Merry Christmas from Strat Packer
17 December 2023 | MiscIf your December has been anywhere near as busy as mine then you’ll understand the dearth of articles and videos in recent weeks, as a few ongoing reviews and retrospectives have taken a back seat to social events and Christmas preparations (and rightfully so). Don’t worry - I’ll return to those projects in 2024.
For now, though, I’d just like to say that I hope anybody out there who stumbles upon this humble little blog has a merry Christmas and a new year full of happiness.
Speaking on a personal level, 2023 has been transformational for me. I’ve reached a satisfying place professionally and have connected with some inspiring people both IRL and in the pleasant little corner of Twitter I’ve found myself settling into.
Let’s hope that 2024 continues in a similar vein for us all.
– Strat Packer
Highlights of 2023
If you get bored over the Christmas break and need some reading material to tide you over, look no further. Below is a list of some of my favourite articles from 2023.
Video games
• Searching for God in Starfield
• Yakuza 6: The Song of Life retrospective
• EA Sports FC 24 review
Travel and leisure
• Notes from a brief stay in Austin, TX
• How to run a half marathon (better)
• A lesson in curiosity from Japan
• F1 Arcade, London
Philosophy and sociology
• Anxiety, locus of control, and gratitude
• Why do we think morality is in decline?
Films, music, and books
• Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
• Asteroid City review
• Viva Las Vengeance review
• Gran Turismo review
• Glass Onion review
• The Menu review
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Fable (PC) retrospective
Concord's failure should be a wake-up call for the video game industry
The Year In Between - my debut novel is available now!
The newbie's guide to buying Formula 1 models
Heartbound: An intriguing Early Access indie game about life itself
Japan: Presence and attention to detail
Notes from a brief stay in New York
BioShock Infinite (PC) retrospective
GTA IV's Liberty City is still the best virtual city ever made
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (Xbox 360) retrospective
Astro Bot review - a shot of pure fun and PlayStation nostalgia
Hideo Kojima: Connecting Worlds - inspirational but sanitised
Searching for God in Starfield
Parking Garage Rally Circuit review - an addictive '90s-inspired racer