Witches, physicists, Tarot readers, game designers, and amateur botanists weigh in on how magic is portrayed in video games

GamesActionPlay MagazineWitches, physicists, Tarot readers, game designers, and amateur botanists weigh in on how magic is portrayed in video gamesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesActionPlay MagazineWitches, physicists, Tarot readers, game designers, and amateur botanists weigh in on how magic is portrayed in video gamesWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: FromSoftware) In his book The Magick Of Matter, Flicker whimsically redefines condensed matter physics as a form of sorcery, taking inspiration from stage magicians, fantasy books such as Ursula K Le Guin’s Earthsea quartet, and video games such asHalf-Life 2. Condensed matter physics and Half-Life (Image credit: Valve) Subscribe to Play Magazine(Image credit: Future, Focus Entertainment)This feature originally appeared in Play Magazine. For more great features, interviews, and more delivered to your digital device or doorstep,subscribe to Play Magazine. Subscribe to Play Magazine (Image credit: Future, Focus Entertainment)This feature originally appeared in Play Magazine. For more great features, interviews, and more delivered to your digital device or doorstep,subscribe to Play Magazine. (Image credit: Future, Focus Entertainment) This feature originally appeared in Play Magazine. For more great features, interviews, and more delivered to your digital device or doorstep,subscribe to Play Magazine. Exorcism and Ghostwire: Tokyo (Image credit: Capcom) Without really thinking about it, I’d be doing that kind of movement.Kenji Kimura, game director Without really thinking about it, I’d be doing that kind of movement. The power to dispel demons is in your hands – that is, if you know what to do with them. Ghostwire: Tokyo’s first-person magical fisticuffs are based on kuji-kiri, a set of ancient Japanese Buddhist hand gestures and symbols. Ghostwire: Tokyo also leans on the kuji-kiri system’s division of labour between a receiving and emitting hand: protagonist Akito favours his right hand for offensive spells while his left is used for defensive gestures, reeling in spirit cores, and picking up objects. “People may feel like the character is left-handed at times,” Kimura jokes. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more New wave magic There’s a touch of cyberspace to the magic as well, echoing the game’s portrayal of Tokyo itself as a modern technological powerhouse as well as a city rooted in ancient traditions. Matrix-style maths equations play out in the background when you’re performing banishments, as though you are slicing, sealing and reprogramming your enemies all at once. Shifting systems and The World Ends With You (Image credit: Square Enix) What does it all mean? That’s down to the individual to decide – magic is personal. Emily ‘eni’ Torres is a freelance programmer and designer with a strikingly varied output. On the one hand she is currently making an “ADHD simulator, reflecting my own experiences with executive dysfunction”, in addition to narrative and puzzle games for other teams. On the other, she works with Tarot cards. For Torres, magic is about flexible symbolism. “The way something is perceived and the meanings that we apply […] to a thing or an act are going to affect what kind of magic can be performed with that object," she says. While these applied meanings don’t in themselves affect the world, she goes on, they can serve as a kind of amplifier. “Magic is meant to help, and won’t actually do anything without us doing something to make things happen. Can’t get a job without applying for a job, no matter how many ‘Get a job’ spells one might cast!” Clash of symbols In my approach to magic, everyone [has] different experiences to draw from even if the materials are the same.Emily Torres, programmer and designer In my approach to magic, everyone [has] different experiences to draw from even if the materials are the same. What makes a magician a magician? Perhaps the ability to meddle with those applied meanings deliberately, even breaking with established custom. Take burning sage to cleanse something, for example. This is an idea that can be found all over, from native American purification rituals to ancient Greek medicine. It carries a weight of social expectation, but as Torres goes on, the individual practitioner might find a way to override that association, turning sage into a toxic item. “If someone’s experience with sage powerfully reflects getting something dirty, then rather than cleansing, that person might be able to override the social belief and use sage to sully something.” Torres does this with Tarot cards: rather than following a guide, she bases her readings on her own interpretations. Witchcraft and Monster Hunter (Image credit: Capcom) Taking down oversized monsters might seem unlike magic, but preparation is key. Damien Crawford (who uses the pronouns fae/faer) is a creator of eldritch fantasy RPGs such as the acclaimed Purgatory Dungeoneer, a game about sending hero parties into a hellmouth both for loot and to unlock their own buried memories. Crawford also practises witchcraft. “I was homeless for a few years. And it was very helpful to have someone to call on when I was [in] tough situations at night, when I needed to be alert.” Crawford’s magic rituals are simple on the surface, involving candlelight, lying down, breathing and focussing faer attention. “If I have a problem, I think about who I need to turn to, and what it is that I need to say. And whether that ends up actually being a matter of divine intervention, or whether it’s just me declaring my intent to the universe […] is less important to me than just that it helps me, so I continue to do it. Which is a weird sort of space to occupy in, you know, a technology field where almost everybody is atheist.” (Image credit: Nintendo) Preparing for and executing a monster hunt is another kind of ritual. Preparing for and executing a monster hunt is another kind of ritual. Whatever its origin or nature, Crawford feels that magic has to be about more than imploring those forces to do your bidding. “I believe that faith without works isn’t faith at all. So it is important, if you’re going to ask the gods for help, to let them know that you don’t expect them to do everything for you, but to give you a hand, to get you out of the pit that you’ve put yourself in.” Fittingly for a witch who invokes a divine huntress, Crawford has found echoes of this approach to magic inCapcom’s Monster Hunter series. Preparing for and executing a hunt to fell the series' mighty beasts is another kind of ritual, fae suggests. “You select your goal, which is the quest, and then you know what monsters you’re hunting, what elemental defences they have, and whatnot. And then it’s like okay, now I need to plan my equipment around this, I need to have the correct weapons, because otherwise they’re immune. Then you have your meals for temporary buffs, and make sure that you’ve signed up for optional side-quests. And all that is very much like [performing magic and] waiting for the right time of day or night, making sure you have the materials on hand, making sure that you’re in the proper state.” Experimental botany and Elden Ring (Image credit: FromSoftware) In the course of research for several games, including the now-cancelled Wildflower, Vartanian and Badru have played with the idea that plants have specific meanings or symbolism, like “hopeful” in the case of a dandelion seed. As with potion-brewing in many fantasy RPGs, their experiments consist of mixing these attributes together to see what happens. Vartanian calls this “wildcard cooking”, and it certainly sounds wild. “You’re combining things that you know have [desired] attributes, but there aren’t necessarily specific recipes,” she says. The resulting concoctions vary greatly. On the one hand, the developers have made spruce tip jelly and nettle tea. On the other, they’ve managed to brew elderberry poison (“not on purpose”, Vartanian insists). Botany is a kind of time magic, as Vartanian and Badru have learned from periods spent living near woodlands during early spring. (Image credit: FromSoftware / Bandi Namco) In games, magic is just power, and it’s all very predictable, like a gun.Zoe Vartanian, Ice Water Games In games, magic is just power, and it’s all very predictable, like a gun. “We were walking through the woods every day and seeing little sprouts in the soil, and watching salmonberries come in,” Vartanian recalls. Monitoring these tiny changes “slows time down”, she says, “because you have all these points of reference - this plant right here is now totally different. And that’s kind of cool, because otherwise time goes so fast, and seasons can die in the blink of an eye. To be able to slow down, and know all the different times that this plant has looked different is kind of nice.” Video game magic isn’t usually this poetic, Badru observes. “In games, magic is just power. And it’s very predictable, like a gun or a sword.” He’s more interested in approaches that lean on a “broad suspension of disbelief” than games in which magic is quite so systematised and predictable. As such, he enjoys the stranger breeds of sorcery you find in Elden Ring which are as unpredictable as amateur herbology, and reliant on a “broad suspension of disbelief”. While the game has its fair share of bog-standard fireballs, it also has spells that are less straightforward, like conjuring horns from the caster’s shoulder, turning your weapons invisible, or driving foes mad from the inside out with the The Flame Of Frenzy (a whole school of forbidden magic that has a special ending attached). You’re never quite sure what to expect. “I think Elden Ring has this sense of ‘anything can happen’. It feels like it all makes sense, but also, it’s so open.” This feature originally appeared in Play Magazine. For more great features, interviews, and more,subscribe to Play Magazine. TOPICSSquare EnixCapcom TOPICS More about actionHideo Kojima offers another Death Stranding 2 update and a demonstration of his unique PS5 controller technique: “Building the game"After being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo storeLatestSquid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"See more latest► More about actionHideo Kojima offers another Death Stranding 2 update and a demonstration of his unique PS5 controller technique: “Building the game"After being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo storeLatestSquid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"See more latest► More about actionHideo Kojima offers another Death Stranding 2 update and a demonstration of his unique PS5 controller technique: “Building the game"After being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo store More about action Hideo Kojima offers another Death Stranding 2 update and a demonstration of his unique PS5 controller technique: “Building the game"After being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo store Hideo Kojima offers another Death Stranding 2 update and a demonstration of his unique PS5 controller technique: “Building the game” Hideo Kojima offers another Death Stranding 2 update and a demonstration of his unique PS5 controller technique: “Building the game” After being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo store After being labeled a Dark Souls copy, Black Myth: Wukong is now getting its own imitators on the Nintendo store LatestSquid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now"See more latest► Latest Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” See more latest► Most PopularPatton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics"Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s pastWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the futureI’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle gamesThe Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier"Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changes Most PopularPatton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics"Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s pastWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the futureI’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle gamesThe Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier"Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changes Most PopularPatton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics"Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s pastWarhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding"Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over ChristmasSpy x Family season 3: Everything we know so farOne of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strengthHow Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the futureI’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle gamesThe Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier"Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changes Most Popular Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum explain why comics are still the perfect medium for superhero stories - “Visuals that will never be achieved in TV or movies can be achieved in comics” Team Asobi’s gigantic 2024 proves it’s time to free Astro Bot from PlayStation’s past Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 was the favorite shooter of the year, and it also made me fall even harder for my fiancé 17 years on, Sam Barlow reflects on Silent Hill: Origins: “To pull it out of the bag with a seven-out-of-ten game was incredibly rewarding” Here’s our Black Ops 6 multiplayer playlist to keep you and your pals connected over Christmas Spy x Family season 3: Everything we know so far One of 2024’s best anime shows subverts all expectations, but that’s its biggest strength How Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth represents the best of Final Fantasy’s past while charting a course for the future I’m proclaiming 2024 to be the year of outstanding indie puzzle games The Inside Out 2 panic attack scene is one of the best depictions of anxiety ever – and something Pixar director Kelsey Mann is incredibly proud of: “I couldn’t be happier” Marvel Rivals has what it takes to shake up the PvP shooter genre if it can maintain its hero fantasy while also making balance changes GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”