Nick Dinicola

The Thoughtful Absurdity of ‘Spaceplan’

The Thoughtful Absurdity of ‘Spaceplan’

Spaceplan is a goofy game that still manages to pack a potent emotional punch.
‘999’ Evokes the Fun and Menace of a Compelling Conspiracy

‘999’ Evokes the Fun and Menace of a Compelling Conspiracy

It’s a bit easier to understand the flat-earthers and moon-hoaxers after experiencing the madness of 999.
‘Full Throttle: Remastered’ Is Both Updated and Dated

‘Full Throttle: Remastered’ Is Both Updated and Dated

Full Throttle: Remastered is a game made for people who don't mind pixel hunting -- like we used to play.
‘Resident Evil 7: Biohazard’ — You Like to Watch

‘Resident Evil 7: Biohazard’ — You Like to Watch

In our role of the spooked cameraman, there’s just enough light to highlight our confinement -- but not enough to highlight the dangers.
We Write Our Own Ends: Emergent Endings in Gaming

We Write Our Own Ends: Emergent Endings in Gaming

There’s no such thing as a premature ending for a video game. There’s only your ending.
The Grindhouse Violence of ‘Resident Evil 7’

The Grindhouse Violence of ‘Resident Evil 7’

Resident Evil 7 portrays an extreme gap between our capability to handle violence, and the violence that we experience.
We Kill Ourselves with Stories in ‘Verde Station’

We Kill Ourselves with Stories in ‘Verde Station’

Verde Station examines how we construct stories, and how those stories then shape our view of the world.
Players Lose Control in ‘Tales from the Borderlands’

Players Lose Control in ‘Tales from the Borderlands’

This is an interactive story in which players don’t craft the characters, we just control them.
I’m But a Tool of Totalitarian Capitalism in ‘Beholder’

I’m But a Tool of Totalitarian Capitalism in ‘Beholder’

I embrace my totalitarian duties -- but only so long as they earn me cash.
In ‘Reigns’ It’s Only When Our King Dies That We Realize the Full Horror of Our Rule

In ‘Reigns’ It’s Only When Our King Dies That We Realize the Full Horror of Our Rule

Reigns uses our gameplay actions to surreptitiously tell tragedies and comedies and all manner of stories that embed us so deeply in the forest that we can only see the trees.
The Medium Supports the Message in ‘A Normal Lost Phone’

The Medium Supports the Message in ‘A Normal Lost Phone’

The game has a specific message it wants to impart, and the medium of a fake smart phone is used in clever ways to support that message.
‘Steep’ Loves Its Mountains

‘Steep’ Loves Its Mountains

SSX wanted you to fight its mountains, Steep wants you to love its mountains.