floox in flux

Is Bloodborne 2 More Likely If Bloodborne Comes to PC?

Grant us sequels…
Micolash, Host of the Single Installment Nightmare

Much to the chagrin of many PC gamers, Bloodborne, FromSoftware’s 2015 dive into madness and eldritch horror, has been exclusively hunting the bloody streets of the PlayStation 4 for five years. But with the recent news that PS4 exclusive Horizon: Zero Dawn may soon be releasing on Steam and Epic Games Store, the promise of dawn may not be far off for PC kin. If that’s the case, then it may be one more sign that Sony has grander plans for the future of this franchise.

Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story – Episode 3 Review, Recap, & Analysis

“If you remain weak and don’t change, you’ll continue to sacrifice someone for your own goals.”
Yachiyo Nanami

The original anime established that a lot hinges on the third episode of a Madoka Magica series. The common recommendation from evangelizing fans is that anyone giving the series a try ought to hang in there until Episode 3 to get a true feel for the show’s tone. Magia Record has opted to buck that precedent. While some maybe expected heads to roll in Episode 3 of Magia Record, it continues to offer promise for those who are still skeptical about it carrying the Madoka Magica torch. But as a result, newcomers may be confused as to why the property has such a dark reputation.

Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story – Episode 2 Review, Recap, & Analysis

An episode with highs and lows, but very little Yachiyo.

The first episode of Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story was a solid reintroduction to this magical girl universe and a deep dive into protagonist Iroha Tamaki’s subconscious, exploring her profound loneliness and longing for a person not there. Where Episode 1’s clever and subtle storytelling informed us of our main character in ways she may not have been able to express herself, the second episode opted to be less personal and more focused on side-tracking the main conflict with new characters and their accompanying drama, but not without dropping a few breadcrumbs for careful viewers.

Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story – Episode 1 Review, Recap, & Analysis

Currently in competition with the Kingdom Hearts series for longest, most convoluted installment title.

You may be familiar with the 2011 anime series, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, in which teenage girls are convinced to essentially sell their lives into magical girl servitude in exchange for a single wish granted by an extraplanetary cat-like creature named Kyubey. In case you haven’t (please, please go watch it) and this brief synopsis wasn’t sufficient, the first episode of Magia Record: Puella Magi Madoka Magica Side Story makes sure to jam that entire setup into its first three minutes. And so begins another spiral into despair.

Wattam – Review

Take the opportunity to explode alongside friends.

I’m still trudging my way through tar in Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding (and loving every minute), but I recently decided to give a little time to another new release: Wattam.

I originally fell in love with Funomena’s Wattam when I was covering PAX West in 2017. I had the opportunity to preview the game at that time, and although I didn’t get a chance to finish the demo (because a hat had fallen off of the map – a glitch, not a consequence of gameplay), I was still completely charmed by the concept and the sheer delight of the entire experience. Now that the full game is out, I’ve had the opportunity to refine my thoughts on the next title by Keita Takahashi, the creative mind behind Katamari Damacy.

The Lighthouse – The Movie Explained From One Scene

What?
What?

For my birthday, I planned to see Robert Eggers’ The Lighthouse, starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. With a toddler at home, visits to the theater aren’t all that common, so going to see a movie is a bit of a luxury. After watching the initial trailer, and as a huge fan of Eggers’ The Witch, I was initially eager for his next. When I read a preview that described it as a film “achieving depths of cerebral insanity horror rarely breached and impregnating it with a dark sense of comedic absurdity to allow viewers some semblance of sanity as the plot derails into nautical oblivion,” I was about ready to bribe the necessary parties for film festival credentials.

Death Stranding – First Impressions

Tomorrow is in your hands.
… or on your back

So far, Death Stranding has been what I expected as much as anyone’s able to expect something from Hideo Kojima. As a longtime fan of the Metal Gear Solid series, there were few ways that a game by Kojima Productions could have disappointed me, and after about 12 hours of the new developer’s debut title, I have to say that I’m excited for more.