YouTube Obsession

One of the most underserved areas of video game coverage is that weird period of post-launch updates that games get. Games that launch in a poor state often end up in a better state down the line; Cyberpunk or No Mans Sky being the highest profile examples. Mortismal Gaming is very good at giving updates on smaller games later in in their release cycle.

This is partly because of his review style: He reviews games after 100%. After all the collecting and trophy hunting he lays out his review. Though I am not a 100%ing gamer, I respect the commitment to experience a game fully before forwarding an opinion. This also slows down his review process, he rarely does day-1 reviews. Most of his reviews are games that have released months, sometimes even years ago and I like this for a couple reasons. One, this puts his reviews away from the marketing hype that surround a game’s release day, so it at least feels more authentic. Secondly, his reviews tend to hit when the game is going on sale at a discounted price for the first time, or when I become interested in buying a game.

Lastly, I buy this dude as a dude. Despite doing this for years now, I don’t think of this guy as anything more than just a guy who likes video games. He hasn’t shown his face in any of his videos (as far as I’ve seen) so I really don’t think he is interested in developing a cult of personality like some other video game channels.

He isn’t just a reviewer, he also has quick looks, retrospectives, patch update videos.

Watching

Every atom in our bodies come from sun. So when we look at the sun, what do we see? Ourselves? God? Horror?

Danny Boyle’s 2007 hard-scifi horror/thriller Sunshine presents a future where the only hope for mankind restart a dying sun. Presented in a very “what if NASA had to go to the sun today” technological era, nothing in Sunshine feels out of reach. This grounded technology is mirrored by it’s amazing cast of (then) rising stars and veteran greats¹ , giving human performances. Boyle’s active camera, energetic cuts and unique use of effects contrast this groundedness with a surreal and awesome gravitas.

Which is exactly what this movie deserves because essentially, the movie asks a horrifyingly existential question: Could mankind give God a reason to live?

It is a movie that revels in making you feel small, but with that feeling of insignificance comes perspective. We may just be monkeys with pants and deodorants and -universally speaking- humans have barely been around for a blip on the timeline, but we are the only organisms to exist, that have ever existed, that give meaning to the universe. That despite our all too human flaws and our isolated speck of rock floating through an unimaginably empty universe, we still have hope.

Reading

A couple books I’m in the middle of that you can look forward to an update soon:

Karla’s Choice by Nick Harkaway

It opens with an introduction by Harkaway defending his take on a John Le Carre book and I really don’t think that’s necessary. First off Harkaway’s own work like Gnomon and Titanium Noir are excellent and speak for itself. Secondly, he’s Le Carre’s son, if anyone should be allowed to do this it’s Harkaway.

In Ascension by Martin MacInnes

I have had this book on hold at the library for months now and I finally got a copy! It was so long ago that I don’t even remember why I put it hold. Love a total surprise.

Listening

The band Petey USA came on to my radar back before YouTube Music Discover playlist went to shit and was actually showing me music had never heard before. Their lyrics give me major Bright Eyes vibes and I’m always in the mood for Bright Eyes. Their latest single The Milkman speaks right to my addict soul and the rhythm fires up my Irish genes.

And they also have some pretty funny shorts too

Other Notables

** I read through all the Murderbot Diaries last year and I have to say, I like how this show is looking…

1  Cillian Murphy, Michelle Yeoh, Chris Evans, Benedict Wong, Cliff Curtis, Mark Strong, Hiroyuki Sanada, Rose Byrne, etc