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When you’re reaching 30 years as a band and you have as much in the tank as Modest Mouse, you should count yourself as lucky. While there have been elongated breaks between the last few releases, Modest Mouse is not about to start slipping. Last year’s The Golden Casket reassured fans that Modest Mouse was still in that game and ready to deliver a great album. Every release is as anticipated as the last, but there is just something special about the tried and true favorites. Thankfully Modest Mouse know this and with the 25th anniversary of The Lonesome Crowded West, that meant a tour playing the album in its entirety was on! The Lonesome Crowded West is one of those undeniable albums of the ’90s, truly capturing a moment in time and making it feel everlasting. It’s an album full of all the anxieties and the inevitable disillusionment we all face (and so many on the road/wanderlust metaphors) while shifting from gentle and sad sounds to pulse -ounding ragers. In December at the Riviera Theatre, Modest Mouse reminded the packed crowd just how special that album continues to be. Barring the encore and special VIP pre-show, the set stuck faithfully to The Lonesome Crowded West as promised. Seeing a full album, especially one as diverse and as enthralling as The Lonesome Crowded West is always a treat. There’s just something about mixing the at-home experience of listening to a beloved album track list with the live show theatrics. Then when you take into account Isaac Brock’s commanding stage presence that was on from the start, you have a show that was as relentless as it was cathartic. “Teeth Like God’s Showshine” obviously kicked things off as Modest Mouse threw the diehard crowd headfirst into the show. Despite knowing exactly where they were going next, Modest Mouse‘s set felt lively and special. There was a rush knowing that after the raw and rollicking “Doin’ the Cockroach” and “Cowboy Dan” would be the heartbreaking “Trailer Trash.” That three-song portion of the night that fell right in the middle of everything showcased just how eclectic and powering The Lonesome Crowded West is. The anger of a tiresome existence in “Doin’ the Cockroach” and the feeling of futility in “Cowboy Dan” lead in wonderfully to the vulnerable “Trailer Trash.” The line “And I guess that I miss you and I’m sorry if I dissed you” rang out with all the sadness it needed. The same could be said about every song that evening. No song felt like it got the short end of the stick. instead every track felt like it got the exact amount of vigor it called for, both from Modest Mouse and the excited crowd. “Out of Gas” and its chant-like cadence had the crowd mesmerized. The rapid fire rage of “Shit Luck” was coupled with flashing lights and audience members letting their frustration out, screaming along. Brock’s dark ode to depression “Polar Opposites” echoed along with the Riviera during its labored chorus “I’m tryin’, I’m tryin’ to drink away the part of the day that I cannot sleep away.” The show came to a close with a three-song encore that took a little side tour of Modest Mouse‘s catalog. A cover of The Flaming Lips (“Five Stop Mother Superior Rain”), a current tour staple but rarely played before “Edit the Sad Parts,” and an older but perennial classic in “Night on the Sun.” It was a nice little cherry on top of the evening and even if the band had played some more of their hits throughout the night, I still think the heart of the show would have the enduring quality of The Lonesome Crowded West. All photos by Julian Ramirez This review was originally published at Third Coast Review. You can check out more pictures here.

Nintendo Directs are a little bit like a holiday. We all know that Nintendo likes to keep things close to the chest as far as announcements, so whenever a Direct comes along for a lifelong Nintendo fan like me, it makes us feel a little giddy, like Christmas morning. That’s not to say it always ends up being great, as sometimes the news is just meh. It’s hard to know what to expect, but now that we’ve had a chance to sit down and take it all in, I think it’s fair to say that there’s some exciting stuff coming down the pipes for the Nintendo Switch in 2023. As always, there’s rumors and high hopes, and that comes with disappointments. Animal Crossing fans hoping for something new got no such thing - and that makes sense, since the company already said there’d be no big updates to the game last year. Similarly, news of Metroid Prime 4 was not forthcoming. So what did we get to look forward to? The Direct kicked off with titles like Pikmin 4, coming in July of this year, a Xenoblade Chronicles Expansion Pass DLC with a new character, Lapidarist Masha, and the inclusion of roguelike battles and the potential to win outfits, with a promise for more with Volume 4 later this year, a fun looking rhythm/dance title, Samba de Amigo Party Central, and a fashion game called Fashion Dreamer. Some other interesting pulls from the front half of the showcase include Dead Cells: Return to Castlevania, which features Belmont himself, and battles with Death and Dracula, as well as the return of classic weapons and a ton of great music from the game, with 12 covers and 51 songs included. If you’re as psyched as we were about this, it’s coming March 6 and you can preorder it now on the Nintendo eShop. TRON makes a return to consoles too, with an April 2023 release of TRON: Identity looking intriguing. This narrative puzzle game looks gorgeous and includes a story that changes with your decisions. Bayonetta fans get a look into the before times with Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon, which not only lays out Bayonetta’s beginnings, but features a beautiful art style and all new gameplay in which you control Cereza and the demon Cheshire at the same time. Look for this title on March 17th. Splatoon 3 will be getting a brand new expansion pass DLC in two waves, with the first of the two taking squid kids back to Inkopolis from the first game. The details were a little fuzzy on what exactly that’ll mean, save for new places to shop (though items are the same in both shops) , though we were excited to see that Marie and Callie will perform there during SplatFests. A little more intrigue came from the peek at Wave 3: Side Order, which seems to put the squids in a winter wonderland and feature some interesting lore, though that’s all speculation from a few artistic scenes. Wave 1 hits in Spring, but you’ll have to wait til “the future” for Side Order. Some of the other big takeaways include the addition of Game Boy Games to Nintendo Switch Online, which went live yesterday and at launch includes Tetris, Super Mario Land 2, Link’s Awakening, Gargoyle’s Quest, Game & Watch Gallery 3, Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare, Metroid II: Return of Samus, Wario Land 3, and Kirby’s Dream Land Game Boy Advance games are also coming to Switch for those with the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion and include Super Mario Advance 4, WarioWare Inc: Mega Microgames, Kuru Kuru Kururin, Mario Kart Super Circuit, Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga, and Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap and are also live for those subscribed at this level. One of our favorite reveals of the day though had to be Metroid Prime Remastered, which is great for anyone who’s been pining away for something new in the Metroidverse, and features new dual-stick controls (though you can also play with classic or customized controls) and was an immediate digital release surprise, with a physical version coming on February 2022. Meanwhile, Mario Kart 8 will see Wave 4’s DLC with a Booster Course Pass that adds a Yoshi’s Island course as well as Birdo, who first debuted in Double Dash, in Spring of 2023. It wouldn’t be a Direct if we didn’t end on a big one, and there was no disappointments here, as Tears of the Kingdom got the expected spotlight. It looks gorgeous, expansive and every bit as enticing as the first, and you can expect it to drop on May 12, 2023, with pre-orders already underway. A special Collector’s Edition will also release on Launch Day alongside a brand new amiibo, so if you’re a collector, the time to reserve yours is now. There is plenty more we didn’t get to cover, but luckily for everyone, the Nintendo Direct can be viewed in its entirety here. What did you think of this first Direct of the Year? Did it leave you hyped or disappointed? Let us know in the comments.

2020 made the home office king. Lockdown forced most 9 to 5 corporate folk to find a nook in their home to set up a laptop and get down to business. Many, myself included, even made a home office a permanent fixture in their home and have made it a haven for productivity. But you don’t just have to do your computing in the office- or your gaming. Sometimes, you want to be a lot less formal and a lot more comfortable. This is where the lap desk comes in – for days when gaming, typing and streaming should be happening from under your cozy blanket on the couch with your pet purring nearby. This is what Nerdytec is looking to perfect – the cozy couch PC gaming experience. Sure, it’s a niche, but more people than ever are gaming, and many of them are doing it on powerful gaming laptops. There are a lot of lap desks out there, but it’s surprisingly hard to find something comfortable, easy to use and spacious enough for using a mouse, let alone putting down a drink or plugging in peripherals like a headset. And, as anyone who’s spent any time on the couch with a laptop knows, it can get pretty hot. The Couchmaster line ambitiously tries to tackle each of these problems to create the cushiest, most ergonomic and tech-forward lap desk experience out there? But does it live up to the hype? We took the Couchmaster Cybot for a spin to see how we’d feel after a few work sessions. To start with, the Couchmaster Cybot is BIG. I was honestly shocked when the box arrived at our door. This is mostly due to the giant digi-camo cushions that form the base of the desk. Then there’s an extra long lap desk surface with a built-in vent to the left and a tablet holder to the upper right. There are also pouches on the sides and front that allow you to store other items you might need or tuck up your mouse cable. Higher end models feature cable management systems underneath and even USB ports for plugging in those aforementioned peripherals. There’s no assembly required, as nothing actually attaches to anything else (save for the mouse pocket pouch). You simply set the cushions up on either side of you on the couch and place the lap desk on top. The cushions can only be so far apart to accommodate the desktop, and are a fixed height and length. For our couch, even if they’re pushed all the way back, some cushion hangs off and everything slants downward. Other problems arise based on body type, with everything from height to girth threatening the ability to actually use it in a functional manner, let alone comfortably. I was able to get myself tucked into its confines, but the ergonomic, comfortable computing I was promised is close to nonexistent. I think it’d help if the cushions were about 1 to 2 inches taller, but even this wouldn’t completely resolve the issues. As for the desktop, it’s incredibly solid, and the vent well thought out, though I do find the placement on the far left in this model problematic, as I had to either keep my laptop further left than optimal or forego some of the vent space. There’s ample room for a mousepad though, and were the desktop able to lay flat on my particular couch, even room for a drink. I also enjoyed the handy pockets and pouches, though I wish the tablet stand section was a little wider so it could also accommodate a mobile phone. Another issue I personally had with the Couchmaster Cybot was mobility. While once seated, everything grips well and seems to stay put thanks to the weight and textures, when it’s time to get up to get a drink or stretch, it’s cumbersome to get out of your cozy gaming setup without dumping your expensive electronics. Sure, you can set the massive board aside, but you have to have a space nearby that’ll hold the leviathan of a desktop. I can’t fault it entirely for this though, as one of the main things I did enjoy about this particular lap desk was all that real estate. Overall, the Couchmaster Cybot gets some things really right – it’s the biggest and best built actual desk space I’ve encountered in all my “work on the couch” trials. The cushions are also well built and all materials are sustainable, according to the company. However, the parts are greater than the whole, and once set up, anything from hip width to arm length can make it a no go, with couch design another potential limiting factor. I wish it worked a little better with my couch and my physicality, but it just doesn’t, and for that reason I’m still on the hunt for something that’ll really bring home that cozy couch PC gaming/work from home experience I’ve been looking for. If you’re interested in the Couchmaster series of lap desks, including a new one in the lineup called the Cyboss that addresses several of our issues with the Cybot, click here to visit the nerdytec website.

As always, free comic book day stands as a celebration for all that is comics but also is a time for solicitations and previews into what’s to come with some major titles. This year proves no different with Marvel’s four free previews coming to free comic book day (May 6th.) Here’s a breakdown of what we’re excited to check out from Marvel on our sacred celebration. We get a look into the upcoming Fall of X with an Avengers X-Men crossover event. This preview looks to bring an end to the Krakoan storyline and puts a new lineup of the Avengers Xmen Hybrid team with Rogue, Psylocke, Penance, Quicksilver, Captain America and Deadpool. This new team book looks to be launching next year. There’s a Spider-Man Venom crossover that officially launches Summer of 2023. The series will star Carnage, Red Goblin and loads of other symbiotes. We also get a look at the new and improved Spider-Man with his gold suit. Readers can see what’s been happening since Zeb Wells and John Romita Jr started their run and will begin the Summer of Symbiotes event. Marvel Voices is an ongoing series that spotlights diverse creators and characters across the Marvel universe. Plan to check out short stories starring Nova, Miles Morales, Black Panther, America Chavez, and many more! Check out a fresh new issue from this critically acclaimed title. Finally, we get Spidey and his Amazing Friends. Targeted at readers aged 5-7, we get to see cartoony spidey with his friends Spider Gwen, Miles Morales and Ghost Spider get into all sorts of wacky adventures. Based on the hit Disney Junior show, easy to read and comes complete with activity pages. Check out these and many other titles on May 6th 2023 at a comic book store near you!

Every once in a while there is a show lineup that looks strange on paper but you know it will hit the spot. This was certainly the case when hardcore punk band Turnstile announced their tour featuring indie rock stars Snail Mail and experimental rapper JPEGMafia. It’s the sort of lineup that just sounds fun, combining these seemingly distant artists’ genres into one delicious mosh. This past Sunday at Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom, the prophecy came true as the three acts turned the venue into a smoldering mosh pit . Snail Mail kicked off the night, starting the night off with a few lighter sounds than what would follow. I've had the pleasure of seeing Lindsey Jordan perform a quite a bit in smaller venues and she's always a pleasure. Her voice, both as a songwriter and singer, is fantastic and always a treat; even when the world has a few tricks up it's sleeves like it did during this performance. Despite a failing pedal board and other equipment out right not working, Jordan pushed forward, annoyed with the bad luck that had fallen on her. She attempted to play a song or two with out the pedals and while the crowd was certainly supportive, it was just to much going wrong beyond her control. "I'm just gonna sing Valentine and fuck off because this is not fun." she said at the end of her set when everything had finally been too much. It;'s a shame because of what we did get to hear was excellent. I just hope the next time I get to see her in a big venue, luck is on her side. JPEGMafia, the rap alias of Barrington DeVaughn Hendricks, took the middle spot in the lineup and before the lights even dimmed, the crowd was getting rowdy. I had seen JPEGMafia, or Peggy as the crowd would be chanting all night, quite a bit as well so I knew what was in store. Saying that JPEGMafia is an unrestrained performer is an understatement. After a brief and chill intro there was no stopping the man from running around on stage, amping up the growing moshes in the crowd. "Jesus Forgive Me, I'm a Thot" is a fantastic party starter and Peggy never let the party stop rolling. The floor was quaking as much as you'd expect and JPEGMafia was giving it back to the, blasting his songs to an overwhelming degree. Whether he was looking for his bald brethren in the crowd to rise up for "BALD!" or jumping into the crowd and performing in the midst or swirling fan's moshpits, JPEGMafia was the exact kind of energy the night needed. Add to that a covers of Denzel Curry's "VENGEANCE | VENGEANCE" or Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" which only riled up the adoring crowd even more, and you have a show stealing set. Honestly you haven't lived until you've seen three separate mosh pits and a miniature Wall of Death form to sounds of Peggy serenading the crowd with "Call Me Maybe". While on any other night that performance would have been the cherry on top, Turnstile was the main event and treated there performance as such. There was a short reprieve after Peggy's set where the crowd seemed to harness an remaining energy to match that of Turnstile's forthcoming set. I can safely say they near matched the group's energy, but Turnstile was here to throw a banger of a show and they delivered. Coming off their incredibly GLOW ON album, Turnstile made sure to play the majority of those hard hitting and catchy tracks. "Now it's a holiday", the opening lyrics of "HOLIDAY" rang out with all the fury you could expect from lead singer Brendan Yates, staring off the set just right. With in moments of that first chant crowd surfers were scattered throughout the crowd, getting set straight to the front of the crow en masse. Turnstile played pretty nonstop, keeping that energy going for the entirety of their set and the crowd was there for it. The tour and motto of the band is Love Connection and you could definitely feel that relationship with the the band and the crowd. As the moshes surged and the night was coming to an end, Turnstile left the crowd just a little more connected, closing their set with rapid fire "T.L.C. (Turnstile Love Connection)". "I want to thank you for letting me c myself, I want to thank you for letting me b myself" rang out and that Sly Stone interpolation/reference couldn't have been more apt this evening. No matter the act, genre, or person, everyone was just being their genuine selves as the enjoyed one hell of a show. All photos by Julian Ramirez This review was originally published at Third Coast Review. You can check out more pictures here.

By Alex Orona Of all the ongoing Doctors in the long running Doctor Who series, there is one black sheep in the bunch that is Paul McGann. He was introduced in a made for TV American Fox movie that was meant as a backdoor pilot to a new reboot series. Written and produced by Matthew Jacobs, a British writer/actor/producer/director, who’s previous credits included The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and The Emperor's New Groove. During the 2022 Chicago Tardis Convention (celebrating all things Doctor Who,) a new documentary was screened: Dr. Who Am I, chronicling Matthew Jacob’s return to the fandom that had universally turned their backs on him in 1996. Jacobs’ love of Dr Who began early on, when his father played Doc Holliday during the original first doctor run back in 1966. It’s a story retold more than a few times throughout the documentary, as Matthew was present on set during the filming. This gives him personal stake in the fandom, when he comes to write the fateful movie in. Unfortunately, with his film, he commits some cardinal sins of classic Dr Who tropes that have generally offended the more devout enthusiasts These sins include putting the Doctor in America and giving him a romantic love interest. These were things that were always and still are taboo in the series. As of right now, enough time seems to have passed, that the fanbase hate has moved on to whatever else is in the zeitgeist and the 8th Doctor is seen only as an oddity. So Jacobs’ timing is perfect for a return to conventions everywhere. Regrettably, his personality seems defensive and standoffish when it comes to criticism of his work. There’s little regret, nor does he feel like he should answer for the abhorrent response the film received. While it’s okay to want to move past a regrettable piece of art, there are moments in the documentary where Jacobs fires back at the fans themselves, criticizing their lifestyles and using fandom as escapism. Although the documentary has chosen an interesting subject matter in Matthew Jacobs, I felt like he didn’t do a lot to make himself come off as redemptive but instead as someone finally ready to argue with the ones that hated his work. You can’t help but find Jacob’s as dislikable at points in the film. More confused as to why fans don’t just “get over” his movie and move on with their lives. Outside of the return to fandom, the film’s secondary story is one of Jacobs’ return to those that were involved in the film itself. Not unlike an alcoholic seeking those he’s wronged, he meets up with the actors and producers on the film discussing the process of making it. Reliving the good ol’ days and discussing the culture around their film as a whole. At some points, Matthew digs into how some people had totally abandoned him during the backlash, only to reconnect in a nonchalant way. I wouldn’t say it felt forced, but the rekindling of these relationships didn’t carry as much emotional weight as the film makers may have wanted. The actors and producers seem to show a love and humble understanding for the fan reaction, Jacobs is all too keen to dismiss the criticism as anything other than overblown misunderstanding of art. In the end, Dr Who Am I is a solid look into the creation of one of the weirder segments of Doctor Who history. It provides a glimpse into the creation, intent and history while also humanizing those involved in its creation. Matthew Jacobs, on the other hand, is quick to push back against the fans that make up the Dr Who culture. Despite the warm welcome back into fan conventions, it’s clear Jacobs still has a chip on his shoulder regarding his art and lacks an emotional arc throughout. By film's end, Matthew admits that he has learned nothing from his experience that he would rather be worshiped than worship. Kudos to Matthew Jacobs and his co-director Vanessa Yuille for being honest in the film's portrayal. It’s an authentic look at an jaded director’s return to the fanbase that shunned him. Matthew may be flawed but his story is an interesting piece of Whovian history for sure.

Rhythm games have been a thing for a long time now. Doing anything to a good beat makes it that much better, and video games are certainly no exception. In fact, it's one of my favorite genres of games overall, and represents some of my favorite games of all time, including PaRappa, DDR and BeatSaber, not to mention other favorites like Ragnarock and Audio Trip. I've played my fair share, as you can probably tell, and Hi-Fi Rush is fresh, fun and funky. In Hi-Fi Rush, the entire world marches to the same beat. Rather, everything around you, and everything you do, is to the beat. You play as Chai, the hapless, somewhat obnoxious youth who's been bamboozled into a project that purports to work on robotic/mechanical implants, which you happen to have. But something wicked this way comes, as it usually does, and this entire experiment may not be on the up and up. Luckily for you, in a not that tragic accident, your ipod gets jammed into your body right around where your heart should live, and your arm implant gets imbued with magical guitar powers Wayne and Garth only dream of. You're going to have to escape the facility Austin-Powers style, but there's more than sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their frickin' heads to battle. Hi-Fi Rush incorporates rhythm into everything, which means there's a lot of different ways rhythm comes into the gameplay. As I mentioned before everything happens to the beat - your footsteps, the whoosh of machines, the music (and the soundtrack is FIRE, by the way.) What's nice is that even if you're a little tragic with keeping a beat, you can play Hi-Fi Rush. There's a few difficulty settings, and for at least the combat, you'll always hit "on the beat" but not precisely so. The game actually requires the precision of a game like Pa-Rappa to excel at, which makes a band nerd like me giddy, but though you'll be thrown quick syncopation and combos drummers regularly parse, if you absolutely can't get it on beat, you'll still be able to defeat enemies and even bosses- it'll just take you way more time and you'll likely not score super well. Chai acquires friends and powers as he carries on trying to find his way out, and can use them to his advantage. Peppermint breaks shields and distracts foes, while heavy hitter Macaron breaks special force fields. 808 the cat is not only a visual and audible metronome, but has powers of their own to wield in game. If that's not enough, you can set a visual metronome to pin to the bottom of your screen to help you as you battle bot after bot and take on big bad bosses until you've defeated the entire evil corporation and...well, we'll let you figure out that last part. Combat is fluid and fun and features great combos and specials you'll be able to buy with gears or other in-game currency you'll find scattered about the world. If you're an explorer who likes to loot things, Hi-Fi Rush has no lack of little places full of treasures to uncover. There's a few places where precise rhythm is the only way -- mostly in stage settings where you're learning a new technique -- but all in all, Hi-Fi Rush remains attainable for even the less musical among us. Add to the great beats great artists like Nine Inch Nails and a comic-book meets Sunset Overdrive aesthetic and you've got a recipe for a super addictive, fun and funny romp that will have you tapping your toes...hopefully in time. Hi-Fi Rush is available now through Xbox Game Pass and on the Microsoft Store as well as for PC via Steam.

You know no matter what the groundhog said, there’s more winter ahead, right? And that means it’s going to be cold and miserable (Unless you’re somewhere in Florida or Hawaii or California or something…then congrats - you already are warm, more than likely!) What’s great for cold and miserable winter days (or rainy and miserable spring days)? Soup. A nice, velvety, warm mug of soup you can wrap your entire body around. Something that’s simmered for some time, melding flavors together into a symphony of comforting flavors waiting to warm you up from the inside out and give you that “homey” feeling. And sure, you can order soup from Grubhub and chance getting a greasy topped French onion that’s lost a lot of its charm, but you can also turn the stove on, chop a few ingredients, warm up your kitchen and give yourself the gift of a nice warm pot of soup you can eat from all day and then freeze for the next round of dreary doldrums. Here’s three of our absolute favorite soups to wake up your weekly routine and comfort you with their warmth and depth of flavors. And don’t worry - we’ve tested these recipes time and again and can tell you they’re worth the effort! White Lightning Chicken Chili: Let’s start with a chili that’s been a favorite for a lot of reasons for me personally. This was one of the first chilis I ever made when I first started cooking, and it’s also representative of my time in New Mexico, where you can’t eat anything without a little bit of green chile in or on it. I love some good spicy heat to go with my hot soup and this is one of my favorite ways to get that. It’s easy to make, you can skip the dairy if you’re lactose intolerant or want to eat a little healthier, you can add more or hotter green chiles to dial up the spice if you’re a chilehead, or sub in a rotisserie chicken if you don’t feel like cooking chicken on your own today, and it’s great with a whole plethora of toppings and dippers. Consider this instead of your standard beef and bean chili as the big game approaches! As prepared by Rachael Ray West African Ground Nut Stew: Here’s one for anyone who’s grown tired of the same ol’ soups that every salad bar and grandma’s cabinet has to offer. It’s rich, comforting and full of bold flavors and it’ll be a new favorite for sure. It even got the lifelong sweet potato hater in me to acquiesce! As seen on Simply Recipes Broccoli Cheddar Soup: I like variety, and I love trying out new flavor combinations, but I’m also into the classics. Tomato soup and grilled cheese, pumpkin spice if it’s your thing, and DEFINITELY broccoli cheddar soup. It’s a classic for a reason, and that creamy, cheesy goodness is tops. Go all out on the cheese with expensive sharp cheddar or a mix of fantastic cheeses and see where it takes you! As seen on The Pioneer Woman

It’d have been hard to escape hearing about HBO’s adaptation of Naughty Dog’s acclaimed 2013 video game, The Last of Us. Not only was there a lot of hype on the front end of the show’s debut a few weeks back, but it’s since drawn millions upon millions of viewers and in its third week is even stronger than ever. This is no small feat, as video games haven’t really felt well-represented in other media, with so many TV shows and movies really failing hard to do the source material justice. What we’ve seen from HBO and Neil Druckmann, Naughty Dog’s VP as well as The Last of Us’ creative director and co-writer, though, is something else – something that many are saying may just be the dawn of a new era in television where video game shows and movies enjoy the same kind of popularity as Marvel movies have for the last decade or so. After having the chance to sit down and take in the first three episodes – I wholeheartedly agree. Tomb Raider was fun for a summer blockbuster, Halo just…didn’t work at all, but The Last of Us is a television masterpiece. It’s already challenging to adapt a piece of work from its original medium – we’ve long been singing the “the book is better” tune for adaptations of novels. It’s especially hard to adapt video games, though, for the same reason that video games can be so impactful as art – you’re not a passive viewer. Games take us into the world and into the perspective of the characters directly. With a narrative as emotionally charged as The Last of Us, it was hard to imagine the TV show managing to reach that level of impact. From the getgo, and certainly thanks to Druckmann’s guidance as the show’s writer and executive producer, The Last of Us sticks very close to the game, down to set dressings and even the characters’ dialogue. It’s a treat to see a Hollywood version of the already beautiful environments from The Last of Us, and fun as someone who’s played and very much enjoyed the game, to be able to follow along from level to level as scenes progress in the first two episodes. There are deviations, of course, to develop characters more and help you grow more attached to characters, but they work beautifully, and don’t conflict with the world and story of the game. Great performances by the show’s cast elevate a great story and great adaptation even more. I especially enjoyed Nico Parker as Joel’s daughter Sarah, and her performance was so electric that I wished we’d have been able to see more of her throughout the series. She really brought Sarah to life in a way that spoke to the original Sarah in the game and brought something new and exciting to it, with a not too over the top sass and maturity that really rounded her out. Meanwhile, Pedro Pascal is a great pick for Joel, with enough gruffness and empathy to be convincing. Character development has been key for this series, not only in overcoming the jump from game to TV, but in really setting it apart. Nowhere is this clearer than in the third episode of the series. (There be spoilers ahead if you have not seen Season One, Episode Three - please stop reading here if you have not gotten that far!) The original Last of Us only gave us a small glimpse into Bill and Frank’s world. The TV show took a deep dive, not only expanding on who they were, but producing one of the most incredibly touching, romantic, tragic and beautiful love stories I’ve seen since Pixar’s Up. Nick Offerman and Murray Bartlett give nomination worthy performances of a life that’s suddenly changed by another person, and of a life where hope is possible even in the darkest of times. And though we were left bawling on the sofa in the end, the sanctity of that final day brought happy tears, too. Even if you had never touched a controller or read anything at all about The Last of Us, it’s a show whose merits would be undeniable simply for the level of storytelling. Rarely do things live up to the hype, and rarely do I praise something so early out of the gates, but The Last of Us is a show that transcends, and challenges, and in the end, is a must-see. I know it’s “destination” streaming for me, and I imagine, if you haven’t already gotten hooked, these three episodes will convince you that it may be time for Marvel to move over and the rich narratives of our favorite games to be explored. The Last of Us streams on Sundays on HBOMax. Find out more or stream it here.

I’ve played a lot of deck builders and card games over the years. Most of them were roguelikes that followed the formula that was seemingly established by Slay the Spire—or at least popularized by it. It’s refreshing, then, when a game takes this popular formula and changes it up to make something new. Mahokenshi went the other way with it: developer Game Source Studio seemingly threw out the formula and decided to make a deck builder their own way. Mahokenshi is a deckbuilding action adventure game. In it, you play as one of four Mahokenshi, each representing four different houses, and each with their own deck and abilities. Most deckbuilders will have a roguelike setup, normally with two or three branching paths you can choose with different encounters along the way. Mahokenshi, on the other hand, does away with separating the overworld map and battles and integrates both in a way I haven’t seen before. Each level of Mahokenshi looks a lot like something you’d see in Civilization or the map parts of Total War. When I first started playing, I thought it was a novel way to have your character navigate to the various encounters. Except, there aren’t really encounters as I expected them, since the battles actually take place on the hex grid, too. Not only have I never played a deckbuilder like this before, I started to wonder why this has never been done before. It seems so obvious, and opens up the player to use positioning and actual tactics, almost like a turn-based tactics game. Positioning is important when you go to attack an enemy, since each tile represents a different terrain type, like plains, forests, hills, mountains, towns, castles, etc. Different terrains bestow different advantages. For instance, being in the forest increases your defense, while being on a hill increases your attack. The different Mahokenshi decks have different strengths and weaknesses, as you would expect from any other deckbuilder. Each of the four different different houses: Topaz, Ruby, Jade, and Sapphire, emphasize different playstyles. For instance, the house of Sapphire features a deck that is about dishing out area damage while being pretty tanky, while the Jade deck is about stealth and poison tactics. Each of these different decks will become more powerful the longer you play them, as new cards are added to the deck as you progress through their levels. Mahokenshi gives you the opportunity to build up different decks at the start of each mission. The type of deck you can build is dependent on what your goal is, and what cards come up when you get a chance to purchase more at a town, through an event, or by stopping on a card hex. There are the types of events and opportunities you find in other deckbuilders, like areas to cull your deck, and events that can give you a bonus. Additionally, there are also side quests you can take on for added reward and challenge, as well as literal challenges you can attempt to complete in each mission. Even whether you decide to travel to nearby town or not might have an effect on whether you can win the mission, as you’re usually under some sort of pressure. There are the occasional side mission that allows you to explore at-will, for those who don’t like to be under constant time pressure. Mahokenshi was a surprise combination of turn-based tactics and deckbuilder I haven’t played before. But what’s more surprising is this formula hasn’t been used before. I have a feeling we’ll see other games use the Mahokenshi formula of strategy meets deckbuilder in the next few years. Mahokenshi is out today on Steam A Steam key was provided to us for this review

I think COVID created a whole new audience of video gamers who want to play games that are peaceful and relaxing. Despite a few gun toting characters, Tchia looks like it’ll be a game that’s not only relaxing, but incredibly beautiful, filled with places to explore and treasures to uncover. Tchia is an open world third person adventure game. In it, you take control of the eponymous Tchia as she explores an archipelago inspired by the South Pacific nation of New Caledonia. As Tchia you can climb, swim, jump, and glide with a glider that has to be inspired by the one in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Tchia can also possess various animals, which means she can fly, swim and even roll around as a banana if she'd like. At least you don’t have to suffer bokoblins in Tchia, as you explore and do tasks for the locals. There are enemies to fight, but in the preview build I played they were more side activities–though it is possible you’ll have to do a lot more fighting when the game properly releases. The archipelago in Tchia is very pretty. I spent a lot of time with the preview build just exploring as various animals, and enjoying the sights of the South Pacific inspired vistas. There were a few quests that I could do, mostly fetch and gathering style quests, but I found myself spending my time swimming as a dolphin, or using trees to fling myself around more than I wanted to complete quests. Tchia also has a surprisingly in-depth system for playing the ukulele. Seriously. You can play different notes, choose to strum them or pick them, and more. You can play for fun, or use the ukulele as a way to change your environment–like changing the time of day, or summoning explosive plants. Mash together The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild with The Legend of Zelda: Windwaker and you can get an idea what Tchia’s open world feels like, at least in the early build I played. I’m excited to explore the world of Tchia and uncover its secrets when it releases later this year. Tchia will be available for PC on the Epic Game Store as well as on PlayStation 4 and Playstation 5. An Epic Game Store key was provided to us for this preview

I’ve been playing a lot of retro games lately, so when I see a “retro-inspired”game come across my desk to review, I’m always weary. It’s rare that a retro-inspired title comes along that nails both gameplay and aesthetic of a retro game, especially without making too many concessions to modern conveniences. However, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is the rare game that manages to feel authentically retro, and is a love letter to the Shinobi series, and other classic games like Metroid, Mega Man and more. Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a retro side scrolling action platformer, most closely resembling the 16-bit era Shinobi games. Mostly. It also has a level selection and boss power-ups that resemble Mega Man. There are also slots for power-ups called “power modules” that can significantly alter gameplay. Add in some Contra-inspired imagery, and Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider ends up being a pretty good retro styled action game. While Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is mostly a sidescroller, it does have a few other tricks, like the pseudo-3D vehicle segments that would feel at home on Genesis or SNES. Each level doesn’t just lead into the other one, either, as you can choose between the seven areas (including the starting area) in a way that is slightly reminiscent of Mega Man, including bosses that drop power-ups on death. If I did have a complaing about Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is that it’s a little too easy. Using all of your lives up on a level doesn’t even always put you back at the beginning of that level. There aren’t really any difficulty settings, however, there are items you can find that can make your run more challenging, like the glass cannon module which enables one-hit death. Also, the boss power-ups don’t feel as effective. I hope developers never stop making retro inspired games because I’ll always love playing them. Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider lets nostalgia do a lot of the heavy lifting, but it turns out that using inspiration from some of the classics can make something that ends up pretty good. It is a little too easy, especially for those who regularly play retro games—and the lack of co-op is really a bummer. Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is available now on PlayStation 5, Steam and Nintendo Switch. A PlayStation 5 key was given to us for the purpose of this review