While I loved playing every game in my top five, I put Control at number one because of the way it grabbed my attention and held it in a way that the other four just couldn’t. It was creepy and bizarre in all the right, unique ways. I’d obviously never want to actually venture into the Oldest House for real, but Control made it a joy to explore with its unsettlingly intriguing twists and tu
He offers suggestions on how to act on stream, which essentially amounts to a heightened version of oneself: "Smile a little bigger, be a little louder, wave your arms a little wider." He highlights building a community, something I’ve inadvertently been doing anyway through my obsession with this g
Players have been particularly outspoken concerning its problematic loot distribution and the prevalence of wide, open, and consequentially boring spaces to battle in. Wherever Respawn takes us next, we're hoping they took some notes concerning what didn't work with World's E
Planet Zoo is one of the most advanced simulation games I've ever played. While it isn't perfect, it's pretty close and is paving the way for the sim genre. There is a depth we’ve never seen in both graphics and gameplay, which allows players to feel truly connected to the world they are building. Planet Zoo will take you into your environment in a brand new way, all while raising awareness of important issues through an engaging and enjoyable g
The following is full of assumptions and made-up but easy-to-understand numbers. The goal is to illustrate the math driving the SMBB argument as there’s no accurate game data publicly available for these calculati
The classic remake totally revitalized our love for the game and series overall. Pretty much everything about it was well-executed... and, I mean, c'mon. The addition of the beloved Tofu Survivor should be enough to make any Game of the Year l
SBMM needs to exist because if the top one percent of players spend more than 300 times as much time in the game than any player in the bottom 10 percent, then in a true random system, the low-tier players will consistently be matched in lobbies with these top one percent players who play the game 300 times as much as the no
Some have suggested that instead of matchmaking based on skill, lower-skilled players should grind harder and play better in order to compete with top players. First of all, not everyone has 3,000 hours a year to put into a video game. But more importantly, I'm not really sure how a person can improve when they're getting clobbered every game. After a certain point, it probably wouldn't matter anyway because the player would eventually find a different game that's more fun for t
He impresses the importance of strategy and communication, including how to deal with teammates in high-pressure, heated moments. In those cases, Ninja suggests listening carefully to your teammates and learning from their perspectives as well. He does NOT suggest raging at them for blocking the door while you were trying to escape an enemy — not that I know anything about t
The first chapter, "Gear Up," is about investing in the right gear. Unfortunately, it's primarily limited to a discussion of PC gaming gear. Given that I'm an Xbox girl in a PC world, I initially found it about as helpful as a Mozambique without a hop
But what’s interesting is how Apex legends crafting Guide Legends is able to present itself as both a character showcase and a plot-driven narrative, using the battle royale concept as the story framework. Keep in mind how impressive this is in an era where some question whether games should bother to include narrative at
The majority of people complaining about SBMM seem to be in the top echelon of players. Their complaints are valid. But it’s important to look at this as a mathematical challenge. The reality is that without SBMM, even middle-of-the-road casual players have an extremely high chance of being consistently matched with top players against whom they don't stand a cha
This chapter is primarily about the role of deliberate practice in improvement. A major takeaway is to set goals while playing to improve specific skills. For instance, in order to become better with sniper rifles, a person should plan to spend an entire gaming session practicing only sniper rifle kills. (Note to self: "Stop being a potato" is NOT a good go
Respawn changed what a battle royale game could be. Gameplay details only added to the allure. The decision to include respawn beacons gave players additional in-game play time, which created new opportunities to bond with characters. The three-player format forces players to use character abilities in tandem with one another. A ping system lets these fictitious personalities communicate via voice lines, which further fosters player relationships with the lege
In film and television, a certain class of films and shows qualify as character studies, in which the characters themselves are more important than the overall plot. Certainly, American Psycho isn’t much of a story without Patrick Bateman at the h