The Evolution of Open World Games

The introduction of The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim put "open world" on everyone's tongues. Suddenly, it became the next big thing to emulate in order to be successful. The Dragon Age series moved from semi-open mapped to their version of an open world in Dragon Age: Inquisition with very large maps that could be accessed via fast travel. But … Continue reading The Evolution of Open World Games →

Games Don’t Emulate Film or Books: A Response to Ian Bogost

Ian Bogost recently had a piece published on the Atlantic titled Video Games Are Better Without Story. There, he argues that games can only attempt to perform a compelling narrative but it will never be as strong as it's media predecessors, such as written literature (books without additional media supplements) and film. The argument he attempts to persuade … Continue reading Games Don’t Emulate Film or Books: A Response to Ian Bogost →

Emulating Dungeons and Dragons

If you haven't played Dungeons and Dragons before, I highly recommend it, especially if you're a fan of games like Divinity: Original Sin, Dragon Age, or A Bard's Tale. These games are almost digital recreations of the tabletop game Dungeons and Dragons by Wizards of the Coast, with some clear deviations due to the format in which you're playing. These … Continue reading Emulating Dungeons and Dragons →

The Lack of Female Protagonists in Games

I've only recently started to think on this in a way that's more than a passing thought, like it's something that's existed but that it was so common I never really stopped to think about it: why is there a lack of women as the central roles in story based games? The only ones that … Continue reading The Lack of Female Protagonists in Games →

I’ve turned Assassin’s Creed Odyssey into a dick hunting game

There's something novel about having dicks in a video game. There's been a long history of artistic nudes but with a main focus on women and their breasts. I'm not the only one who's noticed this, right? Even though women's nipples are considered taboo and inappropriate in American culture - to the point of people … Continue reading I’ve turned Assassin’s Creed Odyssey into a dick hunting game →

Why did Fallout 4 Disappoint?

The mechanics were better, the graphics looked great, and the character customization was very responsive and creative! So why did it leave me with a bad taste in my mouth? I pre-ordered the game and bought the season pass for the DLC, spending way too much money on a game I'd end up hardly enjoying. … Continue reading Why did Fallout 4 Disappoint? →

Completionism

With speedplays on one side of gameplay styles, the other has completionist runs, in which the player attempts to do every little thing the game asks of them to do, and no other game prompts this style of play than the Pokemon series as it's built around the catchphrase "Gotta Catch 'Em All." I rest … Continue reading Completionism →

The Cost of Realism in Games

There's always been a race to develop the best, most realistic graphics. Avatar (2009) is a testament to how fast people will flock to the biggest development in the race to hyper realistic graphics. Even look at the fascination with the hyper realistic art style, often depicted or exemplified by including water to bend the light and still … Continue reading The Cost of Realism in Games →

Music in Games

There's something great about original soundtracks for games and movies. As we find in The Silent Place, a horror film where sound isn't just for jump scares but a major component for the film's premise, sound is extremely important for visual works. The soundtrack for Mad Max: Fury Road sets a completely different mood than How to Train … Continue reading Music in Games →

Dragon Age 2: Telling a Greek Tragedy in Video Games

I’ll keep saying it as long as it’s funny and relatively true: The Dragon Age series is a dating sim loosely disguised as an RPG. The big difference between it and actual dating sims is the level of story happening alongside it. Dragon Age II sticks out to me due to the callback to older story … Continue reading Dragon Age 2: Telling a Greek Tragedy in Video Games →