going through a crazy weird phase where i only watch nerds and then introspectively realise how bad i am at socialising because these people are so good at saying facts and weaving it into conversation and here i am just singing bees dont have lungs to the tune of feliz navidad to anyone when i havent seen them in a week
now that i’ve played a bit of cyberpunk 2077 it's like. goddamn. polygon's cyberpunk red game was REALLY GOOD bc jenna GETS it, you know? because she just knows so much about cyberpunk, what it's supposed to be about. it's a dystopia, but it's a dystopia where people can still make decisions and do what they want to. and it makes perfect sense to introduce a character who runs a non-profit service helping people get clean! addiction is a major affliction built into the mechanics of most cyberpunk games; it's an ingenious way to acknowledge that while also acknowledging that at their core, a lot of people are good people and want to help. not to mention it's a great way to acknowledge that side of the cyberpunk genre while maintaining the more lighthearted tone that polygon goes for.
and the way she builds the whole thing is really ingenious. like, hypo's clinic is not entirely unproblematic! he keeps it running by blackmailing a guy who gets him stolen goods from trauma team! but even that is more multifaceted - because trauma team is so deeply problematic as an institution, and then you realize that mat pack is dead and actually a DIFFERENT warehouse worker has been purposefully stealing from trauma team because they feel that they owe hypo for his altruism even though he doesn't even have any idea; it's such a neat combination of morally grey wrongdoing and faith in the fundamental kindness of humanity. maybe this means i'm not a True Cyberpunk Fan but i like an interpretation of the genre that highlights the hope and kindness in a really messy and dangerous world.
our beloved jenna stoeber has started a video essay channel on youtube! her first video is talking about the original wicker man and you can subscribe to her here!
I’ve been thinking about what happened to Jenna since I found out the news and I, like many of yall, are absolutely gutted. Jenna is such an inspiration and you can tell how much she puts into every single thing she ever put out for Polygon. I hope she finds something that will be even more fulfilling and will pay her what she deserves.
If you have any ideas for how to tell Vox and Polygon how disappointed we are without jeopardizing the others on the team, please share.