Author Archives: Tom Auxier
Death and a Platformer: The End
BBC’s The End has a laudable goal: to get people to think about death. As such, it falls under the encompassing banner of educational games, but it presents its concepts in a way that makes them seem unlike any sort
Death and a Platformer: The End
BBC’s The End has a laudable goal: to get people to think about death. As such, it falls under the encompassing banner of educational games, but it presents its concepts in a way that makes them seem unlike any sort
Choosing Race: Krautscape
Krautscape looks like the racing game from my dreams, the one where the path pops up right in front of me like a rainbow. And look at this story. This is the hot shit, man: Around 1880, the world renowned
Choosing Race: Krautscape
Krautscape looks like the racing game from my dreams, the one where the path pops up right in front of me like a rainbow. And look at this story. This is the hot shit, man: Around 1880, the world renowned
Ness and the Space Invaders
If I was forced to make a list of my favorite games, I wouldn’t pick Earthbound, but I’d really want to. Even after sixteen years, Earthbound is the strangest game in my collection. Even its sequel, the incomparable Mother 3,
Ness and the Space Invaders
If I was forced to make a list of my favorite games, I wouldn’t pick Earthbound, but I’d really want to. Even after sixteen years, Earthbound is the strangest game in my collection. Even its sequel, the incomparable Mother 3,
Exploring the Ruins
Jake Elliot’s games have always presented a strong emphasis on nonlinear narrative, and it’s precisely that elusive quality that’s made me appreciate them so much. His two previous works, Last Tuesday and Balloon Diaspora, both addressed alienation, the feeling of
Exploring the Ruins
Jake Elliot’s games have always presented a strong emphasis on nonlinear narrative, and it’s precisely that elusive quality that’s made me appreciate them so much. His two previous works, Last Tuesday and Balloon Diaspora, both addressed alienation, the feeling of
Playing the System
So, I’ve been thinking. I’ve written at least two hundred articles on this here blog. Assuming that the average length is about six hundred words, I’ve written about two small novels on video games. And these numbers are conservative. I
Playing the System
So, I’ve been thinking. I’ve written at least two hundred articles on this here blog. Assuming that the average length is about six hundred words, I’ve written about two small novels on video games. And these numbers are conservative. I
For Discussion #5: Bossing Around
Welcome back for another week of potentially warm discussion! Bosses have a long history in video games, and have recently been catching flak because they’re a holdover from the early days of games that seem to shove their way into
For Discussion #5: Bossing Around
Welcome back for another week of potentially warm discussion! Bosses have a long history in video games, and have recently been catching flak because they’re a holdover from the early days of games that seem to shove their way into
Sequels That Should Have Been: Jedi Academy 2
When I was a kid, Star Wars was the coolest thing in the world. I had all the toys. I memorized all the movies. I read the Expanded Universe novels where Luke was a badass and a Tuskan Raider became
Sequels That Should Have Been: Jedi Academy 2
When I was a kid, Star Wars was the coolest thing in the world. I had all the toys. I memorized all the movies. I read the Expanded Universe novels where Luke was a badass and a Tuskan Raider became
For Discussion #4: The End
Here at Nightmare Mode, we’ve been thinking of Bastion a lot. Well, okay, I’ve been thinking of Bastion a lot. I can’t put thoughts in other people’s heads. In any case, it’s made me think about endings, and how a
For Discussion #4: The End
Here at Nightmare Mode, we’ve been thinking of Bastion a lot. Well, okay, I’ve been thinking of Bastion a lot. I can’t put thoughts in other people’s heads. In any case, it’s made me think about endings, and how a
Whimsey Night: The Night Circus
Here, friends, is an interesting curiosity. It’s called The Night Circus, and it is a game made by the creators of Echo Bazaar. At its most basic, most perverse, The Night Circus is a work designed to publicize a debut
Whimsey Night: The Night Circus
Here, friends, is an interesting curiosity. It’s called The Night Circus, and it is a game made by the creators of Echo Bazaar. At its most basic, most perverse, The Night Circus is a work designed to publicize a debut
Persona 4: Blazblue Edition
A trailer has been released for the new Persona 4 fighting game, and I’m just going to come out and say it: this is Persona 4 characters ported into the Blazblue engine. And I have absolutely no problem with that.
Persona 4: Blazblue Edition
A trailer has been released for the new Persona 4 fighting game, and I’m just going to come out and say it: this is Persona 4 characters ported into the Blazblue engine. And I have absolutely no problem with that.