Videogames are an empowering media. Some games, like Metroid and the more recent entries in the Castlevania series start you off with an overpowered character and quickly strip their power away, only to give them back to guy, bit by bit as you explore a huge map. Borrowing heavily from these is Strider, Capcom’s newest revival…
Consequences are harsh in the world of The Walking Dead. As you’ll see in episode 2, titled A House Divided, Clementine is at a crossroads in her journey. The opener to season 2 left her in a potentially lethal situation soon after her encounter with a new group of survivors. Should she continue to trust…
The word ‘cinematic’ sure gets thrown around a lot. Whenever we get a game that’s big and loud, it gets labeled as such. To the truest sense of the word, only a handful of games have gotten anywhere close to what the term actually represents, for as much as videogame developers like to claim about their…
Developer Stoic’s first entry in its three-part turn-based strategy role-playing game epic The Banner Saga is excellent, both as a standalone game and as an introduction to a greater narrative. It’s expansive world and endearing cast craft a compelling stage, tense battles and difficult decisions giving each exchange weight and uncertainty. It’s beautiful and dark;…
The Last of Us left a mark in my 2013. It was my game of the year. When I was done playing, it kept me wanting to come back for more. And at the same time, I didn’t want to returnto its desolate, pandemic post-apocalyptic world right away – it would be too much to…
Things aren’t going well in Fabletown. The hiding place of storybook characters in New York was struck with the tragic death of some of its more notable residents in The Wolf Among Us‘ premiere episode, titled ‘Faith’. The local sheriff, Bigsby Wolf was tasked with handling the case, but things got complicated as they do…
There are many difficult things in a man’s life. Being a dad is one. Being married is another. But what about being an octopus in disguise? Octodad: Dadliest Catch is the perfect answer to that question. Octodad is a game that’s incredibly silly. Well, silly doesn’t fully describe it. Sometimes, it’s a little stupid, but…
After a disappointing outing with Assassin’s Creed III, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is just what the tired series needed. Regardless of some gameplay issues that have been plaguing the series since its very beginning, Assassin’s Creed IV is an extremely fun refinement to the franchise. Black Flag opens with Edward Kenway, a pirate in search of…
Nidhogg is best described as a game where you fight for the right to be eaten by a giant, hideous worm-like monster. Why anyone would risk their lives for such a fate befuddles me. But the process of getting there is so damn tense and exciting that the conclusion hardly matters. It’s the thrill of…
Games often deal in choice and consequence, though rarely do so grounded in reality or make the options so seemingly small and simple. Usually it’s in some sort of fantastical setting with the choices being some extreme form of “good” and “bad,” nary a grey area in sight. Hardly riveting, let alone something to get…
