iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Control Resonant is the first game I've finished this year where I've thought "Okay, THAT is GOTY material". There have been many games in 2026 that have wowed me, but they've all had big asterisks next to them - weak story, middling gameplay, pacing issues, etc. Control Resonant has none of that.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Silent Hill: Townfall is the strongest video game story I've experienced so far this year. While it doesn't reach the heights of Silent Hill f, what it does offer is a powerful mystery packed full of cutting, authentic commentary that touches on many of the issues the UK currently faces.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

No negative or middling review will ever deter me from something I was already excited for, but sadly, the critics are right about Wolverine. It's not terrible, but it sure isn't great, and it feels like a step down from Spidey 2 - a game I was lukewarm on anyway. Wolverine is just... fine.

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Rotten Tomatoes @rottentomatoes.com · 19/09/2026

New look at #TheBatman: Part II. In celebration of Batman Day, Matt Reeves shared a behind-the-scenes image of Robert Pattinson.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

100%'d the new Onimusha over the past week. That might have just done enough to overtake Pragmata as my favourite game of the year so far. While Pragmata is undoubtably the more inventive game, the way Onimusha plays is a mix of its legacy games, Tsushima, and Sekiro - and I fucking *love* that mix.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Genuinely burst out laughing when the Ocarina of Time remake footage started. Going with THAT for your art direction is hysterical.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Replayed Metal Gear Solid in honour of its 28th birthday today. Not only did it kick off my infatuation with Hideo Kojima's work when I first played it 26 years ago, but it set the template for the kinds of games I adore. It is a landmark achievement and one of the most important games ever made.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Played through Resonance yesterday and today. I was worried about it being too much of a departure given how much I love the first two games, but thankfully, it was a great time! It owes a lot to the likes of Uncharted and the pre-RPG Assassin's Creeds but is still distinctly a Plague Tale game.

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David Blatt @kopfstoff.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

So proud to be a tiny part of this very special and beautiful project. We've such an incredible cast here, it's insane. ❤️🌀

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Played through Indiana Jones and the Great Circle over the past few weeks. That was a great time, though not at all the game I thought it was going to be. Went in expecting FPS Uncharted and instead got a stealth game with immersive sim elements and cool puzzles. A very pleasant surprise!

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Man, I'm normally extremely generous with video game showcases and tend to walk away decently positive, but that Gamescom ONL was dreadful. Even with decent updates on several games I really do care about, most of the games shown were the very definition of shitty shovelware. What a shame.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Watched the first episode of this earlier and really enjoyed it. I like Damon Lindelof's writing a lot (LOST and The Leftovers rule), and while I don't know Chris Mundy's work really, I hear Ozark is good. Setting up lots of interesting stuff in episode 1 and am excited to see where it goes.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Much more engaging Relic Weapon stage than Endwalker's but definitely very glad to be done with it all now. Going back through Dawntrail's content was fun, at least. Occult Crescent was okay - really liked the Tower but sad knowing it'll die very quickly with it locked behind such a grind.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Loved Brand New Day! I'd been quite tepid on the MCU Spidey films as they've never really felt like proper Spider-Man movies to me. This completely solves that. It's a legit ground-level character drama and Cretton's direction is top notch. Great performances and so many breath-taking set pieces!

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Been talking to a bunch of Flying Bark staff about their work on the Avatar movie since we're covering it on TNM this week. It's refreshing to have such open conversations with animators for once. I'm so used to being stonewalled by Japanese staff because the studio NDAs are fucking ludicrous lol

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Steered clear of the leaks and finally watched Avatar Aang today. What an absolutely monumental artistic feat - the likes of which I have not seen for a VERY long time. I was moved to tears multiple times from the visuals alone. The animation, the backgrounds, the compositing - it's all 11/10. WOW!

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David Blatt @kopfstoff.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

First that AI commercial story, where he acted really well, and now this. It’s truly heartening to see people like him—obviously equipped with a conscience, morals, and a sense of justice—turning down those exorbitant sums offered by people lacking such values, and speaking out against it/them. 👏👏👏

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

I saw The Odyssey yesterday! Between this and Oppenheimer, it feels like Nolan's evolved and learned a lot from his contemporaries. Maybe a terrible miss like Tenet woke something up in him or it was a rare stumble, but I feel a very distinctive and mature voice has started to emerge in his work.

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Genki @genkigamer.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Final Fantasy X rough development sketches!

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Genki @genkigamer.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Final Fantasy X original Yuna logo design by Yoshitaka Amano! #FF10

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Cool test, but man, 2028 stings! I adored The Batman but the years of hype and expectations feel insurmountable. I trust it will deliver and I believe in myself to remain reasonable, but I do worry about the broader reception when it inevitably won't match up to what people conjured in their heads.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

I want to drive nails into my sinuses. This is the most sick I've been in forever.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

I think the part of Sony abandoning physical games that concerns me the most is the knock-on effect that may have on physical movie releases. The consoles have been the most popular player for years and have helped keep that industry alive. Will people buy a dedicated player once that vanishes?

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Watched Obsession the other night. Not sure I can add much that hasn't already been said, but it was fantastic. Extremely unsettling subversion of the nice guy trope, packed full of interesting commentary on codependency, coercion, and manipulative relationship dynamics. Really got under my skin.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Yeah, that second short was uggo, but looks like the show is back to Nishio design work, even if he's not actually supervising. Looks sooo much better again. youtu.be/6nUStmkGRec

youtu.be

Star Wars: Visions Presents - The Ninth Jedi | Official Trailer | August 5 on Disney+ and Hulu

YouTube video by Star Wars

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Season 2's looking great under Ikarashi's leadership. I enjoyed Season 1 but felt like it declined in its back quarter. The baseline average looks SO much higher here - so many more interesting ideas, cool layouts, and wonderful drawings. High expectations for this! www.youtube.com/watch?v=mV74...

youtube.com

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 | Official Teaser 2

YouTube video by Cyberpunk 2077

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

The BMTH I fell in love with back in 2006 are back 🥺 Absolutely insane track. Still so gutted the Count Your Blessings set at Outbreak clashes with my MCR day. Hope they tour this and the old shit again. I am there babyyyyy www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilqe...

youtube.com

Bring Me The Horizon - Dehumanized (Official Video)

YouTube video by BMTHOfficialVEVO

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

I *really* wanted to like this as both a huge fan of Milly Alcock and the original comic, but it's just not very good. Yeah, it's a bad adaptation, but that's not why it's bad - it's just a very dull movie with plodding pacing and poor direction. Its admittedly solid emotional highs can't save it!

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James Harvey @ The World's Finest @worldsfinest.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Prime Video has released the trailer for season two of "Batman: Caped Crusader," which will debut July 31, 2026. Check it out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qDg... #Batman #BatmanCapedCrusader

youtube.com

Batman: Caped Crusader "Season 2" Official Trailer

YouTube video by The World's Finest

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

Past Lives has been sat on my to-watch list for three years and I am SO ashamed it took me so long to get to it. What an astonishing piece of cinema. Such a beautiful story about the immigrant experience, but simultaneously a universal story about identity and the way experience shapes us. Loved it!

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Watched two very different films recently that almost feel like companion pieces thematically. The first is Apostasy, a British film about a family of Jehovah's Witnesses, and the crisis of faith that comes about when simple solutions to life events are blocked by doctrine.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

While I'm over the moon for IOI's Bond success and I know I'm in the minority here, I have to say: I thought it was just... fine? It's been sold as this marriage of Naughty Dog's Uncharted series and IOI's own Hitman trilogy, but I don't think it really earns being spoken about alongside either.

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Samuel Deats @samueldeats.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Hmmm testing! Have a bunch of my correction drawings, Bluesky!! #Castlevania

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James Harvey @ The World's Finest @worldsfinest.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

ICYMI: "Batman: Caped Crusader" returns July 31, 2026 on Prime Video! All ten episodes from season two in one drop! Get the press details and check out the imagery gallery over at WF: dcanimated.com/2026/06/batm... #Batman #BatmanCapedCrusader

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Amber Hawking @succubus98.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

Trans women are women 🏳️‍⚧️

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Had a buddy staying with me last week so we went on a binge of bad movies. One of those was Priest (2011) which has 14% on RT. Sorry, but that movie kicks ass. Paper thin characters and absurdly fast pacing, but it's so stylish, fun, and earnest. Properly stupid good fun from start to finish.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

I'd kinda written Mixtape off when it was first revealed as I'd mentally lumped it in with Life Is Strange, a game that sadly didn't resonate with me. Checked it out based on the overwhelmingly positive launch reviews and I can safely say it absolutely lives up to them! Beautiful from top to bottom.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

One of my all-time favourite episodes and one I actually own a piece of!

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DiscussingFilm @discussingfilm.net · 08/05/2026

First camera tests for ‘THE BATMAN: PART 2’. The film will be set during Winter.

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filoppi.bsky.social @filoppi.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

A Luma HDR mod for Metro 2033 Redux and Metro: Last Light Redux from modder Jon is now available: github.com/Filoppi/Luma... The mod truly makes these games shine, given they had a huge HDR potential! We've also slightly improved the anti aliasing.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

I'd been thinking about making a video to celebrate 10 years of my channel this summer, but I've been struggling with motivation. This week alone I've seen so much revisionism, misinformation, and bad faith stuff that it genuinely feels like all the progress I made over the past ten years is gone.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 25/04/2026

That was one hell of a day for FFXIV yesterday. While I have some question marks, that felt like an onslaught of checking the boxes of every single criticism people have had of this game for the past few years. I am cautiously optimistic about the future, that's for sure. Full thoughts attached!

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Happy one year anniversary to @expedition33.bsky.social A game that came at just the right time last year, and whose themes genuinely helped me through my grief. I wanted to draw Maelle in a Dragon Quest style as a little nod to its JRPG roots. #e33 #expedition33 #ClairObscurExpedition33

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

100%'d Pragmata over the past few days. It's funny, despite playing the demo, the character-focused marketing had me expecting the gameplay to be unique but shallow, with the real meat being story and set pieces. It's not that at all. It's a balls to the wall Capcom action game, and it is incredible

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

I'm so tired of reading AI text everywhere. Tweets, YouTube scripts, even basic emails! The shameless ChatGPT-style stuff is bad enough, but I might hate the people trying to mask it even more. I'm not a luddite - there are some interesting applications of AI - but the mass adoption is all laziness.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Could not be more excited for the new Metro. It's one of my favourite series of all time, particularly 2033. I enjoyed Exodus fine enough, but a return to the atmosphere that defined the first two is exactly what I was after. Cannot wait! This shit looks SO bleak and interesting.

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Ajay @animeajay.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

I don't use this word often, but "masterpiece" comes to mind with the new Lord of the Flies adaptation from Jack Thorne and Marc Munden. This is folk horror at its finest. The score is relentlessly unsettling, perfectly matched to the ethereal cinematography. It is oppressive, harrowing, and PERFECT

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