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tarasharmashow · 3 years

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A v Happy New Year blog post and some ponderings on getting to know ourselves & our own priorities and paths & not comparing & competing in races that may not be ours’..Chill Be Happy & Each to their Own Do write in with any comments & apologies for the ramble haaha

Most often I spend about 3 months saying #HappyNewYear and then another few months questioning how is it already so many months in! In an attempt to keep wishes time sensitive and relevant I’m writing this post. Good health for us all forever and being humble, good, happy, empathetic, kind and successful people touch wood:) continue to be a line up of wishes. The list goes on, but I am trying to keep this brief as if you have been following my blog for the last 10 years or so of it’s existence you will know consistency is kinda my middle name and there is perhaps little difference in the values I hold dear and the wishes each year.

Now that that’s out the way, how are you? How has the extended lockdown treated you or rather how have you adjusted to it? Not sure how one comments on here but if you figure it out please do write in. Never sure if there are readers on here or if this is an exercise of thinking aloud and writing to oneself haaha. Either way it is therapeutic.

We are fine touch wood:). I assume you would have asked a question warranting that response if we were conversing face to face, hence I took the liberty of replying un prompted. Our new normal, as everyone describes it, has made virtual conversations the norm and going a step further anticipating the flow of a chat seems plausible.

I say this often on my lives, so if you follow those, apologies for the repetition, but for those who haven’t heard my mantra, here goes. Deep prayers and thoughts for those who have been directly affected by #covid. We all hope it goes and the good parts of normal resume touch wood:). But I also do see the silver linings that this time has brought for many. Bonding with family, reassessing priorities, focusing on things that really matter, appreciating nature, to name a few. With that comes often subconscious frustrations and perhaps some angst at what sometimes feels like a pausing of time.

I for one, feel grateful for a lot. And almost in parallel I sometimes feel useless. Almost like a pendulum I find myself often oscillating between feeling great contentment and thankfulness for us all being healthy and together as a family and having created work, that enables us to work from home and earn and be with each other touch wood:), and then almost like Jekyll and Hyde emotions switch to self doubt and questioning if I shouldn’t be out acting more and doing bigger work things and earning more etc etc etc. Comparing myself to colleagues or random strangers that social media shows me. Once the wave of doubt flows, almost instantly I reprimand my mind for being so ridiculous and self pitying and I swing back to optimism, positivity and a few #YogaWithTara sessions, to re group and get back to my trademark optimistic self. Do not compare yourself to anyone else. Each to their own. Success and priorities are different for different people. Having a loving family and us all being together, healthy and happy with a good dose of work ambition to earn enough to be happy and comfortable and help those we are able to touch wood:), are values my rational side reminds me, are most important to me. Not climbing a comparative ladder whether in entertainment or business, but being aware that each of our paths are different and unique. And being happy, grateful and content in that awareness.

All the lives I do have perhaps made me more of a philosopher than I already was. Ponderer rather. As most of those are in the visual medium where I have the ability to interact real time with viewer comments rolling in, often helping me shape my often dichotomous thoughts. Apologies if translating those conversations to the written word, have turned this into a bit of a ramble, but I do find tremendous joy in writing, even if sporadically, and not very well.

Thank you. I have been helped greatly in lockdown and always, by my social media audiences. Whether reading this or not, whether listening or not, whether appreciative of my content, or not, you all have often given me the platform that back in the day, a person like me, may not have had. I am not a big shot actress and not a big corporate person, but a sort of mix of actor, entrepreneur, a devoted Mum, creator, yogi, fitness enthusiast, ponderer and more, trying to create and find ways to work and earn and stay relevant while being with my family. Your kind words and encouragement along the way, have always helped me, so thank you. And know that you are all super special in your own way. And your unique paths are just as important as anyone else’s.

I have been grateful to have received an offer to act in something and this post was sort of triggered by the games my mind was playing in trying to make the decision about how to respond to the potential offer. Would I be okay filming for 12 hours a day, away from home, although fortunately this one would be in the same city. With Covid cases much lower and hopefully covid on it’s way out and us all fine forever touch wood:), but still a need to stay safe, would I be ok going to a set with lots of people each day? If the money is good, is it worth sucking it up and doing it? I want to act more but the luxury of creating and co producing my own show for the last decade and working on my own terms creating what I like to believe is quality content which may not have a huge mass audience but does seem to have a loyal, engaged high quality one that respects the quality of our content #TheTaraSharmaShow and more. Is it time to create Season 6? Hunt and pitch to sponsors and try and woo more inspiring guests? It is hard to make it, as any good work often is. Or should I create that new fiction show I have been writing? Should I push myself and give myself the boost of confidence that has perhaps been holding me back?

Sorry to be thinking aloud. Other parents out there probably have similarly divergent thoughts.. Cliched as it sounds, balancing it all is often not just hard but a lesson in learning who you are and what our priorities really are. I think for me creating work around my family was perhaps the main inspiration of my starting my show all that time ago, and yes unless an amazing role in an amazing film or show, perhaps I am actually content with the pace of work I have. Jobs come and go. Money and practicality are no doubt important, but the metric of valuing what matters most is often intangible, and only you know what that is for yourself. So I guess this post is about wishing us all and also saying chill, don’t stress, know yourself, do what’s right for you and your family and don’t compete in a race that’s not one you want to be in, but question, ask, ponder and create or choose your own path!

Have a super day all and stay safe. Tarataratara!!

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colourupuniforms · 4 years

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4 best dance schools in Sydney

There is no greater form of individual expression than through dance. Whether you need important wedding dance lessons for your big day or just want to rip up the dance floor on a casual weekend, learning to move your body to music is simply a great way to have fun, learn and get some exercise all at the same time.

Needless to say though that not everyone out there is born to move it like Jagger. Perhaps you are a tad uncoordinated, lack the confidence to execute properly or just unsure about how to partake, it can really help the situation to get a bit of advice from a professional before venturing forward with your unique maneuvers.

This leads us nicely to an industry that is one the rise, both internationally and domestically. Dance studios do have quite the overlap with two different and distinct fields – entertainment/the arts and gyms/yoga studios.

The balance between fun, expression and fitness is not lost on those that join in with a friendly and open dance studio, making it a more enjoyable pastime than lifting weights or running on a treadmill; or the pressure that comes with performing in front of an audience.

Many looking in from the outside might know of one or two alternative styles of dance, but the array of options is almost limitless. Deriding from a variety of cultures all across the globe, modern dance studios can teach you everything from:

Mambo

Rumba

Salsa

Zumba

Cha Cha

Ballet

Flamenco

Blues

Jazz

Waltz

Folk Dance

Tango

Breakdancing

Krumping

Twerking

Grinding

Whatever your personal taste or necessity, there will be a dance studio out there for you to cater to this need. For any Sydney locals who are on the search for an open environment that teaches groups and individuals how to get the most out of their dancing moves, check out the following four locations.

Care To Dance

Situated in the heart of Sydney’s Inner West, Care To Dance is the invitation you will have been searching for. Open to appointments and only closed on Sunday, this enterprise is considered an elite boutique dance school that places a priority on a personalised teaching experience.

The majority of visitors usually arrive from one of two different scenarios – either among a social group wanting to bond and socialise over a dance activity, or individual students who will often have an event coming up like a wedding or performance of some description.

Classes and sessions are held for parties from both disciplines, yet Care To Dance will specialise in the following styles:

Ballroom

Disco

Rumba

Tango

Salsa

Waltz

The organisation seeks to give people an added move to their repertoire, allowing them to dance with confidence rather than watching others enjoy all the fun when the music starts.

If their own press does not exactly convince you that Care To Dance is the place to be to receive these helpful tips, then take it from those who have experienced it for themselves.

The glowing 5-star reviews illustrate how well instructors Alexia and Christian go about their work, catering to amateurs that require a great deal of patience, or those that are wanting to fast track their education.

Giving customers a cup of tea or coffee while they wait or have a much warranted break from the slick movement on show, everyone from their late teens to late 70s or 80s have championed the wonderful atmosphere that doesn’t lecture or preach to newcomers.

Issuing 5 stars at Big Review TV, Celeste Poulton has been blown away by her time with the studio:

“My fiancé and I started taking lessons here to build our dancing confidence and have fun together,” she wrote. “We are having the best time! After two lessons we already have so many more steps to use than I thought I’d ever remember. It is so much fun.”

Kylie Davis echoes those sentiments, arguing that the techniques given to the students makes the process all more easy, even without you realising it at the time.

“We love our lessons at Care To Dance. Christian is a great instructor and they have their program really well thought through that breaks down the different dances into segments.”

L.I.K.E. Dance

For those that take their dance a little more seriously than just a hobby or for a one-off event, then L.I.K.E. Dance at St Leonards would be a better option.

Having recently been handed the 2017 Studio of Excellence award at the Rainbow Dance competition, this studio is considered one of the greatest breeding grounds in Sydney for children and adults who are keen on developing their choreography and articulating dance through a mode of storytelling.

Open to studio rental for people or parties that would like the space for their own dancing ventures, L.I.K.E. Dance offers a first up free dance class for newcomers and even performers for hire for those wanting professionals on hand at an event.

This incentive to draw people in clearly works, as their program is open to all manners of styles and disciplines of the craft:

Children classes between 3 and a half years old to 17

Adult classes that range from technical to hip-hop, jazz, modern and contemporary styles

Acrobatics classes

Classical ballet

Competition groups

Wedding Dance

Private classes

The team led by creative director Elena don’t just see dance as a happy past time, but a mode of expression that demonstrates character and emotion. Her team is complimented by some of the most gifted and certified dance teachers in the city, including acrobatics coaches Jackson, Josephina, Lana and choreographer Katerina.

Fees will vary depending on the nature of the class you have selected, but they do offer one month of free classes under the following conditions:

Bring a friend along for an introductory class before they enroll in at least two classes per week, under the explicit understanding that they were introduced by yourself

Spotted only 10 minutes walk from St. Leonards train station, this spacious surround between the Small, Medium and Large Halls are kitted with air conditioning, mats, bars, mirrors and sound equipment to ensure the acoustics elevate the dancing experience.

Dance Central

With a proud history that dates back to 2002, Dance Central is a thriving hub of activity with a legion of great teachers.

From new age styles to the old classical dances, professionals from B Boy Red to Dan Hu, Jean Chritz, Kate Turner Mann, Rosie Cicchitti, Crystal, Yannick, Sam Woods and many more can cater to a variety of cultures and interpretations.

The challenge with Dance Central is not trying to find a dance that suits your needs, but sifting through the sheer weight of options on hand. Essentially every dance genre possible is on the table, including sub-genres that delve into the techniques and meanings behind the movements.

Take any number of these dances as a study, either individually or as a group:

Burlesque

Afro Fusion

Break Dance

High Heels

Jazz

Samba Reggae

Tap

Modern Tango

Hip Hop Beginner/Street Funk

Belly Dancing

French Cancan

Club/Party Dance

Musical Theatre

Jamaican Dancehall

Hawaiian Hula

Contemporary

The studio happens to be an open venue ready to hire for private events, inclusive of Hen’s parties. Dance Central hosts the annual Tour De Dance to showcase their array of talented performers, kicking off in October to put on a show complete with Brazilian Samba, Hip Hop, Burlesque and much more!

Brand new workshops are being developed consistently, such as Loren Robinson’s “Filthy” Hip Hop workshop in recognition of Justin Timberlake’s new album. These workshops are a great method of expressing the teacher’s creativity with new material, something that you will not find across many studios in Sydney.

To sign up to one of these programs, you must have been pre-paid and pre-signed, yet Dance Central is an environment that welcomes first timers to Surry Hills. Recommended to attend at least 5-10 minutes before an open class begins, no bookings are required to get involved.

Crossover Dance

The XO Crossover Dance Studio situated in Sydney is the city’s premiere location for all things dance. Performers from all over the country have congregated to this center to learn, educate and showcase their skills on the dance floor.

There are a number of features that illustrates why this enterprise is on the cutting edge of the industry. For starters, there is an online Crossover App available on Google Play and the App Store for regulars and occasional visitors. This allows a 10-Class Pass for a cut down price of $150 (until April) and is designed around ease of use and speed of access.

Class registration is accelerated through the app and bookings can be made instantaneously. Each consumer who switches their 10-Class Pass onto the app also scores free water.

This modern dance facility is home to variety of dance styles:

XO KPOP

Breaking

Street Dance

House

Popping

LA Style (Urban)

Locking

Hip Hop

Catering different groups of instructors to these respective disciplines, Crossover provides specialty wedding classes that involve the salsa, waltz and various street interpretations for the couple’s big day.

The Asian influence runs throughout the studio, taking inspiration from the culture of the southeast region. Each and every instructor brings their unique interpretation and experience to the center.

As the owner and director of Crossover Dance Studio, Jaye Sutanto is considered one of the true pioneers of Kpop dance in the Western world.

That background translates to the team of teachers and artists he has personally assembled, bringing aboard forward thinking and bold dancers who strive to push the boundaries and discover something new about the industry.

The central objective that Jaye embodies is to provide a studio that is fun and interactive where Sydney locals and outsiders can get involved. His personal profile has amplified after various segments on Google and SBS PopAsia, providing the groundwork to feature at The Sydney Opera House and Sydney Town Hall respectively.

Modern music is a common thread that also happens to run through the studio. From Kpop to Jazz, R&B and House music, this is an ideal environment for teens, 20 and 30-somethings to really tap into their love for music and dance. Although it must be noted that this is not an ageist policy – open to people of any generation.

The location is ideal for commuters traveling by foot, bus or train just minutes away from Central and Town Hall stations.

Once you feel confident in your dancing ability, it’s time to enjoy yourself and reap the rewards of all of your hours of practice! Invite your family or friends out to a dance class, party, bar, or club. Alternatively, you can invite them over to your home for an informal night of dancing and fun.

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Reference:

https://bestinau.com.au/best-dance-studios-sydney/

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willandandy · 7 years

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Fleet Foxes- Crack Up

Fleet Foxes – Crack Up:

Hello my name is Will Stubbs and I love music. I feel that music is the best medium for creativity, and the best standard of communication on earth. People can explore new ideas and emotions with the help of music. I am here to talk about music that interests me and maybe start a great conversation. Thanks for reading and remember to love music forever.

“Music is a higher revelation than all wisdom and philosophy” – Ludwig van Beethoven

Fleet foxes are an indie/folk band from Seattle, Washington where they gained serious prominence from their self-titled album. This band is one of my personal favorites out of the whole indie/folk music wave. I think they have more aesthetic than a band such as Bon Iver or Bonnie Prince Billie. I know this band gets a lot of criticism for their comparisons to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. I understand, but I think that they are unique enough and good enough to warrant a listen. I love every project I have heard by this band and would like to talk about this one.

When I listen to a band that I like, I try to be as impartial as possible and judge each project individually. So I feel that I did the best I could with this album. I will admit that this album took a few listens to appreciate. I was listening to this album with the wrong ears. I was looking to listen to Helplessness Blues again. I realize now that this was the wrong attitude to go with going into this. This album was risky for them to make. It wasn’t exactly their typical sound. They experimented with this album in a myriad of ways. They focused more on looping techniques. Although they had songs that were flowery and sweet, it wasn’t overblown like their previous records. I think that everything they did was expository in retrospect. I like that they took a bold move when coming back from such a long break.

Let’s start with the song(s) “I Am All That I Need / Arroyo Seco / Thumbprint Scar”. In the “I am all that I need” section the current narrator seems to focus on personal growth. He doesn’t need whatever “her” means in this context. For me, I think that it is a symbolism of their overall music career, and their reluctance to return to it. That inner turmoil is further demonstrated by the slow and screechy acoustic guitar and the deep gentle voice. Although his words seem to be sure with himself, he is shrill and hesitant. Look at the lines

“(I am hardly made of steel)

Tell me, are you so concealed?

(Can't I just go to sleep?)

You're no more so blind to me”

These words show that the two narrators in the song are fighting over the subject of discussion. When the quite somber voice is singing, the music follows suit. When Robin is singing, it is much more grand and bright. The reason I say that this song reflects their music career in general, is the line about robin being a child in Ivy (Robin started school at Columbia university in 2013). They also use a sample of White Winter Hymnal, which is one of their most famous songs off of their first album. It could be that robin has inner conflict, or I’ve heard people attributed this song as Robin fighting with someone else (such as a woman).

I love the way that the looping voice and the gentle ocean waves seems to flow so nicely into the next song, “Cassius, –”. One detail I enjoy with this band is that they are masters at painting a landscape with the instruments and sounds they use. This record painted a portrait of an unsettling vast ocean. They carefully choose to use the ocean waves and the violin (or viola) along with the change in mood of the music to maybe indicate unsteadiness and uncertainty.

The song “- Naiads, Cassadies” along with the previous song are very similar in the lyrical imagery. They both seems to take notes of Greek and Roman mythology as symbolism of something more tangible to us currently. These songs may not be the relation to the first song, but maybe are more of an overarching theme of the relationship between people in general.

The following track “Kept Woman” is much more serious. The repeating guitar and piano riff along with the seemingly random burst of piano is much more somber and grim. Robin seems to feel empathy for this Anna. He commends her for her bravery and says that it will all be over soon. Maybe he is expressing guilt because he can’t help but reassurance she will be fine.

The next song “Third of May / Ōdaigahara” is sonically one of the most beautiful. I think that Robin has a tremendous singing voice. On previous albums, they were so focused on harmonies that his voice was never the focal point, but an outstanding factor. Now that he is solo fairly often I can truly appreciate it. Robin himself says that this song is about his relationship between his bandmate Skyler Skjelset and himself. I love the vulnerability that he shows because of this unresolved relationship with his good friend. Robin has mentioned that he has social anxiety and therefore doesn’t have many friends. That must be difficult to lose a good friend when you don’t have very many. Although it was necessary for their growth individually, the way that this song addresses this issue gives it so much more depth than originally perceived. This is my favorite track by far. Even the next song “if you need to keep time on me” is about the same thing. Although this song is more indicative of an apology directly to Skye as opposed to an abstract question towards himself.

The following song “Mearcstapa” is much more of a folk tale incarnate. The title translates to march-stepper which is a Beowulf reference. The sounds that they use sound mythical, like running through a forest mindlessly. It’s sort of haunting, but also freeing in that it insinuate a morbid curiosity.

The next song “On Another Ocean” is another favorite of mine. It is very mysterious and interesting. The lyrics are vague and seem to indicate within Robin himself. The tempo change and the mood change are indicative of the personal turmoil of Robin earlier on in the album. It is a very moody track with many changes. The instruments in the beginning are very somber and indicate culpability within his psyche. By the end, robin is much more forgiving and rationalizes within himself that he is allowed to make mistakes. What a fantastic song.

The following song “Fool’s Errand” seems to indicate that mistake. Robin may have been searching for blind love, but now feels that was a fool’s errand. Maybe he is dissatisfied that he could not be with someone he truly loved, and was waiting for a sign for her to give him. She didn’t, and now he feels like a fool for having believed there was a chance. Maybe this is too simple of an answer, but that is the feeling that I get from this.

The following track “I Should See Memphis” seems to coincide perfectly with the previous one. It seems like frustration of the woman for not choosing him, and jealousy of the situation. The other narrator makes an appearance, and seems very insecure again. There are even choices of A and B to indicate a choice given to himself. He needs resolve and a purpose in life, so he needs to go see Memphis. The roman imagery romanticizes the conflict of love and the human psyche overall.

Finally we hit the last song “Crack Up”. I have to say, I listened to this several times but feel no closer to understanding it. I think the title seems very literal. Maybe life, love, personal relationships, and fame aren’t all they are cracked up to be. This last song has a lot of buildup and even some harmony within the vocals, but feels off. I think this represents robin’s frustration and even dissatisfaction of life. He is constantly dealing with inner and outer turmoil throughout. I think that’s why this song is all over the place. It wraps up all the complex feelings and emotions. It includes many sound elements from the other songs and is very grandiose and serious. It features both narrators of his own self and tries to resolve them. In the last lines he says the words “All I see–

Dividing tides–

Rising over me––”

He seems to be resolving them, but then is stops abruptly. Maybe that’s where the title is finally come into fruition.

Overall this album so interesting. I almost can’t tell what I like about it. Every time I listen I find something else I like about it. Either a lyric that I didn’t catch, or an instrumental harmony that I didn’t fully appreciate. It takes a few listens, but I would give it a shot. I truly understand the frustration of the album and why it needed to be the way it is. I wouldn’t change much about it. It’s beautiful, honest, and highlights vulnerabilities within all of us.

Rating: 9/10

Top Songs:

I Am All That I Need / Arroyo Seco / Thumbprint Scar

Third of May / Ōdaigahara

Crack Up

On Another Ocean

Fool’s Errand

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tinymixtapes · 7 years

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Feature: Screen Week: Favorite 20 Video Games of 2016

“I’m not a girl/ Not yet a woman/ All I need is time/ A moment that is mine/ While I’m in between/ I’m not a girl” – Britney Spears Reality, in 2016, existed largely as an extension of technology-borne relativism, as a playful liminal space in which anything was possible and nothing was true in the absolute. The world around us has become increasingly gamified, as if last century’s technology was finally reaching pubescence, albeit to predictably tumultuous ends. Social media itself proved to be a better real-time simulation than most video games, a grind of likes and reposts, a playable model of contagion and virality, populated by a cast of heroes, villains, and a few true neutrals, featuring dramatic twists and shocking revelations, of both scripted and emergent varieties. All formed through the convergence of seemingly disparate cultural currents — one part CIV-style geopolitical conflict, another part Decline of Western Civilization culture clash — the stream they formed together feeding into the literal end of American exceptionalism. But as game design concepts seeped further into the decaying foundations of liberal democracy, games themselves began shedding generations of orthodoxy, with some developers establishing new modes of interactive expression, while others found ways to work within the traditional AAA framework to create works of personal, historical, and political relevance. At their best, last year’s games provided indelible moments of emotional depth and structural ingenuity. Meanwhile, advancements in VR and AI finally made it to market, transforming the terra firma of the present into a literal manifestation of a long-predicted future. It remains to be seen whether these advancements will prove to be a utopian boon or a dystopic boondoggle, but one thing is certain: we are in a period of profound transformation. The landscape has shifted. The future is finally now. In 2016, games — or at least the best examples of the form — finally became competitive with more established artistic mediums, whether shortform (film) or long (novels, serialized television). In fact, in terms of breadth, depth, and variety of games available, 2016 was a watershed year. As with music, TV, movies, and books (to say nothing of the many unread piles of magazines strewn about our domestic realms), there were finally more good games to play than there was time availble to play them. And even a technically middling game like Pokémon Go was culturally prevalent enough to shape the way we experienced and interacted with the physical world. But despite significant leaps in sophistication and monocultural penetration, gaming still faces daunting limitations. Unlike other narrative artforms, the range of criticism and discussion continues to be narrow and reductively market-focused. We here at Tiny Mix Tapes might be neophytes at this whole “gaming criticism” thing, but at the same time, we certainly aren’t strangers to unique, unconventional, diffuse, contrary, or otherwise digressive opinions. Furthermore, we’ve spent — or wasted — more than enough time gaming to know that tangents, side quests, and mini games are often more edifying than unifying narratives or universal critical theories could ever promise to be. With that in mind, it’s our honor to present this totally subjective, by-no-means exhaustive list of our favorite gaming experiences of 2016. –Embling --- ABZÛ Developer: Giant Squid [PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows] Giant Squid, the development studio led by Matt Nava (art director for indie hits Journey and Flower), delivered its first game in 2016, and while ABZÛ’s broad stylistic strokes easily land it in “spiritual successor” territory, it’s also unique enough to warrant distinction. With ABZÛ, Nava made full use of the potential in transposing his bright, cartoonishly abstracted vision from the minimalist, post-apocalyptic desert landscape of Journey to a maximalist, post-apocalyptic ocean world populated by placid deep-sea creatures and a malevolent but deteriorating network of mechanized beings. As classically video game-y as that sounds, ABZÛ is far less goal-oriented than its more linear cousin Journey, as befits a game more about creation and the vibrancy of life than the routine of mortality. Instead, the result of the game’s lush, alien visuals and its equal-parts rapturous and elegiac orchestral score is a pure ambient world, an immersive meditating space that veils the typical mechanisms of progression-based gameplay behind the fullness of its atmospherics. In both its loose narrative and its design, ABZÛ confronted the game industry’s obsessive fixation on mechanical functionalism in a necessary way. –Colin Fitzgerald --- Destiny: Rise of Iron Developer: Bungie [PlayStation 4, Xbox One] Well into Year 3 of its promised 10-year cycle, Bungie still hasn’t determined what type of game they want Destiny to be. And yet, with each eagerly-anticipated update, the fanbase rallies back to the looter shooter MMO chasing the newest exotics and god roll PvP weapons. Rise of Iron, the supposed last expansion until Destiny 2, was a great step forward in realizing what fans want most while Bungie figures out just how to frame the gameplay ahead of its sequel. The new raid was the best yet (yes, better than the eternal slog of Vault of Glass), the visuals were varied (the brightness of SIVA nodes to the dank underground of Archon’s Forge), and the weapons felt better than ever. Sure, the same PvP albatrosses and class imbalances are still ever-present (and it would be nice for Bungie to openly admit that they don’t care because Destiny 2 is more pressing), but there is a feeling — even as another content drought sets in — that Destiny 2 will be a fully realized and completely immersive experience because of the strengths of Rise of Iron. The game that has taken over my gaming schedule still has its kinks, but we all have kinks. –Jspicer --- DOOM Developer: id Software [PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows] There comes a time to admit the obvious, that most games are juvenile power fantasies, written and programmed by timid indoor-types, for timid indoor-types, as a means to reward the human tendency toward violence and aggression. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; acceptance of our animal nature is often followed by a certain pearl-clutching censoriousness, but it can just as easily lead to a loving kind of self-awareness, an embrace of certain ignominious truths, the most fundamental being that violence is physically-invigorating, no matter how much we’re enculturated to deny that about our species. DOOM (the original) was perhaps the first game to apply modernist techniques to simulated violence as interactive entertainment. Gone was the euphemized violence of the platformer or arcade game, replaced with a visceral, unsettling simulacrum of combat, which played out somewhere between the screen, where the violence was explicated, and the body, which relayed and translated the message, manifesting it in physical form. DOOM (2016) followed the same radical philosophy, one that drew upon the immutable and inherent. For all the killing I’ve done in my virtual lives, none has been so gratifying, joyful, or kinetic as this new DOOM. It didn’t ply us with disingenuous moralizing, with frivolities such as scripting and characterization. Instead, DOOM was perhaps the most rarefied variation on one of gaming’s crudest forms. Its intelligence was exhibited not through anything so trite as narrative, but rather through balletic economy of movement, hellacious environmental storytelling and design, a thrashing of guitar strings, and, yes, the giddy thrill of bones crunching and skulls caving in. –Embling --- Final Fantasy XV Developer: Square Enix [PlayStation 4, Xbox One] Final Fantasy XV was a three-word dream that lingered for years on the tips of the outstretched tongues of fans waiting to catch the smallest snowflakes of information about its release and plot. And then it finally arrived. The game, as its opening screen reported, was for both new and old gamers, and the self-assessment was accurate: the game was as welcoming as could be to those unfamiliar with the franchise. Beyond being a visually beautiful and immersive game, one that boasted an impressive open-world approach for a good portion of its narrative, Final Fantasy XV reached for something far deeper and more meaningful than the average RPG. The nucleus of the game was the relationship between Noctis and his three childhood friends/protectors, and their bond was what made every quest and mission worthwhile, from catching fish to feeding a stray cat to stalking an enormous mutant wolf to its cave, destroying it under cover of darkness. The real-time fighting system was one of the most fun and difficult to master in recent memory, relying on one’s ability to, within a split second, synthesize information about character HP/MP, spell potency and availability, potions, enemy weaknesses, and, most importantly, your friends’ battle skills and recovery techniques. FFXV was a ratatouille of goodness, combining everything that was historically fun about Final Fantasy with everything that was relevant about being alive in 2016. –Adam Rothbarth --- Glittermitten Grove / Frog Fractions 2 Developer: Twinbeard [Windows, OS X, Linux] Glittermitten Grove was not what it seemed. The veil of building yourself a fairy village complete with waterfalls, berry picking, and fireworks was actually part of an elaborate plan to release a sequel to Frog Fractions, one of the most bizarre gaming experiences since Seaman. The original Frog Fractions was released in 2012 as an innocuous browser game about frogs learning fractions. Playing for more than a few seconds, it was obvious nobody was being taught anything and that the game was intentionally off. After thinking below the box, the game opened up into a complete deconstruction of genre, gaming, and the surrounding culture. A cult following quickly established to deconstruct every aspect of the game. It would take four years for a follow-up, but half of that was the community attempting to uncover an unbelievable series of clues that spanned 19 other game titles by independent developers and also included physical objects, downloading data from a Nintendo Amiibo, and shipping items across the country (read more about it here). But in an era when secrets are often revealed before a game launches, that it took two years of constant effort by fans to even play the game, let alone start to uncover all the secrets within, is nothing short of a revelation. Context aside, how was the actual game? Every bit as deconstructive and brilliant as the original, with more content, more abstraction, and even more absurdity. There were elements from every corner of the gaming universe, with just enough cohesion and substance to make it all hang together. If you ever played Undertale, Papers Please, or Stanley’s Parable and wondered if anyone else was playing with the very idea of a “game,” then check out Glittermitten Grove. Get the fireworks. Go down. –munroe [pagebreak] --- Hyper Light Drifter Developer: Heart Machine [PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, Linux, Macintosh OS, Ouya] Why do we fight? Futility always stands by your shoulder in any struggle. Whether it’s traversing vast lands to seek a cure to a indescribable sickness, or to fight your own limitations to accomplish a simple task, or to escape something that is destroying you, or to have any sense of conscience… there’s always someone or something there, pointing out the pointlessness of the effort, encouraging you to give up. Maybe it’s that nobody supports what you’re doing. Perhaps the people you care for most have turned against you. Or maybe it’s your own body that keeps hitting a steel wall. The question becomes, Why bother? We need not answer that. Futility comes from selfishness. And we struggle not for ourselves. Drifting through the plains and ruins with a sword and arsenal, fighting off hordes of forgotten times, while inside your body wastes away from illness and exertion. Maintaining principles and attacking sacred beliefs among your friends. Grinding against your body’s imperfect designs to function within normal parameters. Even being able to face up to yourself and admit that you are flawed and capable of doing wrong to others. We fight because we must. No matter the cost. Even if it’s our lives. –Ze Pequeno --- Inside Developer: Playdead [PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows] It was Playdead’s clever combination of a singular visual style, a classic puzzle design, and an ambitious but ambiguous narrative that made Limbo an instant hallmark for the modern independent gaming movement. And while Inside, the studio’s follow-up, emulated that winning formula perhaps a bit too faithfully, it did refine each element to a new pinnacle. The game asked the player to fill the role of a nameless (and faceless) child protagonist on his quest to escape (?) a sinister authoritarian nightmare (?) in which predatory forces seem to capture and indoctrinate (?) innocent people (?), but naturally, a couple narrative twists and an alternate ending made for murky analysis and, ultimately, ripped the game away from cliché. With artfully sterile, detached aesthetics and nods to the desolate dystopian ambience of Philip K. Dick and Cormac McCarthy and even Cronenbergian body horror, Playdead once again expanded the relatively limited narrative and mechanical language of the independent platformer genre with Inside, reaching toward established literary and cinematic traditions that, unlike so many others, haven’t yet been exploited to the point of oversaturation within the interactive media space. –Colin Fitzgerald --- Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu 2016 Developer: Konami [PlayStation] Successful sports simulations, bound by their subservience to realism, can rarely be commended for their artistic originality. As immersive as the uncanny valley-traversing visuals of NBA 2k and Madden prove to be, it isn’t hard to become fatigued staring down a scarily accurate reflection of the reality you’ve plopped in front of the console to escape. In terms of timelessness, many of the first sports series that come to mind are among the least grounded in reality that I’ve played: the Backyard Sports CD-ROMs of the early 00s; Mario’s ventures into Tennis, Golf and Soccer; and Jikkyou Powerful Pro Yakyuu, Japan’s long-running franchise starring Mii-esque caricatures of the Nippon Professional Baseball League’s entire roster. JPPY celebrated its 20th birthday in 2016 with the series’ deepest installment yet, featuring a smorgasbord of manga-inspired story modes, a frustratingly addictive arcade challenge that revisited fictional “boss” teams of years past, and inviting gameplay that was as easy to pick up as it was deep and intuitive. –Jude Noel --- Kentucky Route Zero: Act IV Developer: Cardboard Computer [Windows, OS X, Linux] A couple things have been evident about Kentucky Route Zero from the beginning: its voice (a deadpan blend of Southern Gothic and Ionesco absurdity), and its distinctly expressionist visual style. KRZ has always been “different,” but over these last few years, it has matured into a fine examination of how memory shapes our lives — and often fails us. Set along a mysterious river, Act IV exploded the game’s text adventure design into a series of forking paths that reinvented its plot at every turn. It’s the most complex thing Cardboard Computer has made, held up by their most memorable and eerie passages to date: a mechanic who teaches French literature, the search for the song buried inside a robotic mammoth, a distillery run by electrified skeletons, and a gorgeous sequence staged as security camera footage that is possibly Zero’s masterstroke. Maybe it’s because we know our time with Shannon, Conway, Ezra, and their friends is coming to an end, but there was an unshakeable feeling of sadness within this Act, the regret of learning that all things pass away, that nothing is final, and that, whether or not we ever get back to the highway, the night can’t last forever. –Dylan Pasture --- Mother Russia Bleeds Developer: Le Cartel Studio [PlayStation 4, Windows, Linux, Macintosh OS] The beat-em up genre thrived during a time when 25¢ bought you three lives and a dream in classics like Double Dragon, River City Ransom, and Final Fight. The style was defined by a left-to-right progression in pixelated 2D, dispatching a variety of punks, vagrants, and drug users with Reagan-era hero efficiency. The genre relied on crushing difficulty and overwhelming odds to sap quarters from arcade denizens, and it died when gaming moved to living rooms and updated to 3D. While elements of the genre carried over into modern titles, the core gameplay experience of the beat-em up game was dead by the end of the 90s. Mother Russia Bleeds, however, stepped into the shoes of that dead genre, driven home in the opening scene by literally bringing your characters back to life, with even a storyline echoing the leftover paranoia of the 1980s: a powerful new superdrug has taken over post-apocalyptic Russia, and it’s up to our heroes to punch, kick, and murder their way through countless enemies to get answers. What made this game stand out from the half-baked nostalgia dumps of years past was that it understood what made those games fun. The characters moved quickly, dealt devastating damage, and bled. The limited pixel count of the 16-bit era was replaced with graphic depictions of viscera and rot that would have been the talk of every playground, on the level of Mortal Kombat. The story was inconsequential and short, but with a 4-player couch co-op option, this game was a beast with friends. –munroe [pagebreak] --- No Man’s Sky Developer: Hello Games [PlayStation 4, Windows] A game with all the hype and none of the delivery. That’s the sad sandwich board Hello Games and No Man’s Sky wore for most of 2016. After an initial delay in its release and a much-needed Day 1 patch, the game was still missing many of the teased components hype people and Reddit users banged the tables about, further fueling such fiascos as GamerGate. There is much to loathe about the new marketing machine that No Man’s Sky represents, but at its core, the game was one of the most beautifully enticing and economically sound exploration sandboxes of our time. Much like Minecraft and Terraria before it, No Man’s Sky was a base to be built upon with subsequent updates. If all you wanted was a gloriously designed and tickling bit of hyperspace mystery coated in technicolor wuzzles and lush planets, No Man’s Sky delivered. But in a year’s time, when No Man’s Sky is a rich, expansive experience for all the senses, I’ll be hoarding all the shares callously tossed aside while I cruise around in my tricked-out cruisers to enjoy the scenery. –Jspicer --- Overwatch Developer: Blizzard Entertainment [PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows] The transformation happened slowly and before our very eyes. When the first-person shooter went online, it cross-pollinated with the itchy, addictive skinner-box reward structures of the role-playing game — linear, level-based progression as the carrot, randomly-generated loot payouts the stick. You might think that the deepening of the relationship between character and player could only be positive, but you would be wrong. Online shooters became not only one of most ubiquitous formats of online multiplayer gaming, but also a mind-numbing grind of progression without end. This, in turn, generated inequality between the various strata of the gaming eco-system, pitting veterans against novices, those who could afford to pay for hastened advancement against those who couldn’t (or those who simply refused to participate in pay to play). The future was uncertain, if not grim, until a sea change occurred this past summer, when the modes and tropes of the multiplayer FPS were upended by Overwatch, Blizzard Entertainment’s newest franchise. Overwatch boldly departed from convention, eschewing such stodgy design ideas, like progression trees and stats (or scripting!) in order to focus on the purest, most creative — not to mention democratic — communal gunplay since Rare stopped developing Nintendo exclusives. One of our long-enduring cultural myths is that you can’t go home again, and yet, miraculously, Overwatch proved that sometimes true progress requires the courage to risk going backwards, to admit that a lack of imagination is the only actual factor keeping us from finding better ways to play the same old games. –Embling --- Pokémon Go Developer: Niantic [Android, iOS] When Pokémon Go was released in July 2016, it seemed tailor-made for casual players. Here’s the truth: it wasn’t. Sure, the GPS-based augmented reality game was intended for the masses — it doubled the size of the mobile gaming market, was 50 times bigger than initial estimates, surpassed Twitter’s 20 million users within two weeks, and swiftly became the most downloaded app ever — but as time went on, the disparity between casual players and hardcore obsessives started looking as dramatic as global wealth distribution. While many players (dubbed “trainers” in the game) caught Pokémon casually and maybe battled a couple neighborhood gyms before quitting altogether (spurred in part by Niantic’s terribly misguided priorities), the dedicated freaks dove deeper into Pokémon Go’s complex, multi-faceted metagame, scouring maps for ever-changing habitats, calculating IVs, Pidgey grinding for XP bumps, “Bubblestratting” gyms, datamining APKs, debating scanner/botting politics, taking road trips for rares, and, most memorably, joining impromptu gatherings around Pokémon hot spots, most often in parks or busy downtown areas. The latter was a weird, explosive, boundary-pushing glimpse into the vibrant yet disruptive possibility of augmented reality gameplay. Here, a mishmash of trainers — hipsters, gamers, nerds, kindgartenders, grandparents, editor-in-chiefs, etc. — all huddled around clusters of PokéStops and gyms, waiting for a Dragonite to spawn so we could all run like idiots into and out of traffic, hundreds of people pouring into the streets rather than sitting on the couch. We lost a lot of weight, drove like assholes, and even inspired legislation. It was thrilling. Next up: Generation 2. –Mr P --- Pokémon Sun & Moon Developer: Game Freak [Nintendo 3DS] Nobody imagined Nintendo’s iconic monster-hunting franchise (which, however commercially successful, more or less receded from the public consciousness post-Y2k) could produce a similar, meteoric impact upon broader cultural landscape 20 years after its 90s heyday in the form of the mobile gaming (and data plan-draining) phenomenon known as Pokémon Go — and yet, in 2016, the critters proved inescapable. Pokémon Sun and Moon, too, commemorated Pikachu and company’s anniversary in the best way possible: a tropical getaway doubling as a welcome break from the formula, as well as the series’ best entries in a decade. Instead of marching along on a predictable hunt for badges, we searched for soup ingredients and faced off against super-sized Raticates; we climbed from the seat of a bike onto the back of a Tauros; we cured our ailing teammates with the stroke of a stylus (“petting” them through the screen) rather than the purchase of an antidote. The ensuing adventure was nothing short of magical for Poké-veterans, 90s kids, and newbies alike. –Zcamp --- Reigns Developer: Devolver Digital [Android, Windows, iOS, Linux, Macintosh OS] Reigns managed to squeeze an immense, ambitious parable on the foibles and follies of power into a ridiculously simple Tinder-style phone app. As the leader of the kingdom, you must carefully tend to the balance between varying sectors of your society, represented as the economy, the church, the army, and, of course, the people. Each of your choices can bring prosperity or ruin to your dynasty, but it’s not just a matter of keeping all your elements in the green — let any one faction of your country flourish too much, and they’ll throw you to the dogs in a savage coup. There is plenty of silliness to balance out all the politicking, but Reigns will kill you over and over again, passing the crown from generation to generation, constantly testing you to see how long you can maintain power. Even in its swipe-right simplicity, the game carried a surprising depth, rewarding us for ruthlessness as often as it punished. It was an impossible attempt to manage chaos, a game of luck with the lives of thousands at our mercy. And at the heart of it all was a queasily honest assertion: being a leader isn’t about making your kingdom great — it’s about making it yours. –Sam Goldner [pagebreak] --- The Last Guardian Developer: SIE Japan Studio [PlayStation 4] In 2017 and beyond, we may continue to hear about cathartic distractions and positive gleams of hope. When it comes to young and old minds alike, it’s necessary to nurture our instinctual affection for life, but it’s always been challenging for video games to replicate qualities such as love and belonging. Then came The Last Guardian, one of the most anticipated games of 2016 after announced as in-development by Team Ico back in 2007. While gamers expected the action-adventure experience of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus, what we got instead was more of a cinematic experience, a genuine test of patience and pathos in an era veering on a lack thereof. Designed and directed by Fumito Ueda, The Last Guardian was an experience unlike other “cold” gaming explorations. The gradual bonding and care between a young boy and a giant griffin creature, named Trico, felt perfectly natural, creating an undeniably unique experience to journey in the senses of pragmatic and empathetic actions throughout a lush, dreamlike world. Guaranteed to be a challenging slow-burner for some, Ueda’s newest creation reminded of the artistic merit of video games, giving us a cult favorite that could be felt on a personal and familial level. –Emceegreg --- The Witness Developer: Thekla Inc. [PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows, iOS, Xbox 360] I’m not convinced that there is an end to The Witness. The deeper I become mired in Jonathan Blow’s latest vortex of uncertainty, the more it seems to expand in all directions at once, leaving me to gaze upon its scale in brutal and humbled amazement. Its lush design and scenery betray one of the most massive, intricate mazes I’ve ever attempted to cross, so blank in its circumstance yet rife with semantic consequence. As I journey further within, it becomes clear that the only real blockade to progress is myself, that I am both my own greatest enemy and my one true ally. I step away from the game and see puzzles in my own life that need solving, complex patterns that require dedication and complete understanding to successfully ford (to say nothing of how suspicious I’ve become of naturally occurring circles). I’ve experienced such a shocking emotional range during my time with The Witness, gliding through pits of loathing, passages of inertia, vestiges of serenity, and suddenly, moments of triumph. Perhaps soon I’ll discover a final puzzle that connects this whole island together, but I have a feeling my search will continue long after I’ve put the controller down. –Sam Goldner --- Thumper Developer: Drool [PlayStation 4, Windows] Is Thumper the pong of the future? Sure, the mechanics of this rhythm-based game, designed and developed by Lightning Bolt’s Brian Gibson, contained kitsch elements, but it was fun as hell. As a fast-moving beetle (named “Junebug Joe”), you move along a sleek track passing through wormholes into inventive atmospheres, the hell and ethereal landscapes to which your mind is toe-tapping along. Players must absorb the timing by hitting the correct notes to avoid spikes, walls, and tight corners, all executed with the addictive nature of a Guitar Hero meets Tron. While it was surprisingly dimensional and tonal on the PC and PS4 platforms, it was on the PlayStation VR where Thumper really came alive. Your head could now control the rhythmic tilts, the complete sensory exposure exhilarating and captivating. The novelty of the game was explicit, but it was a thrill ride unlike any game before it. Our hearts raced until the very last beat. –Emceegreg --- Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Developer: Naughty Dog [PlayStation 4] Uncharted 4 was ostensibly the last game in a beloved franchise whose finitude is so thoroughly woven into its narrative and drama that its finale felt legitimately sincere and total. This was the last chapter of Nathan Drake’s story. And whether you were guiding him up a shimmering, slippery rock face in a brutal thunderstorm, driving a 4x4 through an African oasis, or hanging off the back of a motorcycle while shooting at an impending armored truck, Uncharted 4 was one of the most gorgeous-looking games to have been released on the PlayStation 4. Its visual mastery, its absolute idiomatic perfection of gameplay, and its gripping, unparalleled action scenography were top of the class. There was one gesture available in Uncharted 4 that more or less embodied how it felt to play this game: if Drake was looking to attack a villain from a long distance, the most satisfying option was to throw a rope across a tree branch or post, jump off the side of a chasm, and swing at high speed toward the marauder, leaping through the air after he let go of the rope to land a bone-shattering aerial punch. When I think about doing this, I fill with joy and wonder at Naughty Dog’s incredible achievement. –Adam Rothbarth --- Xenoblade Chronicles X Developer: Monolith Soft [Wii U] Xenoblade Chronicles X functioned as much as an open-world JRPG as it did a Wonder of the Virtual World: more than triple the size of Skyrim (plus change), the title’s planet Mira was a colossal landscape teeming with six continents’ worth of alien flora and fauna. From the moment one’s avatar left the fortified confines and futurist nu-metal muzak of New Los Angeles, their exploration of bordering territories entered and remained in a state of aesthetic flux. Interplanetary stretches of pastoral fields gave way to vast deserts. A gleaming shoreline composed entirely of precious metals was contrasted by a sulfurous hellscape. The limbs of beasts too large to even notice a wandering human-ambled past, constantly hinting at awe-inspiring encounters to come: Xenoblade X’s high-level “Tyrant” species were omnipresent, yet often passive in their lumbering approach. The game ultimately served as a reminder of mankind’s smallness and fragility while still emphasizing the beauty of the (capitalized) Human Experience — even if that experience was viewed through the windshield of a flying mech suit. –Jude Noel http://j.mp/2kkiNEJ

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