Princess Zelda is sporting a new haircut in Breath of the Wild 2 , which seemingly isn’t a subtle hint that she’ll end up as a playable heroine in the upcoming sequel. Instead, it’s a new look for a main character who has saved her kingdom, witnessed the loss of countless loved ones, and managed to survive and continue with a life she’s afraid isn’t deserved.

Female characters parting with their hair has been a deliberate sign of growing maturity in media for decades, a changed appearance highlighting that women are willing to leave behind everything in service of something greater. Mulan is the most popular example, with the titular character cutting her gorgeous hair to join the army and assist her ignorant father. It's the opposite of Zelda’s situation - instead of pulling herself away from the royal family, Mulan is doing everything she can to preserve it. But the core motivation remains the same: these are two women who realise a sacrifice must be made, even if it means altering their appearance and walking away from a life of security.

Updating Code Veronica per modern standards would likely take away much of its charm, fixed camera angles and tank controls included. The magic of fixed camera angles in the PS1 games really played into the survival horror genre, providing numerous jump scares while adding a deeper level of tension knowing that an unseen enemy could be lurking around any corner. Recent RE remakes did away with these features that enhanced the spooky atmosphere of the original ga

There are a few things that always come up when you talk to someone about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild . Weapon degradation is one of the defining discourses around the game, with fans either despising the fact your equipment bursts into nothing after a handful of strikes or adoring how it forces you to think outside the box and constantly adapt your strategy to a changing inventory.

I can’t play the Spyro trilogy for the first time again, nor can I approach it with the same innocence and sense of wonder that I did when I was ten years old. I still love the series, but games have changed a lot since Spyro first came out. There have been 20 years of evolution and innovation since Spyro the Dragon was made, and I’ve seen how games have been refined and enhanced since then. I’ve changed a lot too. I’m a critic now, and I pick games apart and analyze them for a living. I can revisit Spyro from a new perspective, but now I experience it as an echo of the original - a snapshot of my childh

A remake of Resident Evil 4 feels very different now I’ve played through the entirety of Resident Evil Village . The first-person sequel is essentially a modern successor to the survival-horror masterpiece, adapting many of its ideas and mechanics for a new audience. It’s a campy, overblown adventure filled with over-the-top villains and nonsensical plot developments that ape the series’ finest hour, even if it sacrifices many of its own ideas in the process. Now, unless this rumoured remake completely overhauls the original vision, I can’t help but think it might end up feeling obsol

The removal of design decisions previously viewed as irksome would undermine so much of what Breath of the Wild managed to achieve, and elden ring beast claws build the last thing I want to see is Nintendo steering its formula in a direction that abides by more traditional genre conventions. Assassin’s Creed and similar games of this ilk are arguably more akin to content mill, built to draw you in for hundreds of hours even if much of that time is filled with uninspired busywork. The time you spend with the game is what matters, and Breath of the Wild managed to challenge a system that has become increasingly tired in the eyes of players. Its sequel needs to continue chasing that ambition, and not compromise on its own design ethos.

As a VR enthusiast, it’s hard to understand why the Oculus Quest 2 still hasn’t hit critical mass. It’s not a matter of cost: the Quest 2 is half the price of the PS5 and Xbox Series X and less than a third of a 30-series GPU, and unlike all of those, is widely available. It’s not due to a lack of content either. There are hundreds of games on the Oculus store, and at least a dozen I would consider must-plays. There are even more if you have a decent computer to link to, like Half-Life: Alyx , Star Wars Squadrons, and my personal favorite, Insomniac’s Stormland. I don’t think it's an accessibility issue either - at least not for the vast majority of potential VR players. Resolution and high refresh rates have virtually eliminated the disorientation of early VR, and even if you’re especially squeamish, every game has plenty of settings built in that help eliminate any discomfort. If you ask me, the Quest 2 ought to be as ubiquitous as the equally-priced Nintendo Switch, but as of this past July, the Quest 2 has only sold four million units to the Switch’s

Catra from She-Ra and The Princesses of Power and Amity Blight from The Owl House also change their hairstyles to serve their character development, whether that be accepting their own sexuality and leaving behind oppressive familial structures or welcoming those who once pushed you away and putting aside a toxic life of villainy. Once again, these are all female characters confronting a heteronormative society and fighting back against it, even if said worlds are fantastical in nature and far more eccentric than our own. If done right, characters can still be grounded and relatable, as their struggles become ones we can sympathise with. It’s beautiful, so perhaps there’s a reason this tried-and-true trope has so much staying power in modern media.