Into the Metaverse: Jungian Psychology, Esoteric Tarot, and Moral Philosophy in Persona 5
From the Fool’s Journey through the Major Arcana to Dante’s ascent up Mount Purgatory
Pokémon Sword & Shield: The Very Best, Like No Game Ever Was?
Game Freak’s excuses hold about as much water as a Carkoal can carry in its coal cart: none whatsoever
Consulting the Norns: Fate and Free-Will in God of War
“Fate is a lie told by the gods.”
Bloodborne and “Round the Bend”: On Difficulty Levels in Games and Literature
Just as a player might have to master a new skill in a Souls game to progress through a level, readers must learn a new set of skills to progress through the “Round the Bend” chapter of Moore’s Jerusalem.
The Sartorial Sensibilities of Injustice 2
Injustice 2 invites players to participate in the process of redefining these heroes through the garb they don. Dressing up these virtual dolls proves every bit as engaging as the frenetic fights themselves, particular because it is through such that the players become co-creators on these characters’ latest adventure.
Final Fantasy XV is a Love Letter to the Western World through Eastern Eyes
In its gameplay mechanics, narrative themes, and artistic direction, Final Fantasy XV is a work clearly enamored by and emulative of occidental culture.
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare dramatically demonstrates “Death is no disgrace”
Kotch is a slightly more sinister space Hitler, save for the fact that his primary precept is precisely the main message of the game, an irony by all indications entirely unintentional.
Civilization VI Tells a New Tale of Human History
It’s in Civilization VI’s ludic elements that Firaxis has most stretched its legs as storytellers, telling a new tale of human history by means of a new historiography.
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided
Mankind Divided is no longer Speculative Fiction along the lines of human Revolution, but a more allegorical work less open to application, interpretation, or speculation.
Inside Recapitulates the Horrors of the Holocaust
Though grotesque, eerie, even eldritch imagery is scattered throughout the puzzle platformer, it is this juxtaposition of such a proximate setting with the very event which epitomizes evil in our cultural memory which imbibes in Inside such a haunting quality.
