Tag Archives: Skyrim

Opening the Door: Exploring “The Closet” in Games

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Sidney Fussell

The first queer character I remember encountering in a videogame was Baron in the 1998 N64 platformer Mystical Ninja Starring Goemon. Baron wore blue lipstick and eye-shadow, a single bright red earring and had an asymmetrical hairdo that falls in … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Conversation | Tagged , , , , , , , Legend of the Mystical Ninja , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Gamer Profiles: The Hardcore Dad

Posted on December 18, 2012 by A

I have a problem. I’m 31 years old and I no longer have enough time to play games. In recent years gaming has eclipsed cinema, literature and music as my favoured medium, so I’m a little perturbed by this situation. … Continue reading →

Posted in Gamer Profiles , SERIES | Tagged Alan Blighe Gamer Profiels , boxing , Dark Souls , Elder Scrolls , Fatherhood , Grand Theft Auto , Ico , martial artist , , Nethack , Roguelike , rollercoasters , , Sopwith Camel | 5 Comments

Dishonored, Kickstarter, and the Nostalgia Delusion

Posted on October 27, 2012 by Karl Parakenings

I’m tempted to think this is all Tim Schafer’s fault. At the beginning of 2012, “indie” meant the same thing that it did with Kyle’s article in April, just after the release of FEZ: 8-to-16-bit platformers with a twist. At … Continue reading →

Posted in Criticism , Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , Nirvana , Phil Fish , , , , , , Valve , , , | 19 Comments

Bethesda and the Infinite Sadness: Playing Beyond The End

Posted on August 29, 2012 by CPW

Desert island video game. Just one, but any system. Don’t worry about electricity or internet connection. This is a hypothetical, imagine-you-have-everything-you-need-to-enjoy-playing-that-game-to-its-full-potential sort of situation. Maybe WoW or one of those Call of Duties? Super Mario All Stars would be a … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Conversation | Tagged , Cam Walker , Dawnguard , Desert Island , Elder Scrolls , End , , Morrowind , New Vegas , Oblivion , Obsidian , | 2 Comments

Walking the Soundscape: Gatekeeper’s Exo

Posted on August 27, 2012 by Bruce Lord

With heavyweights like Trent Reznor being conscripted to score triple-A titles (albeit not an entirely new occurrence) and swarms of musicians of all stripes clamoring to upload their tunes for play in rhythm games, the comparatively healthy video game industry … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged Agalloch , Biophilia , Bjork , Bruce Lord , Bubble Bobble , Demoscene , Exo , Gatekeeper , I Die: You Die , In Slaughter Natives , In The Nursery , Medal of Honor , , Quake II , Shadow of the Colossus , Shostakovich , , Star Trek: TNG , Street Fighter II , the elder scrolls , The Labyrinth of Time , Trent Reznor , Wesley Saves Everyone | Leave a comment

Mechanics and Mystery in The Last Express: Or, A Love Letter to the Manuals I Never Read

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Nico Dicecco

I remember a glorious day in the formative years of my gaming life: my Dad called me over to the computer, and he laid out Leisure Suit Larry: Love for Sail on the desk. He said, “Son, I know you … Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Conversation | Tagged , , , , , , , Manuals , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Putting the “Role” in Role Playing Games

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Vivienne Chan

By definition, Role Playing Games feature gameplay that involves individuals who are each designated a specific role or function within a group. Whether you’re playing a tabletop RPG like Dungeons & Dragons, a single-player RPG like Baldur’s Gate, or an MMORPG like World of Warcraft, each individual avatar has a specific, contained, defined reason for being included in a party.

Leader, striker, controller. Tank, healer, DPS. These are the “primary” role definitions you find in most RPGs. The latter three are collectively known as the “holy trinity” of RPGs. All avatars may have secondary roles or abilities, such as trap finder, negotiator, tracker, pack mule, etc, but by and large their abilities are linked to their primary role definition. A ranger is better equipped to understand nature and a rogue is better equipped to steal or disarm traps, for example.

I argue that there is a link between the massive popularity of RPGs and the way many of us understand our place in the world. Continue reading →

Posted in Features | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Mind’s Eye: In Defence of Subjectivity

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Alan Williamson

I learned the joy of owning a ZX Spectrum this week, but I’ve never played one. I felt the connection between Dear Esther and the end of a relationship I never had. I understood the fear of being an inadequate mother, although I am not a parent. It’s easy to see how a piece entitled “What’s wrong with game reviews?” would provoke games writers, especially those who subscribe to New Games Journalism, but Joseph Hilgard’s essay contradicts what I believe about the value of subjectivity in games writing.

Hilgard and I are both psychologists, and we both focus on video games. My undergraduate dissertation studied non-verbal behaviour differences in violent and non-violent games. Even with a science background, it is a mistake to treat game reviewing as an exact science, something that can be dissected and analysed, assigned scores and scales. There is no ‘Five Factor Model’ of gaming. That approach reminds me of when game review magazines had entire columns dedicated to scores: giving games separate marks for their gameplay and graphic fidelity which didn’t count towards an overall score. Continue reading →

Posted in Critical Conversation , Criticism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , psychology , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

What If the Double Fine Adventure Sucks?

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Joshua Dennison

Let’s just get this out of the way first: There’s no reason for it to suck. Double Fine are moving into production of their new adventure title, invigorated by the success of their Kickstarter and four smaller, download-only titles, and we’re going to witness a game made by a creative team arguably in its prime.

Even so, what would happen if it didn’t turn out to be The Adventure of Yore that we’re all pining for? Would the games press be forced to take back its claims about Double Fine revolutionizing game publishing? Continue reading →

Posted in Criticism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments