Category: Video Games

[Fantasia Film Festival] Although Flawed but Fierce, Good Game Struggles to Hit Full Potential

This entertaining e-sports drama where underdogs fight for purpose, pride, and a struggling internet café’s future requires a good game where sportsmanship is key if this team is to win the respect of everyone playing, their rivals included.

Good Game Movie Poster
This movie played at the 2025 Fantasia International Film Festival on July 27th.

Just when I thought first-person shooter games couldn’t be brought convincingly to life, Dickson Leung’s Good Game proves otherwise. Rather than rely on flashy CGI, this film keeps things grounded, visualizing the action in a way that feels closer to what real gamers crave. But at its heart, Good Game isn’t just about the spectacle—it’s a heartfelt sports drama about misfits, redemption, and second chances.

The core of the story follows Solo (Will Or), a disgraced esports competitor who was ousted from his team after an in-game betrayal. He’s a gamer to the core, living and breathing the digital battlefield, but struggling to find purpose in the real world. When he wanders into an ailing internet café for a quick fix, he crosses paths with Fay (Yanny Chan) and her father Tai (Andrew Lam), who run the place. Fay sees potential in Solo, while her skeptical father remembers his infamous reputation. Continue reading “[Fantasia Film Festival] Although Flawed but Fierce, Good Game Struggles to Hit Full Potential”

Gaming Gauntlet: GRETA Bar’s YVR Identity Crisis

GRETA Bar in Vancouver offers arcade games but feels more like a sports bar than a dedicated nerd hangout, raising questions about its target audience.

Greta Bar YVR LogoTo find places to enjoy the latest arcade games has become increasingly tough with what home consoles and computers can do, but for that hangout experience, GRETA Bar delivers in that front. I would not have known about them unless they have an impressive marketing team to draw in the tourists. And when Fan Expo Vancouver helped bring awareness to this island nerd, I had to check it out! I returned recently to see how different it is when they are not hosting an event with this convention, and it has the feel of a sports bar more so than a true nerd’s hangout.

And when this franchise type operation includes Calgary, Edmonton, and Toronto, I’m sure catering to a specific type of geek is easier than figuring out who to cater to in Vancouver’s Gastown. When this city’s version of Fan Expo thought this place is appropriate for an after-party of sorts, the success may well be mixed. I have yet to see this convention settle upon a dedicated operation to run an event. When a few previous businesses they have worked with closed their doors years later, I hope that’s not a sign.

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Riding the Crazy Train With Railgods of Hysterra’s Latest Update

Although not every issue in Railgods of Hysterra has been fixed, whether or not it’s playable depends on whether enthusiasts have having a 75″ sized screen or bigger.

Railgods of Hysterra Video Game PosterBecause RailGods of Hysterra is missing one major fix, I haven’t enjoyed this cooperative survival game. That’s mostly because of the tiny text used throughout the game to identify objects, tell gamers what’s happening, etc. While I appreciate all the world-building that exists, not even after more than a month’s worth of casual play got me far. My original review can be read here. When this game is about making sure you catch the Katy, er, that sentient train and leave a mule to ride.

The latest updates (as of May 18, 2025, which appears to be the most recent significant patch noted):

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With The Upcoming Release of Missile Command Delta, Is It The Final Countdown?

Who’s ready for a change of pace? Instead of a shoot ‘em up, Missile Command Delta is a puzzle solving game.

Missile Command DeltaRelease date: July 8, 2025

Not everyone is going to be excited for the release of Missile Command Delta. This re-imaging to the classic arcade game shooter has only one thing to like, a very developed story to explain why players must save themselves (not the Earth) from cataclysmic destruction. That’s the vibe I’m getting in the latest video promoting it, as this product is now available for pre-order.

Some aspects look good, and I guess that in time, developers 13AM Games and Mighty Yell might translate this first-person perspective game into a virtual reality one. I’d be a bit more interested if that happens. Since this port was done with Kill It With Fire (review link), I’m hopeful. Whether that’s by switching from having a character on screen to navigate around or simply let the monitor be my eyes, the concept behind this game is satisfactory.

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When A Minecraft Movie Is Not All That Memorable

The big problem with A Minecraft Movie is that its various subplots don’t all come together nicely. Although Jack Black is entertaining in a musical sense, we’ve seen that character profile before.

A Minecraft Movie PosterI never fully understood the Minecraft craze, and after watching the movie loosely based on what the sandbox video game is about, I can say it certainly honours the spirit of creativity, building and … last-minute, isn’t this concept LEGO? The similarities between A Minecraft Movie to the storylines from Ninjago and A Lego Movie are blatant. This Dutch toy also introduced skeletons as one of the basic “enemies” and in Mojang Studio’s product, they’re also here too!

When this electronic game never had a properly defined mythos during its initial launch, I didn’t play for long. Other than creating random items for no purpose at all, I wondered when elements from Doom or Unreal Tournament would get incorporated. Thankfully, this cinematic treatment is quick to define all that because without a solid threat to face, and understanding the foundation this Swedish product developed from, not everyone will be interested in this film.

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The Crunchyroll Game Vault Now Has 50 Exclusive Titles! And At the End of the Year, Manga Will Be Added Too!

For those folks who have not subscribed to this streaming service, the higher service tiers give folks access to the Crunchyroll Game Vault!

Crunchyroll Game VaultWhen the Crunchyroll brand focuses on something other than its streaming service, the mobile gaming division may remain relatively unknown. Only those who have joined at the highest service level (Mega or Ultimate Fan) will know the Crunchyroll Game Vault. And for those folks not up to date, this company will launch a digital manga service later this year!

And with 50 games to try out, it may be time to check out what they got. While I’m not expecting to find the elusive Wild Arms: Million Memories, hopefully some distributor will consider it!

From the Press Release:

“Since launching Crunchyroll Game Vault in November 2023, we worked diligently to build a library that is quickly reaching an estimated 500 hours of immersive gameplay hours. This, paired with more than 25,000 of anime available to stream now on Crunchyroll, allows for endless adventuring,” said Terry Li, Executive Vice President of Emerging Business, Crunchyroll & General Manager of Crunchyroll Games.

Continue reading “The Crunchyroll Game Vault Now Has 50 Exclusive Titles! And At the End of the Year, Manga Will Be Added Too!”