DEREK EX MACHINA, created by author and editor Derek L.H., is a blog dedicated to exploring the effect that video games and film have on people.
We’re in the midst of a quiet but powerful revolution in animated filmmaking. Through giving animated movies your time and support, we can turn this quiet revolution into a full-blown renaissance - one where the place of animation greatly expands and becomes a widely respected side of the industry that sees consistent innovation, creativity, and reminders of why movies are so special in the first place.
Weirdness is a vital component to storytelling - one that fuels human creativity in a way that nothing else can. It is for that reason that the conversation around weirdness in media needs to shift.
Collection of Mana is a tough sell, given that two of its three games are disappointing messes in my mind. However, I do find it to be worthwhile peek into the series, especially for new fans introduced through the series’ more modern titles. In light of the frustration that I shouldered throughout my time with Secret and Trials of Mana, the optimist within me sees the potential that his collection occasionally gives players glimpses of.
Metaphor: ReFantazio is a special game. It’s a type of game that inspires newfound hope in the future of JRPGs. While the game stumbles a tad with its unimpressive dungeon and quest design, the incredible narrative, worldbuilding, characters, and gameplay opportunities make for an unforgettable RPG experience that any fan of the genre needs to experience.
2024 was unquestionably a year where indie films dominated my mind for most of the year. Whether it’s through inventive horror or non-verbal animation, 2024 offered some of the best films of the last decade.
Against all odds, this year still managed to bless us with incredible video game experiences, many of which will be sticking with me for decades to come. This is Derek Ex Machina’s definitive list of the top five video games of 2024.
Sonic X Shadow Generations is a remarkable blend of past, present, and future. Sonic Generations reminds us of the legacy of this long-running platformer franchise and the many peaks and valleys its run through over that time. Shadow Generations is an indicator of the progress that Sonic Team has made over the last decade and is a great representation of what polished Sonic gameplay can and should be moving forward.
Whether it’s a game you love or hate, the connections you build with games are both personal and stronger than anything you can imagine. These connections, above all else, should be the basis of our discussions when talking about what makes the most meaningful and enjoyable games that we played over the last twelve months of our lives.
Flow animates a tragic, yet hopeful tale filled with expressive, cute, and resilient animals that show more character growth than in the film’s verbal contemporaries. Flow is a gorgeous beacon of hope for what animation continues to be capable of.
Banjo-Tooie is a cautionary tale about what happens when you try so hard to create something revolutionary and new that you partially forget what made the original experience so magical for a lot of people.
Few movies explore this experience as succinctly and genuinely as A Real Pain. Through a script that masterfully balances chaotic discomfort and quietude, A Real Pain makes for one of the best film experiences of the year.
Heretic is a supremely smart, hilarious, and disturbing movie that masterfully balances emotion, logic, and skepticism to craft a story that is sure to inspire broader, deeper conversations about faith and its relationship with control among its audience.
Persona 3 Reload doesn’t need to exist, but I’m glad that it does. This remake is a case of refinement over reinvention - aside from a fresh coat of paint and a couple additions here and there, Reload is ultimately concerned with presenting Persona 3 in a way that’s on par with Atlus’ more recent titles. In that context, Reload is as great of an execution of this mission as you can get.
The theme of trusting your spirit to understand how you want to live your life is an idea that transcends age, gender, nationality, and walk of life. We all have a lot to learn from our spirit, but doing so isn’t an inherently easy thing to do. This is precisely what makes Kiki’s Delivery Service a timeless classic.
Exhibiting Forgiveness is an emotional adventure that smartly and gracefully investigates how the broken relationships of the past can inform the new relationships we build in the future. This film excellently reveals information to its audience in a way that humanizes the very real pain experienced and brought about by its characters in honest, profound way.
Look Back is a tender, heartfelt exploration of how much can change in what feels like a short amount of time. So many aspects of our lives shift throughout time. Look Back is an excellent, bittersweet exploration of these shifts and how they inform the person we become.
A Different Man is a film ultimately concerned with our relationship with individuality and the comparisons we make with others through highlighting two characters' opposite relationships with their attitude towards the world and their disabilities.
Beyond providing a fun adventure with stellar and stylish animation, The Wild Robot concerns itself with providing believable characters that overcome believable obstacles that much of its audience, regardless of age, will connect with.
Theming is at the very core of The Substance. This is a film that is ultimately concerned with having a conversation with its audience - a conversation about what leads people to develop ideas that cause them to hate themselves and what they look like.
Despite all the darkness currently surrounding the industry, games like Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Astro Bot prove to be a beacon of light that remind us that there is still always hope for the future of games. Games that embrace fun, creativity, style, developer expression, and consumer-friendly release models still exist and they’re still thriving.
