Nic Reuben
Nic Reuben likes to pause games every five minutes to ponder the thematic implications of explosive barrel placement. When he's not having an existential crisis over CAPTCHA verifications that ask him to prove he's not a robot, he's reading sci-fi and fantasy short stories, watching cartoons, and mourning the writing standards in Game of Thrones.
Kill the Walking Simulator
Imagine this hypothetical scenario; In a parallel universe, I am not merely an imposter with a penchant for thesauruses who once played Bubsy 3D...
The Vivid Escapism of Concrete Genie
The new trailer for The Last of Us part II left me with a lot to think about, but I was absolutely captivated with...
We Need to Talk About That Last of Us Part II...
The new trailer Sony just dropped as part of PGW 2017 for The Last of Us Part II starts out pretty grim. We see a...
What Hellblade Reminded Me About Living With Depression
The shaman is the person, male or female, who…has an overwhelming psychological experience that turns him totally inward. The whole unconscious opens up, and...
Town of Light Dev’s $10k Take This Donation is Another Win...
'Although we're ok, telling each other about our gaming experiences, we're not really comfortable talking about ourselves, things we think will make us seem...
Weapon Dating Sim Boyfriend Dungeon Looks Bae AF
I've never really clicked with dating sims like Boyfriend Dungeon before. Not because I'm an emotionless husk with no ability to forge meaningful relationships....
Wolfenstein 2 #NoMoreNazis – Genuine or Cynical Marketing?
'There is only one side' claims the video Bethesda posted last week to promote the Nazi stomping Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus. And really, who...
The New Normative Trump Games Comb-over Spectacular
Here at New Normative, we're all about games branching out to niche topics, and there's nothing stranger than the thought of intelligent coders devoting...
It’s Time to Question the Good Guy Narrative around CD Projekt...
I knew I'd found something special in Cd Projekt Red's The Witcher 2 when I saw this achievement:
Friend To Trolls – Spare all Trolls in...
Universal Paperclips: Can Manipulative Mechanics Succeed As Commentary?
"Use neuro-resonant frequencies to influence consumer behaviour"
I can't tell you exactly how long I'd been clicking away at Frank Lantz's browser-based stationery synthesis simulator...
Five Genius Suggestions For Saving The Fallout Franchise
Fallout 5 rumours have been few and far between this year, but that hasn't stopped me from shuddering with Super Mutant rage every time...
Dishonored’s Heart, Micronarratives, and Heroic Elitism in Game Stories
There's a heavy, acrid quality to the air in Karnaca tonight. I can't feel it, of course; there's a controller, a screen and a...
Ninja Theory’s Mental Health Day Support Matters
Earlier this week, developer Ninja Theory released this heartfelt trailer for the PS4 and PC action adventure game Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice. I could attempt...
Middle Earth: Shadow of War goes full Gollum with Exploitative Lootboxes
Clearly not satisfied with the dank cave dwellings and raw fish for dinner that comes with being a corporate board member of a huge...