a favorite of mine, standing it's own to the duo's stuff in Luna and Wareham's Galaxie 500 output. So, while I do own a copy, this deluxe edition comes with an additional disc of material that's never been pressed on vinyl. I'm not a variant collector and I rarely double dip. When I do, I tend to give my old copy to a friend or sell it, but this is one of the rare instances (four off the top of my head) where I'll keep both copies because this album is fantastic.

I keep reading articles about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) projects like OpenAi, DALL-E, Chat GPT are not going to replace creatives and other creators. But back about 4 years ago I was telling people exactly that: AI will be sophisticated enough in 10 years to take my job. And it might already be happening. Put aside all of the articles detailing CHAT GPT failures–like lawyers using it for case law and realizing after submitting the document that it is referencing court cases that never happened. With the increasing amount of AI, that won’t matter much. Our media sphere will be so flooded with AI generated stories and images it will be hard to tell the difference. Now that OpenAI is generating movies that are almost passable to the uninitiated, either it’s time to get hopeful for a bright future of AI assisted content or it’s time to start panicking about these computers coming around to take our jobs. And that’s what happens: when new technology comes along it rarely makes human lives easier before it takes away jobs from those performing those tasks. Just look at the folk tale of John Henry and his competition against the Steam Drill. Henry was a steel driving man, known for hammering metal screws that are later set with dynamite. When a fancy new steam powered drill came along, Henry went toe to toe with it–beating the machine at the cost of his own life. At least, that’s how the story goes. But even as a tall tale, there is some basis in reality. While John Henry didn’t drop dead on the spot, he died shortly after of silica lung from working on that job for decades. Anyways, Henry dies and the machine needs, at most, a tune up. Do you see what I’m getting at? Artists are already battling AI to stay ahead of the curve, even attempting to imitate AI art or match its output, but it’s a losing war. It's an impossible task. And what’s worse is the AI isn’t even creating this stuff on its own. Rather, it takes it from what’s available on the internet without attribution. Not only is the machine killing Henry, but it's skinning him and wearing his face. There was a time when “factory made” meant excellent workmanship until it became more commonplace. I think the opposite will happen with AI. There will be a point where people will start to seek out AI generated content based on its potential for personalizing an experience specifically for that user Imagine a movie or a video game completely created to curate to your specific tastes? It would be hard to refuse. But humans need connection, even if our shared experiences are going away in the form of more insular entertainment options. Still,why should we fret about that? AI will be capable of creating content tailored to groups of friends, or even entire organizations. I’ve even been turning toward AI for some things–mostly to see how it's evolving and what it’s capable of. If I need a new race for a tabletop campaign, I find myself asking ChatGPT to come up with one for me–and the results are often impressive. I might have to tweak a few things here and there, but even that seems to be going away. I don’t think creatives will go away completely. But I think AI is going to go the way of the calculator. At first we’ll be told not to rely on AI, but its ubiquitousness will make it a tool that will be hard to ignore going forward. And I don’t think we can stop it.

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.