isomeri

I can't hold Russian developers accountable for the actions of the Russian government, especially in the current situation where criticism towards the government is outlawed.

Overall the content of a game matters more to me than the ties their developer might have. Microsoft have direct ties with the US military and Tencent have obvious ties to the Chinese government, but that hasn't stopped me from playing Forza or PUBG. With Call of Duty I have moral objections to both the content of the games and the actions of the developer, but I've still continued to play those games so I guess my flesh is weak.

The story and themes of Atomic Heart are still quite vague to me so it's hard to make a judgement before reviews roll in.

It's unlikely we'll get any concrete performance upgrades in the next couple of years. Some new designs with iterative upgrades like more storage, and more importantly cheaper unit costs, could be viable however.

I wish all the best for Jason and Jess in the future. Two extremely talented people who should be golden hires for any organization.

As for the future of Giant Bomb, <>.

Stalker 2, Forza Motorsport and Atomic Heart. I'd like to say Alan Wake 2, but I doubt we'll see that game this year.

Max Payne 2, SSX 3, KOTOR, Jedi Academy, C&C Generals, SimCity 4 and Rise of Nations were all great games. Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge was not only a good game but it coincided with the release of Xbox Live in Europe and the dawn of online gaming on consoles as we know it today. EyeToy: Play was another interesting technology showcase. I'm also a bit of an apologist for Enter the Matrix, Brute Force and Unreal 2. And the release of Big Rigs was infamously memorable.

Tukdam (3/5)

A documentary on the phenomena of tukdam where the bodies of experienced Buddhist monks show signs of vitality days after death. The film balances the views of the religious advocates and scientists researching the subject rather well. Some unfortunate repetition in parts though and could have benefited from some further editing.

Druk [Another Round] (4/5)

Perhaps my favorite Mads Mikkelsen performance of all time. The film gives a frighteningly objective and fearless view on the use of alcohol and the multitude of characters and stories interwoven throughout are captivating. I'll definitely consider adding this to my Blu-Ray collection.

1. Pentiment
2. Tinykin

Here's a few quick ones from recent weeks. Probably forgot a few.

It Came from Outer Space (3/5)

Surprisingly modern in pacing and storytelling for a 70-year old film. Visual effects which in some parts remain impressive to this day and a fun twist on the usual Red Menace storyline. Unlucky that the 3D projector had broken in my local cinema so we had to settle for a 2D copy.

Das Boot (4/5)

It had been a full decade since I watched this and I now found myself spotting further details and underlying themes. Remains an ironclad classic. My favorite scene remains the party sequence in the beginning.

The Imitation Game (3/5)

An Alan Turing biography which in most parts successfully balances the audience appetites for drama with deeper historical details. I was surprised at how well the ending pulled at my emotions.

Bad Black (4/5)

My first full experience of a Wakaliwood production outside of a few YouTube clips. I haven't experienced such raucous and full-bodied laughter from an audience in months. I also haven't been this entertained in a long time. A great example of the pure joy of movie making and absolutely on my list of future disc purchases.

Deadfall (2/5)

Quite a terrible movie, which is just about saved with a batshit Nicolas Cage performance and an overall unnatural vibe. Not a good movie at all, but one of those I can't stop thinking about and would actually like to watch again.

All Quiet on the Western Front (3/5)

Mud, blood and rats. An appropriately grueling depiction of World War 1 with some impressive cinematography.

Blade Runner (4/5)

A rewatch of this classic really cemented my views of it. Amazing atmosphere, visual effects and world design with some pacing issues that none of the edits have managed to fully resolve for me.

Blade Runner 2049 (3/5)

If you have a new 4K TV and want to show it off, put this movie on. The last third of this movie is still a letdown and I honestly think that it could have been a more interesting film without the resuscitation of Rick Deckard. Still visually fantastic and fully entertaining.

Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses (3/5)

A sequel to Leningrad Cowboys Go America which I actually ended up enjoying more than the original. By far the best version of Kili Watch ever recorded.

Dr. Strangelove (5/5)

I probably re-watch this once a year and it continues to be one of my all-time favorite movies. Themes and topics which unfortunately are now as current as they were 60 years ago.

Children of Men (4/5)

I'd somehow not watched this since my late teens and oh boy if it doesn't hit differently after some life experience. A beautifully filmed gut punch which left me feeling hollow in the best of ways.

Shoplifters (3/5)

Great acting and a nicely constructed story about family ties and love. Some of the character stories could have had more space to breathe and the ending felt abrupt in an unintentional way.

Varjoja paratiisissa [Shadows in Paradise] (3/5)

Not my favorite Kaurismäki movie, but it's nice and short so I'm never opposed to a rewatch when someone suggests it. Unusually easygoing compared to the other films in the Proletariat Trilogy.

I've mostly stopped interacting with the site or its content outside of visiting these forums. I'm glad that the new crew seems to be pushing out content and doing their own thing, but like @shindig said earlier, I have a very thin grasp of who the core GB crew is supposed to be these days and what sort of things this site is about. There's a still a lot of great stuff on the site and I think that the likes of Jan, Jess and Grubb are doing great work.

But the unfortunate truth is that I have let my premium subscription lapse for the first time since it's conception, I've stopped listening to the podcasts for the first time since the first HotSpot and I don't remember the last video I watched here.

Giant Bomb was the best thing on the internet for a very long time and it's an absolute fluke that the magic lasted for as long as it did.

I won't say that Kojima is the best game director out there, but like @cornfed40 said, he has a very distinct vision which is always visible in his projects. I might say the same thing about Keita Takahasi and Tetsuya Mizuguchi.