[Originally posted on PopMatters] Theoretically, there’s nothing holding back games from being an excellent vehicle for satire. Because they require the player to simulate a behavior—rather than just view that behaviour performed by someone else—games should be in a great position to illustrate how ridiculous or destructive certain behaviours are. I say in theory because there … Continue reading The Inelegance of the Videogame Satire
I realized today that I can’t expect to be taken seriously as a writer on video games and stay silent on the #number1reason hashtag that took over twitter this week (Rose, Mike. “Twitter hashtag ‘#1reasonwhy’ exposes sexism in game industry.” Gamasutra. Nov 27 2012.). In short, I support it. I call myself a feminist and … Continue reading #1reasonwhy I Have a Problem with Deponia (and other stuff)
[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
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