tldr videogame curation
melbourne, australia

Company: Sony Interactive Entertainment

A loving and faithful return to Boletaria, now rendered in spectacular modern tech. It’s clear to see FROM’s approach was unrefined back then, but it’s still a fantastic, brutal, important game.

What I assumed would just be a quick tech demo of the PS5 and its new controller tech turned out to be a really creative, passionate and fun jaunt through PlayStation’s history. Really cool.

Undoubtedly gorgeous and definitely an… OK game, but very simplistic and predictable. Would have preferred more subversion of a story I feel like I’ve heard before.

A visually spectacular and bloody journey through 13th Century Japan. Complimented by great characters, passable story and, more than anything, combat so satisfying you’ll ignore its standard openworld stuff.

Harrowing and emotionally challenging, a game has never left me feeling the way I did as I stared through tears at the credits of The Last of Us Part II. This is a masterpiece I love so much, but may never play again.

An often woefully misunderstood game by way of limited playtime. A uniquely existential & at times emotional experience; frustrating and laborious by design. A metagame for people who love games and a rumination on human connection. Visually & sonically beautiful - very special game.

This would have been a thumbs down upon release. Hello Games have since weathered the storm and managed to turn this into a good game. It worries me what other studios will learn from this however.

A timeless masterpiece gets a modern, tasteful cosmetic uplift. Shadow of the Colossus is understated, beautiful, charming and inspired. It’s an adventure you’ll never forget - must play.

Nioh transcends its soulslike roots by adding successful new ideas like stances in combat and Guardian Spirits. Enemies and environments become repetitive after a while, but worth the price of entry.

Technical niggles are easy to overlook when a game is this lovingly crafted, heart-warming and - at the time - unique. An absorbing and emotional triumph from Ueda and team. Masterpiece.