Payton

Contributing writer for The Artifice.

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Latest Topics

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games
Uncharted
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The explosive imperialism of Nathan Drake

While playing Uncharted 4, a big concern I've had is how the treasure hunter trope affects the places he visits. At one point in the game, Nate practically demolishes a cathedral and centuries-old architecture to get to a clue – not the full treasure, just a clue. He exits to see hundreds of locals going about their business, unaware that their local monument was just destroyed by a greedy visitor.

What does the genre say about cultural imperialism? What do we do about the first-world explorer venturing to exotic locales to plunder, leaving nothing but rubble in his wake?

  • I like this idea a lot. Another interesting aspect of these games you might want to tie in is the realization that Nathan Drake is functionally a mass-murderer. It's very strange and almost comical to see his casually mowing down endless security guards and locals with machine guns and cracking jokes all the way through with a complete disregard for human life. He never seems to deal with any of the emotional repercussions of his murders (a common occurrence in shooter games, addressed very powerfully in Spec Ops: The Line). One aspect of the Uncharted games to note is their intensely cinematic nature. They play like action movies, a genre that also largely disregards human life as well, so perhaps that is where this brazen attitude comes from. – Michael 9 years ago
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  • This is so interesting. I've yet to play Uncharted 4, but when I do I'll defiantly be keeping this topic in mind. – Lexzie 9 years ago
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Latest Comments

May 19, 2016
Payton

I love the idea of more body-positive heroes in comics. I just hope they lean more toward Faith and less toward Blob/Pink Pearl, and that their size is just part of their character, not the entire crux. Then it starts getting problematic.

 Overweight Superheroes and Supervillains
May 19, 2016
Payton

To me, Kamala feels so groundbreaking because she’s a teenager written like an actual teenager. As much as I loved Bendis “Ultimate Spider-Man,” Peter occasionally felt like more of a 40-something sass monster in a teen’s body. Kamala is her plucky self trying her best, and that’s what’s so refreshing.

 Kamala Khan: The new Ms. Marvel
May 19, 2016
Payton

I’m not sure if lack of research is what makes a biopic sink or swim. I loved Straight Outta Compton, but I went to the Wikipedia page afterward and saw, save a few beats, a blow-by-blow outline of the film. I think it has more to do with how the director/writer presents that material. That, and F. Gary Gray only really focused on three of the five members, which made it feel much tighter than it could have been.

 The New Wave of Biopics