Analysis of specific game design mechanics, trying to work out what makes good games good, bad games bad and nothing perfect.
To be a vampire, one of the immortal undead, is to see the world differently. Citizens that were once your peers are now something different, something lesser, sustenance. Awakening in the London docks newly turned Vampyr protagonist Dr Jonathan Reid awakens to find he has new strengths and abilities. The cost? A need to feed […]
The first of the series to situate all its events within a single open-world environment, Burnout Paradise uses the structure of its progression system to foster a sense familiarity with the streets of Paradise City, while pushing players to move outside their comfort zone. Indicated by stoplights at 120 intersections throughout Paradise City, there are […]
Note: With this series I’m specifically interested in the way Netrunner expresses fiction through the interactions of its rules. These articles are not intended as analysis of cards in terms of their utility in competitive play. Now we have an understanding of the rules we can explore another elements important to the expression of fiction in Netrunner, […]
I really like Overwatch, probably too much for my actual level of skill. I watch professional games, like the recent OGN APEX Season 2, and discuss the character selections and tactics used. I’ve used videos, articles, and podcasts to try and improve my game. I also just like talking about Overwatch, from its convoluted and occasionally contradictory […]
Note: With this series I’m specifically interested in the way Netrunner expresses fiction through the interactions of its rules. These articles are not intended as analysis of cards in terms of their utility in competitive play. Netrunner is a two player competitive card game that takes place within the Android universe, a fictional setting created by Fantasy Flight Games […]
Stealth play exists on the tenuous edge between concealment and conflict. Between avoiding NPCs and actively confronting them. When the player is detected most stealth games shift into a different style of play, one focused on either combat or rapid disengagement. Multiple styles of play with skill sets that don’t overlap cleanly, forced to exist […]
On its face the concept of collectibles in DOOM is counter intuitive. This is a game about combat. Fast combat. Moving and shooting distilled to their essence, then exploding in geysers of demon blood. It’s not uncommon for collectibles to provide some consequential benefit when obtained, but the way in which this has been handled in […]
Alpha Protocol is fictionally a game about being an intelligence operative, a spy. Separate from the aesthetic trappings culturally associated with espionage, the way in which it deals with information itself reinforces this theme of intelligence gathering and exploitation. In-game fictional collectibles are not uncommon. From books to audio logs, these often exist to provide […]
Following Ridley and the last surviving Metroid down to the surface of Zebes, bounty-hunter Samus Aran finds, amid the scattered remains of Chozo civilisation, a planet teeming with life. The statues left behind by the Chozo provide upgrades to Samus’ suit, altering its capabilities and allowing her to continue her explorations into once inaccessible areas. […]
In Dishonored, the first power granted you by the Outsider – the only one which you have no choice over – is the short distance teleport, Blink. What Blink offers is more than simply the ability to instantaneously move forward. If that was the extent of its power it would still be useful but it wouldn’t […]