The good, the bad and the ugly of the week – 08 March 2019

Live from my kitchen! It’s Critical Hit Live! Starring that carton of milk that should have been thrown out last week, the sentient mold on the bread that is plotting my demise and a sink full of dishes that really need to be washed already!

Best story

I’m still hyped for Media Molecule and their Dreams game, primarily because the gaming scene has seen too few games focused solely on creation. Maybe it’s the artist in me talking, but this idea for an actual game engine being released into the hands of fans and then giving them a creative license to run free, fills me with hope.

Many of us want to be game creators. Many of us simply lack the training or the skill to realise our own ambitions. But seeing games like this, focus on the art of creation and encourage players to construct grand designs? Now that’s something special.

Worst story

While the main story may have been on Valve’s inability to properly police its own storefront, the very idea of a game that was looking to court controversy with a format that would own teh cuckz for teh lulz just doesn’t sit well with me. Rape is awful, rape is one of the most disgusting crimes imaginable and seeing that very concept realised in a game called Rape Day was just…that’s just not right.

An adult visual novel that would allow players to “verbally harass, kill, and rape women as you choose to progress the story,” Rape Day was courting controversy and discussion, and it certainly achieved a level of infamy before Valve finally stepped in and put the kibosh on that game. However you want to argue Steam’s approach and response to Rape Day, it’s just good to see that such a game won’t be making cash on the largest digital distribution platform around.

WTF story

Oh Anthem, is there anything that you cannot stuff up? If you ever needed more proof that Bioware’s latest game was a blunder that was rushed to the market, then this week had two particularly stupid stories: First up, there were reports that Anthem was actually crashing and soft-bricking PlayStation 4 consoles, with Bioware and EA scrambling to find a fix.

Those problems extended into the actual endgame of Anthem as well, as some digging revealed that the primary drive behind the game, the quest to get stronger and more mathematical with your new Masterwork weapons that you fought tooth and nail for, were kind of…useless. Is this the straw that breaks the back of Bioware? I certainly hope not, but Anthem may just be the biggest disappointment of 2019, and we’re only a quarter of the way into the year so far.

Comment of the week

This one actually goes to the OG Lazygamer himself, Gavin! Believe it or not, online blogging isn’t exactly lucrative, especially in an age where people will fight tooth and nail to have content for free by using software such as Adblocker. Truth be told, the gang here loves writing about video games, movies and assorted pop culture, but we also need to make money to survive long enough to produce said content. A problem that Gav highlighted in a post about cryptocurrencies:

Reader: I want to read things that entertain me
Website: Cool, just pay $1 a day for the pleasure
Reader: Oh hell no,
Website: Erm, okay how about we put some adverts here for you to look at
Reader: Absolutely not
Website: Hmm, we could do sponsored posts?
Reader: You’re just selling out now
Website: Okay fine, we’ll put some javascript in that will make your PC do a bit of work, we won’t track you and it won’t stop your ability to read the article
Reader: Are you crazy, you can’t just use my computer like that to make money, it’s immoral
Website:…. FINE, read the damn article then
Reader: Man the quality of journalism has dropped over the last decade, these people should get their shit in order else I’m taking my eyeballs elsewhere

Honestly, I love spending seven days a week creating content for all of you, but if you could maybe disable your adblocker for ol’ Critical Hit, that would be kind of rad and I wouldn’t have to eat cardboard for supper. Thanks fellas.

Header image of the week

Yes your Honour, it’s true. That console has no disc….drive.

Question of the day

The header image kind of has me thinking: Would Ghostbusters have been a much shorter film if it wasn’t for Venkman being a complete dick towards Walter Peck? Like just think about it for a second. Peck has legitimate concerns regarding the Ghostbusters, as they’re genuinely running around New York with nuclear backpacks that could take the city with them. They’re useful, but they’re also reckless.

In comes Peck, polite as can be and heckled from the beginning by Venkman who has no actual reason to be such a massive tool to a city official who is acting as professionally as can be. A little bit of courtesy from Venkman could have gone a long way to legitimising the Ghostbusters in the eyes of City Hall. Instead, chaos erupted and Peck got buried in a Marshmallow bukkake.

Critical Hit original recipe content

Fujifilm Instapix SQ6 Review – It’s hipster be square
Driftland: The Magic Revival is a deep but gentle slice of fantasy strategy
Captain Marvel review – Marvel’s first female superhero movie will leave you smiling but lacks punch
Captain Marvel second opinion review – Brie Larson blasts off in this fun cosmic caper
Devil May Cry 5 Review – Dante’s Peak
Weekend box office – Overperforming Madea narrowly loses to dragons
New on Netflix: March 2019

Bonus DVD content

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Critical Hit as an organisation.

Last Updated: March 8, 2019