Author Archives: Eric Swain

Atmosphere is enough: Why Flower succeeds where Limbo fails

Last year I spent a bit of energy lambasting Limbo for not living up to the hype and being rather empty. The response was that Limbo was not a game that relied on traditional narrative, instead relying on mood and

/ Comments Off on Atmosphere is enough: Why Flower succeeds where Limbo fails

Atmosphere is enough: Why Flower succeeds where Limbo fails

Last year I spent a bit of energy lambasting Limbo for not living up to the hype and being rather empty. The response was that Limbo was not a game that relied on traditional narrative, instead relying on mood and

/ Comments Off on Atmosphere is enough: Why Flower succeeds where Limbo fails

It's all in the presentation: Why I let Driver: San Francisco get away with poor driving

Gran Turismo 5 and Need for Speed: Shift were messes in my eyes for a number of reasons, but a big sticking point was how the results of my driving felt disconnected from the game’s feedback. The cars would look

/ One Comment

It's all in the presentation: Why I let Driver: San Francisco get away with poor driving

Gran Turismo 5 and Need for Speed: Shift were messes in my eyes for a number of reasons, but a big sticking point was how the results of my driving felt disconnected from the game’s feedback. The cars would look

/ One Comment

Let me play: 7 issues with racing games

Recently I’ve been taking a crash course in the racing game genre. I’ve gone through over half a dozen titles from the current generation already. I understand that the genre can be a niche, especially with some of the hard

/ 5 Comments

Let me play: 7 issues with racing games

Recently I’ve been taking a crash course in the racing game genre. I’ve gone through over half a dozen titles from the current generation already. I understand that the genre can be a niche, especially with some of the hard

/ 5 Comments

The Text Says No: Why you can't interpret Limbo any way you want

I like getting thoughtful and intelligent criticism of my work. I like reading what people had to say. It means I had enough of an effect on them to make them think and drive them to respond. And while I

/ 16 Comments

The Text Says No: Why you can't interpret Limbo any way you want

I like getting thoughtful and intelligent criticism of my work. I like reading what people had to say. It means I had enough of an effect on them to make them think and drive them to respond. And while I

/ 16 Comments

Motorstorm: Apocalypse, the game that wasn't there

This is my fourth attempt to write something about Motorstorm: Apocalypse. I find it difficult to express anything about this particular game. I enjoyed it while playing it. I cannot remember any of the emotional impact afterwards. It was exciting.

/ Comments Off on Motorstorm: Apocalypse, the game that wasn't there

Motorstorm: Apocalypse, the game that wasn't there

This is my fourth attempt to write something about Motorstorm: Apocalypse. I find it difficult to express anything about this particular game. I enjoyed it while playing it. I cannot remember any of the emotional impact afterwards. It was exciting.

/ Comments Off on Motorstorm: Apocalypse, the game that wasn't there

Costume Quest and the Annual Tradition

Every year on February 2nd, my Dad and I watch the movie Groundhog Day as an annual tradition. It’s a wonderful movie and we have an appointment with it every year. Christmas is noted by waking up early on a

/ Comments Off on Costume Quest and the Annual Tradition

Costume Quest and the Annual Tradition

Every year on February 2nd, my Dad and I watch the movie Groundhog Day as an annual tradition. It’s a wonderful movie and we have an appointment with it every year. Christmas is noted by waking up early on a

/ Comments Off on Costume Quest and the Annual Tradition

Slow Times at Paradise City

I arrived late to the party on this game. I’m not normally a racing gamer, I have trouble with the controls and it puts me off the genre. But the Burnout series is one where I’ve always been able to

/ Comments Off on Slow Times at Paradise City

Slow Times at Paradise City

I arrived late to the party on this game. I’m not normally a racing gamer, I have trouble with the controls and it puts me off the genre. But the Burnout series is one where I’ve always been able to

/ Comments Off on Slow Times at Paradise City

Atmosphere is Not Enough: A Limbo and Another World Critique

(*Spoilers for Another World and Limbo*) I finished Another World and Limbo in single sittings on back to back days and I find it remarkable how similar they are and how one gets what it’s doing so right and the

/ 13 Comments

Atmosphere is Not Enough: A Limbo and Another World Critique

(*Spoilers for Another World and Limbo*) I finished Another World and Limbo in single sittings on back to back days and I find it remarkable how similar they are and how one gets what it’s doing so right and the

/ 13 Comments

Heavenly Sword's Thematic Resonance

(*Heavy spoilers for Heavenly Sword*) Last week I lambasted Ninja Theory’s second major game, Enslaved, for being an unconnected, thematically stupid, waste of potential. What made this failure hit harder than most abysmal failures in the AAA game space was

/ Comments Off on Heavenly Sword's Thematic Resonance

Heavenly Sword's Thematic Resonance

(*Heavy spoilers for Heavenly Sword*) Last week I lambasted Ninja Theory’s second major game, Enslaved, for being an unconnected, thematically stupid, waste of potential. What made this failure hit harder than most abysmal failures in the AAA game space was

/ Comments Off on Heavenly Sword's Thematic Resonance

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West's thematic failure

*Spoilers for Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, Heavenly Sword, Bioshock and Braid* Ninja Theory is a studio I really want to like. I really do. They hold a philosophy towards creating games, AAA games at that, I would love to

/ 2 Comments

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West's thematic failure

*Spoilers for Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, Heavenly Sword, Bioshock and Braid* Ninja Theory is a studio I really want to like. I really do. They hold a philosophy towards creating games, AAA games at that, I would love to

/ 2 Comments