Culture questionnaire sample

Films, by critic Peter Bradshaw Blades of Glory Will Ferrell and Jon Heder enjoyed their finest hours in this comedy as egotistical ice-skaters barred from the sport after a disgraceful display of bad temper. They realise their only shot at a comeback is to settle their differences and compete jointly as a men’s pair. A film to release the dove of hope from the spangled Lycra costume of optimism. Duck Soup In 1933, some very depressing political things were happening, and the Marx Brothers did their bit to restore everyone’s good humour, taking aim at political nationalism and tinpot pomposity. The troubled European state of Freedonia has to accept a new president as a condition for a US loan: the free-thinking genius and visionary Rufus T Firefly, played by Groucho Marx. The Devil Wears Prada Is working in a glossy magazine really like this? Who cares? This 2006 film is comfort food that upgrades comfort to luxury, with an outrageous performance by Meryl Streep as the … [Read more...] about Hope in the dark: culture to make you feel less terrible about the UK election

Alexey Pajitnov, programmer In the early 80s, I worked at the computing lab for the Academy of Science of the USSR, researching artificial intelligence. It was one of the very few Soviet institutes able to communicate with the rest of the world, so people occasionally sent us new hardware. We'd assess how powerful it was by writing a simple program for it, which became my excuse for making games. I've loved puzzles ever since I was a child, especially pentominoes. You could get three of these geometric games for a rouble in Moscow toyshops. In June 1984, it occurred to me that they might be a good basis for a computer game. But having the 12 pentomino pieces rotating in real time seemed too complicated, so I scaled it down to tetrominoes, of which there are seven. Also, the Electronika 60, the Russian computer I originally wrote Tetris for, didn't have proper graphics, just a monitor that could display text, so I used letters to form the playing pieces. Next I put together the … [Read more...] about Tetris: how we made the addictive computer game

Devil May Cry 5 A frenetic, over-the-top action game about sexy demon hunters, in which you are assaulted by hellish creatures, flashy visual effects and absurdly energetic rock music all at once. It is sensory overload, and an absolute blast. What we said: “It’s bloody, spectacular and irresistible, all cheesy one-liners, guns, swords and explosions while guitars scream in the background, and it plays like a dream.” Read the full review Resident Evil 2 A brilliant remake of the 1998 survival horror classic, providing series heroes Leon Kennedy and Claire Redfield with terrifying new challenges as they explore the zombie-infested Racoon City police station. What we said: “The rhythm, gradually building from many minutes of quiet exploration and puzzle-solving to gigantic, pulverising boss battles, is exact and beautiful, like some monstrous Wagner opera.” Read the full review Heaven’s Vault A reluctant archaeologist sets out across a surreal galaxy … [Read more...] about Best games of 2019 so far

The problem with fighting games is that there are players out there who see them in frames. Not strung-together as fluid animations like the rest of us, but broken up into minute clusters of stills. Many top-level tournament fighters really care that six frames are devoted to a particular character lifting their arm, or that another’s leg swinging back after connecting consumes 12 more. Those fleeting moments are windows of opportunity for the best to turn a match. The esoteric art of frame counting sees serious pugilists go to extreme lengths to secure wins. Their demand for nuance within beat-‘em-ups has pushed the genre into a difficult place, where satisfying the most devoted audience can mean ostracising the masses with absurd demands on skill. It’s a fact the Mortal Kombat series has struggled with over time, and it has sometimes been ungainly in its attempt to please everybody. All of which makes the arrival of Mortal Kombat X especially exciting. This time … [Read more...] about Mortal Kombat X review – ‘violent but charmingly hammy’

Astro Bot Rescue Mission: ‘Came as a revelation’ A 3D platformer in actual 3D. As someone who has often struggled with judging depth in 3D games, this came as a revelation. The game requires you to duck or lean with the headset to navigate and avoid obstacles while guiding your tiny robot to the goal. Incorporating the player into the gameplay in this way ensures that you’re consistently engaged. Levels are cheerful, alive with animation, and always inventive. I found myself completely drawn in. Sam Nichols, 32, London Iconoclasts: ‘Like being a kid again’ My gaming time is basically half and hour here and there during brief moments of down time, so this, on my well used PS Vita, is my game of the year. It fused interesting and engaging platforming/puzzling with an intriguing storyline based on ideas of totalitarianism, religion and the environment – that sounds pretty heavy, but it’s not. The writing is witty and fun, with some great … [Read more...] about ‘A hidden gem!’: Readers on their top video games of 2018