Formula 1's Saudi Arabia Grand Prix

2 years ago and 2 years after the release of the New Colossus, Bethesda released another sequel Wolfenstein: Youngblood. It is an atypical co-op game whose core gameplay pillars lie in line with the previous games. You play as Blazkowicz’s twin daughters, and travel to Paris to find their father and topple the Gestapo regime in France. Not only is this game true to its run and gun origins, but the co-op aspect is also organically implemented. This paired with a vast skill tree to upgrade your character leads to an experience of effortlessly completing objectives alongside a friend.

Although ploughing through the streets of Paris, blowing up Hitler statutes and clobbering Nazi robots does sound fun, it was only possible with the incredibly talented art department. I was lucky enough to have purchased the Art Book from the New Colossus and it did not disappoint. The developers open up indepth about their design process and how they constructed a realistic and beautiful world from the ground up. Anyone interested in graphic design, automotive design, 3D modelling and character design must experience what is provided in these games.

The Wolfenstein series is available to play on all platforms. It showcases a flawless balance between exhilarating gameplay, progression, story and design. I implore anyone who has the time to purchase any one of the games and feast their eyes and minds to what these games have to offer; you will not be dissapointed.

CULTURE

RAFAEL - WRITER VEDANGINI - EDITOR

In early March, Formula 1 (F1), the international racing competition, announced a brand new race track and grand prix in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This news, although received with excitement, also incited skepticism. In the previous year, Formula 1 had been pushing hard for inclusivity, human rights and acceptance throughout all of motorsport with campaigns and many marketing strategies to paint themselves as a modern and conscious institution. This new announcement that they would now race in the Kingdom came with many caveats that seem to completely negate these previous efforts of political correctness. Ahead of the season opener in Austria, F1 pledged to: “Say thank you to key workers and individuals around the world by displaying rainbows on the Formula 1 cars and around the race circuit with the hashtag #We Race as One. The rainbow initiative will continue throughout the season […] we will take a stand against racism. This will include visual displays of support in the fight against racism. In addition to the visual display of support we will also announce later this week clear pledges to increase diversity and opportunity in our sport. This will include setting up a Formula 1 Task Force that will listen to people from across the paddock, including the drivers, as well as externals and make conclusions on the actions required to improve the diversity and opportunity in Formula 1 at all levels.” This also included moments of silence before each race. Pledges to the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement accompanied by posters and imagery all over the tracks, in respect of human rights and the struggles of the black and LGBTQA+ community throughout 2020. At the end of the year, in the face of all this progress, F1 announced a partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Kingdom is widely known as one of the most oppressive regimes in all of the developed world. With virtually zero political freedom, acceptance or LGBTQA+ and little freedom for women and women's rights, its society is permeated with racism, prejudice and oppression from the ruling family. In January 2020, a group of young men were arrested after they appeared in a video of what the police described as a “gay wedding scene”.