[Originally posted on PopMatters] Gears of War gets a lot of undeserved criticism for being as popular as it is. Third person, cover based shooting is old hat and haven’t we had enough of burly, neckless thugs gargling curses through gravel and testosterone? The aliens are bad, the good guys are good and Gears of … Continue reading For the Horde: Marxism in Gears of War
[Originally posted on PopMatters] Chrono Trigger. Enough said. The title alone ought to evoke a wave of nostalgic appreciation. Its mechanics and its story are simple and straightforward but solid and effective. Its cast is memorable and interesting, the score is one of the best of the era, and even today, few games offer as … Continue reading Often Classic Means Dated: A Look Back at Chrono Trigger
[Originally posted on PopMatters] There’s no mystery behind Crazy Machines Elements. Everything is laid right out on the surface. There are machines based on the elements that could quite fairly be called: crazy. This is a physics-based puzzle game that uses Rube Goldberg inspired machines to solve each puzzle. The titular twist is that most … Continue reading Review: Crazy Machines Elements
[Originally posted on PopMatters] The most ostensibly distinct feature of games over other forms of art is the heavy reliance on interactivity. Where the audience of any other artistic work is only symbolically connected to a piece through interpretation or discussion, a game can only progress when the player has their hands on the controller … Continue reading Unplugging the Player from the Protagonist
[Originally posted on PopMatters] Even fifty years after Russia has posed a reasonable threat against the western world, an obsession with the Cold War has lingered. Supreme Ruler: Cold War takes a look back at the post-war conflict that almost was. Unfortunately all the game seems interested in is looking. With no direction, apparent purpose, … Continue reading Review: Supreme Ruler: Cold War
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