Thursday, June 30 2011
Gaming Whiplash and the Tragedy of Expectations
Looking back at games like Mirror's Edge or The Wind Waker it seems that when video games offer unexpected experiences, the results are not always pleasant.
Thursday, June 2 2011
The Seriously Absurd Case of ‘Vanquish’
Unlike games like Uncharted, in which players must willfully ignore ludo-narrative inconsistency, Vanquish acknowledges its mechanical challenges and lets them exist independently from the plot.
Thursday, May 19 2011
Quiet Practicality: Non-verbal Communication’s Mechanical Strengths in Online Gaming
Voice chat is often the most obvious way to communicate in online games, but sometimes creativity and practicality can arise from silence.
Thursday, May 5 2011
‘Lugaru HD’: Going in Blind
Lugaru HD surprised me, and not just because I hadn’t expected it to be a game about knife-wielding rabbits. It revealed how often I let my experiences with past games define my responses to new ones.
Thursday, April 21 2011
Puzzling Messages in ‘Picross 3D’
Picross 3D might not have a "story" in the traditional sense, but it still has a lot to say.
Thursday, March 24 2011
Grasping ‘Inside a Star-filled Sky’
Inside a Star-filled Sky illustrates the challenge of making a game that tests a player's reflexes and beliefs.
Thursday, March 10 2011
Nested Design in ‘Stacking’
Stacking's matryoshka dolls are more than a quirky aesthetic; their nature reflects the game's approach to design and storytelling.
Thursday, February 24 2011
Frustration, Failure, and Intent in ‘New Super Mario Bros. Wii’
Like war in the Fallout universe, Super Mario never changes. The game may seem demanding or even harsh in terms of its skill requirements, but its rules are consistent in philosophy and practice.
Thursday, November 18 2010
The Problem of the Inevitable (Yet Challenging) End in Video Games
Finishing certain video games is often a question of will rather than a test of skill.
Thursday, September 30 2010
Photo Opportunities in Video Games
Paradoxically, the same dissociating effect of observing the real world through a camera's lens tends to envelop and immerse players in a game world.
