Amnesia Rebirth’s narrative is a nonsensical, muddled mess, rarely engaging, excessively abstract, poorly and lazily presented – after an immensely promising start, there is a rapid and constant descent into dull incoherence – very few are the positive attributes. The existence of this promising opening, meanwhile, only makes more frustrating that painful descent. Regarding thisContinue reading “Amnesia: Rebirth – Final Review”
Tag Archives: Video Game Design Analysis
On First-Person Shooters
The FPS genre is amongst the most popular genres of the present moment, countless titles releasing each year, though more than other genres, development of first-person shooters is largely dominated by larger, AAA studios; small indie studios mostly reject the genre, preferring instead to develop more artistic, creative experiences; a notable rift is in place.Continue reading “On First-Person Shooters”
Far Cry 4: Valley of the Yetis – Final Review
Being mere DLC, it follows that Far Cry 4: Valley of the Yetis is defined by restrained ambitions, though these lesser aspirations do not result in a dearth of enjoyability – far from it. The gameplay systems underpinning the base game were foundationally sound, excellent, so it follows that the systems here are sound andContinue reading “Far Cry 4: Valley of the Yetis – Final Review”
On Video Game Sequels
Video game studios develop sequels for a plurality of reasons, most commonplace being narrative continuance and gameplay refinement, though numerically the latter often eclipses the former; direct sequels, where one player character persists as player character throughout, where that player character’s narrative is directly continued from title to title: these instances are fairly minimized, frustratingContinue reading “On Video Game Sequels”
On Open World Game Design
The hastiness with which open world games have ascended to industry dominance is compelling and profound indeed. A much acclaimed, pioneer of the genre – Grand Theft Auto III – released little over a scant two decades ago, its release considered as a watershed moment for the industry, the release advancing that selfsame industry; Rockstar’sContinue reading “On Open World Game Design”
Open World Analysis – Far Cry 4
Far Cry 4’s technically and artistically beautiful open world of Kyrat is constantly in a state of motion, the game world teeming with life. This bustling nature directly enhances the joys of exploration, which constitutes a considerable portion of the overall gameplay experience. The ample animal presence is amongst the greatest communicators of this life;Continue reading “Open World Analysis – Far Cry 4”
Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall and The Brigmore Witches – Final Review
When considered alongside the base game Dishonored, its two primary DLC adopt a more narrative-centric approach; story is wonderfully prioritized, emphasized just as much as the central gameplay; The Knife of Dunwall and The Brigmore Witches both thrive on narrative, this thriving helping the DLC achieve and assert its own distinct identity, splintering away fromContinue reading “Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall and The Brigmore Witches – Final Review”
On Stealth Video Games
The stealth genre by nature is brimming with opportunity for great player engagement, primed to evoke an experience characterized largely by tension, the genre benefitting greatly from its oftentimes slower, more plodding pace relative to other popular genres, like the FPS genre or third-person shooters. Those games mostly embrace the bombastic; stealth games have theContinue reading “On Stealth Video Games”
On Indie Video Games
The surge in popularity and influence of indie video games in roughly the last decade and a half has fundamentally altered the video game landscape, fundamentally bettering it, greatly increasing diversity, the diversity of experiences communicated. It was not too long ago that the experimental attributes which typically characterize indie games were regarded with relativeContinue reading “On Indie Video Games”
Hydrophobia – Final Review
Hydrophobia’s central narrative is poorly presented and poorly developed, showing a pervasive sense of directionlessness, aimlessness, with a poverty of ambition. In the opening, the central environment – The Queen of the World, a sprawling ship-city with a population of millions – is subject to a damning attack, the assailants unknown though obviously threatening, menacing.Continue reading “Hydrophobia – Final Review”
Games With Grey 