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Each week our resident Indie Gamer Nicholas takes a look at a different Indie Game that you may or may not have heard about. Join him on his adventures as he sifts through the rubbish to find The Indie Game of the Week.
Where modern gaming is concerned, it’s starting to become less a question of if there’s going to be bugs, and more where said bugs will be found. These bugs are a mixed bag: they can be irritating, aggravating, and inconvenient. In rare cases, they can completely ruin a play experience, leading to a no-win scenario. Sometimes, however; a title will wig out in such a way that one can’t help but laugh.
Every now and then, a person comes along who seems to shape an entire industry around them. Whether through sheer force of personality or a torrent of unique and powerful ideas, they leave their field an entirely different place from what it was when they first arrived. Gaming has encountered a wide array of these individuals throughout its history; developers who literally changed the face of video games.
I don’t want to get anybody too excited (nor do I want to start making grandiose statements about the future of gaming) but it’s starting to feel like we might be only a decade, at most, from true virtual reality. And that, my friends, is bloody awesome. Today’s issue of Critical Thinking is going to take a closer look at where we are now: and where we might yet go.
I’ve mused a bit in the past about the creative drain which seems to be grinding mainstream gaming under its heel. I’d like to revisit that discussion from a slightly new angle: I’d like to examine more closely the reason behind the drain.
Like any other hobby that’s been around for more than a few years, the rather rich and storied history of gaming has turned up some pretty valuable relics. On a whim, I decided I’d do a bit of digging, see if I couldn’t track down some of the rarer items.
One of the main reasons MMO games have been so successful in recent years is due to the goal. People chase their objectives, whether that be a certain level, a new ability or end-game raids
Some of you may have read my rant on timed beta events during my experience with Marvel Heroes, but I had a few other gripes with the game as well.
Developers of late have been making an active effort to incorporate social media into our gaming experiences. Truth be told, it’s tough to say whether or not that’s a good thing. While it’s true enough that gaming has become a much more solitary pursuit of late, is social media really the way to address that?
Over the weekend Gazillion Entertainment held a free-to-play weekend for their upcoming Diablo-esque action MMO game, Marvel Heroes.
The setting of a game – or really, of any story – is perhaps one it’s most important aspects. Characters aside, this is what gives the tale its unique flair, this is how the writer puts a new spin on old ideas; a game’s setting defines virtually everything else about it. Consequently, you can tell a lot about what sort of story you’re going to be playing with only a cursory glance at the setting.
When designing a female character, how does one ensure she’s a believable individual, and not simply a cardboard cutout? How does one avoid accusations of sexism and pandering? It’s easier than you might think – that’s what we’ll be talking about today.
Over the years I’ve seen a few of the big name websites gain access to games ahead of any other press members prompting the question, can they be trusted?
Survival horror ain’t what it used to be. Something’s missing from modern titles – but what? What vital elements do so many modern horror games fail to convey, and by how much do they miss the mark as a result?
I recently tackled the controversial topic of violence in video games in one of my critical hit articles but yet another story has emerged that’s sure to bring this debate back into the limelight.
Today, I’d like to discuss how a final boss relates to the overall narrative of a game in regards to a particular question: is it strictly necessary in order to end a game’s narrative in a satisfying fashion?