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There’s No Such Thing As A Game Without Politics Or An Agenda
Things get complicated when the real world seeps into games. Some players don’t like it, because it ruins the whole ‘escapism’ thing. And developers can come under fire for inserting agendas or politics that players don’t agree with. Here’s the thing though: there’s no such thing as an apolitical game and thinking otherwise can be…
By Patricia Hernandez Published August 30, 2012 -
Why I’m Rallying For Shorter Games
I played a game that lasted only 10 minutes and it was glorious. It also cost me five bucks. Yes: I am saying that a game that amounts to one dollar per two minutes was worth the investment. In fact I was so struck by how short the game was, I couldn’t help but wonder…
By Patricia Hernandez Published August 24, 2012 -
How Women Could Easily Lose All Their Rights, As Told By A Game
Imagine waking up to a world where people think less of you for reading or writing. Or one where it’s not likely that you’d learn how to read or write at all, and if you did, you’d have to get rid of the evidence—erase the data, destroy the letters. Imagine not having much control over…
By Patricia Hernandez Published August 23, 2012 -
The Weird Way Reporters Like Me See Video Games
Every so often, I get to go behind closed doors and preview games early. Well, not before signing a non-disclosure agreement and sometimes giving proof that yes, this scrappy looking kid is in fact writing for [insert name of publication.] I got my start on paid writing work with previews, but it wasn’t until recently…
By Patricia Hernandez Published August 17, 2012 -
ReviewsHybrid: The Kotaku Review
“Innovative” is a word marketers and developers try to sell us often, but it’s rare to find a game—particularly within the shooter genre—which deserves the label. Hybrid is an exception, but it takes more than a novel idea to craft an engaging, worthwhile experience. Hybrid is a third person cover-based shooter developed by 5th Cell,…
By Patricia Hernandez Published August 13, 2012 -
It’s Not A Glitch. It’s A Feature. It’s Art. It’s Beautiful.
We lacked a campfire, but that didn’t stop us from telling tall tales about the incredible—but completely true, I swear!—things that happened to us while we played our favorite games. Forget about title recommendations, or stories of overcoming difficult challenges. That impressed nobody at recess. The gold was in glitches, and we panned endlessly for…
By Patricia Hernandez Published August 10, 2012 -
Bullet Time Isn’t Just A Fictional Badass Move. It’s A Real Thing.
For Neo, moving faster than bullets was a matter of realizing the Matrix’s rules could be bent. For most of our video game heroes, bullet time is a popular mechanic that has appeared on titles like Max Payne, Red Dead Redemption, Vanquish and more. It’s not possible to slow down time and perform amazing feats—not…
By Patricia Hernandez Published August 10, 2012 -
I Can Explain Zynga’s Decline After Playing FIFA 13
Everyone’s got some genres they’re not really into. For me, it’s always been puzzle games and sport games. Puzzle games are good at making me feel frustrated if not stupid. Not a fan! And sports games, well, I usually figure I’d rather actually play the sport than watch it. I grew up playing all sorts…
By Patricia Hernandez Published August 9, 2012 -
This Little Girl Cuts Everything With Her Freddy Krueger Hands
Childhood nightmares are the worst. Everything poses an irrational danger and we don’t have the mental faculties to know that there isn’t something horrendous under the bed. But I bet if I had crazy sharp appendages like the cute little girl in They Bleed Pixels, I’d have felt more safe as a kid. She uses…
By Patricia Hernandez Published August 8, 2012 -
I’m Ready To Trade The Scratches On My Discs For The Accessibility Of The Cloud
I grew up, like many, blowing cartridges and spending hours reading through game manuals. Then came the boxy jewel cases and CDs. The more I loved a game, the more scratches and nicks the back of a game would suffer. I’d show these off like happy scars on my knees gained from letting loose on…
By Patricia Hernandez Published August 8, 2012 -
4 Tips For A Better Date, Courtesy of The Sims
So I was playing the upcoming Sims expansion, The Sims 3: Supernatural, at the EA Summer Showcase last week. Here’s the thing: I’d never played The Sims before. I sure learned a lot about how to go on a better date though! Tip #1: Know how to control yourself before you go on out on…
By Patricia Hernandez Published August 7, 2012 -
For Women Like You: Identifying with Lollipop Chainsaw‘s Heroine, Juliet
“You need to start taking better care of yourself. You need all the help you can get. Men don’t go for women like you.” “What is ‘like me’?” We are at a department store. My mother picks up a brassiere and hovers it over my chest as she closes one eye, sizing me up. “Raped…
By Patricia Hernandez Published August 7, 2012 -
The New Side Stuff In Pokémon Black and White 2 Might Be What Hooks Me This Time
Pokémon Black and White had one goal: to recreate the feeling of wonder and awe many of us felt over a decade ago when first setting out to be the very best on our Game Boy bricks. So, the setting was new: Unova, a locale based on the urban metropolis of New York. Naturally, the…
By Patricia Hernandez Published August 1, 2012 -
Our Psychological Need For Villains and Bosses Explained
Most games have bosses—and there are multiple in-game reasons for that. What punctuation does for sentence structure, video game villains do for narrative: namely, pushing the pacing forward. Bosses give you reason to act: if Bowser never kidnaps the princess, there’s no game! A boss can also act as a good mastery check, which is…
By Patricia Hernandez Published July 27, 2012 -
5 Ways To Be A Massive Jerk To Your Opponents In Video Games
Maybe you reached your skill plateau despite constant practice. Maybe the odds are against you. Maybe you’re just a terrible human being. Whatever the reason, you need to win, and you need to win bad—no matter what the cost. Perhaps at the cost of my morality and integrity, I’m here to help. Here are five…
By Patricia Hernandez Published July 27, 2012 -
DLC-Loving Cats Forced Developers To Make In-App Purchases Less Receptive to Pawing
When designing a user interface, you want to make sure the layout is intuitive enough that people can do whatever they need with ease. When your user is a cat, though, there’s such a thing as making things too easy. The folks at Hiccup found this out the hard way with Games for Cats, the…
By Patricia Hernandez Published July 20, 2012 -
Dyad‘s Ending Is Perfect
Few endings get it right—often, they can be the most disappointing part of a work. But Dyad, the PS3’s new psychedelic downloadable racer, nails it. Spoilers ahead! You can’t lose. Actually, most of the challenge and complexity that earlier levels build up to is gone. There’s only enemies lined up to make simple pairs, allowing…
By Patricia Hernandez Published July 19, 2012 -
You Are The Protagonist Of This First-Person Graphic Novel
Lots of video games are made to be played from the first-person perspective. People regularly complain about this. But what about a first-person comic book? That’s a little less ordinary. This twist in presentation was enough to make even old, cliched zombie trophes feel new in Brian Ralph’s graphic novel, Daybreak. The reader is pulled…
By Patricia Hernandez Published July 19, 2012 -
The Walking Dead‘s Brave Little Girl Taught Me How To Trust
The value of social capital, to put it simplistically, lies in the collective. You’ve probably heard it before: “we’re stronger as a group.” Typically, I rebel against this idea. That’s just not my style. I’m more of the lone wolf type of person: I rely on myself and myself only, if I can help it.…
By Patricia Hernandez Published July 12, 2012 -
Look At These Game Developers Do Normal People Things Like Cuddle Their Pets
There are few things in life as sweet or satisfying as the companionship of a pet. Okay, I think I’m saying that as a crazy-cat-lady-in-the-making, but still! Unable to get a pet of my own, I thought I’d ask developers about their pets. It’s a living vicariously through other people thing. Plus, who can resist…
By Patricia Hernandez Published July 6, 2012
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