[Originally posted on PopMatters] Every so often a game will come out that prompts game journalists to take a second glance at their terminology. When Mass Effect 2 trimmed most of the original’s already spartan RPG elements, many wondered, “What is an RPG?” When Starcraft II was developed with more competitive consideration than story, the … Continue reading The Problem of Genre in Video Games
[Originally posted on PopMatters] At this point, it would be redundant to mention that video games are more influential than ever. Even without the unprecedented sales and number of players, games are everywhere, even when they aren’t games. Once upon a time a successful franchise was lucky if it could get a kids cartoon or … Continue reading Games and Cross-Media Storytelling
[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
[Originally poster on PopMatters] When the Blight rose in Ferelden, most fled or pretended it didn’t exist. Fortunately, Virginia Cousland, a new recruit to the Grey Wardens, turned out to be the best hero the country could have hoped for. She balanced pragmatism with benevolence. She could be coercive and callously calculated, but she never … Continue reading Choice, Apathy, and Evil in ‘Dragon Age II’
