Posts in Essay
Metamorphabet - Review
Metamorphabet - Review

If anything Metamorphabet goes out of its way to never box itself into a certain demographic. It’s full of the sort of universal love and joy that I can’t imagine anyone with half a heart wouldn’t find at least a little delightful regardless of their age. It introduced me to what I imagine my baby niece sees and feels when playing with simple blocks and stuffed animals, simple toys becoming outlets to unleash her imagination in a world that probably doesn’t make a lot of sense but is full of amazing things if only you could see them like she does.

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EssayNathalieEditor's Choice, Metamorphabet, Reviews, sticky, Vectorpark
Swan Hill - Review
Swan Hill - Review

It took awhile for me to understand where Swan Hill’s melancholy was attempting to take me. It is at once a story about magic (or something greater than that, what is here known as philosophy), about jealousy, responsibility, and keeping up appearances. But it struck me as going deeper than that, past its fantasy roots and royalty to tap into a very human need to feel valued.

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EssayNathalieLaura Michet, Reviews, Swan Hill, Twine
There Came An Echo - Review
There Came An Echo - Review

My first experience with There Came An Echo was filled with careful hesitation followed by eager disbelief and curiosity. It might not be the first game to attempt voice commands, but it’s definitely the most successful at making it feel seamless and authentic. It’s such a brilliant hook that it almost feels like enough to carry the game, until you step back and look at how hollow the experience actually is.

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EssayNathalieIridium Studios, Reviews, sticky, There Came An Echo
Valve Removing Paid Mods Is Everything Wrong With Gamer Entitlement
Valve Removing Paid Mods Is Everything Wrong With Gamer Entitlement

Last week Valve unrolled a feature that would allow people to sell Skyrim mods on the Steam workshop. It wasn’t a mandatory requirement all mods be paid or listed on the marketplace, but there was now a legal infrastructure to allow modders to be paid for their work. A few hours ago Valve announced they would be removing this feature and issuing refunds to anyone who had purchased a mod.

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EssayNathalieFeatures, Opinion, Steam, sticky, Valve
Slow Down, Bull - Review
Slow Down, Bull - Review

I really do love a lot of what Slow Down, Bull is trying to do. I like that Insomniac Games is branching out into new platforms and gameplay styles, that they tried to make something encouraging and entertaining regardless of your age, and they’re giving part of the proceeds to help kids that need it. But I feel like by making the game so needlessly challenging and frustrating, they’ve diluted its purpose and made something that instead of helping relieve stress, only served as yet another source of it.

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EssayNathalieInsomniac Games, Reviews, Slow Down Bull, sticky
Rock Boshers DX - Review
Rock Boshers DX - Review

For as commonplace as retro inspired games are now, Rock Boshers is one that feels far more reliant on nostalgia alone to sell itself than most. In that regard I can’t fault it for being a game I could have feasibly played two decades ago, but times have changed and even if it might have held my attention back then, I couldn’t wait to leave its soulless existence behind today. Rock Boshers is a game made for another time and place, it’s just a shame it’s one I never want to return to.

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EssayNathalieReviews, Rock Boshers DX, Tikipod
Halo 4 - Single Player Review
Halo 4 - Single Player Review

Halo 4 doesn’t feel like the manufactured product of millions upon million in development and marketing, designed like a money-making machine forged through data and playtesting. It has a soul, a personality, the way so many AAA games don’t. It may be the most expensive game Microsoft has ever made, but they didn’t bet it on a hollow shell sold on name alone. Rather Halo 4 is the culmination of everything Halo has ever been, brought to life by a new team but without losing what made it a household name in the first place. There were a lot of ways Halo 4 could have gone, but you can rest easy because 343 has not only managed to channel the series heritage, they’ve surpassed it.

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EssayNathalie343 Industries, Editor's Choice, Halo 4, Microsoft, Reviews
Lego Lord of the Rings - Review
Lego Lord of the Rings - Review

I don’t wish to imply that Lego Lord of the Rings is a bad game, and if you’re the sort of player who only cares about the critical path then it’s as recommendable as any Lego game. The problem is the portion I’ve always considered the core of a Lego game - the scouring of levels for every last doodad and thingamabob to arrive at that satisfying 100% - was insufferably tedious and drawn out. With the ridiculous number of other superior Lego games to choose from, Lego Lord of the Rings feels like a tough sell, even as a huge fan of the source material.

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EssayNathalieLego, Lord of the Rings, Reviews, Traveller's Tales
I'm Not A Gamer
I'm Not A Gamer

As I’m writing this GamerGate is entering its 8th month of ongoing terror and intimidation across social media. It’s been a horrendous period in games, destroying people’s lives, driving people out and away from the games industry, permanently scarring the reputation of games in the public eye, causing universities to cut funding for games programs, and showing no signs of stopping anytime soon as its advocates continue to find new, even more horrific methods to try and drive out their adversaries.

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EssayNathalieFeatures, Opinion
Light - Review
Light - Review

It’s tough to review a game that’s only distinguishable by the pieces it borrows from its contemporaries. I don’t mean to simply say that Light brings nothing new to the table, but that it actively feels like a collage of other games stitched together in the hopes of success by association.

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EssayNathalieJust A Pixel, Light, Reviews, Team17
Indie Impressions: Titan Souls (Prototype Demo)
Indie Impressions: Titan Souls (Prototype Demo)

I'm not sure exactly why or when it started, but I've become completely obsessed with Titan Souls and its imminent release. Despite having watched little gameplay, only knowing basic details on how it works, and having yet to read through an actual preview of the game, there's just been something about it that I can't describe which makes me feel it's going to be something special. After sitting down with the current demo build I can only say that whatever excitement I previously had is now monumentally higher, making the game almost certainly my most anticipated release this year so far.

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EssayNathalieAcid Nerve, Devolver, Impressions, Titan Souls