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Games

The Gothicism of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

It’s no stretch to say that the games produced by From Software – among them Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls, and Bloodborne – have all contained an obvious gothic influence. From sprawling cathedrals to lonely protagonists who transgress the rules of their worlds, it’s clear that these hallmarks of gothic horror have proved a significant source of inspiration for creator Hidetaka Miyazaki.

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Games

‘A Ruined and Drowning World’: The pertinence of Dishonored’s psychological horror

If there’s anything Bethesda’s Dishonored franchise is known for, it’s whiskey, whales, and brilliant stealth mechanics.

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Games Reviews

The Longing review – an ambient game in the purest sense

A frail shadow of a creature, trudging slowly from room to empty room. No aim beyond watching the long days pass. The drip of water, the echo of soft music. Time becomes a tangible thing, cold and suffocating. We dream of grass, of sky, of sun…

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Games

Frankenstein and the anatomy of story in Bloodborne

From the moment the giant, snarling werewolf emerges from the floor, you can see where From Software’s Bloodborne takes its inspiration.

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Games Reviews

Blasphemous review – sacred and provania

When it comes to video games, especially Metroidvania-style platformers, I’ve a couple of requirements: off-plot exploration, an excellent soundtrack and, most difficult of all to satisfy, an aesthetic based on medieval Spain’s particularly esoteric form of Catholicism.

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Games Reviews

Worse Than Death review – a school reunion gone very bloodily wrong

Worse Than Death is the new game from Canadian indie developer Benjamin Rivers – a short horror adventure about a school reunion gone very bloodily wrong.