Zane Z. Zhou
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zhzhou86.bsky.social
Zane Z. Zhou
@zhzhou86.bsky.social
A non-famous dreamer on the hill.
Reposted by Zane Z. Zhou
"It is only then that you are left to ponder in horror: Since when did I become a creature capable of this?"

@zhzhou86.bsky.social explores how BLOODMONEY! reflects unsettling current trends:
The Spectacle of Suffering - Unwinnable
Across the screen, pain is spectacle.
unwinnable.com
September 30, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Reposted by Zane Z. Zhou
"Does immersion always require attachment, or can a game be immersive even through detachment?"

Simon Liu looks back on the critical reception to What Remains of Edith Finch and ponders the connection between immersion and attachment:
Immersion, Empathy, and Fate: What Remains After What Remains of Edith Finch - Unwinnable
Players have enough input to feel they are “there”, yet not enough to prevent the outcome.
buff.ly
June 20, 2025 at 12:00 AM
Reposted by Zane Z. Zhou
"An act that is supposed to deny uncertainty ironically becomes complicit in a rigid state of stagnation and exhaustion."

Zonghang Zhou (@zhzhou86.bsky.social) examines the meaning of repetition via Papers, Please, and Tang Shanjun's Sisyphean efforts.

intothespine.com/2025/05/23/t...
May 23, 2025 at 7:09 PM
@thewitcher.com Happy 10th anniversary!
"A pleasant farewell is enough, until fate brings us together once more."

Zonghang Zhou muses on mutual aid and individual freedom in The Witcher 3:
Orphan in the Beautiful World - Unwinnable
You are always able to refuse passivity and remain true to your original aspiration.
buff.ly
May 22, 2025 at 3:00 AM
Reposted by Zane Z. Zhou
"If a hero cannot resist the corruption of reality, are we doomed to be corrupted as well?"

@zhzhou86.bsky.social on In the Name of the People and working within and without the system:
Corrupted Hero, Corrupted Dream - Unwinnable
Still, viewers choose to find good in the evil.
buff.ly
February 25, 2025 at 1:00 AM
Reposted by Zane Z. Zhou
"We are all poorer off without ambitious mediocrity."

Joshua Henson notices a link between today's lack of children's videogames and creativity standards in the industry:
Where are the Games for Children? - Unwinnable
There is no greater void in the current market than games intended for children.
buff.ly
December 12, 2024 at 2:00 AM
Reposted by Zane Z. Zhou
"Lamentably, these laborious struggles do not change the fact that the performance of resistance does not create a vision for the future."

Zonghang Zhou examines the ambivalence of resistance in Watch Dogs: Legion: unwinnable.com/2024/...
The Ambivalence of Resistance - Unwinnable
Once these antagonizing powers are crushed, the rationality that sustains and justifies our actions will be accordingly diluted and quickly absorbed.
unwinnable.com
October 7, 2024 at 11:00 PM
Reposted by Zane Z. Zhou
"Like those wise men at the end, you know dark is right, but the inevitability of death does not stop you from forking more lightning."

Zonghang Zhou immerses himself in Dying Light: unwinnable.com/2024/...
“Rage, rage against the dying of the light”
Though the fear of impending death is rendered moot by respawn mechanics, you know it will eventually run out. Still, you flatly refuse to go gentle into that good night.
unwinnable.com
July 4, 2024 at 1:04 AM
Reposted by Zane Z. Zhou
"Clearly, the energy of children’s thought and imagination can neither be created nor be destroyed. It cries for an outlet."

Zonghang Zhou points out the flaws in China's gaming restrictions for minors: unwinnable.com/2024/04/30/a...
A Tale of Game Restrictions
“I know what you want better than you do, and I am doing this for your own good.” Such blatant patronizing attitudes reveal the inherent disparity of identity between adults and minors.
unwinnable.com
April 30, 2024 at 11:13 PM
Reposted by Zane Z. Zhou
"The story of Watch Dogs 2 has the ambition to construct something new or meaningful, but as it cannot draft a blueprint of tomorrow, there is eventually nothing to do but escape from it."

Zonghang Zhou digs into Watch Dogs 2's themes of rebellion: unwinnable.com/2024/03/12/e...
Escape from Tomorrow
The greatest pity is that Marcus does not succeed where Aiden has failed – to rebuild.
unwinnable.com
March 12, 2024 at 11:57 PM
Reposted by Zane Z. Zhou
"As long as we take reality as the ultimate pursuit of video games, we are doomed to fall and drown."

Zonghang Zhou reflects on dreams and reality in videogames: unwinnable.com/2024/01/15/p...
Promising Hope, but Never Delivering
Standing still on the sand, I tried to probe into the devastation of my hope.
unwinnable.com
January 17, 2024 at 12:21 AM
Reposted by Zane Z. Zhou
"As Pearce navigates this glitzy world, we are not merely steering a vigilante through the virtual streets of Chicago; we are invited to ponder something more."

Zonghang Zhou explores the contradictions inherent in Watch Dogs: unwinnable.com/2023/...
Chicago, the Ambiguous, and Ourselves
“Stop being a hero, Aiden. Let it go.” Beneath the veneer of a near-future dystopian technocracy, Watch Dogs is a bildungsroman of a man seeking redemption and salvation. Following the journey of the vigilante Aiden Pearce, driven by a thirst for justice and vengeance against those whose nefarious schemes led to a car crash that claimed the life of his niece, this ambitious game explores the consequences of unchecked technological power and engages with pressing issues related to our complex reality. In the game’s fictional rendition of Chicago, the city has become a hotbed of corruption and conspiracy, teeming with…
unwinnable.com
November 23, 2023 at 1:00 AM