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Three times a year Steam puts on the Steam Next Fest, a festival of game demos unlike what we’ve seen in gaming since the early days of demos discs . Hundreds of demos for up and coming games are released and promoted to get more eyes on what’s coming in the year, and I’ve put together a list of some of my favorites from the February 2025 Steam Next Fest.  Deliver At All Cost A wacky driving game that is reminiscent of the original Grand Theft Auto games, but playing as a courier who must deliver his non conventional deliveries at all costs. This includes driving through entire buildings or jumping massive gaps. It’s a wild mess of explosions and chaos that we absolutely loved.  A Week In The Life Of Asocial Giraffe If you’ve ever been out in public but not felt like talking to anyone, have we got a game for you. A Week In The Life Of An Asocial Giraffe has you playing as an anti-social Giraffe forced to perform daily tasks but the puzzles lie in avoiding all human interaction. The puzzles are simple enough but bring enough light hearted comedy that we fell in love with the plight of this Giraffe, but hey who hasn’t been in his shoes sometimes?  Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown Developer Strange Scaffold has some of the wildest and chaotic game catalogs out there with games based on commentary around the military industrial complex, kink in a world of isolation and even space organ stock trading. Now, seemingly out of nowhere they got access to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles license and they use it to make an XCOM styled strategy board game? I don’t know what their approach is but Strange Scaffold has proven that they have the chops to tackle any genre and this one is a blast to play.  Tenebris Somnia What if you mixed Maniac Mansion with Resident Evil and add in full motion video? That is what we’re getting with Tenebris Somnia. A puzzle adventure game set in a horror mystery and right when things get particularly unnerving, the game cuts to full motion video of the terror unfolding in front of you. It’s an intriguing package that uses FMV to heighten the tension but plays well within the puzzle adventure structure.  Blue Prince Blue Prince is a fascinating puzzle game where you are to inherit a massive mutating mansion from a mysterious family member, but the only way to actually get the house is to map out its numerous rooms and find the mysterious final hidden room. To do this you need to explore each room and when you attempt to progress to the next room, you are given a prompt to pick between 3 options, each will expand the mansion. The trick is, not all will have adjoining rooms so you may end up in a dead end, some rooms also take currency you find around the mansion to create, so there’s that wrinkle. In the end, you are attempting to create this configuration of rooms that will lead you to the final room. If you can’t in a single day, you leave and come back the next day to try again with the mansion reset. This is for the trial and error junkies out there.  Steam Next Fest runs from February 24th to March 3rd.

About every two years or so we get something special from Soccer Mommy , the fantastic pseudonym of Sophia Regina Allison. Since her demo album For Young Hearts came out in 2016 we've gotten a whole new album every other year and it's been a joy. Soccer Mommy's sound is a bit of a throwback to the indie rock and alternative grungy guitars of yesteryear, updated by Allison's perfectly dark and often wry lyricism. Last year's Evergreen saw a rawer and even more personal side of Soccer Mommy, making for some devastating songs. The first evening of her two-night stint with Tomberlin at Thalia Hall really underlined just how special and appreciative her audience is for every one of her releases. I've had the pleasure of covering Tomberlin many times in the past and every single performance is a treat. With only two albums and two EPs in her discography, there are some very totemic songs that you not only expect to hear at one of her shows, but are eagerly looking forward to. " Any Other Way " and " Seventeen " are iconic staples and the former is my absolute favorite in her repertoire. It's the opening track of her debut and every time immerses the audience in her emotive and empathic song writing. Newer tracks like "tap", " sunstruck ", and her amazing cover of Casiotone for the Painfully Alones (who now goes by Advance Base ) and "Natural Light" have also risen to that emblematic level in her set lists. There seems to be no end to her ability to turn every one of her songs into an essential and breathtaking experience. While a little technical difficulty meant "Hours" was cut, we got some patter with the crowd about Buffy the Vampire Slayer , which more than made up for it. With a stage dressing straight out of a midsummer fairytale, Soccer Mommy came to the stage with her signature laid-back aura front and center. The Stardew Valley -themed ode " Abigail " where Soccer Mommy seeks the attention of the romanceable NPC, started off the show and really fit the vibe as it got the crowd going. " circle the drain " followed and there was something wild about seeing the contrast between the bright, poppy instrumentals that had the crowd happily swaying away with Allison's lyrics on mental health crises. It's that sort of welcome dissonance that really makes Soccer Mommy's songs special. Much of Evergreen is much softer than the rest of her material but live it all blends together wonderfully. You wouldn't expect the demonic themes of "Lucy" to segway into " M " and " Lost ", the most personal tearjerkers in her catalog, but they really do. While most of Evergreen got highlighted throughout the night, Allison left a lot of room for her other songs to shine. The darkly loving but somewhat forlorn "Shotgun" rang just right while "Bones" had everyone bopping alone despite its sullen and heart breaking lyrics. The latter half of Soccer Mommy 's set continued that dreamlike vibe. She introduced "Henry" as "an early song, you might not like it" and dedicated it to all the Henrys in the room. As the opening track of her demo album, it's one of the first songs of hers that many of her more devoted fans have listened to and it showed as the crowd was completely taken by it. " Your Dog " established yet another high point and one that they truly grooved along with. But it was the encore with the one-two punch of the airy "Changes" and almost shoegazey " Don't Ask Me " that finished off the night and left the crowd completely entranced. Soccer Mommy's shows always feel intimate and special and this evening at Thalia Hall only further cemented those qualities. This review was originally appeared at Third Coast Review

Tim Heidecker has too many talents to list from his storied career, so many that I'll only briefly touch upon a few of them. I'm sure many of my peers remember staying up for the late night block of Adult Swim on Cartoon Network, ready to take in all the strange hilarity that ensued from the likes of Heidecker's early work in Tim & Eric . Over the years he has remained as hilarious as ever. The absurdist nature of his work is still alive and well but he's added so much to his repertoire and this past weekend at Thalia Hall  as he shared his musical talents and knack for putting on a very good show. Instantly the set felt as weird as you'd expect from an unhinged recording of "The Star-Spangled Banner” with all the digital fireworks you could want and a text intro that joked with the crowd and truly prepped them for what was about to go down. Heidecker and the Very Good Band emerged and got right to work with three tracks that immediately captured the audience's attention: “Well’s Running Dry”, "Buddy", and "Trippin' (Slippin')". While Heidecker's abilities were never in question, any doubt that an audience member may have had was immediate squelched with the tenacity of this opening set. Speaking of opening sets, Heidecker made sure to break it down to the audience that he was revolutionizing the concert flow. "No up and comers moping around stage" he declared before urging the crowd to get rowdy: "We're not the opening act!" But the  Thalia Hall crowd didn't need any more amping up. They were animated and eager for the set whether he was joking around with some Chicago Blues noodling on a totally real and not fake song "Titanium Jewellery" (coming soon to the next Rolling Stones record), serenading the crowd with their ode to the late Herman Cain, or getting a little more serious with songs like "Bows and Arrows". While any other show that jumps so wildly between vibes may seem dizzying, it all felt right at home in the hands of Heidecker and the Very Good Band. As promised, toward the middle of the show Heidecker  introduced the great Neil Hamburger to the stage to take over for a bit. Heidecker and crew backed Hamburger for a cover of Randy Van Warmer’s “Just When I Needed You Most” and some of the most thrilling, death defying fidget spinner tricks Thalia Hall  has ever seen before letting him meander wild for a comedy set. No aging rocker went unscathed as Hamburger delivered one liners deriding the likes of the Eagles, Dave Grohl, Anthony Kiedis and more. When Heidecker  returned it wasn't straight back to music. He took the crowd on a small detour to a variety of internet comment sections, giving the spotlight to some of the silliest interactions you can find on Facebook, YouTube, and beyond. And after a little "Spaghetti Again", Heidecker and the Very Good Band ramped up the soundscapes. While he admitted to leaving the more serious songs like "Dark Days" and "Bells Are Ringing" to the end of the proper set, the more jovial tracks still found there way into the mix. And with that the band started making their way off stage. However unlike every other bands usual trip to the back for a few moments before returning to the stage for an encore, the band confusingly meandered around stage, trying to find the exit to no avail. After a few false exits Heidecker  returned to the mic “They're not letting us off the stage. They're saying we have to do 2 more songs." After a quick little jaunt that they wrote earlier in the day ("It's Friday morning in Chicago") the Very Good Band went into a new song "What's Wrong With Me". He confidently declared the song is so catchy that the crowd would be singing the chorus like it was an old favorite. But it wasn't until the following song where the crowd seemed so connected with the onstage antics that it left me awestruck. As the opening chords rang, several audience members shouted "Hot Piss" and sure enough that very song followed with rapturous cheers. The song is as funny as it is great, letting Heidecker and the Very Good Band go wild. It was a little surreal and quite honestly I never thought I'd say this, but there's nothing better than a hot crowd screaming "hot piss" as loud as they can muster. Tim Heidecker truly knows his audience and we were all grateful for the great jams and laughs. This review was originally published on Third Coast Review.

Last year, Lauren Mayberry  stepped out from Chvrches to release her debut solo album Vicious Creatures . While in the past solo albums have gotten a bad rap, something Mayberry seemed very aware of and called out during her show at Thalia Hall , nowadays they are way better than one would expect. This is an understatement when it comes to Mayberry's debut, which synthesizes all her best talents in a pristine dozen songs that range from softly devastating to unbelievably danceable jams. The night started out with a quick set from Cult of Venus, who was shrouded in mystery as they came to the stage and seemingly created music out of thin air. Accompanied by a guitar, drum pads, and some synths, Cult of Venus really captured everyone's attention with some darkly luring electronic tracks that set the mood for the evening. Everything seemed to be on a heated pace as Lauren Mayberry 's set came very quickly after Cult of Venus ' set. Emerging from the side stage and standing dead center of the stage with a flowing blue curtain as a background, Mayberry picked up a bright red phone and set the night on an incredibly fun course with "Crocodile Tears" and "Changing Shapes" back to back. The dancy vibe went off with out a hitch. The two singles paired nicely especially as Mayberry danced and posed around the stage with all the confidence in the world. Mayberry 's set was a pretty short one, lasting only an hour. However this was expected considering she only has one solo album, Vicious Creatures , under her belt. The night was solely dedicated to that album and a cover, eschewing any Chvrches tracks. I'm sure some fans would have loved to hear some of those songs but considering how solid her songs are and how well everything flowed there was very little to complain about. Every song off Vicious Creature  got its time to shine and did so brilliantly. While tracks like "Punch Drunk" and "Something in the Air" were undeniable high points in the set, it's hard not to give the crown to the roaring cover of "Bittersweet Symphony". Positioned in the second half of the night, the Verve's iconic track was truly elevated by Mayberry 's impassioned performance, belting out the familiar lyrics perfectly. It was such a powerful encapsulation of all Mayberry 's talents and truly blew Thalia Hall away. The encore set itself up perfectly, giving the crowd the two remaining Vicious Creatures  their due. First was the soft and tender ode "Oh, Mother", showing off the more interpretive side of Mayberry 's songwriting. And as if cued by some of the lyrics of that song, "Sunday Best" followed and ended the night on a brighter tone. "Keep thinking I'll find the beauty in Goodbye" Mayberry sang and everyone felt that line a little bit more that night. This review was originally published on Third Coast Review

On first glance the pairing of Noah Lennox's Panda Bear and Chaz Bear's Toro y Moi seems a bit dissonant. While both Lennox and Chaz have one foot deeply entrenched in psychedelic ethos, the others are pretty far apart. Panda Bear's wild experimentation and looping create these intricate soundscapes that you are liable to get lost in. Toro y Moi on the other hand crafts immersive R&B vibes that will have you dancing in their warm glow. But after experiencing their show at Salt Shed, the pairing made for an incredible show that fed off each other's energy wonderfully. Opening for the night was Baltimore's Nourished by Time . While I have seen this incredible band before in an early set at a festival, this performance was nothing short of revelatory. Nourished By Time are built for a later evening set and a dense crowd like they had at Salt Shed. Their songs need that sort of energy to feed off of as the bright R&B tracks feel like hidden gems off Dreamcast soundtracks bounce along as singer Marcus Brown serenaded the crowd. Playing tracks mostly of their fantastic  Erotic Probiotic 2 , Nourished by Time certainly got the packed crowd dancing to kick off the evening. Panda Bear took the middle spot of the night and really took advantage of the warmed-up crowd. The band's backdrop was a screen playing the exact kind of crazy visuals you would want to accompany Panda Bear, which made the crowd more immersed in their sounds. And with Sinister Grift  on the horizon ( out February 28 ), this set was a wild preview into the future of Noah Lennox's output and it's damn good. If there is something that can be said of Panda Bear and his band Animal Collective, it's that experimentation is key especially with their live performances as they delve into the unexplored. Every song feels refreshed, which is saying something considering that this outing featured lots of tracks that the audience haven't had much time to live with. Despite that it seemed like Panda Bear really embraced the more guitar-driven aspects of his songwriting and delivered some incredible performance of new singles " Ferry Lady ", " Ends Meet ", and " Defense ". While all three did drift from their studio release, they maintained their warm rock throwback feeling in the live setting and felt all the more epic with the full live band. The latter half of the set found itself in decidedly more familiar territory as " Slow Motion " And "Take Pills" took the crowd on back to back jam sessions. Both songs have had well over a decade to garner the following they have and the crowd seemed more than happy to lose themselves in their experimental haze. "Sequential Circuits" and " Buoys " sandwiched the newer "Praise" to finish off the set and left the crowd the right amount of dazed from the nonstop set of otherworldly sounds. The Salt Shed was on the crazy high of Panda Bear 's exuberant and jammy set when Chaz and the rest of his band took their positions at their center stage array of synths and keyboards. In no time Toro y Moi  glided into their set with " Walking in the Rain ", the opening track of his latest album  Hole Earth . Hole Earth is one of many departures from what his fan's may consider his more signature sound. The instrumentals are still drenched the psychedelic pop and R&B aura, the vocals are entrenched in Soundcloud rapper flows. This comes after Sandhills which saw Chaz embracing alt-country. You honestly just don't know where he's going to go. Since there are so many facets to Toro y Moi , the set list found itself jumping all over his discography. Those newer hip-hop tracks like "Madonna" (which aptly features the line "How you always switchin’ genres") nestled in between older and more glitchy tracks like "Mirage" and "So Many Details". There is a serenading quality to Chaz's vocals that permeates his work, unifying no matter how far off Toro y Moi's center they may be. Eschewing an encore, Chaz let all 20 songs of the setlist breathe and save his most magical songs to end the night. "Ordinary Pleasure" launched it all as the Outer Peace  track is an instant classic full of all the best elements of Toro y Moi. "Who Am I" and his collaboration with Flume "The Difference" followed, which only sent the crowd even further into joyous atmosphere. These final moments of the set really epitomize the Toro y Moi experience, letting go and just feeling yourself as you dance your worries away. Chaz sings "People tend to listen when they see your soul" on "Freelance", the final song of the night and that sentiment couldn't be any truer after such a fun performance. This review originally appeared over at Third Coast Review

Last year, Osgood Perkins' Longlegs had an audacious ad campaign that heralded the film as the scariest movie you'll ever see. The trailers played it up as a crazy thrill ride when in reality, I don't think Perkins any desire to make something like that. Having been a fan of his initial directing efforts The Blackcoat's Daughter and I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House, I never expected him to deviate from his slow paced style. And why would you? I want directors who make unique films true to their sensibilities, not just fit into cookie cutter templates.  So when I saw the trailer for Osgood Perkin's The Monkey , I knew this wasn't going to be the pop horror it implied itself to be. That being said, the premise is as simple and pop as you can get. Based very loosely on a Stephen King story, The Monkey focuses on very dissimilar twin brothers, Hal and Bill, who discover a mysterious relic in their absent father's closet. Encased in a blue bin labeled "Like Life" is a mechanical monkey and it's drum. The pair soon finds that turning the monkey's key, something a note within the box directs them to do, results in accidental deaths of those around them. And that's were the more mainstream aspects of the film end. Like other Oz Perkins films, The Monkey is slow, hypnotizing, and deliberate film (or some non fans would say slow, plodding, and boring) and why anyone would expect anything else is a little misguided. I feel the key in my back keeps getting turned, but i need to reiterate: this isn't some mega corporation like Disney plucking an arthouse director from the awards circuit to sprinkle a little of their touch to an already aesthetically established world. No, this is Perkins getting to sprinkle an established genre ever so gently on to his distinct style. In this case it's absurdist black humor and boisterously over the top deaths that he has splattered all over the film. It a pretty distinct dissonance that rings like a beautiful melody here. The first of half of the film revolves of the twins discovery of The Monkey through the POV of the more timid Hal as he suffers embarrassment after embarrassment from the kids at school and his brother Bill (both played incredibly well by Christian Convery). While this potion of the film takes place in the late 90s, it's location and general vibe seems closer to the 70s and 80s of Perkins own youth (a bit more on that later). Regardless this opening sets up the premise and themes incredibly well especially through Tatiana Maslany's fantastic portrayal of Lois, the twins direct and endlessly caring mother. Second half of the film follows Hal as he descends into a mediocre adulthood, mirroring his father's absentee nature as he only sees his son once a year.  Bill on the other-hand remains a mystery up until his demons catch up to him and you realize that shit bag kid turned into a shit bag adult. This time Theo James takes on the dual roles and while at time feels a little miscast, especially as Hal, James manages to make you believe he could truly be one of these two losers. Here is where the forward moment of the story finally comes into frame and we can see where things are headed: super funny deaths with only a threadbare rhyme or reason for them (at least on the surface). Those deaths are stuff of absurdist fantasies. I won't spoil any of them or their Rube Goldberg sequences, but right from the first one you are cued in that this isn't about realism and fearful brutality, but rather the machinations of pure gory nonsense and way more fun than such horrific acts should be. You are literally cheering these gruesome and comically overblown moments on and so are some of the characters in the film. Hal's brother Bill for instance seems gleefully intent on creating havoc for his own malicious intentions. While I'm sure it can be hard to find meaning in the film as it so haphazardly crawls along, I think that feeling of "what does it all mean" is just one of the main themes the films resonates with. Death, whether it comes in the form of the tragic and untimely death of a family member or through a cursed Monkey who wields it's power with reckless abandon, can feel random and careless. The film emits nihilistic tendencies throughout, which often fuels the hilariously dark vibe in the situations. However there are a few moments of acceptance of the macabre world around the characters that shine a bit of hopeful light into the pitch black comedy, like when Lois urges the kids to dance their pain away after a funeral early on in the film. The film clearly want to have its cake and eat it too. It as vapid as you want it to be and as deep as you can must. If just enjoying the craziness is not enough and you're dead set on gleaming more meaning within the film, the revolving door of bad dads in the film and the possible autobiographical nature of their depiction is nothing to scoff at. Many lines feel like Perkins revealing just a bit of his feelings toward the shadow his father, the horror icon Anthony Perkins, left on his life and career. But also this is really is a fun movie where people explode because of an evil toy monkey with seemingly no rules deems it to be. Just sit back and enjoy the manic mixture of slow burn pace and rapid, unrelenting death.

If you ever felt like you just showed up and everyone was uncomfortable with you being there or you just could’ve caught fire in a crowded room and no one would notice, and you just wanted your big sister to think you were cool - or anybody to think that. Or if you felt left out, invisible, or stupid, like no one thought you could take care of yourself, or no one noticed what you did no matter if it was good or bad, and if you felt a sharp pain inside yourself because you knew you didn’t belong where you were, that’s who Dawn Summers is to Buffy the Vampire Slayer.   And at least for me, she was someone I deeply related to. Imagine if your sister was the Chosen One and you…actually weren’t supposed to exist at all. But Michelle played the part pitch perfectly - she was silly, annoying, alien and alienated, but somehow endearing, and so reflective of so many of us trying to stand out from the shadows and make it in the Hellmouth. Photo Credit: https://www.deviantart.com/chowfangirl12/art/Buffy-Real-Me-Collage-495600441 It's easy to forget that Trachtenberg herself was also literally thrust into a well established cast and world to play the character who isn’t supposed to be there and literally threatens everyone else’s existence simply by breathing. Michelle Trachtenberg, whose career might rarely be seen out from under the shadow of Buffy and Gossip Girl, was immensely talented, playing a wide variety of roles with the same careful nuance and expression, from ice skaters to high society bullies and everything in between.  She was there the whole time, doing a great job, bringing joy and life and depth to every character with an incredible vulnerability, able to put a face to a feeling that you’re never going to be “as good as” someone else at doing anything at all - but she was a rockstar. And she will be missed.

Chicago’s very own hometown math rock heroes Maps & Atlases played the Metro on Saturday the 18th. They played as part of the Tomorrow Never Knows festival, which is touted as Chicago’s premiere multi venue winter festival with over 20 different artists across 8 venues. It’s frankly an impressive feat of organization and scheduling but this festival has been ongoing since 2015 so there’s a track record of success with this format.  Retirement Party That being said, Saturday night there was a banger of a two band line up with Retirement Party opening for Maps & Atlases. Retirement Party is a local indie rock band fronted by singer Avery Springer whose vocals are reminiscent of Fiona Apple with a little more edge. The band itself had the crowd moving, playing a solid lineup of songs from their two albums and a handful of EPs discography. By the end of their rockin' set the crowd was absolutely hyped and ready for what was to come next.  Now that the crowd was properly warmed up, it was time for Maps & Atlases. To understand what makes them fantastic is to explain math rock itself. Math Rock is similar to prog rock or post-rock but is generally defined by its complicated rhythmic structures, varying patterns and time signatures all layered on top of each other. This means that a slow song can still have a mosaic of other instruments playing at a quicker pace than the rest of the song. It’s a fascinating thing to watch layered over themselves and that’s what initially drew me to the band.  Secondarily, to achieve this sound the band tends to play a lot of their songs by tapping instead of full strumming. This allows for a lot of quick notes to be played to create beautifully intricate songs over the tenure of their 17 year musical career. There’s a lot to their playing style and it all transferred fantastically to a live show and worth it to witness their insane musical talent in person. Especially when it comes to some of their more complex songs like Every Place Is A House or The Ongoing Horrible which was played solo on an acoustic guitar by singer front man Dave Davison.  Their show was punctuated by light up bird cages that adorned the stage and would light up in time with the songs the band played. They played an amazing hour and a half set that included songs from every corner of their catalog. The crowd packed the Metro and sang along to their favorite lyrics. If you haven’t heard of this band, I’d recommend giving them a listen, or even take in one of their live shows, if only to see the guitar  mastery they convey in their live shows. The Tomorrow Never Knows festival went from January 15th to 19th and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on next year's line up as well.

Game releases come at us fast and furious as the new year begins, culminating in a slew of high profile games around the holiday season. Blink and you’ll miss another interesting, inventive or remastered game. There’s something for everyone, whether you’re a “casual” gamer or someone who wants to pour hundreds of hours into something to “git gud.” We asked the Culture Combine crew what their favorite games of 2024 were, and put together this list of the games that we enjoyed the most this past year. See what you think of our picks, and don’t forget to comment with any picks from last year you think should’ve made the list. Screenshot: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle Indiana Jones and the Great Circle I love high adventure. Once I discovered things like Star Wars, and Indiana Jones (and Harrison Ford, of course) I was obsessed.. This is just as true with games as it is in films, with one of my most beloved game series of all time being Tomb Raider. Who wouldn’t want to jetset, explore amazing archaeological sites, jetski, and be terrified to death by giant statues of Shiva coming to life? Not this girl. Unfortunately, the latest installments in the Indiana Jones film series just haven’t held that same feeling for me. Sure, they’re Indiana Jones movies, and sure, I enjoyed at least parts of them on some level out of pure nostalgia, but they never had that epic, campy shine. Luckily for us, Team 17 got it right with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle . Just like the original films, it pushes the limits. It’s graphically gorgeous, with a cinematic eye turned to every small detail. Golden light filters down through dusty dig sites, and NPCs wander through elaborate recreations of historic cities. The story’s well fleshed out too, and Indiana Jones is exactly who you remember him as - an adventurer, but at heart an archaeologist who thinks everything belongs in a museum. Snarky, grumpy and quippy, but also impulsive (seriously, are we really gonna try replacing a statue with something similarly weighted again?) Gameplay looks and feels great, and the cinematic nature of the game doesn’t take you out of the action for the sake of a cutscene. In fact, finishing up The Great Circle felt exactly like coming out of Raiders of the Lost Ark - smiling, full of popcorn, and feeling like you’ve taken a fun ride through another world. That’s why it makes my list. Screenshot: Mouthwashing Mouthwashing “I Hope It Hurts” That’s the opening phrase to Mouthwashing , and after playing through its roughly two hour story, I can confirm that it did in fact hurt. Here we are playing as the crew from the Tulpar, a freighter spaceship stranded after someone sabotaged the ship to crash into a meteorite. Considering there are only 5 members of the ship, things really spiral downhill into an endless sea of despair, paranoia, and delusions of grandeur.  Adding to the confusing nature of the story is that it is told out of order, so we see a lot of major events but not the instigating events until later. That allows for a build up to a psychedelic and mind altering crescendo of heartbreak, and reveals that will make you question what exactly you witnessed. Mouthwashing is one that I still think about from time to time, both in a disturbing but thought provoking way. Especially when it comes to the nature of taking responsibility for your actions and whether you are a sum of your worst decisions. To discuss the game in detail is to ruin the experience, you really just gotta play it.  Screenshot: Another Crab's Treasure Another Crab’s Treasure I’m a sucker for a good souls like, and that genre has exploded over the last couple years. Now we get a new entry from developers Aggro Crab and it couldn’t come at a better time. Like most other souls likes, Another Crab’s Treasure has tough but fair combat, and upon death you lose all your upgrade currency with a chance to recover it. Outside of that, Aggro Crab switches up the formula by adding a shell system.  Like any real crab, you can find shells in the environment, each with their own stats and speciality abilities. This is a clever way to incorporate the theme within the gameplay. There’s also a skill tree for further customization. Where it shines most is its charm. Specifically focusing on the harm pollution has had on the sealife, in this instance, bosses are massive monstrous sea creatures with different trash as weaponry. The same goes with the crabs shells you can collect, different pieces of trash that can be used to help defensively. All of this beautiful and charming gameplay is put together in a brightly colored cartoonish atmosphere. While From Software may have defined the genre, I love when an outlier comes in and steals a little of that spotlight. This is one of those.   Screenshot: Indika Indika I played a lot of games in 2024, and there were none that stuck with me quite like Indika . It tells its bleak story in a way that can only be conveyed accurately as a video game. In so doing, it makes commentary both on organized religion and video games. While it doesn’t break any ground gameplay-wise, it does a phenomenal job of using video game logic as a vehicle for its extremely well made point of the futility of faith, especially those in institutions that are so obviously failing to provide anything but the most absurd and grisly of ends to its faithful. Most of the gameplay in Indika sees you walking around while accruing fake, worthless XP and other points while Indika goes about her compulsory religious actions. There are a few stand out puzzles, but Indika’s strength is its storytelling. Both in the story it tells through the world, and its exploration of faith. It takes place in an alternate Russia that helps sell its over-the-top absurdity and drive home its often poignant human message. Screenshot: Metal Slug: Tactics Metal Slug Tactics The art style of Metal Slug is iconic.I remember being blown away by the detailed pixel art and animations when I was a little kid–and its still some of the best pixel art that exists today. Metal Slug might not be the monolith it was at one point, long ago, but it has a great visual style that translates perfectly into Tactics'  isometric perspective. But more than that: The original Metal Slug series is known for its “run and gun” style gameplay, and developer Dotemu has pulled off a Herculean feat by translating that aspect into a turn based strategy game.  While some tactics games may punish movement, resulting in matches that feel more defensive than dynamic– Metal Slug Tactics encourages movement by adding a defensive component to moving. In other words: the more you move, the less damage you can potentially take.. That means battles are based on movement, and are therefore very fun–and that, to me, is lots better than setting up defensive positions in hopes that enemies fling themselves at them.  There are also lots of different characters, each with a set of their own load-outs that drastically change the way they play. It was one of those games I kept coming back to through the year, making it easily one of my favorites of 2024. Screenshot: Children of the Sun Children of the Sun You were raised in a cult, they killed your family, and now it’s time to get your revenge. That’s the premise of Children of the Sun , a tactical sniper game where you are the bullet. You only have one shot per level, but that’s okay, because each time you hit a target you can redirect the shot to a new target. Eventually, you gain even greater control over the bullet as you seek revenge against THE CULT as you eventually seek to eliminate THE LEADER.  It’s stylish, fun, and was the first game of last year to go on my “best of the year” list. Children of the Sun isn’t exactly a shooting game, but more of a puzzle game where timing and positioning matter if you want to get the highest combo for a personal best or to try to top the leaderboard.  Combined with its great art style, Children of the Sun delivers a video game package unlike anything I’ve played in a really long time. Screenshot: Deadlock Deadlock This is probably not the first time I’m going to put this game on a “best of the year” list. I was originally going to have it as an honorable mention–but with how much of my life it has sucked up, I think it deserves a spot on this list. While only officially announced after its popularity exploded on Steam at the end of the summer last year, Deadlock’s  success was underscored by the very public downfall of $400000 dollar Concord –the epic hero shooter that was DOA. I can’t say that Deadlock killed Concord , but their history is inextricably linked. Now Deadlock has been overshadowed vastly by Marvel Rivals, but  Deadlock managed to make me finally play a MOBA (even if its a hybrid) and it's absolutely oozing with potential. Development will probably be on Valve time, but if something is already this fun to play it’s hard to complain. Since Deadlock is still invite only, and only just barely announced by Valve, there is still plenty of room for it to expand and improve. But it also has an extremely compelling world that is dripping with environmental clues, full of unique characters that buck a lot of the current established trends. It’s trying something different, not afraid to be unique, and because of that it will most likely end up being something special.  So, what'd you think? Let us know what your favorites from last year were in the comments!

New year, new releases! Welcome back to Let's Get Physical, where I urge you to actually own your movies and TV shows instead of relying on streaming services where the earliest film is from 1973 (seriously Netlfix?) This month is a pretty big one and with only 4 release days its pretty chock full of great 4Ks and Blu-rays. Se7en 4k - January 7 This one's an interesting case. From all accounts, this is a worthy upgrade for those seeking a better copy of David Fincher's Se7en (it astoundingly funny that a movie this good does the ole number-as-a-letter marketing trick), but there are a few quirks in the mix. Fincher is known perfectionist and he has gone ahead an done some AI tweaking on the film. While I abhor lazy AI, it seems like Fincher was very meticulous with its use, perhaps a bit too meticulous. There are reports of strange, almost unneeded changes being made to the film which for a preservationist like myself feels not good. This feels closer to the Sam Raimi use of re-doing a film than Geroge Lucas, but I'm not a fan of either. I'm interested in seeing just how strange these additions are Rumours - January 21 I missed this when it was in theaters, so I'm eagerly anticipating seeing Guy Maddin's closest forray into a.... normal movie? Not really, but with a cast full of recognizable actors and co-directors Evan Johnson and Galen Johnson likely helping ease the more outlandish of Maddin's visions, Rumours feels like a perfect addition to my physical media library. Kill Bill Vol 1 4K, Kill Bill Vol 2 4K, and Jackie Brown 4k - January 21 These are simply must haves for any film fan. I know Tarantino's brand of stealing smart/sampling of other creators work feels a little off to many a movie watcher, but I maintain that his lifts are more often than not transformative at best and obvious homages at worst. The Kill Bill movies are truly indebted to kung-fu movies of yesteryear and it shows. Jackie Brown on the other hand is way more subtle with its influences, letting the core of who Tarantino is as a director shine. What results is a mature, measured, and satisfying film. The elegant base of Elmore Leonard's Rum Punch also helps keep the story focused and entertaining. It's honestly my favorite Tarantino film. Links above go to the regular editions, but Lionsgate does have some incredible steelbooks for each one of the available as well, so you have options! MORE RELEASES TO BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR! Let's Get Lost   is a documentary on the life of jazz great Chet Baker, a personal favorite of mine. January 7 Another Tarantino release?! Here's hoping this 4K of Inglourious Basterds is better than the not so special edition that is currently on the market January 14 Is Reindeer Games a good movie? No. But boy is it ridiculous enough to enjoy!  January 21 The darker of the two John Cusack and Stephen Frears collaborations, The Grifters is an incredible film full of uncomfortable toxicity that will keep you glued to your seat  January 21 Tarsem Singh has made some visually beautiful films and The Cell is no exception. Sure aspects of it have been butchered by the studio, but it's still a worthy 4K for your collection! January 21 Terror Vision is consistently releasing incredible movies and this double feature of Yellow Dragon's Village/Visitors sounds like a doozy! January 28

Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko: https://www.pexels.com/photo/an-empty-cinema-7991486/ It's time for lists! While we're trying to settle back in to regular life after the holidays, why not look back at the year that was for a little bit of comfort? "Art is balm for the brain, especially in moments of decision" after all. For us, it'll take a lot of balm to get over last year, so we're gonna dwell in the past this little moment longer to talk about our favorite films of 2024. And when we say we, that means we've coerced everyone at Culture Combine to come up with at least two movies they really loved this year. Settle in for a satisfying scroll and a good ol' game of "What did they miss that makes this article an absolute travesty?" To kick it off, let's start with Julian Ramirez's picks: Dune: Part Two The trend of needlessly splitting a book into two movies has been an epidemic worthy of ridicule, but rarely has the method been so necessary and expertly done as director/writer Denis Villenue and co-writer Jon Spaihts have with Dune The story feels surprisingly fit for it as the first film showcased the fall of the house Atreides and Dune: Part Two focuses on Paul Atraides' rise to power on the spice planet.  Everything that made the first film great is somehow improved with the sequel. The beautiful cinematography feels all the more epic which lends itself to the more action oriented film. There is powerful acting from everyone involved (even if Christopher Walken is a bit distracting) especially from Timothee Chalamet as he transforms from a young and naive soldier into a begrudging leader who seemingly knows exactly how bad things are going to get with or without him.  At 166 minutes, Dune: Part Two rushes by without ever feeling bogged down by the enormity of its story. There are certain departures from the source material, but they all feel perfectly aligned with the more measured take on the space opera. It all builds on itself wonderfully and culminates in a satisfying way. With another movie likely on the way, Dune: Part Two could have easily fallen to the pratfalls associated with middle film, not being complete without its other parts, but Villenue’s deft hand has ensured it's able to stand on its own.  Immaculate It’s been an undeniable year for horror movies and Immaculate may be one that gets lost in the shuffle despite its solid efforts. Starring Sydney Sweeney and directed by Michael Mohan, Immaculate is their second collaboration and better of the two. Centering on Sweeney as an innocent nun who moves to a convent in Rome where she discovers she is immaculately pregnant with what most everyone around her believes is the son of God. Sweeny shines in her role, giving every bit of nuance to her timid turned desperate character.  Immaculate is a throwback if there ever was one, harkening to Italian Giallo films and nunsploitation of yesteryear. The film never quite succumbs entirely to the extremes of those genres, but it definitely comes close with a few religious side characters feeling more like caricatures at times and the creeping pace disrupted by a jumpscare or three. Immaculate surely wears its influences on its sleeves but isn’t beholden to them.  The film’s final scene is one of the best in recent horror memory. It’s a completely satisfying conclusion, both emotionally and narratively, and leaves the audience with a burned-in image that you won’t soon forget. Marielle's picks: Woman of The Hour Woman of the Hour is a retelling of a “stranger than fiction” tale about a serial killer who once appeared on an episode of the Dating Game, and Sheryl, a down on her luck actress, played by Kendrick. In real life, Rodney Alcala, the “Dating Game Killer” was convicted for murdering 7 women, but according to some reports may have murdered up to 130. While we know who the killer is right away, the brilliance of Woman of the Hour is that danger comes from all sides. Pete Holmes as Terry seems like a loveable sheepdog, but constantly makes unwanted advances. The cocky lothario that is Bachelor 2 obviously sees women purely as objects, and even the “well intentioned” men like audience member Laura’s otherwise kind seeming boyfriend, just dismisses her as crazy when she correctly identifies Alcala as the killer. Also telling, amidst all the actual danger surrounding Sheryl, the part of the movie that feels the most dangerous is when Sheryl bucks the rules of the dating game and starts asking the men pointed questions like “What are girls for?” thus invoking the wrath of the show’s host, Ed. Perhaps even scarier, in contrast to just about all the male characters, Rodney, the actual killer, seems refined, funny, even likeable - and would likely be the last of the terrible people in this film we’d suspect as having brutally raped and murdered two women at the time he appeared on the show. He’s “the danger” but at every point in the show, at every single moment, Sheryl’s been in danger, simply because she exists in the world as a woman. Woman of the Hour is about the monotony and bald reality of being in constant danger, and that’s what makes it truly terrifying, and a must watch in my book. Turning Red Pixar stands out as a studio largely based on its ability to craft a unique story that’s accessible to everyone yet doesn’t shy away from complicated topics. If you’ve ever had the experience of being a person who menstruates, you know it’s complicated. There’s a lot of angst that comes from being a ‘neonate and having a body that’s doing things you don’t understand while you’re feeling all kinds of feelings you don’t know what to do with. On top of that your little undeveloped brain thinks that because you’ve reached or are about to reach thirteen, you’re basically an adult, even though everyone (especially your family) is still treating you like a child. Turning Red’s main character Mei is obsessive, anxious, dramatic, cringey, kinda mean, super silly and, basically, the quintessential obnoxious ‘neonate. And who wasn’t obnoxious at that age? Being a ‘neonate is a lot, when you really think about it. What’s beautiful about Turning Red is that it doesn’t shield its main character from the weird, ugly, incredibly embarrassing parts that even adults don’t always want to talk about. It’s about how you can butt heads with your mom at every opportunity but still desperately need her, about how a community of women cares for and protects each other - and it’s a beautiful film as well, in large part due to the stunning backdrop of Toronto, specifically featuring the Chinese Canadian community there. If you missed it streaming in ‘22 or in the theaters in ‘24, correct that in this new year. Aaron's Picks: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice While it might not be “movie of the year,” Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was a delightful sequel to the iconic 1988 Tim Burton movie. And though Hollywood has long been too awash with sequels, franchises, and reboots, Burton bringing back some of my favorite childhood characters to the big screen didn’t feel like a nostalgic money grab, but an homage to the original and introduction/continuation of the story for a younger generation. Many of our characters return, with Michael Keaton returning as Beetlejuice, Winona Ryder a now widowed Lydia Deetz, and Catherine O’Hara as stepmother Delia. While the Maitlands’ have since moved on, Lydia and company are joined by daughter Astrid, played by the perfectly cast Jenna Ortega, a local boy love interest (Arthur Conti), Beetlejuice’s revenge-seeking wife (Monica Bellucci), and a dead cop (Willem Dafoe), along with a host of monsters and ghosts both new and old. Keaton fits back into the role of our villain turned teammate like a pair of well worn shoes, albeit a little older. Ryder and Ortega make a great estranged mother daughter pair, and you can feel both the tension and underlying love. Lydia’s boyfriend Rory, played by Justin Theroux , pulls off being a creepy grifting con-man pretty well -- maybe a little too well. While characters are played well and Burton’s design of both the Earth and the now sprawling afterlife are gorgeous, the plot does somewhat falter. At times it feels like our characters were thrown into a kitchen sink from four different bowls, only loosely interacting at times. While it was good to see some old tropes and fun set pieces return, sometimes they do feel a little bit thrown together. Despite these stumbles, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice was at its core, what I hoped it to be – a FUN throwback. I might’ve been scared a little shitless as a child watching the first installment, but growing up watching it again and again, that movie became a lighthearted and fun exploration of life and death, with heaping hunks of bizarre creatures and sets. The second installment felt very similar. It’s not an Oscar-worthy film and at a refreshingly speedier than most movies these days - an hour and thirty two minutes – not an in depth exploration of anything. But I never expected it to be. Once again, it was just an enjoyable and fun movie.  While the story might’ve been a little less coherent than the first and a little less dramatic, it was still a great time.  Deadpool & Wolverine Let’s face it, superhero movies have been an exhausted franchise for quite a few years now. We’ve been living in an oversaturated market of capes, masks, powers, puns, and one-liners for entirely too long and I’m not the first to have wanted off this ride. That oversaturation though, is one of the things that made Deadpool & Wolverine – the MCU’s third installment of the Deadpool series – good.  Much like the first two installments of the series, it doesn’t take itself seriously at all. And despite the red and black suited foul mouthed mercenary donning mouse ears for this one, the movie doesn’t hold back. If anything, Deadpool & Wolverine is even more foul-mouthed and excessively violent than its first two editions. Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have fantastic reluctant love/embraced hate buddy comedy energy, and the cast of familiar Deadpool cameos and new to this universe(s) ones keep the fun and energy moving. While the story itself is a little slapdash and basic, tying everything into a bow via Loki was well executed.  There’s probably nothing that can save the superhero genre anytime soon – it’s as overdone as the driest holiday turkey one can’t even stick a fork in. But Deadpool & Wolverine didn’t feel like it was trying to do that. Much like dinner leftovers cobbled together into a delicious brunch the next day, it was just a fun blockbuster filled with the fan-service we’ve come to love and expect from this particular corner of the Marvel universe, and just as rewatchable as the first two. Alex's picks: Saturday Night I’ve always been a fan of Saturday Night Live, and while most of my friends were quoting their favorite Adam Sandler jokes or Will Ferrell sketches, I was more curious about the process. Writing, crafting scheduling--it all fascinated me. The idea of making this show happen reminds me of spinning a million plates at once, where when one wobbles, it threatens to take the entire collection down with it. While Live From New York: The Complete Uncensored History of SNL book or shows like 30 Rock did their best to give peeks into the background of the show, I wanted more. Queue Saturday Night. Saturday Night is a retelling of the two hours before the first ever episode of Saturday Night Live goes live. This is where we get a mostly full view of the chaos that goes into every single episode. The drama between personalities and production, constant re-writes and test jokes, the ever looming threat of everything about to go off the rails in a flaming catastrophe. It gave me everything I could want in that view, while also including some of the classic stories you may have heard retold throughout the show's tenure. It’s not 100% accurate of course, but brings the viewer into the chaos while entertaining them thoroughly.  The Substance I’m not the biggest horror fan, but there was something that drew me to The Substance. It’s no secret that there is a deep-seated fault of ageism that exists in Hollywood towards women. In The Substance , Demi Moore plays a famous television fitness instructor who is getting forced out of her show on her 50th birthday. It’s here that Demi discovers “the substance,” a miracle drug that promises a younger, fitter version of you. This unlocks some of the best body  horror that I’ve seen in a very long time.  The transformation into a fitter, younger you is less of a transformation and more birthing a clone of yourself from a giant gaping hole out of your back. It’s a wild visual that is as auditorily wet as it looks with buckets of blood being thrown about all over this film. There’s a fun back and forth adversarial relationship between Demi and her younger ‘fitter’ clone that plays like a celebrity wrestling match, with both playing the heel. There’s an antagonistic nature to it, despite them essentially being the same person. By the end the relationship devolves into a massive discussion on fame's fleeting embrace as time makes fools of us all. Nothing gold can stay.  Hundreds of Beavers I was not prepared for Hundreds of Beavers , or the nostalgia it would pull out of me personally. What is presented in this film is a throwback to the days of Tom and Jerry, or the Three Stooges. The classic 1920s, 1930s absurdist black and white slapstick comedy with close to zero dialogue. From beginning to end, every bit of this wild tale of love and revenge hits right in the funny bone.  The story begins with our hero Jean getting famous for his apple orchard and distillery but soon after many drunken evenings, it’s all set ablaze by beavers chewing through the wood beams. Now it’s up to Jean to become an animal hunter to rebuild his wealth and possibly win the love of the local merchant's daughter. Of course, his redemption arc crosses paths with those pesky beavers and all hell breaks loose in a final battle of wits. It’s silly, it’s ridiculous and rarely does it make sense, but man, it makes for a solid evening viewing. Technically this has been in the festival circuit since 2022, but it didn’t get its official release until this year. More people need to see this movie.  These are our picks - were any of yours the same? Let us know your favorites from the year in the comments!

Every year around the holidays, local indie folk hero Andrew Bird hosts his Gezelligheid concert series out of the Fourth Presbyterian Church. Seven days of concerts to celebrate the spirit of the season as well as keep with the Dutch term that roughly translates to “cozy.” Bird started this tradition back in 2009, marking this as the 14th year of Gezelligheid.  Andrew Bird, an indie folk musician originally from Lake Forest Illinois, started his career back in 1996 including a stint with the Squirrel Nut Zippers. Bird’s musical stylings range from Indie, Folk, Jazz and Swing, even winning the “Best Folk Album” at the 2019 Grammys for his album My Finest Work Yet. Since 1996, Andrew Bird has released over 20 albums, impressively  under his own name, with additional albums in varying Jazz or Swing ensembles.  The Fourth Presbyterian Church was formed in 1871 on Chicago’s downtown North Michigan Avenue near the John Hancock Center. A beautiful example of Gothic Revival architecture that also acts as a sanctuary as well as the second largest Presbyterian congregation in the United States. It’s this beautiful piece of Chicago history that housed Bird’s intimate concert series.  What makes this concert series so intriguing is the vibe that Andrew Bird has cultivated here. Nothing really changed to the site as a whole so attendees were seated in the pews of the church surrounded by the iconic architecture, and massive lighting structures throughout. No extra frills, just the church pews and Birds signature folk style. The concert can best be described as a blend of folk and jazz, with Bird swapping between his violin, and guitar with a few guests coming in to assist with some additional musical layers, but mostly it was an all Bird show.  Considering Bird’s musical repertoire ranges pretty heavily, he tended to keep things safely within the realm of the cozy night in, playing a more subdued collection of songs including some covers  of Bob Dylan and Stevie Nick but also throwing in a medley of Vince Guaraldi Trio of music from Charlie Brown Christmas. There were some beautiful lighting effects that displayed across the large cathedral ceilings to accompany the musical stylings. By the final run of shows it’s clear why this was a holiday tradition that will continue as long as Andrew wants it to, each night a sell out and each night a warm safe evening to spend with the family. Andrew’s made me a fan, and now a recurring attendee to these events. Happy Gezelligheid!