Sony’s efforts to experiment with new ideas, specifically with downloadable games, have allowed it to branch out from tradition in some remarkable ways. Rain, the new game from the grand experiment known as PlayStation C.A.M.P, comes from the team behind echochrome and the recent Tokyo Jungle. It follows the same mold as those games in an attempt to create something new out of something familiar. While Rain, unlike previous efforts under that brand, is more about presenting an atmospheric story, it still introduces some compelling (and unusual) mechanics, which hook you right from the start. READ MORE
Nintendo’s first move in the HD re-release space is not unsurprising, but it’s definitely important. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD is exactly that: an HD remake of a beloved classic, and what will probably be the first of many from Nintendo. Even with all of the bells and whistles you would expect from an HD remake, the game itself holds up remarkably and plays just as well as it did ten years ago. It also demonstrates a clear understanding of where the Zelda series’ strengths lie. READ MORE
In From Pixels to Polygons, we examine classic game franchises that have survived the long transition from the 8- or 16-bit era to the current console generation.
Maxis’ SimCity franchise, the game that brought designer Will Wright into the forefront, is a historic franchise. It led to the creation and popularization of many Sim-based game franchises, including SimCity spin-offs such as the beloved Sims series. Although 2013’s release of the new SimCity is behind us now, it’s time we took a look at the series’ evolution and, more importantly, how it ended up where it is today. READ MORE
It seems Grand Theft Auto V is on most people’s minds these days, and for good reason. With any new GTA game, there are conversations about its importance in medium, some of the game’s more controversial scenes and, most importantly of all, the three protagonists. While GTA V isn’t the first game to introduce multiple protagonists, it is the first of its scale that split the story between the protagonists and allows you to switch between them at will.
Conceptually, it’s a neat trick, but it adds a whole new dynamic to a series that could have easily become stale. Most importantly of all, it shows how such a narrative can work, which leads me to believe it could have a place in other games as well.
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Few series have new releases as highly anticipated as Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto franchise. A lot has happened since the last GTA game, including newcomers to the open-world genre and former competitors that have gone off in their own directions. Grand Theft Auto V, however, is out to demonstrate how sticking to and expanding on an already proven formula can work.
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