I’ve started Black Mesa but haven’t finished it yet. What I’ve played has been fucking impressive.

Valve is sort of the best at what I’m asking about—all of their games have the greatest touches that make the settings feel like existing locations you’ve walked into. It’s what makes me wish they published more.

The insane detail that goes into aging Aperture throughout the second half of Portal 2, the way it starts in the 40s or 50s at the very bottom and has a distinct “era” for each level as you get closer to the surface, including Cave’s progressing illness . . . it’s such good storytelling, and it’s literally just window dressing for the already-great main plot.

Fool—the scroll wheel is a scalpel; the scrollbar is a broadsword. Use the right tool for the job.

My impression is that Sega’s always been pretty chill & receptive to interest in respectful revivals of classic IP.

It’s been nice to watch a large company respond to that interest with more accessibility, and not less (Nintendo).

We’re conditioned to invest, both financially and emotionally, not only in what a game is right now, but what it will be in a year. We cling to roadmaps like lifeboats and wield Reddit threads as weapons of sentiment for or against the developers we’ve hitched our wagons to. It’s a fuzzy parasocial relationship that only gets less healthy the more money is wrapped up in it. I’m sick of games that glare at me with dollar signs in their eyes from the moment I press play.

This review heated up fast

I know he probably just travels everywhere with like three suits ready to go, but I dig that it looks like he’s just caught several fish here.