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[Review] ‘This War of Mine: The Last Broadcast’ is Emotionally Resonant and Oppressively Grim

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A new impactful story of survival builds on the base game’s subtle handling of the horrors of war. Read all about it in our This War of Mine The Last Broadcast review.

Though This War of Mine stands tall amongst its genre peers on the substantial merit of its robust survival mechanics alone, it’s arguably the very human stories, trials and tribulations that serve as the beating heart for what is ostensibly 11-Bit Studios magnum opus.

With a narrative scribed by Meg Jayanth, whose keen penship drove Inkle’s 80 Days globetrotting adventures to such superlative heights, the second Stories expansion The Last Broadcast deftly weaves a story that not only encapsulates the survivalist struggles of the base game, but also one that examines the value and role of truth in a time of war.

Immediately the setup for The Last Broadcast is interesting. Revolving around crippled radio operator Malik and his wife, Esma, the former struggles to impart life-saving wisdom to the survivors of the Grazni Civil War, while the latter ventures out into the outside world to scavenge for supplies and obtain the news that her husband so desperately needs to broadcast.

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The news that you can broadcast can come from multiple sources too. Though mostly uncovered through Esma’s journey into the wider world, the visitors who knock on your door can also now be quizzed for the latest developments, with such news allowing you to do everything from taking advantage of supply and demand for certain resources in favorable trade negotiations, to providing ample notice regarding troop movements.

With the attainment of news comes the notion of responsibility – do you impart the news to Malik, allowing him to broadcast out this new information, or, do you withhold it? Depending on how you handle information, certain characters might react to you differently (or not appear at all), while the balance of your choices are brilliantly brought to bear in one of The Last Broadcast’s multiple endings.

The fact that The Last Broadcast begins with not just two survivors, but whereupon only one of them is able-bodied lends the proceedings quite the unexpected dynamic. As the sole scavenger in the group, the physical demands that are put onto Esma are far beyond that which would be normal.

As such, The Last Broadcast forces long-time This War of Mine players to think much differently than they otherwise would do. Because Esma is the only individual capable of scavenging, she cannot rest at home at night and so instead must catch up on her snoozes during the day – a problem which is compounded by the fact that if she indulges in any strenuous physical activity, as this makes her rest all the more important.

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On the other side of the coin, Malik’s crippling disability is debilitating to that point that he can only roam around a single level in the house. Without the ability to move up or down floors, he must also be fed, treated and entertained by Esma – something which not only exacerbates the tremendous strain that already exists on her time.

Fortunately though, unlike the base game, The Last Broadcast begins with our survivors in a considerably large house that already has a lot of amenities, utilities, and loot to collect. Though this house also presents a unique challenge in the form of a rockfall which prevents immediate access to a pre-prepared herb garden; a conundrum that is soon remedied by fashioning a pickaxe to clear the way.

As a result, not only does the unique situation of Malik and Esma lend itself to refreshing play and a reorganization of the traditional This War of Mine mindset, but so too do the digs that couple inhabit present a meaningful challenge that deftly compliments what The Last Broadcast has wrought elsewhere in its design.

In addition to emphasizing the human element that has defined This War of Mine, The Last Broadcast also packs in a bunch of new base content. Certainly, the much larger scope when compared to the previous DLC, A Father’s Promise, makes The Last Broadcast feel like much more akin to a banquet, rather than the mouldering scraps one might expect to find in one of the game’s long-abandoned shelters.

Beyond the weight of The Last Broadcast’s narrative and the new features, Pogoren, the city that served as the backdrop to The Grazni Civil War in the base game, has also been enlarged with new locations to explore and a range of new characters to interact with. A tense cover to cover sprint through a park under the watchful eye of a sniper proves to be a particular highlight that doubles down on This War of Mine’s penchant for getting the blood pumping, as Esma puts her life on the line to scavenge both resources and news alike. Celebrating the fourth anniversary of This War of Mine with this expansion, 11-Bit Studios has managed to both properly honor the spirit of the base game, and meaningfully iterate upon it with this latest DLC offering. Emotionally resonant, oppressively grim and generously stuffed with emergent possibility and multiple endings, The Last Broadcast widens the scope of The Grazni Civil War and is essential for both owners of This War of Mine and fans of supremely well-written survival narratives.

Here’s hoping that the third, and as yet unannounced story expansion for This War of Mine follows much more rigidly in the footsteps of the game’s sophomoric DLC offering, rather than its inaugural venture into the Stories format.

This War of Mine The Last Broadcast review code provided by the publisher.

This War of Mine The Last Broadcast is available on PC from November 14.

Books

‘In Search of Darkness’ Book Review: A Must-Have for ’80s Horror Fans

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In 2019, the documentary of 80s horror In Search of Darkness became an instant hit with horror fans. Now, a beautiful coffee table style companion book is available and is a must-own for all fans of one of horror’s greatest eras. The book is a walk down the horror aisle of the best mom and pop video store in the heyday of VHS, featuring full color photos, poster art, insightful essays and more. More than just a nostalgic throwback, In Search of Darkness is the kind of book I wish I’d had back in my years as a burgeoning horror fan but is also satisfying for the film fanatic I have become in the years since.

The format is beautifully and simply laid out, with at least a dozen (usually more) movies from each year of the decade presented in order of release accompanied by informative and insightful essays by the authors Heather Wixson and Patrick Bromley. Both authors have been mainstays of film journalism, specializing in horror, for many years. Wixson began her career in 2007 with Dread Central and has spent the past ten years as the Managing Editor of Daily Dead, from which she recently retired to focus on books and other projects. She has devoted the past several years to interviewing and writing books about the Make-up and Special Effects wizards that have brought so much to film over the years, specifically the horror genre.

Bromley is a film journalist and critic whose work can be found all over the place including right here on Bloody Disgusting. He recently provided the commentary for the Vinegar Syndrome release of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and is known as something of a Tobe Hooper expert. He is also the founder and editor of F this Movie!, an eclectic film website, and host of its accompanying podcast. So, to be clear, the authors know their stuff.

Wixson and Bromley divide writing duties roughly in half and though each has a distinctive voice, their writing styles dovetail beautifully into a cohesive whole. Each author plays to their strengths. Being familiar with both their work I didn’t even have to look at the bylines to know that Heather covered Christine and Terror in the Aisles and Patrick took on The Funhouse and Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers. Wixson’s passion for make-up effects is clear and comes through in many of her contributions. In general, Wixson takes on the “big” titles, the movies that defined the decade the most, and Bromley covers what the more cynical among us might call schlock, but he would likely call pure cinematic bliss. There are exceptions and surprises, of course, as there should be (Patrick covers The Shining for example). Each essay dives into the history behind the film, the major players involved, the reception, and legacy with often surprising aspects drawn from interviews with the filmmakers from various sources and insights from the authors.

For all their in-depth explorations of each film, in general the authors keep their critics’ hats safely stowed, keeping in mind that every entry on the book has its fans. In fact, they may well have sold me on finally hitting play on some of the schlockier offerings of the decade like Evilspeak, Nightbeast, and Blood Diner. Hell, I may even give The Beast Within a spin for shits and giggles. The point is that this book is a celebration through and through. The authors are honest about the critical receptions of the films, which were often unkind, and sometimes let their own opinions shine through, but recognize how beloved even the schlockiest films can become given time and availability. And that is an ongoing theme of In Search of Darkness. What may have been dismissed in its day often becomes revered as the years pass. Variations on the phrase “the years have been kind to…” referring to various maligned projects like The Thing, Halloween III: Season of the Witch, The Blob and many, many others, can be found throughout the book for good reason.

Each chapter of the book also includes a rundown of the top horror movies at the box office for the year as well as the top movies of all genres for context. The final page for each year highlights some of the major news and pop culture events including the top songs, albums, and television shows. There is a large central section that pays tribute to the talent involved with the greatest horror films of the 80s including directors, actors, effects artists, and more. This section includes brief biographies of John Carpenter, Wes Craven, Stephen King, Tom Savini, Barbara Crampton, Robert Englund, and many others presented in a dynamic and engaging fashion.

One of the beauties of the book is that it covers so much ground. Sure, you’ll find Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Hellraiser, and the Halloween sequels in it, but you’ll also find deeper cuts like The Changeling, The Being, and Tetsuo: The Iron Man. I was happy to find the same love given to Frank Henenlotter and Larry Cohen as to George A. Romero and David Cronenberg. In other words, In Search of Darkness is extraordinarily eclectic, highlighting the diversity that truly defined what is often viewed as a homogenous decade. The authors make the case that the 80s was horror’s greatest decade, and with what they lay out throughout this book, it’s tough to argue against that. I even came across a film or two I hadn’t even heard of before, which has become increasingly rare as the years go by.

At just shy of $85, the cover price may give some horror hounds pause, but believe me, it’s worth every penny. This is a beautiful volume that every fan of 80s horror will want on their shelf or prominently displayed on their coffee table. Filled with favorite titles, hundreds of full color photos, insightful and informative writing, this is simply a must own.

You can order your copy now.

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