A massive howdy folks! Can you believe it, we're into year 2 of this here silly videogames newsletter. A very big thanks to all of you reading, and if you've just signed up; welcome, I hope you like bad puns! To kick off Checkpoint Year 2 we gave the mail design a refresh but you still get all the good stuff you've signed up for! At the top, our pick of good articles, videos and bits we recommend you check out, Sam has been playing three lovely games he's gonna sell you on, and we have another incredible guest who has been kind enough to share some thoughts on what they've been enjoying lately! Alright you ready? Letsa go!
First off, let's share these very important links again: The Bail Project, Black Trans Protestors Emergency Fund and more Ways You Can Help. Please donate if you can. Things continue to be bad out there, and the games industry is absolutely no exception with sexual harassment allegations across multiple institutions, including the horrifying and deep-rooted issues over at Ubisoft.
Marina Kittaka was inspired by the latest wave of survivors sharing their stories to reflect on the problems of the video games industry and imagine a path forward.
Kim Belair on this all to familar, and exhausting, cycle.
Despite the unignorable actions of disgusting, entitled individuals who sit undeservedly in their “important” chairs at big boring studios and who’s days of getting away with this shit are fucking numbered… good stuff by good people, smart writing and interesting stories, will always be happening in video games. We’ve highlighted a couple pieces, and recommended some fantastic games, below.
Two excellent pieces over at No Escape: Why Should We Reconnect America?and Searching for maturity in video games. Read these, sign up for the No Escape newsletter and go support the Patreon!
HeavyEyed asks "Hey do you know about the PlayStation War?".
The briljant Dia Lacina digs up the very best in video game soundtracks, from summer jams to Samurai game bops and a well needed spotlight on black videogame composers. Plus an appearance on No Cartridge 163.
More podcastin' from Austin Walker who joined Jeff Green on the inaugural episode of the USG's brand new Branching Narratives. It is never not a pleasure to listen to Austin talk and it’s especially fascinating to hear about his past, and why/how he got to where he is now.
The sweet story of an unintentionally patient, and infinitely generous, alien in No Man’s Sky.
Funké Joseph on the rebellious history, vibrant self-expression and ever important attitude of cult classic Jet Set Radio.
Runnable in browser, Under A Star Called Sun is a stunning short story about memory and the weight of grief by by Cecile Richard. So good!
If Found
Dreamfeel
iOS / PC / macOS
If Found is an achingly beautiful interactive narrative experience set in 90s rural Ireland. It’s tempting to call it a coming of age story, but honestly Kasio, the character who’s story we follow, is very much... figured out. They know who they are, so defiantly certain in it, and it’s the most inspired I’ve ever been by a fictional character (though the game is heavily inspired by the real world experience of studio director Llaura McGee). Two stories; one tough, sweet, unapologetic, the other vibrant, unbelievable, dipping in and out of each others orbits but ultimately held together by the fantastic, frighteningly-real writing. Deftly, knowingly illustrated by Liadh Young, and with a staggeringly moving, unforgettable soundtrack by 2 Mello and Eli Rainsberry (seriously, theres a couple tracks on here I’m actually scared of re-listening to due to just how... much they make me feel).. I honestly believe everybody should play this. Experience this, and learn and grow from it. You won’t be able to help it, honestly. — S
RIYL — Feeling homesick in a sweet way.
ALSO ... An inspiring interview with Llaura McGee, on Dreamfeel & If Found.
Lonely Mountains Downhill
Megadon Industries
Switch / PS4 / XONE / PC / macOS
It made sense to me, with everything being so indoors now, to finally buy the cool looking mountain biking game. An opportunity to take a breath, relax in some pretty low-poly sunset bokeh and simulated bird song. To take it easy, and dream of the next time I can overpay for somekind of niche person-powered vehicle inside of nature somewere and be bad on it. What I didn’t expect to be confronted with was the awakening of some hyper-competitive, perfectionist part of me (which was apparently totally content lying dormant through countless sports days) vying to get the best score possible on every available route. Each attempt you take down each mountain (there are a bunch, with a bunch of varying paths) is timed, and every time you send your lil’ cyclist careening over the handlebars is counted. It’s the closest I’ve ever felt to speedrunning something; optimising every micro-movement, when and where to quit pedalling, which cliffs you can survive the fall from... It’s a mountain range full of steep little challenges and the accomplishments that follow them, and it’ll give your brain’s dried out reward-centre a well needed work out. — S
RIYL — Playing Trials on Miniclip with your friends in the library after school.
ALSO ... Watch speedrunner hhEnso absolutely shred shit and turn mountains into gravel.
Golf On Mars
Captain Games
PC / macOS / iOS / Android
Super Mario, the game, is very, very good. 90% of why it’s good ‘cos Mario goes where the buttons tell him. It feels nice to make the man jump on the bricks. The jumps feel good! In Golf on Mars, the sequel to (2014’s GOTY) Desert Golfing, the ball feels good. Screen after screen, hole after hole the ball feels good. It arcs the way you think it should, it rolls right* and it stops rolling right. It’s a game with one** mechanic and it absolutely nails it. The perfect waiting for the kettle to boil app, after you’ve cancelled your NYT Crossword subscription. — S
* Which now, in honestly one of the biggest surprises of my year so far, doesn’t include hitting the edge of the screen. What the fuck.
** Maybe. Spoilers
RIYL — The ball going where you think it should.
ALSO ... Actually gonna share the trailer for this one. It’s neat, short. This game rules.
Guest Reccs
This month! Jet Set Radio superfan 2 Mello, the heart and soul behind some of the greatest recent video game music in recent history (including If Found, Later Alligator, that alto sax solo in that Celeste B-side remix) shares what he’s been playing recently/some space station design gripes.
I've been mostly playing older games I already own this year and taking it slow, and recently I took the time to finally mark a classic off my list — System Shock 2. The impeccable level design, constantly active gameplay loops and (though both graphics and sound are dated) immersive horror environment were perfect to allow me to forget about everything for a while. I never got tired of scavenging every new area for all it could give me and walking into new tense situations. I actually found this early example of games' often comical "environmental storytelling", complete with voice-acted audio logs, to be more effective than higher-fidelity terrors that have come out much more recently.
Speaking of much more recent games, I followed System Shock 2 up with Prey(2017) and though the gameplay was wonderful, I really disliked the layout of the space station Talos 1. System Shock 2's Von Braun ship was designed in beautiful harmony with the games' progression, assuring that you would never have to backtrack too much or zip around between areas endlessly. Talos 1 seems to know it's badly laid out and gives you a main elevator, access tunnel and exterior to get around with, but every option is both overwhelming and not convenient enough. Of course, it didn't help that Talos 1 also has tons of sidequests to encourage returning to areas, while System Shock 2 is completely focused on one main objective at a time. If you're into immersive sim games and sci-fi horror, System Shock 2 absolutely still has what it takes.
Find 2 Mello on Twitter, get all the cool albums from Bandcamp, and consider donating on Patreon! It’s worth following 2 on Twitter solely for the clips from his forthcoming album. So do!
Hey folks, Sam from the mailer you just read here. Hope everyone’s doing as okay as they can, given the current circumstances. I’ve been playing a lot of Destiny 2 recently (same — J). And watching a lot of 45min+ about the lore, the world, the backstory of certain areas, why this sword is called that, the reason that helmet I found had a robot eye in the back of it.... It’s a whole other world, a couple of them, and it turns out that’s what it takes to block out our one for an hour or two. Obviously, as I’ve mentioned here before, we can’t ignore or forget what’s going on around us. But you gotta take breaks, proper ones. Not scrolling through Twitter in between fast-travels. Take an hour or two every couple days, sit yourself down at your desk or on your beanbag-with-speakers and really sink into something. Take the time to read item descriptions, take in the scenery, hear the sounds your avatars footsteps make. Let yourself be properly somewhere else for a bit.