Batman: Arkham City – bigtallwords

Dec 15, 2013Apr 25, 2015

The Stake Is Not The Power: Patriarchal Power Systems in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Arkham City

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is, by many accounts, a feminist text. But what does that mean? Many would argue it means that it features a “strong female character.” But what does that mean? Buffy is certainly strong physically: she kicks ass (everyone knows that). But the fact that its heroine kicks ass — is that … Continue reading The Stake Is Not The Power: Patriarchal Power Systems in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Arkham City

Jan 31, 2012Sep 14, 2016

Opening Arkham: A Defense of Arkham City

[Originally posted on PopMatters] 2011 wasn’t a bad year for games. There were some disappointments,1 some unsung gems,2 and some outstanding successes.3 One game that struck audiences as being all three is Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham City. “Sure,” the universal criticism begins, “it’s tightly designed, it has fluid controls and the world—while having a somewhat silly … Continue reading Opening Arkham: A Defense of Arkham City

Jan 17, 2012Jun 13, 2016

Voyeurism in Stealth Games

[Originally posted on Joystick Division] The stealth game is something that often works much better in theory than in practice. The tense atmosphere and clever strategy can be dashed to the ground by a glitching spotlight or a guard’s inability to see past fifteen feet. There are very few games that can thread that needle successfully. … Continue reading Voyeurism in Stealth Games

Dec 27, 2011Jun 13, 2016

The Lost Art of the Sidequest

[Originally posted on Joystick Division] As games have been opening up to a wider audience, one of the challenges is providing content that several different people can enjoy. A crude line in the sand is usually drawn between “casual” and “hardcore” games but the most effective way appealing to everyone is by adding extra content … Continue reading The Lost Art of the Sidequest