Features and articles by game critic Erik Twice. Discover the secrets of games, the people who make them and the community around them.
Here’s something you might not know: Critics hate review scores. In the minds of many of my colleagues, putting a score next to their articles diminishes their work. They are included out of obligation, and most believe they actively stifle quality conversation. So why do I use them? To me, review scores are not a constraint but a powerful tool of classification and discovery.
When it comes to Level 99, it’s impossible not to think about anime and Japanese video games. From BattleCON to Argent the Consortium, their catalog draws an immense amount of inspiration from them, both in looks and gameplay. I interview Brad Talton, designer of Millennium Blades and head of Level 99 Games itself about his influences and the way his nerdy adolescence shapes his work today.
Film-making is in upheaval after the murder of a high-ranking official was represented on screen. The crime, which takes place in a Danish historical drama, has sparked a heated debate in the small world of acting, a hobby in which people dress up and pretend to be someone they are not. While supporters claim movies deserve respect as an art form, critics are quick to point out to their darker side.
Games are an interactive art form. Our actions as players shape the resulting experience to the same degree, if not more, than the game mechanics, the level design or the developer’s vision. This puts us in a position where the effort we put into a game has a direct impact on how much we enjoy it. And yet, we often forget about how not putting in that effort can worsen our game sessions.
What a year! In the last twelve months I may have written some of my best articles yet. More people than ever read my blog and I’ve met many of you, who are as excited to talk about games as I am. Today I look back at all the articles I’ve written last year, what I think about them and what I’m planning for the future.
