Tech-Gaming Technology, Gaming, and Culture

Periodically, it seems developers enjoy putting players in discomforting situations. From Feel the Magic: XY/XX’s simulated CPR, which prompted gamers to blow into their DS microphones to No More Heroes’ beam katana recharges that forced ...

This week, the wait for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and other first-party Switch titles becomes a bit bearable with the release of six NeoGeo classics on the portable/console (portsole?) hybrid. For those who have already ...

Amid the indefatigable barrage of bombastic games that deliver adrenaline-soaked, white knuckle experiences, there’s Gust’s Atelier franchise. Far removed from the over-the-top action which dominates the industry, the Nagano-based developer has developed a succession of ...

The combination of publisher-backed titles, remakes, and indies means that it’s often hard to keep up with the persistent barrage of new releases. Case in point: when Blue Rider was released on the PC and ...

Why do multiplayer-only games catch flak? They do because of grumps like me. Don’t get me wrong. I can love a unique multiplayer experience (the Splinter Cell series’ Mercs vs. Spies modes were incredible), but ...

With a constrained number of new game releases for prevailing consoles and portables, this week’s schedule of offerings is dominated with the launch of the Nintendo Switch. Pleasingly, there are a number of remarkable efforts ...

Most contemporary role-playing games have digressed from their table-top roots. Modern narratives rarely reflect the type of bookish descriptions articulated by human game masters, extending oft-sterile cinematics for exposition. While combat might be turn-based, an ...

Exploration and expansionism have been at the very core of gaming’s best efforts, propelling the Civilization, Age of Empires, and Age of Wonders franchises to critical and commercial success. These two activities, along with the ...

This week Guerilla Games takes a break following a sequence of five Killzone titles for Horizon: Zero Dawn while Torment: Tides of Numenera extends a spiritual successor to one of Black Isle’s beloved RPGs. Coming ...

Technology’s influence on entertainment is unambiguous. From films built around computer-generated animation to the development of virtual reality, our leisure hours are often rooted around the latest marvels of science. Less discussed is an inverted ...