Amnesia Rebirth- Videogames As Art

I have a deep love for the Amnesia games as they have always represented social gaming for me. The first 3 games of the series were played with my fellow teachers and friends from the school I worked at in Kent. They proved to be genuinely unsettling and I loved the camaraderie of passing the controller and sharing in the collective anguish when it all got a bit much.

I came across Amnesia Rebirth during a PlayStation sale and bought it for less than £5. I enjoyed the game just fine but out of the Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Amnesia: Justine and Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs it was the lesser game. The graphics have obviously improved through the generations but the atmosphere and story was not as interesting as prior entries. Maybe that was more to do with the conditions I was playing it under as it wasn’t the collective scare-fest with my friends but I just found the whole thing lacking. I think I was also annoyed as I was near the end of the game and it softlocked me out so I couldn’t complete the game. I checked online and this was a common issue apparently so I had to watch a playthrough from my current point to the end of the game- this was disappointing after 4 or so hours of work.

Having said all that, the game does look amazing and the designs of the different spaces are excellent. Check out screenshots from my playthrough (up until the softlock).

Capcom Town- An Affectionate Look at 40 Years of the Videogame Company

I love Capcom. The videogame company became an indelible part of my early years when Final Fight blew me away in the arcades in the 80s. The huge sprites and colourful cast of characters was always a highlight when picking up uncles and aunties from Heathrow Airport, which had a pretty impressive arcade machine collection back in the day. When Street Fighter 2 launched five years later in 1994, it changed the videogame industry forever. Since then its been pretty much on the mark- except the Asura’s Wrath DLC which showed the ending of the game… and maybe Resi 5 and the constantly poor Resident Evil movies and (stop it!- ed.)

Okay, you get the idea; it’s a legendary company with a remarkable success rate with some of the most recognisable successful IP. To celebrate its 40 amazing years in the industry, its created Capcom Town: a place where you can explore the history of this venerable Japanese institute. It’s full of artwork, information and retro games that you can play in-browser. It’s an amazing free resources!

Ori and Cuphead Soundtracks in Concert at Game Music Festival 2022

From March 5th to 6th 2022, the Royal Festival Hall, London, will host a concert featuring the music of fan-favourites Cuphead, Ori and the Blind Forest and Ori and the Will of the Wisps. Having played 2 out of the 3 games I can definitely say that the soundtracks are awesome with Cuphead being all big band jazz and Ori being more a more meditative, lush orchestral. The big draw on the second night is a 160 piece orchestra that will play the music on the second, and final night. Tickets (available at the official site) start from £25 but obviously rise with different seating positions.

Over the course of the weekend, there will be several workshops and events about video game composing which promises to be a great experience for those interested in that field.

Unfortunately, I can’t go as I’m here in Devon, living my best life, but for those who can why not experience some of the most iconic scores of the last few years!