I’d like to expand on some of what I’ve said in my article for The Border House on sexism in a scene of Breath of Fire 4 (“Sexism and Power Dynamics in Breath of Fire IV.” The Border House. Mar 13 2013). In the scene, a main character, Nina, must work for a minor character, … Continue reading Deconstructing Another Castle: How the Damsel in Distress Trope Fails to Move Plots
Challenge is a very interesting and divisive feature of game design and criticism. As I’ve argued before in the last handful of months, I think that difficulty is a great way to make a player invested in the game’s events (“Challenge is Conflict: How Difficulty Makes Game Narratives Work.” Medium Difficulty. Nov 6 2012; “How Agnes Taught … Continue reading Further Thoughts on Challenge
Pfft. Shooters are so lame. They’re all the same thing anymore. They’re all just the same game following the same gruff testosterone-poisoned manfridge from chest-high wall to chest-high wall committing a genocide against Hitler or Hitler-eque aliens. They aren’t nearly as original as your average RPG or point-and-click adventure game or platformer or action game … Continue reading The Shooter Can Do Anything
Lately I’ve been playing Okami on my Playstation 2 based on a recommendation from a friend. What I’ve really liked about it so far is that it’s a game with virtually no violence. There’s combat, but it’s such a small part of the game (so far) that it could be taken out entirely and most … Continue reading Video Games, Violence and Satire
[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
