Nice to meet you! I’m Matthew Codd, a freelance writer with a focus on games criticism, particularly from artistic, narrative, and cultural perspective. I also cover comics, films, TV, toys, and other pop culture.
I’ve been writing since 2011, and in a professional capacity since 2014. I’ve written for a number of sites, including NZGamer.com, DigitallyDownloaded.net, The Spinoff, NZ Book Lovers, and Extra Credits. I’ve also covered a number of game industry trade shows around the world, including Tokyo Game Show, E3, and Paris Games Week.
I’d love to write for you. I have extensive experience writing reviews, previews, interviews, opinion pieces, and feature articles of all sorts. Some selected samples of my writing can be found in the list below. I also have references available on request.
Contact details:
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @MC_Odd/ @ShindigNZ
Games Writing
Reviews
Archangel [DigitallyDownloaded.net, 2017]
The Town of Light review: A welcome antidote to the “crazed lunatic” trope [Shindig, 2017]
RiME [DigitallyDownloaded.net, 2017]
NieR: Automata 3C3C1D119440927; the greatest DLC ever made [DigitallyDownloaded.net, 2017]
What Remains of Edith Finch: a game that finds perfect beauty in death [The Spinoff, 2017]
Molemen Must Die [NZGamer.com, 2017]
A Rose in the Twilight review: A beautiful, dark, twisted fairy tale [Shindig, 2017]
Fated: The Silent Oath [DigitallyDownloaded.net, 2017]
Momodora: Reverie Under the Moon [DigitallyDownloaded.net, 2017]
My Name is Mayo [DigitallyDownloaded.net, 2016]
Mafia III [NZGamer.com, 2016]
Bound [NZGamer.com, 2016]
Resette’s Prescription review: Tragical Girl [Shindig, 2016]
Alone With You [DigitallyDownloaded.net, 2016]
The Park [DigitallyDownloaded.net, 2016]
The Walking Dead: Michonne – A Telltale Miniseries [NZGamer.com, 2016]
SOMA [NZGamer.com, 2015]
Tearaway: Unfolded [NZGamer.com, 2015]
Submerged [NZGamer.com, 2015]
Long-form reviews
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age review: Another chance for an underrated gem [Shindig, 2017]
Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds: an expertly-researched Shinsengumi romance [Shindig, 2017]
NieR: Automata review: 2B or not 2B [Shindig, 2017]
Horizon Zero Dawn review: A beautiful game that tries to do too much [Shindig, 2017]
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Review: Smallness from Great Beginnings [Shindig, 2016]
Import reviews
Bravely Second: First Impressions [Shindig, 2015]
Features
How Root Letter Made Me Homesick for a Place I’ve Never Been [NZGamer.com, 2017]
Demystifying New Zealand’s Classification System [NZGamer.com, 2017]
Final Fantasy: The First Time [NZGamer.com, 2016]
Romancing SaGa 2‘s localisation sets an exciting precedent [Shindig, 2016]
Assassin’s Creed’s Subversive Approach to Jack the Ripper [NZGamer.com, 2016]
On Rise of the Tomb Raider’s fascinating narrative design [Shindig, 2015]
Dragon Quest III’s fake ending is a work of art [Shindig, 2015]
On replayability: emotion, mechanics, and necessity [Shindig, 2015]
Opinion pieces
Ghost Recon Wildlands: ‘A repugnant, morally indefensible game’ [The Spinoff, 2017]
The banning of Gal*Gun: Double Peace – did the Chief Censor get it wrong? [The Spinoff, 2017]
On class conflict and queerness in Masquerada: Songs and Shadows [Shindig, 2016]
No Man’s Sky, please don’t turn into Destiny [Shindig, 2016]
In Defence of Remasters [NZGamer.com, 2015]
Why Minority-focused Game Events Matter [NZGamer.com, 2014]
List articles
Backtracking Through Time: A History of Metroidvanias [NZGamer.com, 2015]
Previews
A cynic repents: first impressions in Final Fantasy XV [The Spinoff, 2016]
The big flaw in We Happy Few’s Orwellian parable [The Spinoff, 2016]
Dreams Eyes-on Preview [NZGamer.com, 2015]
Aurion feels like an African shonen manga, in the best possible way [Shindig, 2015]
Beyond Eyes Eyes-on Preview [NZGamer.com, 2015]
King’s Quest Hands-on Preview [NZGamer.com, 2015]
Interviews
Miyamori, folktales, and the allure of the Japanese countryside [Shindig, 2016]
This mobile game is the best way to relive the misery of teenage love [The Spinoff, 2016]
World of Final Fantasy: Interview with Hiroki Chiba [NZGamer.com, 2015]
Comics Writing
Australi #1 review: A Land of Stories [Shindig, 2017]
“I can’t just be fat in private”: The Misfits #2’s raw, honest look at fatphobia [Shindig, 2017]
Clean Room, Volume 1: Immaculate Conception review [NZ Book Lovers, 2016]
Fresh Romance: Volume 1 review [NZ Book Lovers, 2016]
Uncharted comic review: Thrilling Heroics [Shindig, 2016]
Jem and the Holograms: Showtime review [NZ Book Lovers, 2015]
Tomb Raider: Season of the Witch review [NZ Book Lovers, 2015]
Bitch Planet #1 Review: “Where’m I s’posed to put my tits?!” [Shindig, 2015]
Other Writing
LEGO Review: The LEGO Batman Movie – Catwoman Catcycle Chase [Shindig, 2017]
The Dead Lands review: Utu Kiriata [Shindig, 2016]
Spy’s delightful, unexpected fat-positivity (or, “Why trailers are garbage”) [Shindig, 2015]
Magic Mike XXL review: good vibes [Shindig, 2015]
