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Falling in Love: A Thirty Flights of Loving Review

  It was around the six minute mark when I realized my mouth was open. I wasn’t mouthbreathing, or mumbling to myself, or laughing (that came later); I was simply in awe. I cannot conjure up enough superlatives to describe

/ 2 Comments

Falling in Love: A Thirty Flights of Loving Review

  It was around the six minute mark when I realized my mouth was open. I wasn’t mouthbreathing, or mumbling to myself, or laughing (that came later); I was simply in awe. I cannot conjure up enough superlatives to describe

/ 2 Comments

Skyward Sword as the end of the monomyth

Approaching the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Nintendo made a great fuss about the chronology of its sundry Zelda titles, a thing that precisely no one outside of Zelda fan forums cared about. The chronology of The

/ 9 Comments

Skyward Sword as the end of the monomyth

Approaching the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, Nintendo made a great fuss about the chronology of its sundry Zelda titles, a thing that precisely no one outside of Zelda fan forums cared about. The chronology of The

/ 9 Comments

Martial Artists: How Fighting Games Can Look As Good As They Play

Fighting games are a genre with complex structure, fierce competition,  and devoted player bases worldwide. Despite rising popularity, fighting games aren’t appreciated for their aesthetics. Instead, their mechanics take focus, and define what makes them different—but this is a mistake. Visual

/ 6 Comments

Martial Artists: How Fighting Games Can Look As Good As They Play

Fighting games are a genre with complex structure, fierce competition,  and devoted player bases worldwide. Despite rising popularity, fighting games aren’t appreciated for their aesthetics. Instead, their mechanics take focus, and define what makes them different—but this is a mistake. Visual

/ 6 Comments

Games as Medium, not as Art: Performative Beauty in Videogames

Have you ever watched someone play a videogame? I don’t mean in the way that a partner or spouse of a hardened “gamer” watches him or her trawl around Liberty City ad nauseum until 9:00 mercifully rolls around and it’s

/ 13 Comments

Games as Medium, not as Art: Performative Beauty in Videogames

Have you ever watched someone play a videogame? I don’t mean in the way that a partner or spouse of a hardened “gamer” watches him or her trawl around Liberty City ad nauseum until 9:00 mercifully rolls around and it’s

/ 13 Comments

Helm's Deep With Friends: Swapping Slaps in Hero Academy (Steam)

In turn-based strategy the next move is always the most important. If you’re not thinking ahead then chances are you’ve already lost. This is especially true in Hero Academy, an iOS strategy affair recently released for PC through Steam. As

/ Comments Off on Helm's Deep With Friends: Swapping Slaps in Hero Academy (Steam)

Helm's Deep With Friends: Swapping Slaps in Hero Academy (Steam)

In turn-based strategy the next move is always the most important. If you’re not thinking ahead then chances are you’ve already lost. This is especially true in Hero Academy, an iOS strategy affair recently released for PC through Steam. As

/ Comments Off on Helm's Deep With Friends: Swapping Slaps in Hero Academy (Steam)

Let games be as challenging as they need to be

In a terrifying piece on the future of video games, Steve Fulton describes the rise of the hardcore and how developers are reconstructing the challenge of yesteryear to make games that matter. It’s a piece that scares and confuses me.

/ 14 Comments

Let games be as challenging as they need to be

In a terrifying piece on the future of video games, Steve Fulton describes the rise of the hardcore and how developers are reconstructing the challenge of yesteryear to make games that matter. It’s a piece that scares and confuses me.

/ 14 Comments

Soundscapes – Back to Basics with Visual Novels

Like indie games, visual novels are a frontier where experiments in story telling can be done in ways a AAA title wouldn’t dare or have the resources to do. The Witcher 2 for example might have been a breakthrough in

/ 14 Comments

Soundscapes – Back to Basics with Visual Novels

Like indie games, visual novels are a frontier where experiments in story telling can be done in ways a AAA title wouldn’t dare or have the resources to do. The Witcher 2 for example might have been a breakthrough in

/ 14 Comments

Contact: A Lesson In Free Will

What makes the video game medium truly great is the way in which it is able to make the audience a part of that story. To watch something happen is an entirely different experience from being involved in it happening.

/ 10 Comments

Contact: A Lesson In Free Will

What makes the video game medium truly great is the way in which it is able to make the audience a part of that story. To watch something happen is an entirely different experience from being involved in it happening.

/ 10 Comments

Ten Characters I'd Like to See In Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!!

My kids will probably hate me when it comes to TV time. Not only will I be ruling our future space console with an iron fist, but the cartoons that take centre stage on the Holo-Viewer 4000 will be under

/ Comments Off on Ten Characters I'd Like to See In Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!!

Ten Characters I'd Like to See In Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!!

My kids will probably hate me when it comes to TV time. Not only will I be ruling our future space console with an iron fist, but the cartoons that take centre stage on the Holo-Viewer 4000 will be under

/ Comments Off on Ten Characters I'd Like to See In Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!!

I Am The Virus: Prototype As A Trans Narrative

Prototype is a game about a monster. It’s a game about science run amok. It’s a game about a nightmarish virus that wipes out most of New York City. And I can’t help but feel that it’s also a game

/ 3 Comments

I Am The Virus: Prototype As A Trans Narrative

Prototype is a game about a monster. It’s a game about science run amok. It’s a game about a nightmarish virus that wipes out most of New York City. And I can’t help but feel that it’s also a game

/ 3 Comments