Tag: Gaming analysis
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Silent hill 2: Instances of the uncanny
How the uncanny takes shape in Silent Hill 2. Intro My most recent obsession has manifested itself in the most bizarre form. Taking its shape in the online phenomena of liminal spaces. Now firstly, for those unfamiliar with this term, allow me to clarify. It is a phenomenon best defined by the feeling of eliciting,… Read more
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Dark Souls: Crafting a mythology
A breakdown of player motivation and both philosophical and mythological ties to the Greek myths and existentialism. Introduction. When one looks to find meaning or purpose amidst the grandiosity of Dark Souls’ world they shall find at first a feeling of insignificance, of disempowerment. Yet amidst the pantheon of the Gods, the eternal nature of… Read more
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Indie games: The origins of gaming’s underdog.
Charting the rise of a genre: from madcap developers, broken promises and the strokes of genius between it all. The vibrancy of gaming’s indie scene has proven itself as an evolving medium whose impact is not to be understated, nor underestimated. Its fledgling beginnings can be traced back to the advent of the 90’s era… Read more
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Bloodborne: the mechanisms of the jumpscare.
The memorability of a scare is orchestrated prior to its occurrence. Be it in the infamous examples seen in the 2001 Japanese techno-horror Pulse, helmed by Korochi Kurosawa and its insistence on holding upon the inescapable terror or the impenetrable silence of William Peter Blatty’s 1990 film the Exorcist 3 and its now infamous hallway… Read more
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Kid A mnesia exhibition and digital architecture.
How the limitations of reality birthed Radiohead’s most ambitious undertaking. So much of our understanding of videogames stems from a comprehension of its spatial limitations and architecture. Be it the memorised routes of labyrinthian Metroidvanias, shortcuts and risk mitigation in survival horror titles such as Capcom’s Resident Evil series or the fastest route toward sanctuary.… Read more
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Simulated loneliness in video games.
How player interaction, environmental and audio design act to elicit loneliness. Gaming is a medium which yearns for player interaction, baying for us at every moment to further progress the action and by proxy the story. Without it, the tale and the events unfolding within, simply cannot be. The juxtaposing approach to audience immersion is… Read more
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Scribblenauts, Monster Lab and Minecraft: Formulating my creative expression.
A delve into the games that laid the foundations of my creative tenements. I never knew I wanted to be a writer. I never once lent any credence of thought to the idea that I could write, nor how enjoyable the simple act of it was. I was left scrambling whenever I was tasked with… Read more
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Halo Reach – imbuing the inevitable.
‘From the beginning, you know the end’. The tagline that is synonymous with one of gaming’s darkest tonal shifts. Halo Reach, the encore of Bungie, the original Halo development team, resulted in a game that felt like a true farewell, a passing of the torch. With their promised trilogy completed and their two spinoffs Halo… Read more