Author: Nic Reuben

With all the recent furor around Star Wars: Battlefront 2, it’s easy to forget how many other Star Wars games we’ve had over the years. Some of them were great. Some were terrible. All of them, without fail, would have benefited immensely from the inclusion of Porgs. All the Porgs. All the time. Porgs. Shadows…

Ok, deep breath. SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS REMAKE. SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS REMAKE. SHADOW OF THE COLOSSUS REMAKE. Right, now that that’s over, I’d just like to point out that I am a completely impartial journalist who would in no way willingly contribute to the enthusiast press’s proliferation of hype culture which ultimately harms the…

Continuing this week’s unofficial theme of “scientific research to prove the haters wrong” (Stephanie coined that one in her piece showing the links between IQ and gaming), we’re now seeing evidence that gaming can be beneficial for children with ADHD. Also, just being within a hundred feet of one is enough to give you genuine…

What I remember about my first visit to Berlin is: Evening air so humid my vest clings to my torso. Lukewarm bottled water. Icy Berliner Pilsner. A young Turkish girl beatboxes on the bus to the city centre.  Cigarette smoke, falafel wraps and Jägermeister. Graffiti that tells me ‘Berlin is Poor but Sexy’. Graffiti that…

Is it worth it? let me work it put that established narrative convention down, flip it and reverse it …. I am so, so sorry for that. Here’s five times the princess saved you. Saskia saves Geralt – The Witcher 2 If you first came along to the series with The Witcher 3, you never…

If all games were downloaded instead of manufactured, we’d save 2.4 billion gallons of crude oil – over four times Italy’s yearly consumption. Just one takeaway from an infographic published last year by Big Fish games. It’s always inspiring to see how far games have come, but as with any consumer good, more sales means…

Hey you, have 5 pictures of Donkey Kong that reveal a deeply insecure, broken ape, sheltering under a protective veil of hyper masculinity, because Tuesday. There is An Idea of Donkey Kong This masterpiece is from Donkey Kong ’94. You’ll notice that even during peak capturing hours, he still finds time to put on his…

Nothing. Cut it out, shitlords.

Seasonal Affective Disorder – also known as S.A.D – affects about six percent of the population. As the days get shorter, reduced sunlight can mess with levels of serotonin – the neurotransmitter that the brain uses for mood regulation. This can lead to reduced energy, sleep troubles, feelings of anxiety or hopelessness, and other symptoms…

If you’re yet to read Nathalie Lawhead’s blog on her experiences showcasing interactive zine Everything is Going to be Ok at Day of the Devs, do that thing now, and come back. Yeah, me too. It’s this that got jammed in my craw the hardest: “What the fuck is this, what the hell, weird ass game,…

Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus is not a truly great Wolfenstein game, but it feels like a rung on the ladder to one. It carries the franchise’s history like a millstone carved from a beloved pet rock.  Unflinchingly self-conscious; at once brazen and apologetic.  The Wolfenstein name is both a slashed Achilles heel, and the…

Previously we looked at plain toast, microwave burritos, and how Destiny 2‘s Guardians are basically Mussolini with blue mohawks. It was a grand old adventure, aside from all the brain aneurysms. This time, we go into detail about FashQuest‘s unfortunate portrayal of its alien races. If the idea that art created by humans might reasonably serve as…

‘At once victors and vanquished’ is a fairly unusual juxtaposition for a game. Often, you fulfil the conditions of a win state, get dragged along through the firework display of congratulatory cutscenes, cup your willing hands before you to receive the gold-hewn power star of definitive success. Tragedy is a peripheral concern like air and…

I’ve always found the term ‘hate symbol’ misleading. Symbols, like technology, plain toast, and Jaheira from Baldur’s Gate are true neutral. We can charge them with significance or repurpose them, the same way we can use microwaves to heat burritos or build death-rays. Unless you’re Geralt of Rivia, though, a sign with no context is powerless.…

Recently, the lobbying group Energy Builders released a statement accusing the 2D side scroller Thunderbird Strike of attempting to ‘encourage eco-terrorism or other bad behavior’. Naturally, the alarmist press lapped it up with all the predictable zeal of a Pavlovian pooch. Boundary-pushing design and unique auteurial vision is a major draw of the indiesphere, but rarely…

Yay! Horizon Zero Dawn is temporarily relevant again thanks to some new DLC and a Monster Hunter: World crossover, which means I have a flimsy excuse to effusively gush over my favourite part of the game. Spoiler alert: It does not involve robots, dinosaurs, or any combination thereof. This is the point where an apparition of my…