When it comes to downtime and what I have been indulging in, the feeling has been very much “slow and steady wins the race”. Rather than feeling like I have to jump from one thing to another just to tick off another item from my list, I have been taking my time in what I play, read, and watch.
Here’s what has been on my radar lately.
Video Game
Shadow of the Tomb Raider
After beating Rise of the Tomb Raider last month, my next game choice shouldn’t come as a huge surprise. Being completely engrossed in the Tomb Raider games lately, reimagined by Crystal Dynamics, it made perfect sense to wrap this trilogy.
I only just started the game, but the 2018 Shadow, developed by Eidos-Montréal, continues where Rise of the Tomb Raider leaves off. Trinity remains a threat and Lara has made it her mission to take down this organization once and for all.
The first and second Tomb Raider games from Crystal Dynamics have been great entries, and I’m excited to see if Eidos-Montréal, the same studio behind Guardians of the Galaxy, manages to close out Lara’s adventures on a high note.
Book
Writing and Editing for Digital Media Fourth Edition
I mentioned this in passing in previous posts, but the new year has been about reading for professional development. The books that were paid by the company I work for has taken up a lot of my reading time. The textbook Writing and Editing for Digital Media Fourth Edition by Brian Carroll is the last of the books that are job related reading.
Going through the relevant chapters that serve my purposes, it certainly has been a fascinating education on what I need to learn to grow my own skillset. Because this book is really a textbook meant to be used for a college course, it did take me back to my school going days of reading chapters for homework.
Writing and Editing for Digital Media may not be “fun” reading by any sense of the word but the knowledge to be gained from it is invaluable.
Television
The Last of Us
HBO Max’s runaway hit The Last of Us, based on the video game from Naughty Dog, is the TV show of the moment. Starring Pedro Pascal as Joe and Bella Ramsey as Ellie, this post-apocalyptic tale about a world gone to hell after an outbreak turns the infected into zombie like creatures, is riveting television week after week.
I haven’t played the video game, largely because it has been a Playstation exclusive title, but what I do know about the story has translated really well for TV. Whether you’re a gamer or not, showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann, who created the video game, have worked together to make a show that’s worth watching.
The performances by the entire cast, especially Pascal and Ramsey, are stellar and each episode will unexpectedly break your heart, especially if you’re coming into this show blind and without any knowledge of the game.
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve cried when an episode introduces new characters that are likable, and are ones you care about, only to watch them go through tragic or even bittersweet ends. It’s an incredible feat to be able to make these side characters memorable with a satisfying beginning, middle, and end when a lot of TV shows can sometimes throw a whole bunch of new characters at you, but you’re just as soon to forget them as quickly as they came in. This is a strong indicator of how good the writing is, and Druckmann’s close involvement with the show really helps The Last of Us become one of the few examples of video game adaptations done right.
What have you been playing, reading, and watching lately?
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