Search Results

Sometimes you need the right balance of calm and invigorating music to make your weekend settle just right. This past weekend the Salt Shed was home to an evening full of amazing musicians that did exactly that. Sold out far in advance, Waxahatchee and Good Morning took to one of the best venues in the city and gave the crowd an evening of perfect songs. The evening started off with Australian band Good Morning, really setting the stage for the evening softer and more melodic atmosphere. While the band is typically the duo of Liam Parsons and Stefan Blair, for this opening tour spot they had a full band to make their dreamy and tender jams all the more impressive. Performing tracks primarily from their latest album Good Morning Seven, Good Morning deftly maneuvered through the set. While I was initially unfamiliar with the band, I was instantly hooked by their sound which had that throwback feel of hidden gem of a bygone decade. "$10" finished off their set, underlining their laid back presentation with a delicate exclamation point. The sold out show felt truly special as I walked through the crowd. Ready to swoon their nights away to Katie Crutchfield's voice and guitar, the diverse crowd was full of listeners new and old. It was the type of crowd Waxahatchee rightfully deserves. Now it should come as no surprise that Chicago came out in droves for Waxahatchee as she has a strong connection to our fair city. Last year, Crutchfield was unexpectedly at Empty Bottle performing with Bonny Doon. Her touring band features a few familiar Chicago musicians like Colin Croom, Clay Frankel, and Spencer Tweedy with Eliana Athayde and Cole Berggren filling out the remainder of the lineup. So as they stepped on to the stage to the tune of Cheap Trick's "Southern Girls", the Chicago vibes were more than alright. Crutchfield started off her time on the Salt Shed stage with Tigers Blood's opening track "3 Sisters". It seems like with every Waxahatchee release there is a song that feels like ether the perfect opener or finisher to a live show. "3 Sisters" easily fits that bill as it's familiar cadence and Crutchfield's unwavering voice gives the song an anthemic feel. The setlist was full of Waxahatchee 's latest output, eschewing her early albums in favor of her more refined sound. Now for most early fans like myself, I could see that being a slight to her more indie rock beginnings. But considering just how pristine and focused her work on Saint Cloud, Plains (with the incredible Jess Williamson), and Tigers Blood it was a welcome treat. In fact she played the entirety of the Tigers Blood for the Salt shed crowd that night, full immersing them in the album's unbridled confidence. Having seen Plains a couple years ago, I was ecstatic to hear a pair of songs off the project again. Espcially since they were "Line of Sight" and "Hurricane", two songs that rank high for me in the Crutchfield and Williamson's songbook. "Hurricane" in particular with it's notions of being too much to handle but still worthy of love felt completely perfect tucked in the latte half of the night. "Baby, I'll come back to you" echoed through the room with purpose, delighting the packed house. The encore sent everyone off with a trio of songs: "Oxbow", "365" and "Fire", capping off one of the more beautiful nights I've had at the Salt Shed. These photos and review were originally published at Third Coast Review.

Do you remember 2020? I'm sure we all do. But do you remember that feeling of "when am I ever going to get out and do something again?" specifically? We do, and as a journalist who covers conventions of all sorts, I was particularly sad my con season was no more. Then along came LudoNarraCon, an online convention just for narrative games that I could attend in my PJs (by then in its second year). I still got the panel experiences, the sense of community on the Discord - and I got to experience a bunch of amazing games, some I'd go on to own and beat later down the road, or even review post-release. We've been in this thing for five years now, and the selection of games Fellow Traveller, who runs the con, brings to the table never disappoints. You'll see some familiar faces from years past, including selections from last Ludo like Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical and Death Trick: Double Blind, along with brand new games that are pre-release, sequels to much loved indies like Genesis Noir's follow-up title, Nirvana Noir, and - well...more! But that's not all you'll get - and we encourage you to dig deeper into this online convention. Fireside chats and panels are just as worth attending as the ones we suggest you go to at "IRL" cons. Narrative games aren't just one thing or another - there are all types of actual games from RPGs to visual novels and cozy games - all tied together with a strong narrative. If you're someone who can't put down a good book or binges an entire series - these are games you can really sink your teeth into, and the fireside chats and panels give you a unique and often overlooked opportunity to speak with the devs and creators themselves. We especially encourage people to get involved if they have any interest in game development, as it provides a priceless opportunity to understand more about what makes a game work, and what makes a narrative sing. Every single year, we find at least a few games that make us appreciate games as art even more, and take our breath away. We'll be hard at work in our comfy clothes, stuffing our faces with snacks and digging into demos while we listen to the Ludo crowd tell us about their journeys and their art, and even if you can't attend the whole thing online, we suggest you check out the lineup, find some things you're interested in and dip your toes in the water. We'll see you there!

Whenever tech giant Apple releases something major, it usually comes with a slick ad that worms its way into the cultural lexicon. The company’s catalog spans generations at this point. Dancing silhouettes dominated billboards and television when the company first released the iPod. In the 90’s, Apple burrowed the phrase “think different” deep into our brains. When it first released the Macintosh, the accompanying ad played on themes from 1984, depicting a woman smashing the face of big brother by throwing a sledgehammer at a large screen. This week, Apple announced the new iPad Pro with an ad attempting to show how the device contains all the elements one might need to create…anything. “Just imagine all the things it’ll be used to create,” wrote CEO Tim Cook on Twitter Tuesday above a video of the commercial. The ad slowly pans over a record player to the tune of “All I Ever Need Is You” by Sonny & Cher. The shot eventually widens to reveal a host of items - a piano, trumpet, books, paint, drum set, television, guitar, globe, a classic arcade game cabinet with the words “game over” onscreen, and more - sitting on a large hydraulic press. As the music plays, the press crushes everything slowly. Paint splatters over everything. Glass from the game and a television pops and crunches. Camera lenses explode. The top of the press finally meets the bottom, pauses for a moment, and slowly lifts up to reveal a thin iPad. The implications are both obvious and crushingly dystopic. Most of us have been walking around for a decade or more with a device in our pockets that can tell the time and weather, give us directions anywhere, play music, take photos and video, and access humanity’s largest evolving archive of knowledge, among other things. We take it for granted in the same way earlier generations took the ubiquity of broadcast television and radio. Those of us that grew up as the analog world became digital witnessed an explosion of creativity, affordability, and access to worlds we may have never otherwise wandered through. This ad however, doesn’t show that. Books exploding into pulp because one can theoretically access them on an iPad doesn’t mean people will actually have access to them. Creating, recording, or performing a song on an iPad or laptop is a completely different experience than doing it with a guitar or piano. Admiring a portrait on a screen is different from hanging one on the wall of your living room. Watching the destruction of the tools of creativity in slow motion isn’t just jarring, it gives us the idea that none of them are necessary anymore and have less value. “This is not making things better. This is just making some people insanely wealthy, at the expense of all of us,” wrote actress and director Justine Bateman on Twitter, including a screencap of a 2017 op-ed written in the New York Times by Eve Ewing. “Tech and AI means to destroy everything.” Actor Hugh Grant also posted to Twitter about the ad, saying it shows “the destruction of the human experience. Courtesy of Silicon Valley.” A few people have already recut the ad to show it in reverse, where instead of the hydraulic press crushing everything, it slowly reveals the items, suggesting they’re springing forth from the iPad. And though that version is many times better than the original, it still doesn’t exactly feel right. While a digital version of something analog opens up access to an incredible array of tools for creativity for people who might not be able to afford the money, time, space or have other impediments to use or enjoy them, they don’t replace them. Nor do they replace the talent and skill it takes to master them. And though they open up new avenues for creation all to themselves, the idea that we need nothing else but a pocket computer to create art, music, literature, photography, and more cheapens everything. For Wall Street, corporate behemoths, and various techbros, this seems to be the end game. As they continue to push LLMs and other types of generative AI on the world, they extract as much value and meaning out of art and culture as possible. They’re selling the idea that not only can literally anyone write a book, make a picture, or create a video game without much or any skill or effort, but it doesn’t matter what that creation is, so long as it vacuums up a pile of money and spits it out onto the stock market.

One of the old adages of game development is if you do too many things, you end up doing none of them particularly well – that is, too many concepts and genres tend to spoil a game. Sometimes, however, a developer breaks this rule, throws all their ideas together and they stick – but Heading Out is not one of those games. That might sound harsh –  and don’t get me wrong: Heading Out has its merits, but it just tries to be too many things. Heading Out, at its core, is a racing game with rogue lite elements, and some visual novel/narrative game elements. It really tries to do a whole lot all at once. It’s ambitious, and lots of its execution actually comes together into a coherent game which is impressive enough considering all of the disparate elements. There is also a strong sense that Heading Out is meant to be cool. It's very stylized, with the racing segments in black and white, and random encounters illustrated in a digital hand drawn style. But it feels like it's trying really hard to be cool, and the whole thing comes off a bit corny, in an endearing way. Dialogue delivery is an issue, and mostly full of misses. It doesn’t help that the dialogue is written sloppily, with clumsy,  heavy-handed social commentaries. Even as someone who agrees with most of the political ideology espoused in Heading Out,  I still felt uncomfortable with just how hard it leaned into it. This will certainly reduce its review score. Which is too bad, because it should have a low review score because it’s just an ‘okay” game. The basic gameplay premise is that you’re a racer and you are outrunning your fear. You even have to answer somewhat personal questions about what you’re potentially outrunning. It adds some personal touch to the story, but again, ends up feeling simultaneously invasive and eye roll inducing–most of the time.The story is told by a narrator with a southern drawl. He invokes memories of Bastion. Every bit of description and dialogue is read by him, except for the radio’s talking heads. As you travel across the States toward your ultimate goal, you will have the opportunity to choose your route. Each route has different opportunities for random events, and careful planning should be considered so you have enough money for each stop. This is represented using an overworld map where you actually do most of your traveling. You can actually control the speed of your little dot as it travels across the map –  but go too fast and you’ll burn up extra fuel and get the attention of the cops. Any problems that arise that you can’t solve through money can be solved through racing. If you don’t have money for fuel, you can run from the cops. If the cops try to stop you, you can decide to run instead of waiting to be detained (as fear is ever creeping towards you). Heading Out’s racing is its marquee feature, and it’s a surprisingly good racing game. It’s not great–just good. The different cars you can unlock handle well, with a difference between pavement and road. There are many different camera angles, even a cockpit view–something that was completely unnecessary, but absolutely awesome. As you race across different states the scenery changes. But it’s a cosmetic illusion, as most tracks are very same-y, with none of them really standing out. Damaging your car in a race can have lasting effects. If your car totally breaks down, fear will catch up to you and your game will end. You also have to worry about fatigue–you need to sleep or use items to stay awake to outrun fear. While you drive across the states your reputation is important. The more good deeds you do, the better off you are generally. You can also do things that will make you seem like a dick, often for short term gain. In fact, it’s pretty obvious that doing the “right” thing helps in the long run moreso than any short term gains. But it also sometimes means more racing. Heading Out isn’t a bad game. It tried to do something different, and it’s “okay” as a result. It does get a little heavy handed in its political messaging, which I feel like takes away from any potential message it could have. While driving in Heading Out feels fun, its very basic and gets repetitive very quickly. If you want a unique narratively driven, rogue lite driving game you might want to wait until something better comes along–if that combination even manifests again. Heading Out is available now on PC via Steam. A Steam key was provided to us for this review

I first played Indika during the Steam Next Fest, and it was one of the standouts for me (along with Children of the Sun). I knew Indika would be strange–but I didn’t realize how strange it was going to get. And its demo only showcased a fraction of Indika’s brilliance. It’s one of those rare pieces of art that makes you step back and reassess your belief system. In Indika you play as the titular heroine as she grapples with her faith and contests the devil in her ear. Shunned at her convent, she is sent off alone on a task to deliver a letter. Along the way she meets an escaped prisoner with an arm that is rotting off. He takes Indika hostage, as they set off in search of a literal miracle. While narrative heavy, Indika uses gameplay elements not only as a way to throw an obstacle in front of the player, but also to disorient the player or give them a different perspective. Therefore, each gameplay segment could almost be classified as a minigame that is self contained and never really repeated. Flashbacks to Indika’s earlier life are creatively told in a warm pixel art style that is in sharp contrast to Indika’s almost photorealistic graphics. Not much is bright and colorful in Indika, however, as most of it takes place in a bleak, frozen Russia full of rusting industry. Even so, Indika is surprisingly graphically impressive. It’s not just its near photorealism but a superb art style that ties it together. Beyond its graphics, camera angles are utilized in ways that they otherwise often aren’t in video games. Indika herself is smart, but timid. She knows her way around machines, and while she’s often the voice of reason in the story, she inwardly doubts everything she says–and believes. Indika wants so badly to rid herself of the voice in her head–and to just fit in. But the other nuns can see her oddness, and even her outbursts, and she is overtly ostracized. Even so, she takes the absurdities of the world outside of the convent in stride as grisly, horrible things seem to be commonplace in this world. There is also a strange play on perspective in Indika that makes the world seem like a strange place that is simultaneously familiar and terrifyingly different. Animals are larger than you would expect. Machines are impossibly large, with designs that make no concession for worker safety, and would be absurd in the real world. One of the most brilliant things about Indika is its clever use of gameplay to reinforce the philosophical message of the game moreso than actually bolstering your playing experience. There’s an experience meter that is employed in Indika, and you can even choose different abilities once she hits higher levels. But it’s all futile–even the game tells you so. Indika is obviously trying to be a good, devout nun. But none of the points that Indika is accumulating can ever offer her the salvation that she seeks. And worst of all, it won’t remove the devil on her shoulder–the one that’s literally speaking in her ear, taunting and debating her in a way that makes her doubt everything she believes. Indika is an amazing accomplishment. I never would have guessed  that a game where you play as a nun would be a game of the year contender for me. Surreal, bleak, absurd and haunting, Indika is easily the best narrative game I’ve played all year. Indika will be available for PC via Steam tomorrow. A Steam key was provided to us for this review

It's a new month an you can't keep the physical releases down! There are tons of great movies getting first time releases on 4K, special steelbook releases, and so much more. So join me on this look at a pretty great release month for physical media. You can see a good chunk of the upcoming releases over at Blu-Ray.com's site! One from the Heart 4K - May 7 So this one had been on my must see list since it came to my attention a few years ago. Francis Ford Coppola has always been a fascinating figure to me, especially considering how successful and tumultuous his career has been. One From the Heart is maybe the height of Coppola's lofty goals for the future film making, save for his upcoming Megapolis which is his current Schrodinger's Cat (will it be a successful return to the screen or and under seen commercial failure like  One From the Heart). I digress, given the films stature as the thing that pushed Coppola's production studio in turmoil and a "what could have been" of cinema, it's a must buy for me. (Side note, this one is selling out in places, so maybe get it sooner rather than later.) Dune Part Two - May 14 C'mon. I've already gushed about the original adaptation of Dune, so clearly this second part of the most recent adaption is on my radar. And considering how effective the second have of Frank Hubert's novel is under Denis Villeneuve's flawless direction, I couldn't not recommend this. It epic and satisfying as a story all its own, while leaving just enough mystery and want for the following novels to be adapted. now will; we ever actually see the the God Emporer on the big screen? I doubt it. So let's enjoy what we have in front of us. The Lair of the White Worm Wal-Mart Exclusive SteelBook - May 14 This isn't a "new" release, but it is a steelbook edition of a really fun and goofy film. Filled with all the weird dry humour you'd expect form an 80s English production,. The Lair of the White Worm has all the charisma you could hope for plus some early roles form Peter Capaldi and Hugh Grant! With Walmart taking the baton from Best Buy's fallen physical media department (and likely Target's upcoming departure from anything not AAA Hollywood), this is also just a great way to support physical media. Honestly never thought I would be encouraging Walmart, but here we are. (Oh, and fair warning, image quality may not be the greatest on this release if it's still the original Vestron release, but it's undeniable watchable as is!) Crimson Peak 4K - May 21 I am of the camp that Guillermo del Toro is a top tier filmmaker and Crimson Peak is very close to my heart. It's del Toro at his most gothic, which given his latest films may feel a little odd, but it serves as the last bastion of his early work before he became the genre hopping king he currently is. This film getting a 4K release is one of the reasons Arrow Video is always on my mind as one of the best physical media labels around. Cry Baby 4k - May 28 I'm a John Water fan since I was way too young and saw Pecker and Cecil B Demented. Since then I've seen everything else he's made and Cry Baby seems to be one his more accessible films (which seemingly came right after one another in the late 80 and early 90s). When my fairly normal and well adjusted friends and family laud a John Water's film, you know its something special, subverting its subversion so much that every one can find something in it. Other Films you should check out this month: The Crow 4K - May 7 Narc 4k - May 21 Shinobi - May 28 Cemetery Man 4K - May 28 Girlfight - May 28 Bad Lieutenant 4K  - May 28

We spent this last weekend at the largest convention center in the northern hemisphere with tens of thousands of other nerds to bring you all that's good from nerd world as the convention season starts to heat up for 2024. Early indications are that cons are back in a big way, and cosplay, which had been a little less frequent as the pandemic was more front and center, is now bouncing back to be what we'd gotten used to seeing here in Chicago - it's absolutely amazing. If you've never gotten the chance to go to C2E2, it's one of the conventions run by ReedPop. If that doesn't sound familiar, we're sure NYCC and Emerald City Comic-Con do. But wait, there's more! Because ReedPop actually runs conventions all over the US and globally, including South Africa, Australia, and beyond. And once C2E2 rolls around, it's time for the international Crown Championships of Cosplay. That means cosplay on a whole 'nother level, with folks who have competed and won at their regional conventions and literally sometimes travelled from the other side of the world to compete for the crown. And that means, C2E2 is the place to see and be seen for cosplay, whether you're a competitor or just someone who enjoys the art. We've seen amazing things that never see the stage, and crazy costumes that walk the floor and go on to take the crown. In fact, last year's winner was from right here in Chicago and went on in one night to take Nationals and become the ultimate Crown Champion of Cosplay. Here's just some of what we enjoyed Saturday on the floor. Stay tuned for a special gallery from the contest! Special thanks to our amazing photographers, Alex Orona, Aaron Cynic, Julian Ramirez, Pearl Shin and Mariel Bokor for capturing these amazing cosplayers!

We're a few years past cancelled cons, rescheduled cons, and half cons here in Chicago, and nature is finally returning. And while some are sour on this year's lineup at C2E2, there's still plenty to do, and even more to see. Just ask our fantastic photographers, who were out on the floor all day long to bring you amazing cosplay. Because one thing that's always been true about C2E2 here in Chicago? The cosplay does not disappoint. Maybe it's because ReedPop ends its circuit here and the championships on Saturday make people try to level up to match the pros work - or maybe it's just a great place to see and be seen in cosplay. Either way, Friday cosplayers slayed, and we can't wait to see what Saturday brings! Enjoy the work of our top notch photojournalists, including Aaron Cynic, Julian Ramirez, Marielle Bokor and Pearl Shin!

Can you believe it? We were still under a freeze warning this week but it’s almost May. Oh yeah, and this weekend is C2E2! This is not a drill, folks. This is the kickoff to Chicago con season. And while the guest list may not be as stellar as some were hoping for, there’s plenty of interesting guest appearances, panels and of course merch to get out there for. With crowds expected to be as big as ever, ya better bring your umbrella, walking shoes, cosplay touchup kits and cameras. We’re going to hit it hard and once you poke around the full schedule, you’ll find there’s much more to this con than meets the eye. By the way? Our Choose Your Own Adventure C2E2 is handy to keep around, but you should also make sure to keep checking the FULL schedule, as we might have missed things you're super excited about and things frequently get moved around due to cancellations and general con chaos. On that note, Josh Brolin has also cancelled for this convention, and joins Christina Ricci, Chris Claremont, Nolan North, Saladin Ahmed and Taylor Gray and Paige O'Hara as of the time of writing. FRIDAY, APRIL 26TH: Get started early if you’re interested in writing children’s books- How to Write a Book for Kids: A Panel of Creative Minds will kick off bright and early at 11 am in S402-B with critically acclaimed and published authors and graphic novelists Mary Winn Heider, Colleen AF Venable and Art Baltazar. Meanwhile, K-Pop fans, it’s time for you to get all dolled up early and hope that skincare’s got your skin glowing so you are wide awake and snatched for K-Pop Time! In S502B, which will feature mini games, fan meetups and free-for-all games for those who take K-Pop seriously. OR If you’re into esports and want to see how they do it here in Chicago, don’t miss the Chicago high school Esports exhibition at Side Quest beginning at 11 am and watch people compete for tournament gold! OR If you’re a gamer whose forte is Fortnite hit the Pride Lounge in S504-ABC and throw your hat in the ring for some fabulous prizes if you decided to stay, play and slay. Games begin at 11 am but go all day. It doesn’t matter who you bring to Q&A with The McElroys, you’re sure to have a good time. Hosts of successful and incredibly fun podcasts My Brother, My Brother and Me and The Adventure Zone, these brothers bring the advice, adventure, and silliness to the stage and there’s no doubt you should be there in S404 at 12:30 when it all begins. OR If fitness and nerdery both hold equal places in your life, you’re gonna want to limber up with Star Wars Yoga at the Family HQ from 1:45 on. Did you know that even before the eclipse, Twilight is SO HOT right now again? Well, even if you didn’t or it isn’t, and you love it, don’t miss Twihard- A Twilight Musical Parody Staged Reading out in S403-AB, which promises ridiculosity on a whole ‘nother level for fans of the vampire saga. OR If classic sci-fi horror and badass women in fiction get you going, make sure you don’t miss 45 Years of Alien with Tom Skerritt and Veronica Cartwight in S404 at 3:30. These acclaimed actors will talk about their time on set and discuss the staying power of the Alien franchise. Once the clock strikes 4, make sure you’re already comfy in line outside the Main Stage, because that’s when The Cast of One Piece takes over - and we’re expecting this panel to bust out the doors. This is your first taste of big panels for the weekend and if you’re not familiar with the process, C2E2 clears panel rooms after most panels, and you’re gonna need to queue at least a half an hour ahead of your preferred panel’s start time if you want to ensure a seat for blockbuster panels like this. Now, you don’t have to wake up early (thank God!) for the 30 Years of Clerks with Kevin Smith & Jason Mewes panel at 5:30 on the Main Stage, but like we’re saying, be parked in the line on the cozy convention center carpet nice and early. We’ve seen these two in panels before and it’s going to be a great time, so bring some weird questions and get some weird answers - just GET THERE ON TIME! OR If you’re a gamer who wants to talk retro, why not consider Memory/Card: A Nostalgic Video Game Conversation in S405B at 6:45 pm. You might just find some new people to co-op with! Finally if you’re the late owl sort, why not attend the inaugural C2E2 prom on the Main Stage at 8pm which celebrates 15 years of Fantasy here in Chicago and will give you a chance to make nerdier memories than perhaps you did at your senior prom. OR Hop on over to Cyanide & Happiness After Hours in S402B when they live play Master Dater! Then go to bed, you crazy kids, cuz it’s about to start all over again on SATURDAY! SATURDAY, APRIL 27TH: Star Wars Fans of all ages - Saturday’s your time to get up early! 10 Years of Star Wars: Rebels features Hera Syndulla, Taylor Gray and Steve Blum all talking about their roles and how the show’s endured over the past 10 years. OR Make sure you remember it’s a local con and stretch out on the weird green grass of The Yard with a cold one from Rev Brew to play Jackbox Games - it’ll run from 11-2 and give you an excuse to drink and people watch while also supporting your local breweries, game devs and cons. We’re a fan of this plan! Animation fans (especially those who love Pickle Rick and Szhechuan sauce) should make sure they’re at the Main Stage at noon on Saturday for The Cast of Rick & Morty panel, so they can look back on 10 years of general insanity with Spencer Grammer, Ian Cardoni, Harry Belden, Chris Parnell and Julie Snyder. We expect this to be a big one too, so don’t sleep on it. BUT If you’re into cannibals (?) then Feed Your Fear as The Cast of Hannibal takes the Main Stage at 1:30 with both Hugh Dancy and Mads Mikkelsen making appearances to tell tales from behind the scenes and answer fan questions! OR If you’re seeking out more Asian American Stories - make sure to stop by S405A for the Asian American Stories Are About More Than Representation panel, which brings together notable Asian American writers, artists and performers for an important discussion. Retro movie fans get some kicks starting at 3 on the Main Stage with a Spotlight on Christopher Lloyd BUT Choose your own adventure carefully cuz the Darren Criss spotlight is at 3:15 in S404. Take a look, it’s a in a book and you can hang out with Drag Queens for Drag Story Hour Chicago at 4:15- it’s an uplifting all ages community chillout we hate to miss every year - as many times as we can make room in our schedule for it. OR Dig into a quality tabletop adventure with puppets and be incredibly entertained by Pro-GM Sarah Moore from Sarah’s Table on GenConTV. You won’t want to miss this as Sarah embodies joy in gaming and will draw you in with silliness, sweetness and expert DMing to create a unique adventure you can’t have anywhere else. Locals report - and this time you don’t have to go to Berwyn! The Celebration of 45 Years of Svengoolie! Begins at 4:45 at S404. Relive all the bad movies and great puns that have made Rich Koz an icon. Finally, when we say you should make sure you get to the Cosplay Central Crown Championships, we mean it. If you haven’t ever stayed until 7:30 for this show, you’re missing out. This isn’t just a one-convention cosplay contest - this is the culmination of a circuit of such contests from all over the world, and people come to play. You’ll see the best in the region, finals, and then finally, the global championship, and trust us when we say you aren’t ready for the level of amazing cosplay that’s about to hit that Main Stage. DO NOT MISS THIS. SUNDAY APRIL 28TH If you don’t want to be anyone other than who you’ve been tryin’ to be lately - try not to be late to see The Boys of One Tree Hill up in S404. Some of us never got over our time at One Tree Hill and will be sure to grill James Lafferty and Chad Michael Murray on their time on the show (and maybe even Gilmore Girls for Chad…who knows?) BUT If you’re a little shy of cosplay but still keep thinking about debuting a costume one of these days, we encourage you to hit up Starting Cosplay with SheProp in S503B at 12:30. It’ll help you find your footing, give you great tips for starters, and help you build your confidence in who you are and what you want to do so you can slay on the floor at your next con. OR Get a little strange with Maya Hawke, who’ll sit down on the Main Stage at 12:30 to talk about her career from Do Revenge and Asteroid City to, of course, Stranger Things. OR EVEN Go go to S404 to join Amy Jo Johnson and David Yost for The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and get a taste of your 90s childhood all over again. Finally, If wholesome TV is your thing, BELIEVE that you gotta be at the Main Stage at 2:00 pm for The Cast of Ted Lasso featuring Phil Dunster and  Cristo Fernandez. BUT If you’re a voice actor and Disney stan, A Tale as Old As Time: The Voices Behind Beauty and the Beast in S404 at 2:15 might be your cup of tea. Quick update: Paige O'Hara is ill and will not attend this, and is being replaced by the voice of Jasmine. Still, a great time with some fantastic actors from your childhood. Now you know the haps, kids. Take some water, wear comfy shoes, get in line early for panels you can't miss, and bring some snacks because it's gonna be a full weekend of nerdery and you're gonna need to keep fueled for it! See you on the floor, Chicago!

If you like soulslike games, Another Crab’s Treasure is one of the more unconventional ones. It has a cute, stylized art style that doesn’t fit in with the traditionally dark and gritty tone many soulslike games tend to adopt. Don’t get me wrong - it has all of the hallmarks of a souls game, just with a bit of a softer edge. Another Crab’s Treasure is a third person action role playing game. In it, you take the role of Krill as he hunts for the shell that was taken from him. It’s a pretty big deal since it’s his home, and that’s where he lives. Or at least he thinks so as he takes up arms against anything that stands in his way. But there’s a deeper corruption spreading through the ocean that’s affecting most of the life under the sea, turning it aggressive and mean. Not only does this give you more reason to take up arms (or claws), it also makes it so you don’t have to feel bad about all of the people you murder. While Another Crab’s Treasure is a soulslike, it's almost like a soulslike with training wheels. Combat is a little simplified since there is no stamina to worry about depleting. But all of the other features you’d expect a soulslike game to have are there: bonfires, respawning enemies, shortcuts, experience that is dropped at the spot of your death, etc. Developer Aggro Crab didn’t really do much to change up the formula. What makes Another Crab’s Treasure special is in its execution: its characters, humor, and setting. Most soulslike games take themselves so damn seriously, but Another Crab’s Treasure is funny and often cute, making it stand out amongst its peers. Why offer more difficulty and darker settings when you can just have a lot of fun? Not that Another Crab’s Treasure isn’t difficult. As with other soulslikes, even the lowliest enemy can be dangerous. It takes memorizing enemy locations and behaviors to survive–especially when fighting bosses. If you die in Another Crab’s Treasure you drop your microplastics and shell where you died. Microplastics serve as the “souls” in Another Crab’s Treasure and can be used  as currency at shops, or to upgrade stats such as strength or vitality. If you die before you can retrieve your body, those plastics are lost forever. Another Crab’s Treasure has a pretty overt message on pollution that remains center stage while never seeming preachy. In fact, the underwater creatures have made a bit of a cargo cult out of the garbage that is thrown into the ocean. There are entire cities built from trash, enemies use trash as weapons and armor, and you even use discarded items as your primary means of defense: your shell. Shells are pretty important in Another Crab’s Treasure.  Each different shell type has its own attributes like weight and special umami power. Heavier shells make it harder to dodge, while light shells allow Krill to be more nimble.Each shell’s umami power can also be important while fighting off enemies. This umami power stands in for spellcasting and can work either offensively or defensively, giving Krill access to special attacks or buffs  Shells also work like shields would in other souls games. Krill can duck into his shell to block attacks. If you time blocks correctly, you can perform a parry. The ability to riposte, however, is locked in a skill tree. The skill tree in Another Crab’s Treasure is divided into four main disciplines, each with two branches. You don’t really have to worry about specializing, as there seems to be plenty of crystal shards around,which is the currency you use to upgrade your skills. The different skills change how you play Another Crab’s Treasure–whether you want to focus on offensive versus defensive skills, etc. There aren’t different weapons in Another Crab’s Treasure–all you have is your trusty fork. This fork can be upgraded to do more damage, and it can even be turned into a “hammer” through skill points. However, don’t expect to find an array of weaponry for Krill to use, because he’s stuck with his fork. As you upgrade the fork it transforms from a rusted piece of junk to something shiny and deadly. Skills, upgrades, and new shells aren’t the only way to make Krill capable of taking on stronger foes. You can slot in passive upgrades called stowaway. They’re only active as long as you’re wearing a shell, but they can bestow some pretty powerful buffs. And with the right skills, you can create some synergies that make the difficulty of Another Crab’s Treasure pretty trivial. If you don’t want a challenge, however, there are ways to play Another Crab’s Treasure without going through all of the frustration. There are a wide range of assist options that let you change many aspects of the game to make the gameplay more palatable. You can even give Krill a gun! There isn’t just combat in Another Crab’s Treasure. Another very un-soulsike feature is the inclusion of jumping and a wide array of jumping challenges. Krill even has a fish line that allows him to traverse up designated areas, making Another Crab’s Treasure feel a bit like Sekiro at times. Aggro Crab might not be widely known, but they should be - they put out great games with an even better sense of humor. They just keep having bad luck with release timing. Back in 2020 they released a fantastic roguelike game called Going Under, which happened to be the same year that Hades hit version 1.0. Now with this soulslike game dropping on the heels of No Rest For the Wicked, it might be another case of bad timing. Another Crab’s Treasure is my favorite non-Fromsoftware soulslike game. It’s unashamed to be a soulslike while also adding its own spin on presentation. I absolutely loved my time with the game, and would recommend it to those who have played soulslike games for years or those looking to get their feet wet for the first time. Another Crab's Treasure is available tomorrow for PC via Steam and on Nintendo Switch, Xbox Series S|X and PlayStation 4 as well as PlayStation 5. A Steam key was provided to us for this review

The early Atari consoles–especially the 2600–were home to a lot of games that are undeniable classics. They’re just not really played anymore because they’re so “simple.” A lot of these games were boiled down to the most basic gameplay elements, with few bells and whistles–which was mostly due to technological limitations at the time. Lunar Lander was such a classic, and it gets an update with the new Lunar Lander Beyond update. The original Lunar Lander was simple: you had to land your craft within a certain time limit and without running out of fuel. Hitting the ground too fast would result in failure, and with gravity constantly fighting against you, it was a test of patience and skill. Lunar Lander Beyond is surprisingly faithful to its roots, but it makes a few baffling decisions which take away from the fun. In Lunar Lander Beyond your goal is much the same as in Lunar Lander–you have to navigate your ship while working under simulated Newtonian gravity. That means when you let off of the thruster you’ll still be traveling in the direction you were thrusting unless you change the direction of the thrust or hit something. Hitting a wall in Lunar Lander Beyond doesn’t cause instant death–instead it gives your ship a bit of damage (based on how hard you hit the object) and your pilot suffers a bit of a mental toll that is measured in sanity–and I think this is where Beyond loses itself. The sanity meter in Lunar Lander Beyond ruins the entire game for me. If you take too much damage your pilot will eventually go insane with “space madness” and eyeballs and mouths start to appear as pink elephants replace other objects. It’s all very cute, and would have been fun for a level or two. But to have it as a main mechanic breaks the game for me. Not only that, but the sanity level carries over for your pilot. So if you make a lot of mistakes in one level, you’ll have to send that pilot off to get mentally reevaluated, which puts them out of capacity for four missions. It's too bad, because there was a lot of potential here. Crew management can be fun if handled well, and the idea between gathering a fleet of different ships, each with their own handling characteristics attracted me.  You can also gather new pilots with their own experience bar and sanity meter. They also get new traits as they complete more missions and gain experience. It doesn’t help that Lunar Lander Beyond can be a bit frustrating to play. There are some power-ups you can equip your ship with that can help out a bunch–like the one that allows you to come to a complete stop, or another that shields your ship and gives you invulnerability as long as you hold down the button. The only problem is each of these abilities use up precious fuel. You can grab new fuel during missions, but it’s still a vital commodity. Once you’re out of fuel you’ll drift until you eventually explode. No fun. Actually “no fun” is the biggest problem I had with Lunar Lander Beyond. Which is too bad, because it's more than just a neonified reskin of an older game. The art and story were done with care. And while some of the art tends to look a little flat, I enjoyed the overall aesthetic. That said, I did not enjoy the imagery that comes up with a maxed out sanity meter–not because it was disturbing, but because it’s just so damn corny. Lunar Lander Beyond had some real potential, especially with its varied objectives. It changed up gameplay enough from level to level to make it interesting: sometimes you’re tasked with just landing, other times your goal is to intercept asteroids to protect a colony, or to pick up survivors and successfully drop them off later. It’s just not enough to combat the real issues I have with Lunar Lander Beyond. I wish I could be recommending Lunar Lander Beyond, but it just has had too many baffling decisions made during its development to ever come out as a good game. I wouldn’t think it would be hard to mess up such a tried and true concept, but here we are. You’re better off just finding a Lunar Lander clone online and playing it out of your web browser. Lunar Lander Beyond comes out tomorrow for PC via Steam, Xbox Series S|X, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. A Steam key was provided to us for this review

Ion Fury was a surprise when it was released: a NEW game made entirely in the Build engine? Sure, it was a modified version of that engine, but that’s still impressive. Now, it looks like Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison–the protagonist from Ion Fury–has made it to the fifth generation of video game consoles with Phantom Fury. Phantom Fury is a first person retro shooter–or “boomer shooter” as they’re more widely known. While it looks like it’s made with the Quake engine, developer Slipgate Ironworks opted to go for Unreal Engine 4 instead, and made it up to look like a modified Quake engine. Not as impressive as using an ancient engine to make a new game, but the results are probably better this way. You once again take control of Shelly “Bombshell” Harrison (I don’t think anyone calls her Bombshell) as she wreaks havoc across multiple levels, this time fighting the GDF as she chases down a macguffin that shares a name (and nothing else) with a real world object:The Demon Core. Harrison is a badass (obviously) and this time around she has a few new tools at her disposal. One of the main ones is her new robot arm. This arm enables Shelly to punch objects apart and pummel people into gibs. It also gives her a snazzy shield you can use to deflect projectiles–something that comes in handy when you’re surrounded by enemies, a situation you’ll find yourself in quite often. You can choose new abilities at special kiosks, where you can also upgrade your Ion Suit (once you acquire it) and your weapons. There is an entire arsenal at your disposal in Phantom Fury. The usual suspects for any boomer shooter are here: shotgun, assault rifle, sniper rifle analogue (Ion Crossbow in this case), etc. And while there are a few wackier weapons thrown in (as is old shooter tradition) none of the weapons really stand out. Sure, they’re fun enough to shoot, but nothing feels very powerful, making the gunplay feel a bit flat at times. Which is a bummer, because that’s one of the game’s main attractions. Even as enemies were flying past in gibs, Phantom Fury felt like it lacked impactful combat. The level design in Phantom Fury is a mixed bag. Most of my gameplay time was spent trying to find where to go next. The game is a pixel hunt in the worst definition, with important objects hidden away unless you're scouring every inch of every room. The signposting is done horribly, as I was lost most of the time I played. Which is too bad, because there are some truly creative levels. Instead of being a straight corridor shooter, Phantom Fury throws a few puzzles at you here and there. One of my favorite levels was also one of the most frustrating for me. It requires you to power sections of a facility while turning the power off in others to find a way forward. It’s very clever, but I often found myself in long stretches of frustrating searches instead of running around and gibbing bad guys. The enemy variety in Phantom Fury is decent. There are soldiers with guns that shoot at you, with a few different varieties: some have shotguns, others will try to freeze you with a cryo gun, etc. The AI is also pretty aggressive, as enemies will actively try to flank you and get behind you. There are also small flying enemies, zombie-like enemies, etc. I enjoyed playing through Phantom Fury–it’s a capable shooter that is a great throwback to the fifth generation (ish) of video games. It has a great variety of enemies, interesting and varied levels, lots of guns and fun upgrades to work towards. I just wish weapons felt a little bit more powerful, and that levels had better signposting so you can find where you have to go next, and get back in the action sooner rather than running around looking for a tiny key you might have missed. Still, if you liked Ion Fury and enjoy boomer shooters, Phantom Fury is highly recommended. Phantom Fury is out tomorrow for PC via Steam. A Steam key was provided for this review