July-August-September 2022

Hey there, readers.

How are you? It’s been a minute. This time, for a much delayed TMIVGV, we cast our gaze back to vods released between July and September 2022. That is to say, last year. Toot toot.

Thank you to everyone who has continued to send in their video essay suggestions for inclusion, even as updates have been slow. I’m taking it as a sign of faith that I’ll get this column back on track at some point. And I will.

Those Months In Videogame Vlogging highlights the most compelling critical videos about videogames from the specified calendar month/s.

Unknowing

Our first trio here for this tri-month package consider knowledge, fan theories, the power of hiding things… and sometimes Zelda.

  • In Search of Mystery – Pixel a Day (31:39)

    Kat formulates a theory for the different ways that game worlds generate appeal through hiding information from the player, divided into ‘graphical mystery’ and ‘expositional mystery’. (Manual captions).

  • Every Zelda is the Darkest Zelda – Jacob Geller (40:07)

    Jacob Geller contemplates the pervasive tendency of fan theories to equate depth with ‘darkness’ by demonstrating how the narratives, settings and themes of many Zelda titles can be interpreted as either ‘dark’ or optimistic, depending on which aspects the critic chooses to focus on. (Manual captions) [contains embedded advertising]

  • The Wind Waker and the Apocalypse – Skyehoppers (1:04:44)

    Skyehoppers argues that The Wind Waker mechanically and narratively emphasises the power of community, cooperation and connectedness as vital tools for a new generation to overcome existential threat. (Manual captions)

Let Them Eat Flesh

This next pair of vods look at how games can get under our skin, so to speak, by upsetting expectations around comfort and closeness.

Going on Holiday

These next three consider videogames, representationally and mechanically, in view of the work-holiday cycle.

Of Production

Our final grouping here is loosely bound by discussions around the processes, people and periodisation of game development.