Andrei Pechalin
@apechalin.bsky.social
Videogame words mainly in Edge and Eurogamer. PhD in philosophy.
andreipechalin@gmail.com
www.pechalin.com
andreipechalin@gmail.com
www.pechalin.com
One of my favourite things to do is get screamed at by middle-aged men. Here are Blood Incantation, Oranssi Pazuzu, and Sijjin screaming at the Albert Hall last night. Blood Incantation played the whole of the brilliant Absolute Elsewhere, plus a bunch of deeper cuts. It was all very enjoyable
October 9, 2025 at 7:55 AM
One of my favourite things to do is get screamed at by middle-aged men. Here are Blood Incantation, Oranssi Pazuzu, and Sijjin screaming at the Albert Hall last night. Blood Incantation played the whole of the brilliant Absolute Elsewhere, plus a bunch of deeper cuts. It was all very enjoyable
We have 007: First Light at home
September 27, 2025 at 7:52 PM
We have 007: First Light at home
Yeah, it's fantastic. The basic gimmick is that you can "look" at every time, and each item has a description in gorgeous prose. And given it's ASCII-like, you have to do this if you want to get a decent sense of what the world is like. Sometimes it verges on purple, but it's always good
August 18, 2025 at 9:53 PM
Yeah, it's fantastic. The basic gimmick is that you can "look" at every time, and each item has a description in gorgeous prose. And given it's ASCII-like, you have to do this if you want to get a decent sense of what the world is like. Sometimes it verges on purple, but it's always good
I'm back in Edge today with a review and a feature on the making of STALKER 2. I wrote this to work in complement with GSC's own War Game documentary, covering more of the design and engineering side. Enormous thanks to GSC Game World and the PR team for their candour and access to materials
July 10, 2025 at 6:02 AM
I'm back in Edge today with a review and a feature on the making of STALKER 2. I wrote this to work in complement with GSC's own War Game documentary, covering more of the design and engineering side. Enormous thanks to GSC Game World and the PR team for their candour and access to materials
There is always a lighthouse, there is always a man
July 8, 2025 at 6:59 PM
There is always a lighthouse, there is always a man
In other news, I think it might be time to finally quit Dune: Awakening. I don't have the energy to grind for another ornithopter
July 1, 2025 at 9:26 PM
In other news, I think it might be time to finally quit Dune: Awakening. I don't have the energy to grind for another ornithopter
Saw Nine Inch Nails on Tuesday. One of the best shows I've been to. Incredible sound quality, clever staging, and a set list full of hits, deep cuts, and interesting remixes. £45 for a t-shirt and £100 for a hoodie is daylight robbery though 😭
June 19, 2025 at 7:22 AM
Saw Nine Inch Nails on Tuesday. One of the best shows I've been to. Incredible sound quality, clever staging, and a set list full of hits, deep cuts, and interesting remixes. £45 for a t-shirt and £100 for a hoodie is daylight robbery though 😭
The joys of attempting to play an MMO in its first 24 hours...🙄 Even took a day off for this, like a mug
June 6, 2025 at 9:16 AM
The joys of attempting to play an MMO in its first 24 hours...🙄 Even took a day off for this, like a mug
This is it. This is as good as spam emails get
May 9, 2025 at 9:53 PM
This is it. This is as good as spam emails get
I'm back in Edge with a preview, and a retrospective on Half-Life: Alyx. The Alyx piece is very close to my heart, not least because it was the first game I tried writing about critically and at pace 5 years ago: partly to vent my excitement, partly to see if I could. Revisiting it feels bittersweet
April 17, 2025 at 8:07 AM
I'm back in Edge with a preview, and a retrospective on Half-Life: Alyx. The Alyx piece is very close to my heart, not least because it was the first game I tried writing about critically and at pace 5 years ago: partly to vent my excitement, partly to see if I could. Revisiting it feels bittersweet
Saw Cynic, Rivers of Nihil, Beyond Creation, and Daath last weekend. Beyond Creation in particular were ridiculously good. Cynic weren't on top form - Masvidal was ill and things felt off with timing etc - but it was an immense pleasure to see such a formative band after more than 15 years
March 10, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Saw Cynic, Rivers of Nihil, Beyond Creation, and Daath last weekend. Beyond Creation in particular were ridiculously good. Cynic weren't on top form - Masvidal was ill and things felt off with timing etc - but it was an immense pleasure to see such a formative band after more than 15 years
Saw Opeth last night for the fifth time, but I think it's the first time I heard them finish on Deliverance, which has one of my favourite outros. Can't be beaten for a finale. Åkerfeldt's extremely dry sense of humour between songs doesn't hurt either
March 2, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Saw Opeth last night for the fifth time, but I think it's the first time I heard them finish on Deliverance, which has one of my favourite outros. Can't be beaten for a finale. Åkerfeldt's extremely dry sense of humour between songs doesn't hurt either
This is very good (coming from someone who has been listening to Dream Theater for 20 years, with all the pros and cons of that kind of baggage)
February 8, 2025 at 10:08 PM
This is very good (coming from someone who has been listening to Dream Theater for 20 years, with all the pros and cons of that kind of baggage)
It's Edge day! I'm back for the last issue of 2024 alongside some wonderful people with a review. Usual anonymity rules apply, but two of my personal GOTY contenders are reviewed in this issue...
December 31, 2024 at 8:35 AM
It's Edge day! I'm back for the last issue of 2024 alongside some wonderful people with a review. Usual anonymity rules apply, but two of my personal GOTY contenders are reviewed in this issue...
Spot the months I was writing every evening, applying for jobs, and working 10-hour days...
December 26, 2024 at 9:53 PM
Spot the months I was writing every evening, applying for jobs, and working 10-hour days...
Going to start rating games based on the quality of in-game clutter.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. 10/10. Period clutter everywhere rendered in obscene detail.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. 10/10. Period clutter everywhere rendered in obscene detail.
December 16, 2024 at 10:14 PM
Going to start rating games based on the quality of in-game clutter.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. 10/10. Period clutter everywhere rendered in obscene detail.
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle. 10/10. Period clutter everywhere rendered in obscene detail.
My immediate reaction to this was, "Wow, look at those god rays!" Which I think means I need to go touch some grass...
November 14, 2024 at 8:15 AM
My immediate reaction to this was, "Wow, look at those god rays!" Which I think means I need to go touch some grass...
The Lego Dune ornithopter is amazing. Less amazing is that it took me nearly 9 months to finish it...
November 12, 2024 at 9:53 AM
The Lego Dune ornithopter is amazing. Less amazing is that it took me nearly 9 months to finish it...
I grew up on these streets
November 6, 2024 at 9:02 AM
I grew up on these streets
Hugely honoured to interview @jesawyer.bsky.social about his career in games for Edge magazine! Enormous thanks to Josh and team for their time, patience, and usual candour. Thank you to Alex, Mim and Ryan for the edits and art, and for trusting me with it
October 31, 2024 at 11:20 AM
Hugely honoured to interview @jesawyer.bsky.social about his career in games for Edge magazine! Enormous thanks to Josh and team for their time, patience, and usual candour. Thank you to Alex, Mim and Ryan for the edits and art, and for trusting me with it
@adapalmer.bsky.social's Joyce Faust is the perfect villain. Manipulative, remorseless, distastefully coquettish, maybe insane - but entirely understandable as a product of her time. And a living commentary *on* her time. I find her repulsive, I know I'm meant to, so I inevitably reflect on why I do
October 30, 2024 at 8:45 AM
@adapalmer.bsky.social's Joyce Faust is the perfect villain. Manipulative, remorseless, distastefully coquettish, maybe insane - but entirely understandable as a product of her time. And a living commentary *on* her time. I find her repulsive, I know I'm meant to, so I inevitably reflect on why I do
Quite the release day today...
October 4, 2024 at 8:48 PM
Quite the release day today...
Went to the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry again. They are clearly trying to incite a riot in there...
September 23, 2024 at 6:45 PM
Went to the Manchester Museum of Science and Industry again. They are clearly trying to incite a riot in there...