Review: Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh

So I've been working my way through as many queer games as I can on Steam, and I figured I might as well give my unsolicited queer opinion as I go. I'm too lazy to go back and start from the beginning of my journey (maybe someday), so I'll just begin where the muse strikes me, AKA with the game I've just finished, Phantasmagoria: A Puzzle of Flesh (Sierra On-Line, 1996). Now, while I identify as a gamer in the sense that I play games and I recognize that many girls and enbies devalue their gameplay because it's deemed not as rigorous or 'serious' as when guys do it because patriarchy, I don't really consider myself a gamer because, well, I'm not very good at it and don't really see it a central part of my artistic or leisurely practice. But that's another post altogether. The point is, I'm very much an amateur in several senses of the word when it comes to games, so I don't approach the topic with much understanding of video game history or game theory. I am, however, a media studies person, and lemme tell you I have media studies feelings! The three things I want to talk about most are queer representation, intermediality, and fandom lineage. (Spoilers, obvi)

( 90s Intermediality )

( Queer Representation (CW: Bury Your Gays, Abuse) )

( Fandom Lineage )

( Works Consulted )