Note: I used an italicized ‘Orwell’ when talking about the game as a whole and ‘Orwell’ when talking about specifics of the governmental program within the game. Over break I bought a game called Orwell: Keeping an Eye on You. I had never heard of this game before but it […]
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As the end of the semester approaches, I’ve found myself buried up to my neck in final projects. While this has cut into the vast majority of my usual video game time, I was fortunate that one of the final projects involved some time in front of the screen. A […]
Spoiler Alert: This article contains heavy discussion of the plot and characters of Supergiant Games’ Transistor. I should state now, as a white person who can pass very easily (despite wishing I didn’t) as a straight woman, I have a lot of privilege. I had a lot of privilege before […]
I discovered Thumper on Steam (also available on PS4) when my friend recommended it to me last week, figuring I’d be interested in the soundtrack more than the game itself. Thumper (Drool) is based around a simple premise: ‘classic rhythm-action, blistering speed, and brutal physicality’. You play as a space beetle careening […]
Recently, Blizzard announced the implementation of a new policy for World of Warcraft,: players who are frequently reported for spamming and/or abusive chat will receive a 24-hour warning silence, preventing them from using a number of in-game functions. Players who are continually reported after that warning may be permanently silenced. […]
I’ve often wondered about the potential reach of games. If marketing was a little different. If (some) games were. So when Her Story came along, with its straightforward interface, search-based mechanic, and nonlinear mystery narrative, I saw the potential immediately for the game to spread, though the problem with something […]
I’m not sure how much time I’ve actually spent playing Her Story. The game was open for a long time while I was trying to stream (unsuccessfully), and more time passed as I searched for paper and took notes. And then there was the time spent considering and studying and adding […]
Yesterday, it was reported on Twitter and Reddit that Guild Wars 2, ArenaNet’s MMORPG, had added a transgender NPC — or rather, featured the transition of an NPC, Sya, who had formerly been known as Symon. Sya appeared with yesterday’s game patch that featured the re-opening of Lion’s Arch, a […]
The Music Machine delivers an experience that’s uncharacteristic of most horror games. There are no monsters chasing after you, despite the fact that they’d be right at home on the abandoned island where the game is set. There are no jump scares waiting for you around the corner (at least […]
During last week’s podcast I chose the Borderlands series as my “guilty pleasure” games. The series as a whole is pretty irreverent, the characters are exaggerated, and the games repeatedly present unabashedly non-serious and goofy situations. In many ways, the series reminds me of classic cheesy horror movies- bad, but […]
Have you ever thought of what animatronics do after closing time? How do they preoccupy the midnight hours between the rounds of screaming children? Do they need some release after being poked, prodded, and pulled by greasy fingers? Do the smiles of those kitschy mascots stay innocently cheesy even in […]
Always Sometimes Monsters is an interactive narrative-style game that attempts to tackle several very serious issues through its focus on player choice and the consequences of those choices. Indeed, the game carries a content warning on its Steam page that says “Always Sometimes Monsters has content dealing with racism, sexism, […]
Divinity: Original Sin promises to give players the “freedom of a pen and paper RPG” in a video game. As any one who’s spent any amount of time playing pen and paper RPGs will tell you, that’s a pretty bold claim. So, does Divinity deliver on this promise? Personally, I’m […]
With the tagline “Lose your mind, eat your crew”, how could you not want to give Sunless Sea a try? This narrative-horror-sea-roguelike just released on Steam and Humble Bundle, and is available on PC and Mac. The game is currently still in early access, and the developers describe the present […]
Cost: $9.99 Platforms: PC, Mac Rating: 8.5/10 In addition to doing reviews of new games, I decided to start reviewing my indie games of the week, for those who wanted a little more information that the quick segment I do in the podcast. If you’re anything like me, you sometimes […]
War, especially historical war, in video games is generally presented in a similar way across titles. The player assumes the role of a heroic soldier who shoots and strategizes his way through enemy lines, making a name for himself and decimating enemy troops to achieve victory. Combat dominates the game’s […]