Games reviewed… eventually
Where do we draw the line between game and art? The debate is one which seems to attract divided responses, and perhaps one area which doesn’t help that conversation comes in the form of “art games”. Typically these seem to be games where the “game” part plays second fiddle to the “art”, but Bound seems … Continue reading Bound
I have a real soft spot for the hard-boiled grim detective trope in narratives. There’s something almost mystical about that image and its portrayals in games - from the cynical poetry of Max Payne’s dialogue to the jaded ultraviolence of Booker in Bioshock Infinite - tend to result in some of my favourite characters in … Continue reading The Vanishing of Ethan Carter
Some games ask deep and meaningful questions about their players. Questions like “How much control do players have?”, and “Is the violence we express in games merely a symptom of our own, inherently cruel human condition?” Abzu shames all of these petty inquiries. Instead, it asks a truly monumental question of us as players. “What … Continue reading Abzu
Quick question: what comes to mind when I say "walking simulator?" Some lengthy linear nonsense where you trudge around listening to a voice over? No player agency whatsoever? Barely anything that could charitably be called gameplay? The genre seems to be a much-maligned one thanks to these preconceptions but thankfully there's always something that comes … Continue reading Firewatch
The Almighty Backlog 