The Value of Achievements in Video Games

Gamers who put others down for liking achievements are hypocrites.

The Buried Story: The Art of Supplemental Storytelling

Sometimes the best writing isn’t right in front of you.

Backlog Project: Spider-Man – Shattered Dimensions

Thanks to superhero games traditionally being garbage (and Spider-Man being a prime example in most cases), I don’t think I ever really even noticed the existence of Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. Thanks to numerous fellow gamers online recommending it, however, I went back to play it. I might have had a different experience due to how late …

Backlog Project: Oddworld – Stranger’s Wrath

Thanks to the current trend of remastering and re-releasing older games for current-generation consoles, I’ve had the opportunity to go back even further than the PlayStation 3 generation for some of my backlog games. I’ve been a fan of the Oddworld series from the bat, loving both Abe’s Oddysee and especially Abe’s Exoddus, but I wasn’t impressed by Munch’s Oddysee and …

Backlog Project: Middle-Earth – Shadow of Mordor

Don’t you just love the feeling of having your expectations blown out of the water? When you experience something that completely blindsides you, and surprises you with how enjoyable it is? It makes something that’s just “good” feel so much better, and that essentially increases the entertainment value of the product. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor surprised …

Backlog Project: Rayman Origins

Sidescrollers and 2D platformers are a genre I feel I know rather well, and I might even say it’s one of my favorite game types out there – particularly if you exclude the countless subpar shoestring-budget games that tried to capitalize on the genre’s nostalgic surge of popularity. I’m usually pretty good at determining very …