[Originally posted on Unwinnable] I didn’t expect to like Dragon Age: Origins. I’m easily exhausted by Tolkienesque fantasy, and my RPG preferences have always skewed more to J than to W. But eventually enough interesting people said enough interesting things that I became – well – interested. It was in the human noble origin story that … Continue reading Who’s Afraid of Virginia Cousland?
[Originally posted on PopMatters] The banner stretched over the entrance to Bioshock’s Rapture, “No Gods or Kings, only Man,” makes for a good descriptor of most modern games. Games are spaces where any “Gods” that show up are just a name, a boss fight, or a battery for the player’s magic. Protagonists aren’t accountable to any … Continue reading Machine Gods: Religion in Games
Final Fantasy VII was re-released on steam this week. It seems like every year that game is being re-released on another platform. It’s easy to call foul every time Square-Enix try to wring another drop out of their favourite cash cow but I don’t really see a huge problem with it. In fact, I like … Continue reading Catch 404: the Importance of Protecting Games Writing
For those new to the series, plural protagonism is based on this article I wrote for PopMatters. Plural protagonism occurs in a game when there is no individual main protagonist leading a group: the group itself becomes the hero. Each individual maintains their identity while contributing to the narrative in equal measure. Moreover, they are … Continue reading Plural Protagonism Part 6: Lost Odyssey
An evil force rolls over the land and chokes the life from the once bountiful fields and muddies the once clear springs. That’s an easy plot—maybe it’s even a lazy one—but it’s one that I think still has an edge. As a Canadian, much of my country’s literary and cultural tradition is based on an … Continue reading Preservation, Nature and Heroes
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