Zia’s song from Bastion wasn’t meant to be a challenge to gaming juggernauts, but it will be on the lips of those leaving GDC this year.
Category Archives: Criticism
Women, the Ensemble, and Narrative Authority in the Final Fantasy Series
What makes some of the games in the Final Fantasy series interesting is how much the women share narrative responsibility with other characters.
Valuing the Feminine: Why I Love Vanille
Let me come out with it now: my favorite Final Fantasy characters tend to be the classic cheerful and energetic archetype, like Aeris, Selphie, and Vanille.
How Could He?: Exploring Social Issues Through ‘Dragon Age II’
No one is implying that the LGBT community turn into blood magicians and that the religious march out to cage and murder them, but this conflict still echoes the tensions felt in the lives of real people.
Second Date – Ikezawa Hanako, a Trans* Narrative
Upon a first glance, there seemed to be little application for this analysis outside of criticizing pandering to men’s interests in visual novels, however, my personal connection to Hanako provided me with something else. I saw her do something that triggered a muscle memory from my past: She covers her face.
Narrative Is a Game Mechanic
If game mechanics are meant to provide players with experiences such as fun and anxiety, then narrative actually is a game mechanic, as much as game mechanics can also be narrative elements.
Ikezawa Hanako, the Otaku Exotic
You’re a male student who has the pick of five high school girls with disabilities to date and sleep with. Yes, Katawa Shoujo has a sensationalist premise promising for something to go horribly wrong.
Mass Appeal vs. Accessibility in Video Games
Video games reflect themes and skills found in boys’ styles of play as children, and any introduction of qualities that are different from that (especially if tagged as feminine) are cast out as inferior “casual” games.
Werner Herzog, the Power Fantasy
While this game is categorized as a Boy Love (BL) or yaoi game, these are ultimately under the otome genre, which are games aimed specifically at heterosexual women.
Those Games Left Off of the “Game of the Year” Lists
Why can’t free-to-play games or extremely niche titles be featured on end of the year lists?
An Escape of One’s Own
I’m often asked why I have to drag identity labels into gaming discussions. Why does it matter that I’m a multi-racial, polysexual, possibly polyamorous, able-bodied transgender woman? Must I trumpet this everywhere I go?
Tsukuba Muneshige, the Meta-Samurai
Dating sims defy a lot of logic. Describing them to someone who’s never heard of them would paint them as a game aimed for girls; relationship focused, sappy, a social simulator.
Arianna Bell-Essai, the Teacher’s Vixen
Ah, dating a minor. Your student even! The beauty and tragedy of visual novels is the chance to engage in relationships you wouldn’t have considered, or don’t have access to.
Storyline? In Skyrim? No Thanks!
The narrative rests in the relationship between the environment and the items found in it, specifically placed for the player to find and create an explanation.
Derek Nevine, The Anti-Gamer
We all know someone like Derek, that guy who effortlessly has the world revolve around him and gets what he wants. Even though he was just event triggers and art on my screen, I still felt a little intimidated by him.