[Originally posted on PopMatters] When I reviewed Deponia, I began my analysis of the game with a sort of warning that the modest numerical score at the bottom would probably not make sense given the largely positive things I had to say about the game. So, here we go again. Chaos on Deponia is the … Continue reading Review: Chaos on Deponia
[This piece was written as a part of Critical Distance‘s January 2013 Blogs of the Round Table feature] At a friend’s encouragement I’ve decided to finally tackle Final Fantasy Tactics. Occasionally I’ll find myself really latching onto a quirk in a game that makes it seem unique. Many of these little quirks I jump all … Continue reading How Agnes Taught Me to Appreciate Difficulty
[Originally posted on PopMatters] In 1987, just a year after Nintendo released Super Mario Bros.for the NES, Time Warp Productions developed The Great Giana Sisters, a 2D platformer with more than a passing resemblance to Nintendo’s flagship title. Eventually, Time Warp surrendered to legal pressure from Nintendo and stopped producing units of their game and immediately … Continue reading Review: Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams
I haven’t disappeared. Really. In fact, I just wrote a piece on Dragon Age for PopMatters (“The New Age: Reflections on the Dragon Age series.” Oct 30 2012). In the article I take a brief retrospective of the first two games in the series. Details of Dragon Age: Inquisition are still pretty sparse so there isn’t … Continue reading Some Notes on Games Journalism
[Originally posted on Medium Difficulty] [This piece was written as a part of Critical Distance‘s January 2013 Blogs of the Round Table feature] Back when Twilight Princess was first released, my girlfriend—who has liberated Hyrule almost as many times as it’s needed it—had only one complaint: it was too easy. The puzzles were well enough designed … Continue reading Challenge is Conflict: How Difficulty Makes Game Narratives Work
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