Why does Mario have extra lives? Oh I get it, it makes sense for a game, but is he a supernatural plumber that can come back from the dead? It’s good old-fashioned ludonarrative dissonance, the tension between gameplay and story that haunts gaming criticism. But for all the talk about its presence in video games,… Continue reading Cinenarrative Dissonance
Tag: Video Games
Loopynarrative Resonance
So I’ve been digging into Deathloop lately, a new PS5 game that I’m playing because I now have a PS5. It’s a really rad game, the central idea being that you’re stuck in a time loop — like Groundhog Day or Palm Springs — and wanna get out. The twist is everyone on the island… Continue reading Loopynarrative Resonance
Playroom
In anticipation of Horizon Forbidden West, I set about to try and get myself a PS5 and, after several tries, got one. I’ve started playing Deathloop (which is a delight) and do look forwards to playing the upgraded Spider-Man soon, but what’s really charmed me is Astro’s Playroom. It’s included on the console and is… Continue reading Playroom
Metal Gear Spectre
I wasn’t expecting No Time To Die to draw so much on Metal Gear Solid in its story, and yet, here we are. Granted, the Metal Gear series borrowed heavily from James Bond, what with the central idea of a single operative on a clandestine mission into a supervillain’s base where, armed with gadgets, he… Continue reading Metal Gear Spectre
KOTOR Remake!
I like video games, and so, accordingly, I tend to follow video game news. As someone who does most of his gaming on his PS4 (give or take some Simsor Civilization on my computer), I was certainly invested in Sony’s PlayStation Showcase this week. There are a slew of highlights; Tchia is a game inspired… Continue reading KOTOR Remake!
The Grind
Since I got back into Destiny 2 a few months ago it’s been in fairly constant rotation as an in-between game. It’s something I’ll play when I’m not playing a new game like Final Fantasy VII: Remake or pulling a Civilization binge. It’s something I refer to as a smooth-brain game, borrowing a term from… Continue reading The Grind
The Terrorist Is You
As I play through Final Fantasy VII Remake I’m struck by how Extremely My Jam the game’s narrative is. Maybe I’m just a sucker for those JRPG tropes, but, man, I love the ragtag band teaming up to save the world from some cosmic evil while dealing with their own issues and becoming friends. It’s… Continue reading The Terrorist Is You
Remake!
As someone who’s a big fan of JRPGs, I’ve played my share of Final Fantasy games (and firmly hold that Final Fantasy VIII is the best). The most famous Final Fantasy is probably VII, it spawned sequel games, prequel games, and a CGI movie. Its opening scene was used as a tech demo for the… Continue reading Remake!
Puzzles
I like puzzles. Which should be obvious, if my ability to write an entire post on a silly crossword joke is anything to go on. It’s why I enjoyed math in High School: What is a complicated problem but a puzzle you gotta use the right equation to get to an answer? A lot of… Continue reading Puzzles
Interactive Art
I first played Transistor about five years ago. If I remember right, it was on sale on Steam so I grabbed it, having heard great things about it. Playing it on my laptop was not ideal, the controls didn’t quite work on a keyboard and gameplay felt awkward. Not the game itself, mind you, rather… Continue reading Interactive Art
Essays, Not Rants! 