November 2012
Why I Played ‘Borderlands 2’ By Myself
Groups of two or more tended to play Borderlands 2 as a shooter, while I still wanted to play it as an RPG.
Spatial and Social Realism in ‘Dishonored’
Despite its abundance of magical rats and the ability to see through walls, Dishonored manages to feel surprisingly realistic.
The Heart of an Empress: The Surveillance State and ‘Dishonored’
Somehow we are to assume that this Empress is some kind of benevolent monarch by contrast to those who killed her, but I'm not exactly sure.
An Inability to Empathize: Fumbling to Grok ‘Papo & Yo’
The mechanics and dynamics of the interactions in Papo & Yo work to foster a sort of paradoxically needy, yet toxic relationship between the boy and the monster. Everything works well together to create the artist’s singular vision of this very personal story. And it is because of all of that I feel like a complete ass when I say the game made me feel nothing at all.
The Strategy of Save-Scumming in ‘XCOM: Enemy Unknown’
Instead of trying to prevent save-scumming, Firaxis gives the player just enough freedom to embrace it, but not enough to abuse it.
Halo 4’s Master Chief and Community Ownership
Halo 4's smooth transference of ownership -- and more importantly the community's positive reaction to it -- reflects a continuation of the changing relationship between player communities and developers.
“Remember to Save Often”: The Meta-Game Tactics of ‘Dishonored’
Saving in order to knowingly reload isn't so much prescient as it is a tactic that takes advantage of the memory of prior failures. Exploiting the elements that exist outside of the game proper is done out of a desire to play well and to execute even better.
Discovering the Familiar in ‘Journey’
Despite having reached the end of each journey, after the nomad shoots into the sky and lands back in the desert to begin anew, players are somehow still willing to pick up their controllers and travel across the familiar landscapes again.
Moving Pixels Podcast: ‘Borderlands 2,’ Like ‘Borderlands’ But ‘2’
Gearbox hasn't reinvented the wheel with Borderlands 2, but they have managed to improve the wheel in just about every way.
Indie Horror Month Extra: The Story of ‘Lone Survivor’
Lone Survivor reinforces its themes by mixing genres.
