Skater XL's pre and post-launch support is some of the worst in the live-service area. Updates have come so infrequently with the eight month early access period receiving little support followed by the 1.1 update arriving five months after a lackluster 1.0. Add in the studio's lead developer's alleged departure made with no fanfare and … Continue reading Easy Day Studios Has Mishandled Skater XL
Editorial/Opinion Piece
Romance with Haven
Video games have had a complicated relationship with romantic...relationships. But what about *insert game with romance options here* ? Most games treat relationships as an act of lust. Rewarding players through building a bond with a relationship, often solidified by a kiss or sex scene, simplifies their complicated nature. This official label is also often … Continue reading Romance with Haven
Devil May Cry 5’s Cathartic Purity
Devil May Cry 5's existence is remarkable. Devil May Cry 4's troubled development led to a positive response upon launch, which has fallen more out of favor as discourse has evolved through the years. Ninja Theory's divisive reboot, followed by a Definitive Edition release two years later didn't instill much confidence in the original series' … Continue reading Devil May Cry 5’s Cathartic Purity
Love, Loss, and Lost Odyssey
Disclaimer: Heavy Lost Odyssey Spoilers Inbound Since home console gaming's inception nearly 50 years ago, the industry has tackled most subject matter. Violence, in particular, has remained a reliable standby. Many games either parody the industry's absurdist violent depictions or chastise gamers for finding pleasure in killing. This is worn out discourse in 2020. With … Continue reading Love, Loss, and Lost Odyssey
Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Prey 2017, and The Modern Immersive Sim
The mid-late 90's spawned the immersive sim, a genre defined by influential PC titles such as Thief: The Dark Project and System Shock with the original Deus Ex following suit at the start of the millenium. Ion Storm and Looking Glass Studios pioneered the open-ended design we currently associate the genre with--design that consists of two core … Continue reading Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, Prey 2017, and The Modern Immersive Sim
Blue Reflection’s Difficulty Problem
Difficulty is integral to turn-based role playing games. Gamers generally look to turn-based rpg's over their active counterparts when they want a more mentally taxing experience. That's not to say that games with turn-based combat always have to be hardcore masochistic tests of skill, but without enough player engagement, the passiveness of navigating menus becomes … Continue reading Blue Reflection’s Difficulty Problem
How Hidden Agenda Stacks Up as A Single Player Experience
"We certainly saw how people had responded to Until Dawn, especially on streaming sites. That inspired a lot of the direction we've taken with the game." Supermassive Games has been around since last gen, dabbling in the creation of downloadable content for LittleBigPlanet among other minor projects, though 2015's Until Dawn was their breakout hit. The developers … Continue reading How Hidden Agenda Stacks Up as A Single Player Experience
What Remains of Edith Finch And Interactive Storytelling
WARNING: SPOILERS! What Remains of Edith Finch is many things. It is a narrative driven experience, or as some like to call it, a "walking simulator". It is a collection of short stories, but most importantly, What Remains of Edith Finch is one of the finest contemporary examples of the effectiveness of interactive storytelling. When … Continue reading What Remains of Edith Finch And Interactive Storytelling
NieR: Automata Is One of The Best And Most Clever Games of The Generation(Too Clever For The Financial Post)
Nier: Automata exemplifies what is wrong with mainstream gaming media. Although Automata's reception has been startlingly positive from both critics and consumers, there are a scant few individuals that missed the point of Nier: Automata and as such, their overall impression of the game is less than positive. One example is the Financial Post's review. Before … Continue reading NieR: Automata Is One of The Best And Most Clever Games of The Generation(Too Clever For The Financial Post)
Rainbow Six Siege is Brilliant
A little over a year on from its release with a second year of confirmed support, Rainbow Six Siege has survived its launch woes and cements itself as one of the best shooters of this generation. Rainbow Six Siege has been able to captivate me in ways no other game has. Its greatest strength lies … Continue reading Rainbow Six Siege is Brilliant
