Tag Archives: Game Essays

Enslaved: Odyssey to the West’s Thematic Failure

Posted on January 14, 2011 by Eric Swain

*Spoilers for Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, Heavenly Sword, Bioshock and Braid* Ninja Theory is a studio I really want to like. I really do. They hold a philosophy towards creating games, AAA games at that, I would love to … Continue reading →

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The Morality of inFamous

Posted on June 19, 2010 by Eric Swain

Probably the most talked about part of inFamous is the moral choice mechanic. The idea is to split the choice between good and evil options, which can be interesting, but the criticism has been leveled at how it is handled. … Continue reading →

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The Propaganda of inFamous

Posted on June 18, 2010 by Eric Swain

(*minor spoilers*) While the story of inFamous is told through the standard methods of cutscenes, found messages and calls from allies and mission handlers, it adds aftermath commentary. In the form of propaganda the game provides story related and world … Continue reading →

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The Milieu of inFamous

Posted on June 14, 2010 by Eric Swain

I would place the introduction of inFamous as one of the better opening levels in open world gaming. I say this because it sets the stage to not just for the game, but also more importantly for the milieu. Milieu … Continue reading →

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Where is the Last Third of Brutal Legend?

Posted on February 10, 2010 by Eric Swain

Brutal Legend’s story is an epic, not just epic. An epic represented by the hero’s journey. We progress through the game following this well-worn path in a new and creative environment based on the culture of heavy metal. So why does the game end 2/3 of the way through? Continue reading →

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The Killer 7 Argument – Braid

Posted on December 3, 2009 by Eric Swain

It took a while, but I’ve played another game worthy of the Killer 7 Argument. I just finished playing through Braid for the second time after my first complete save was lost to a corrupt hard drive. The second playthrough was a huge help in getting my head around what to make of the game and figure out what I specifically thought of it. Continue reading →

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How To Not Spend More Than You Have

Posted on November 26, 2009 by Eric Swain

Heroes of Might and Magic II is an old game when they were still getting a handle on new design. As great as it is, it isn’t a game that grew up within a critical atmosphere where such things are … Continue reading →

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The Farmer and the Stork in Heroes of Might and Magic II

Posted on November 19, 2009 by Eric Swain

The game came out back in 1996, long before the industries present fixation on moral choice. Heroes of Might and Magic II starts off with a choice. The implications between the two men are rather clear in deed and imagery. One man offers a clean conscience and a place in the kingdom and the other monetary reward and a place in the kingdom. This is the truest sense of a moral choice, because yes there is an offer of reward, but it doesn’t happen within the mechanics of the game. The choice has no connection to ludic elements whatsoever. Continue reading →

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Truth, Propoganda, and the Power of People in Beyond Good and Evil

Posted on May 25, 2009 by Eric Swain

Throughout Beyond Good and Evil we are treated the cycling propaganda messages, news reports for either the Alpha Sections or the Iris Network. Each group purports the others to be the villains not working for the interest of the people of Hillys. Being that it must be one or the other the goal of the game is to search for the truth. Continue reading →

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The Storyline Behind Beyond Good and Evil

Posted on April 14, 2009 by Eric Swain

During the game’s tenure as the Vintage Game Club’s focus and playthrough, a lot of the discussion focused on the story and the player’s confusion that came about from it. Indeed it is confusing if you aren’t playing close attention and search out many of the details from conversations. Even then you have to make a number of inferences to get the whole picture. Continue reading →

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