Empires and The Dancing Mad | KRITIQAL Final Fantasy VI and IX approach Japan’s history of conflict from a close frame of reference, at once presenting devastating images of domestic trauma while undercutting their anti-war themes with pul...

And finally, Empires and The Dancing Mad (+10 if you get the reference), about the questionable politics of accountability in war that Final Fantasy, as a franchise, kind of circumvents.

#freelance #gamescriticism #gamescrit #gamesjournalism #FinalFantasy

kritiqal.com/articles/fin...

Terraforming Oddworld | KRITIQAL Over its decades of development and numerous games, Oddworld’s characters and politics have shifted on an almost game-by-game basis leading to a series that is both tonally discordant and consistent i...

My second ever piece, Terraforming Oddworld, about the absolute hotch-potch of political statements the Oddworld franchise has made over its many years and remakes.

#freelance #freelancegamescriticism #gamescrit #gamescriticism #gamesjournalism #Oddworld

kritiqal.com/articles/ter...

Legacy of Gay-n | KRITIQAL Amidst the complex story spanning multiple time periods, interrogations on the nature of power, and musings on immortal morality, another theme emerges from the Legacy of Kain’s proximity to gothic an...

And here's my first ever properly pitched and published article, about Legacy of Kain, Gothic sensibilities and the inherent queerness of vampires.

#freelance #freelancegamescriticism #freelancegamescrit #gamescriticism #gamesjournalism #legacyofkain

kritiqal.com/articles/leg...

Looking for Nuance in all the Wrong Places Let’s talk about Warhammer 40k Spacemarine 2. And by that, I mean let’s talk about nuance, difference of opinion, and about stoking outrage for the sake of clicks.

Tiktok continues to be equal parts fascinating and terrifying. #warhammer40k #spacemarine2 #tiktok #gamescriticism

Why did they make gamer Spider-Man love cops? Doing the work of the police isn't uncommon in video games. But what does it mean for the player to be made complicit?

i've been thinking about the role of police in video games... new BRAIN WORMS where i talk about Spider-Man and open-world design theory #gamescriticism