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McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

Dubbed "Metroidvania" games after classic Nintendo games "Metroid" and "Castlevania," platformers like "Hollow Knight" and "Ori and the Will of the Wisps" combine world-exploration with battling — and, in the case of these games specifically, beautiful graphics.

Review | The dark-filled knight versus the light-filled spirit

Eli Frommes, Staff Writer October 11, 2023

Acclaimed video games “Hollow Knight'' and “Ori and the Will of the Wisps'' are very similar games but have a few distinct differences that make them unique. They are both 2D adventure “Metroidvanias,”...

The MCHS Rocket League team won their state championship game on Dec. 15. The e-sports Twitch channel streamed the match, allowing members of the community to cheer on the team.

MCHS’s esports team wins championship, named Illinois Region Champions

Ella Trimingham, Staff Writer December 16, 2022

MCHS’s esports team placed first in their undefeated season, leading to the championship. They are now seeing if they qualify for the next invitational, but hopes are high considering the team has never...

"Overwatch 2" was met with both excitement and controversy as players experienced bugs and issues such as long player queues.

Battlepass or battle pass?

Freedom Tomasello, Opinions Editor November 29, 2022

After almost 3 years, the highly anticipated “Overwatch 2” has been released, and fans are full of mixed emotions as they experience the game for the first time. The release of “Overwatch 2”...

“Valorant” from Riot Games, has been updated to include a new interface and new playable character, making it one of the best first person shooters on the market right now.

Review: Let’s turn the tide

Kennedy Tetour, Managing Editor November 8, 2022

The team prepares with five seconds until the barrier collapses. Once the map is open, chaos ensues as both teams use all of their might to complete their mission. A player rushes towards the site through...

Fans were disappointed by the way Twitchcon was organized this year.  Organizers botched basic logistical and safety decisions and ruined special meet and greets with famous social media influencers.

Opinion: Twitchcon was poorly planned and executed

Claire Guzman, Staff Writer November 3, 2022

Twitchcon returned to San Diego for the first time since 2019 where favorite content creators got to meet up with their fans. But it didn't liv Recently, (previously faceless) Minecraft YouTuber Dream...

Students sit down after school to play games as a community in the E-Sports club.

Lighting the torch

Alys Govig, Contributing Writer March 14, 2022

From an echoey old computer ‘dungeon’ to a room full of windows and modern tech,  Luis Aguilar took student feedback. With this, he lit his torch and ran with it, creating District 156’s esports...

Five Nights At Freddy's has finally released a new game after four years and though it's beautiful, it's not living up to expectations.

Review: ‘Security Breach’ still needs work

Bee Myers, Staff Writer February 1, 2022

It’s Dec. 15 and many count down the seconds until midnight to download the newest Five Nights at Freddy’s game that everyone’s been raving about. They finally download it and eagerly begin to play,...

Classic games franchises like "Call of Duty" have lost their luster because of studios that care more about making money than the gameplay or its players.

Opinion: Modern video games have lost their charm

Joshua Gravel, Contributing Writer December 7, 2021

A kid sits in a chair for 45 minutes, going through his phone as he waits for a new update to “Call of Duty: Warzone.” Meanwhile, his brother is playing his favorite game, “Call of Duty: Black Ops...

"Valorant" is one of the best up and coming video games in the esports community, and its different elements help to highlight its versatility and diverse player base.

Review: We are fighters

Kennedy Tetour, Managing Editor November 16, 2021

With 30 seconds left on the clock, the attacking team starts to sit up in their seats. The game only has 3 rounds left, and the defending team only needs to win one of them to take the whole match. The...

If Rep. Marcus C. Evans Jr. can blame "Grand Theft Auto" for society's problems, then it only makes sense to blame him for starting the pandemic. After all, was he wearing a mask at all before the state was placed on lockdown?

Opinion: “GTA” is here to stay, Marcus C. Evans Jr.

Ciara Duncan, Features Editor March 11, 2021

The pandemic has slowed, and it seems to me that Illinois Representative Marcus C. Evans Jr. (D-Ill. 33rd District) is getting bored. But, instead of watching movies, picking up a new hobby, scrolling...

Though "Among Us" was released in 2018, the game caught on my players who were stuck at home during the pandemic wanted to socialize through the game.

Are you “Among Us”?

Kennedy Tetour, Arts and Entertainment Editor November 9, 2020

A new game has seemingly popped up out of nowhere, and the gaming community is eating it up. Though “Among Us” hit the scene in June of 2018, it is just now starting to rise in popularity, and there...

When the winning player of the Grandmasters Hearthstone Tournament made a statement supporting Hong Kong’s protests on October 6, Blizzard Entertainment found themselves at the center of a free speech debate.

Blizzard Entertainment’s Blitzchung disaster

Hayley DuHamel, Staff Writer December 18, 2019

Over the past couple of months, the American gaming publisher Activision Blizzard has been dealing with a PR nightmare of their own making.  On October 6, at the end of a stream of the Grandmasters...

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