In an interview with Polygon, Menkin explained the complicated web of restrictions he faced during his work on Pragmata. Although there was no embargo preventing him from talking about the moon, the actor felt pressured to keep his excitement for the Artemis 2 mission a secret. “I didn’t want anyone at Capcom to think, ‘Is that a picture of the moon or is it a picture of our moon?'” said Menkin, who has portrayed iconic space-related characters, from Neil Armstrong to Luke Skywalker. A lunar game The recording process for the game […]
In an interview with Polygon, Menkin explained the complicated web of restrictions he faced during his work on Pragmata. Although there was no embargo preventing him from talking about the moon, the actor felt pressured to keep his excitement for the Artemis 2 mission a secret. “I didn’t want anyone at Capcom to think, ‘Is that a picture of the moon or is it a picture of our moon?'” commented Menkin, who has portrayed iconic space-related characters, from Neil Armstrong to Luke Skywalker.
A lunar game
The recording process for the game was different from usual, as Menkin and his co-star, Grace Saif, recorded their lines separately. Although this is a common practice in the industry, Menkin indicated that it affected the dynamic between their characters. However, he made an effort not to be influenced by Saif’s recordings, as he wanted to experience her performance in the context of the final game. “It was like acting alongside a CGI character in an action movie,” he said.
Menkin, with a career marked by his connection to the moon and cultural references, highlighted the teamwork necessary to bring the characters to life. As the launch of Pragmata approaches, video game fans remain eager for the combination of space themes and the experience of a talented cast.
Disco Elysium is one of the most revolutionary and groundbreaking video games of the last decade. Saying this is nothing strange or new: it has been said since before its release. It is such a special and unique game that it is inevitable that it causes a stir and many people want to imitate it. Even if so far there have hardly been any imitators. Although there is a logical explanation for that: making a video game takes time, now more than ever, and time has had to be allowed for the imitators of this great success to arrive. But they are starting to come. With more or […]
Disco Elysium is one of the most revolutionary and groundbreaking video games of the last decade. Saying this is nothing strange or new: it has been said since before its release. It is such a special and unique game that it is inevitable that it causes a stir and many people want to imitate it. Even if so far there have hardly been any imitators. Although there is a logical explanation for that: making a video game takes time, now more than ever, and time has to be allowed for the imitators of this great success to arrive.
But they are starting to arrive. With more or less grace, understanding better or worse what made the original game by ZA/UM special, many are inspired by it to create their own RPG. And perhaps the most notable of the first wave of games clearly inspired by Disco Elysium, ironically, has no connection to anyone who worked on it. Its name is Esoteric Ebb and, even more surprisingly, it is the work of a single developer: Christoffer Bodegård.
A game with the essence of Disco Elysium
Esoteric Ebb puts us in a very uncomfortable situation: we are a cleric who wakes up in the morgue after what we are convinced has been our death. We cannot take off our helmet, so we cannot know what our face looks like. And worst of all, we have no exact memories of what has happened.
Fortunately, we soon discovered a few things. To begin with, we might not be a cleric: it is perfectly possible that we are a rogue, a warrior, or a wizard. And that will be decided by what we ourselves choose to be through conversations. Also, our attributes speak to us. Strength, constitution, dexterity, charisma, wisdom, and intelligence will constantly intervene to give us advice and guide us, not always in the most accurate way possible, depending on the numbers we have in each of them. This adds a very interesting twist to Disco Elysium by associating it with the logic of Dungeons & Dragons.
But what is our mission? To discover why and who was behind the explosion of a tea room. And if possible, to find out why we appeared dead in the sea before being rescued by anonymous fishermen. We will have to do all of this within a very specific time limit: five days. Why? Because in five days, the first elections in the history of the city will take place, and such a serious situation cannot be left unresolved before the election results.
Being able to focus on the investigation case or get involved in the political life of the city, being able to support any of the political parties —which represent socialist, liberal, monarchical positions and, justly, also the possibility of being chosen as an all-powerful wizard king—, how much we get involved and to what extent is up to us. If we want to know more about our character, the world, and how they will evolve, it is in our hands, but we can also ignore it and focus on the investigation case. Something for which we will have the assistance of a goblin who will try to help us get through these five overwhelming days.
With a more cartoonish artistic style and less baroque writing than Disco Elysium, but equally brilliant, Esoteric Ebb stands out for knowing how to capture the spirit of the ZA/UM game while creating something unique with it. Creating a game with a strong personality of its own.
With its release scheduled for March 3, 2026, this could be one of the big surprises of the year. One of those games that redefines the path of upcoming RPGs, demonstrating that what Disco Elysium achieved was not a fluke. That it can be repeated. But it requires curiosity and interest and a desire to do something different with the elements that made the original game great. Because Esoteric Ebb, if it proves anything, is that the formula of Disco Elysium is not exhausted.
In March, the attention of video game fans will be focused on Crimson Desert, an ambitious proposal from Pearl Abyss that has caused a stir due to its varied gameplay in an open world. Ranging from RPG to medieval life simulator and typical soulslike elements, the game presents itself as a hybrid experience that invites exploration and strategic confrontation. That doesn’t mean it will be accessible Will Powers, the studio’s marketing and public relations director, has been clear in denying the soulslike label, although he points out that the title will not be accessible in the […]
In March, the attention of video game fans will focus on Crimson Desert, an ambitious proposal from Pearl Abyss that has caused a stir due to its varied gameplay in an open world.
Will Powers, marketing and public relations director of the studio, has been clear in debunking the soulslike label, although he points out that the title will not be accessible in the traditional sense.
In a recent appearance on the Dropped Frames podcast, Powers emphasized that Crimson Desert provides freedom to players, who will be able to choose how to face the bosses, thus avoiding the typical frustration of repetitive encounters.
“There is no progression locked in the sense of ‘I just need to improve my skills to advance,'” he stated, highlighting that players will not be forced to overcome certain obstacles before progressing.
The study has also implemented a system that allows players to customize their experience and difficulty strategically, although it will not have a difficulty selector.
It is possible to obtain power-ups by collecting food and crafting items, thus providing additional opportunities in battles. Powers clarified that this does not make the game easy, but rather adds a layer of accessibility preventing players from becoming completely stuck.
On the other hand, the delivery will be confirmed as a premium title without microtransactions, meaning that what players will acquire on March 19 is the complete game. Powers joked, saying, “That is the transaction. Period.” Although the studio does not rule out future additional content, these would come in the form of expansions to the base title.
The recent release of Code Violet, a third-person shooter developed by TeamKill Media, has generated significant buzz in the gaming community, though not for the expected reasons. With a score of 40/100 on Metacritic and a rating of 2.95/5 on the PS Store, the title has been the subject of harsh criticism. Approximately 46% of the reviews are 1 and 2 stars, reflecting discontent among users. An absolutely disastrous game, Code Violet, set in a sci-fi world with dinosaurs, is presented as the successor to Mindseye, acclaimed for […]
The recent release of Code Violet, a third-person shooter developed by TeamKill Media, has generated significant buzz in the gaming community, although not for the expected reasons. With a score of 40/100 on Metacritic and a rating of 2.95/5 on the PS Store, the title has faced harsh criticism. Approximately 46% of the reviews are 1 and 2 stars, reflecting dissatisfaction among users.
An absolutely disastrous game
Code Violet, set in a science fiction world with dinosaurs, is presented as the successor to Mindseye, acclaimed by many as the worst game of 2025.The developing company, TeamKill Media, which previously tried to establish itself with Quantum Error, defends its work by stating that they create it “for the fans” and not for critics. In their statements on social media, they argue that they have achieved their greatest success to date thanks to the support of their player base.
Despite these optimistic comments, numerous reports indicate that the game has recurring technical issues, poor gameplay design, and controversial creative decisions, such as the implementation of artificial intelligence and the refusal to release the title on PC. These limitations have led many to consider Code Violet a failed launch, which could even compete for the title of one of the worst games of the year.
With 2026 just beginning, the community is already questioning whether any title will be able to surpass the controversy surrounding Code Violet. TeamKill Media’s response to the criticism seems to be an attempt to reaffirm its position in the market, although the reception of the game suggests that the industry must pay attention to technical and creative aspects to avoid similar failures in the future.
