I am not entirely sure that I really know what Antichamber is. I know it is a puzzle game, and I know it’s played from the first-person perspective. I also know that it’s one of the most frustrating games I have ever played. While most puzzle games make me feel dumb for getting stuck and then smart for finally figuring it out, Antichamber makes me feel dumb for getting stuck and then lucky for stumbling upon a solution. READ MORE
Most games try to start out with a bang. It may be an epic battle, or stunning vistas with photorealistic graphics. Ni no Kuni completely disregards that train of thought, and begins with a young boy doing chores to help his mother. This understated, ordinary beginning leads into an adventure unlike any other I’ve experienced in games, and it is all the better for it. READ MORE
“Study history, study history. In history lies all the secrets of statecraft.”
These are wise words, but I doubt Winston Churchill intended for this statement to apply to electronic games. Yet the industry would be wise to heed his words. To ignore them would be to fall into the same pit that so many developers foolishly dropped into. How can you make a good game if you don’t know what makes a good game? Besides the rich history of existing games to draw upon, they also have to be well-versed in what video game enthusiasts will and won’t pay for. Trends are important, but not as important as history. Our behavior is predictable; this is one of the reasons we see so many sequels year after year. Isn’t that learning from history? READ MORE
Most third-party studios not called Konami or Capcom are largely overlooked when it comes to retrogaming, as if their great games were flukes or their only worthy property. It’s unfortunate, because there’s always more than meets the eye: the golden days of Hudson before it stopped making anything but Bomberman, the unique titles of Game Freak and, of course, the polished gems of Sunsoft. READ MORE
Digital rights management (DRM) methodology is one of the most hotly-debated topics in the industry. As games get bigger and more expensive, companies do more and more to lock their products down in an effort to prevent piracy. It’s a big problem in the game industry, and one that needs to be discussed more often. We decided to discuss the pitfalls of modern DRM schemes, and their overall impact on the market. READ MORE
