Heterotopias 005

The fifth issue of Heterotopias focuses on going beyond realism.

How do game spaces stretch beyond the real, towards the baroque, the romantic, the surreal and the symbolic?

005’s cover piece focuses on the Baroque worlds of Destiny and Destiny 2, exploring their latent religious connections, while unearthing the sublime and saintly qualities of the series’ spectacular skies in an original photo series. From ornate loot, to festivals of remembrance, this piece offers a distinct new perspective on one of this generation’s most important games.

Supporting this investigation are a collection of pieces which go beyond the realistic veneer of games to see the richly defined worlds beneath, from the surreal suburbia of Life is Strange, to the virtual ant-farms of Hollow Knight and the touristic fantasy of Yakuza 6.

Other features include a photo series exploring the symbolist heritage of Rime, the connections between Rem Koolhaas and the wonderful Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy as well as features on the capitalist strip malls of Crazy Taxi. Finally, scattered throughout the issue are artist Dan Solberg’s distorted examinations of Horizon Zero Dawn‘s pristine natural world.