DAYS GONE REMASTERED (2025)
Finished it the other night and found it to be a - sometimes by turn, sometimes simultaneously - heartfelt, involving, repetitive, enraging, buggy, fun, cacophony of more-than-occasional brilliance that delivered that unicorn of my gaming tastes: an open world that, thanks in no small part to traversing the wilds of Oregon on a customizable motorcycle (though the inability to carry a spare fuel can was, by far, the most mystifying part of the experience) and its SOA-meets-RED DEAD-meets-LAST OF US pedigree, was a distinct pleasure to explore and/or seek out growlers, polystyrene, kerosene, and cultists that needed dispatching. Thinking: while it lacked the narrative heft and clear direction of THE LAST OF US, it's that very lack of heft and direction mixed with even more interesting characters that would've – should've – made it the obvious candidate for series adaptation. Far easier to surprise and take in different directions. Alas.
SILENT HILL F (trailer)
Looks like it’s going to go full Junji Ito here - and I’m so very, very there for it.
RE9 (trailer)
yesssss
"...another teachable moment?"
Had me from the beginning, but using the OHMSS music (still the best in the franchise, including the Bond theme itself, there I said it) was the olive in the martini. Can’t wait to play this thing.
zombie remake gamelife phase
Seem to have entered into a "zombie remake" phase of my gaming life – most of which I never played in their original forms: the amazing, limb-slicing DEAD SPACE remake was first, and now I've moved on to RESIDENT EVIL 2 (never played any of the original games when they came out) and DEAD RISING DELUXE REMASTER (which I attempted to play when it first came out). To swap between the atmospheric dread, low ammo, low health, and puzzles of RE2 and the pure mall-ratting insanity and narrative inanity of DR has proven a valuable balm for evening brain capacity needs. And when that fails, there's always POWERWASH SIMULATOR, that digital earthly delight to which, according to the Playstation app, I've given more than 61 hours of my life and will happily give many many more.