Heather Alexandra's discussions

Yeah, there’s another perk that reveals all enemies in 15m if someone triggers your trip mine. I’d much rather have that paired with Camouflage than the decoy thing. Read more

You cheat by holding on to the coin that you’d otherwise spend playing fair. Read more

Oh, totally! When I think of 4th-gen strangeness, this game is definitely at the top of the list. It’s definitely a game with a lot of personality. Read more

That’s because insofar as the level design and gameplay are explicitly positioned as satire, neither hold up. A shitty level making fun of other shitty levels is still... well, a shitty level. Read more

I’ve done this song and dance too many times, to be frank. Every time there’s a new narrative game, folks crop up to ask if it is a game at all. The rub with that is there’s never been agreed upon criteria for a game beyond what I mentioned. Games are guided experiences. In the case of video games, the first word… Read more

The better question is why the definition you’re implying excludes a game like Tacoma. Games are nothing more than vaguely structured activities that we participate in for... well, lots of reasons. To have fun. To learn. To feel. To distract. To challenge. To compete. Read more

I’m not sure games require puzzles or gameplay loops.  In terms of moment to moment play, you’re mostly exploring spaces and watching scenes to get a better idea of what happened to the station. Watching someone in a group scene before they walk off with another character to have a discussion in a side room. Read more

Pace is a matter of ebb and flow. Progress in Tacoma is nominally tied to completing lengthy downloads in each sector. It’s entirely possible to watch through the recordings in a location, read the associated pop-up data, and return to find that download still in progress, essentially locking you in a location until… Read more

I dunno. Maybe I’ll talk about why Archives is garbage. O:) Read more

I imagine Horizon will level out with familiarity, as defenders learn to stymie pushes. (Attackers have the statistical advantage at the moment.) Read more

It’s definitely something I want to do. I’m interested in doing an extended analysis for a Goldeneye 007 map TBD and want to branch out to other games as well. I imagine these pieces will take a lot of research time though, including time dedicated to speaking with the level designers. Should be fun! Read more

If folks are interested in a breakdown of the game by someone who really knows the engine, I recommend looking at Robert Yang’s playthrough of the game. It’s a more technical look at the level design that is very illuminating and was definitely on my mind as we were streaming. Read more

nice boat. Also, holy wow this ending! Read more

I have moments. Read more

This isn’t quite true. Unlocking framerate actually can affect loading and there’s actually mods for prominent games that toggle VSync and frames during load times. You transition faster from loading screen to the game itself and that time can add up. Read more

I’m not trying to sell copies of the game, for starters. That’s never the point behind anything that I write. But as for the matter of sex itself, my immediate response is “why not?” There’s nothing wrong with sex. Fucking is great. Read more

Stealth is a critical part of Wolfenstein’s identity though. Silas Warner’s original games (Castle Wolfenstein and Beyond Castle Wolfenstein) were focused on stealth. You had to sneak in uniforms, learn passcode phrases, and even bribe guards to avoid alarms. Read more

I have a lot of plans this weekend, Riley, and they all involve online gunfighting. The most obvious one is Splatoon 2. That game is adorable and after leveling up a bit, I’m going to jump into ranked battles and never look back. I’m worried about the upcoming Splatfest though; Ketchup versus Mayonaise is just about… Read more

I need scissors! 61! Read more