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…
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…
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…
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…
“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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
“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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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