Hirun Cryer Feb 22, 2022. 4 minute read
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Is a Meditation on Letting Go of Fan Expectations
You’d be forgiven for thinking we’re in a “meta moment” for games and film right now. The Matrix Resurrections revived Neo and Trinity for an evisceration of the original trilogy, and it’s coming up on two years since Final Fantasy VII Remake’s heroes fought back against audience expectations — literally…
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Hirun Cryer Nov 29, 2021. 5 minute read
Judgment Says More About Police Violence Than We Give It Credit For
This article contains spoilers for Judgment and Lost Judgment. Yakuza has always tussled with the law. Kazuma Kiryu’s adventures were beset with politicking on a national and international level, frequently getting wrapped up in the affairs of and taking the fight to the government, the police, and everyone else in…
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Hirun Cryer Aug 25, 2021. 4 minute read
Despite Fraught Development, Tales of Arise Aims to Rejuvenate the Series
Tales of Arise hasn’t had the smoothest development. Former God Eater producer-turned Tales of Arise lead Yusuke Tomizawa knows this better than anyone. In the aftermath of 2016’s Tales of Berseria, its development team faced a simple but potentially explosive choice: keep using the same development engine, or uproot everything…
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Hirun Cryer Jun 12, 2021. 4 minute read
Wholesome Games Are a Growing Trend, but What Does ‘Wholesome’ Really Mean?
When we talk about “wholesome games,” we talk about them in a variety of ways, from colorful and vibrant colors, to charming and lovable characters, and even a distinct absence of violence. It’s easy for us, as the audience, to sit back and assign labels like “wholesome” to different games.…
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Hirun Cryer Jun 1, 2021. 6 minute read
Resident Evil Village’s Lady Dimitrescu Discusses Audition Secrecy, Unconventional Beauty, and Returning to the Role
Note: This interview contains spoilers for Resident Evil Village. Resident Evil Village’s Lady Dimitrescu leaves a lasting impression. When the towering villain was unveiled last year, she became the fascination of the Internet at large, drawing legions of fans virtually overnight. You’d be surprised, then, to learn that the role of…
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Hirun Cryer Nov 9, 2020. 2 minute read
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Soma Traitor Choice Guide – Stench of Treachery Quest Answer
Partway through the Grantebridgescire arc of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Eivor is made to do a bit of detective work, and deduce who the traitor is among Soma’s inner circle. There’s quite a bit at stake here, especially if you’re invested in Soma as a character, so you’ll want to nail…
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GUIDES
Hirun Cryer Nov 9, 2020. 4 minute read
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Books of Knowledge Guide – Locations & Abilities
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla sees the vikings of Norway venturing into England for some lovely pillaging, and they discover plenty of new curiosities along the way. One of these new curiosities are Books of Knowledge which contain information on unique abilities for Eivor when located and uncovered. Here’s how and where…
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GUIDES
Hirun Cryer Nov 9, 2020. 3 minute read
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Flytings Guide – All Correct Answers
There’s a fair bit that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla doesn’t tell you from the jump, and one of these things is Charisma. It’s a hidden statistic that can be used in conversations to win other people over, effectively like the convincing conversation mechanic from Fallout. To increase your Charisma rank, though,…
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GUIDES
Hirun Cryer Nov 9, 2020. 4 minute read
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Settlements Guide – How to Level Up, All Upgrades List
Settlements are a big part of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. In the early hours of Valhalla, Eivor and a band of stoic vikings leave their home of Norway for rural England, and it’s here that they establish a new settlement as a home away from home. All throughout Ubisoft’s huge game,…
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GUIDES
Hirun Cryer Nov 9, 2020. 2 minute read
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Jomsviking Guide – Recruiting and Customizing Your Jomsviking
Jomsviking were an elite band of mercenary vikings, and they actually function as a link between players in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. You can recruit, customize, and deploy your own Jomsviking, which can then be recruited by other Valhalla players. It’s a lot easier than it sounds, but there’s definitely a…
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GUIDES
Hirun Cryer Nov 9, 2020. 3 minute read
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Leofrith Boss Guide – Kill or Spare Leofrith?
Leofrith is an elite servant of the opposing King Burgred, a battle-hardened warrior ready to go toe-to-toe with Eivor. In one part of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, you’ll have to face off against Leofrith in a climactic boss fight, and the soldier can be a real tough opponent if you’re not…
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GUIDES
Hirun Cryer Nov 9, 2020. 4 minute read
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Skills Guide – Best Skills to Purchase, Earning XP
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a gargantuan game and it has a skill tree to match. If you’ve played the more recent Assassin’s Creed games like Odyssey and Origins, you’ll be pretty familiar with how skill points are earned and spent. If you’re a newcomer to Ubisoft’s RPG series, then fear…
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GUIDES
Hirun Cryer Nov 9, 2020. 2 minute read
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Gender Selection Guide – Let the Animus Choose?
Eivor leads the charge in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, gathering together a motley crew of vikings to wage a bloody war against England. As with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey though, you can pick the gender of your Eivor, but crucially, you can change the gender of your playable character at any point.…
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GUIDES
Hirun Cryer Nov 9, 2020. 2 minute read
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Silver Guide – How to Earn Silver Quickly
Silver is the main currency of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. You’ll need it to purchase items and equipment from various merchants scattered around both England and Norway. It’s a great idea to have plenty of Silver on hand for emergency supplies and anything else that’s thrown your way. Thankfully, there are…
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GUIDES
Hirun Cryer Nov 9, 2020. 2 minute read
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Raids Guide – How to Start a Raid
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla features a whole lot of vikings, and these vikings really like raiding settlements around England (much to the detriment of the British). You can manually kick off raids with the help of your viking comrades in several points around England, and you’ll earn a few rewards that…
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GUIDES
Hirun Cryer Nov 9, 2020. 3 minute read
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Tips Guide – 6 Things the Game Doesn’t Tell You
You might think you’ve seen it all with the franchise by now, but even if you’re a veteran of Ubisoft’s series, there’s still new additions with Assassin’s Creed Valhalla that really shake things up. There’s a number of things that the game doesn’t tell you, and you’ll no doubt want…
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GUIDES