Polygon: All Posts by Clayton Ashleyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/42931/favicon.ico2024-03-21T14:21:01-04:00/authors/clayton-ashley/rss2024-03-21T14:21:01-04:002024-03-21T14:21:01-04:00A New Video Plus about New Game Plus
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<img alt="A man sitting behind a desk stares directly to camera while wearing a black suit and a chainmail hood. Behind him is a paint, record, and photograph and in front of him sit a book, a Blu-ray DVD, and a statue." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/-7-7720YdgfNWycRjkAfce4_kLk=/0x0:1920x1080/640x360/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73223752/PLY_New_Video_Plus.01_15_19_19.Still001.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Image: Polygon</figcaption>
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<p>Would you like to start NEW VIDEO PLUS?</p>
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<a href="/videos/24106724/new-game-plus-nier-starfield-dragons-dogma">Continue reading…</a>
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/videos/24106724/new-game-plus-nier-starfield-dragons-dogmaClayton Ashley2024-03-11T13:42:14-04:002024-03-11T13:42:14-04:00Helldivers 2’s mech is a piece of shit, which makes perfect sense
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<img alt="A scene from the game Helldivers 2 where the Patriot Mech Suit is currently exploding into lots of little pieces." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/dHbUUN-p7xtG2pB21Wkd4fs8GQM=/0x0:1920x1080/640x360/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73198491/helldiver2_patriot_mech_exploding.0.png" />
<figcaption>The Patriot Mech Suit from Helldivers 2 in action. | Image: Arrowhead Game Studios/Sony Interactive Entertainment / Polygon</figcaption>
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<p>Why would a Super Democracy like Super Earth waste time building a Super Robot?</p>
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<a href="/24097309/helldivers-2-mech-bad-satire-fascism">Continue reading…</a>
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/24097309/helldivers-2-mech-bad-satire-fascismClayton Ashley2024-02-01T14:58:33-05:002024-02-01T14:58:33-05:00Against the Storm perfected the city builder by breaking the city builder
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<img alt="A settlement in Against the Storm. It looks like a small collection of buildings around a large, warm hearth." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/y3UQiSGseA6RS1hAN0COZgYHJzg=/0x0:1920x1080/640x360/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73104437/against_the_storm.0.jpeg" />
<figcaption>Image: Eremite Games/Hooded Horse</figcaption>
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<p>City builders don’t need to be 100+ hour affairs</p>
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<a href="/videos/24058317/against-the-storm-city-builder-analysis">Continue reading…</a>
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/videos/24058317/against-the-storm-city-builder-analysisClayton Ashley2023-12-19T10:15:00-05:002023-12-19T10:15:00-05:00Can Alex Garland’s Civil War somehow be apolitical?
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<img alt="Nick Offerman as the president in Civil War" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PK9zL_kE040Ay-yMiNRx6g0AMdc=/29x0:1805x999/640x360/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72978451/civilI_war_2024.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Image: A24</figcaption>
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<p>A bipartisan California-Texas alliance is certainly out there</p>
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<a href="/24000121/civil-war-movie-map-a24-alex-garland-politics">Continue reading…</a>
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/24000121/civil-war-movie-map-a24-alex-garland-politicsClayton Ashley2023-12-01T16:30:00-05:002023-12-01T16:30:00-05:00GTA 6 better let me play jai alai
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<img alt="A jai alai player in white pants and blue jersey, reaches out with a hook-shaped basket on his right arm as he tries to catch a ball." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SFIqZH7fxY69wLYWVMUT16cHOGc=/0x313:3048x2028/640x360/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72921933/GettyImages_110162417.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo: David Lefranc/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>My cesta is ready</p>
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<a href="/2023/12/1/23984619/gta-6-sport-jai-alai-miami-crime-gambling">Continue reading…</a>
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/2023/12/1/23984619/gta-6-sport-jai-alai-miami-crime-gamblingClayton Ashley2023-11-27T16:59:24-05:002023-11-27T16:59:24-05:00Lethal Company is the morbidly hilarious game taking Twitch by storm
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<img alt="An image from the video game Lethal Company with a rudimentary avatar of a space explorer typing at a computer console in an orange suit with other similarly adorned avatars nearby." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Ud2KJICn_9LsGbjHqLHfMEWK3Fs=/0x0:2032x1143/640x360/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72907247/lethal_company_clayton.0.png" />
<figcaption>You and three friends can attempt to make quota together. | Image: Zeekerss</figcaption>
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<p>We will make quota. We will make quota. We will make quota.</p>
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<a href="/23977953/lethal-company-hilarious-twitch-coop-horror">Continue reading…</a>
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/23977953/lethal-company-hilarious-twitch-coop-horrorClayton Ashley2023-11-17T10:43:13-05:002023-11-17T10:43:13-05:00What makes Armored Core 6’s Balteus such an effective gatekeeper?
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<img alt="A screengrab from Armored Core 6 shows the large mech Balteus, which has a jetpack larger than its body and a ring that encompasses its entire body. In the image, lightning crackles around Balteus and fires rage behind it." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/PMw7-nKtzFjVSOKIVPoueXN1bdM=/0x0:1920x1080/640x360/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72875857/balteus_boss_video.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Image: From Software via Polygon</figcaption>
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<p>A cruel Balteus thesis</p>
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<a href="/videos/23963986/armored-core-6-balteus-gatekeeper-margit">Continue reading…</a>
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/videos/23963986/armored-core-6-balteus-gatekeeper-margitClayton Ashley2023-10-26T14:00:00-04:002023-10-26T14:00:00-04:00The Night Cage makes co-op board gaming scary fun
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<img alt="A pair of hands places a cardboard game piece for the game The Night Cage on top of the game board, which looks like a black and white 6 x 6 grid with a number of tiles and game pieces on it." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/QZyRlx5-2MGZNbz0mRQSg9ajCJ0=/0x0:1920x1080/640x360/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72797023/night_cage_thumb.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Image: Polygon</figcaption>
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<p>Escape before your candle burns out</p>
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<a href="/tabletop-games/23930641/the-night-cage-board-game-overboard">Continue reading…</a>
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/tabletop-games/23930641/the-night-cage-board-game-overboardClayton Ashley2023-10-05T11:17:34-04:002023-10-05T11:17:34-04:00What logistics games can teach us about the supply chain crisis
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<img alt="A bearded man in a pink hoodie is in the center of an art collage with a stunned look on his face. Surround him in a circular pattern are gears, the character from Satisfactory, the Evergiven cargo ship, a red diesel train, and a blue cargo container." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/k8SnIMvHmPFAq25wRGhe7ib9sJI=/0x0:1920x1080/640x360/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72724184/thumb_not_text_or_border.0.png" />
<figcaption>Graphic: Clayton Ashley/Polygon</figcaption>
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<p>Thaaaaaaat’s logistics</p>
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<a href="/videos/23903482/logistics-games-factorio-satisfactory-trains">Continue reading…</a>
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/videos/23903482/logistics-games-factorio-satisfactory-trainsClayton Ashley2023-10-01T15:09:52-04:002023-10-01T15:09:52-04:00Heat: Pedal to the Metal is a tabletop racing masterpiece
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<img alt="The component for Heat, including a modular track and plastic cars, laid out for display." src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/xpZDCfc7DwohYgexd1ltIWEs0sw=/0x5:1500x849/640x360/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72709400/heat.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Image: Days of Wonder</figcaption>
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<p>Few games are more fun, fast, or furious</p>
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<a href="/tabletop-games/23895918/heat-pedal-to-the-metal-tabletop-racing-masterpiece-letsplay">Continue reading…</a>
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/tabletop-games/23895918/heat-pedal-to-the-metal-tabletop-racing-masterpiece-letsplayClayton Ashley