Since we did this last and as it can be with establishing new traditions or in this case re-establishing an old one we’re here again on another Friday to look at some interesting things in the gaming world from over the last week.

First up is one that I just ran across today with a lot of other people –

A Chinese indie developer by the name of Game Science Studio has taken everyone a bit by surprise with this very early look at their game Black Myth: Wukong. Ostensibly based on the myth of Sun Wukong also known as the Monkey King, a trickster god from Chinese lore who features heavily in contemporary stories all around the world today. Everything from movies like Forbidden Kingdom with Jackie Chan and Jet Li to video games like DoTA and League of Legends have characters based on the Monkey King. The trailer itself demonstrates a wide range of abilities by the player character like his ability to take different forms, supernatural strength and command of the elements. Souls-like gameplay aside one of the more shocking things are the graphics including the environments and animations that are simply amazing. I have yet to see any information on when or where the game is intended to be released but if it’s on console it’s probably a safe bet that it will be on the upcoming generation.

At any rate, its got my Jade Empire whiskers wiggling and with my recent enjoyment of Ghost of Tsushima still fresh this seems like an excellent next step in games based on eastern history and mythology.

I can’t honestly tell how I really feel about this, either warmly nostalgic or the that tingling chill up your spine from childhood trauma, either way Battletoads 2020 has officially landed.

Love it or hate it this game series helped birth one of the most storied developers in gaming history, Rare and with it a bevvy of beloved titles.

Last time I mentioned looking forward to checking out Lovecraft Country and I finally got around to watching the first episode this week and I have to say, if you’re not hooked in the first five minutes or so, I can’t help you. Lovecraft for me, and probably for a lot of people, has always been a little bit about trying to find sanity in insanity. Watching characters try to keep a grip on anything that connects them to a world they once knew while desperately trying to come to grips with a universe that is relentlessly mad. I love it, I really do. It hits that sweet spot that monster-of-the-week shows like X-Files fits into with a healthy dose of The Outer Limits to really bring the weird. This style of story intertwined with the perspective of life as an African-American in Jim Crow America and the fact that it is produced and directed by Misha Green and Jordan Peele makes the whole package even better.

Also there is apparently a companion podcast called Lovecraft Country Radio. If you liked the first episode then probably a good bet you’d be into that as well. I know I thoroughly enjoyed the companion podcast to Chernobyl when I finished that so I’m looking forward to doing so here as well.

Overall it was a great start and I can’t wait to see more.

On a more personal note I still have a couple of mini’s to paint and I’m hoping to get to it finally this weekend in between playing a little more of the Avenger’s beta for the last weekend that it’s open. I’m still having fun with it and I think I’m happy with my decision to play it at launch. I’ve got a few other posts in the works and I’d like to get a second one out before the weekend is over but we’ll see what happens.

Short and sweet today, I hope you’ve had a good week and enjoy the weekend ahead.

Stay safe and happy gaming or whatever it is you choose to unwind with.

• Anthony