You can level up your gameplay without necessarily being a completionist
In October this year, Xbox rewarded a handful of players for lifetime achievements and hosted a series of short term trials to earn a spot in the Xbox Hall of Fame (as well some free merch, including the new Series X console). Naturally, the achievement hunter in me was ecstatic. I had no delusions of winning the contest, working a full-time job at a busy time of year. But it presented several excellent opportunities that I couldn’t pass up:
- the impetus to subscribe to Xbox Game Pass and try out several new games
- a time constraint, requiring me to design…
When DLC meaningfully expands the original game
My favorite DLC content for any game was the Shivering Isles expansion for Elder Scrolls: Oblivion. The environment provided a perfect analogue to the central plot, somehow managing to extend the boundaries of a fantasy game. It introduced the crafting mechanic, offering a greater degree of customization that would serve as a precursor to the more extensive crafting options available in The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim. …
When observation and curiosity drive progression
Each time we pick up a new video game, we’re faced with the same dilemma: “How do I play this game?” Most games now feature tutorials, which can range from the innocuous — gently introducing each mechanic at a time through natural gameplay — to downright disruptive — in which the gameplay freezes to text box after text box.
However some games opt for no tutorial at all. Games like Pong are fairly simple: move up and down and try to outscore your opponent. Because you have so few inputs at your disposal, everything you see in front of you…
Joshua Gautreaux
Aspiring polymath. Run-of-the-mill geek.
