Nick Dinicola

‘The Last Guardian’ Questions Its Fairy Tale Morality

‘The Last Guardian’ Questions Its Fairy Tale Morality

The Last Guardian shows us the value in questioning our assumptions.
‘Sorcery! 2’ Encourages Some Narrative Responsibility

‘Sorcery! 2’ Encourages Some Narrative Responsibility

In Sorcery! 2 consequences matter. Not in a major way, but just enough to focus your play, which is both good and bad.
‘Sorcery!’ Frees You from Narrative Responsibility

‘Sorcery!’ Frees You from Narrative Responsibility

Steve Jackson’s Sorcery! is a branching narrative in which the branches are more important than the tree.
‘Fire Emblem Heroes’ Is a Bad Crossover

‘Fire Emblem Heroes’ Is a Bad Crossover

Fire Emblem Heroes desperately and shamelessly wants to monetize our love for these characters, yet it has no idea why we came to love them in the first place.
Trickle Down Corruption in ‘This Is the Police’

Trickle Down Corruption in ‘This Is the Police’

In a world of hitmen, snitches, mobsters, murderers, terrorists, rapists, rioters, bombers, thieves, and serial killers, your greatest enemy is your boss.
The Dead Haunt Me in ‘Dishonored 2’

The Dead Haunt Me in ‘Dishonored 2’

Not killing one person doesn't make up for killing another. Life and death don't balance out that easily.
‘Infinite Warfare’ Had the Best FPS Campaign of 2016

‘Infinite Warfare’ Had the Best FPS Campaign of 2016

The best shooter campaign came from the game I had the lowest expectations for, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare.
The Sanctity of Endings in ‘Dark Souls III’

The Sanctity of Endings in ‘Dark Souls III’

The Sable Church tells us to work towards the Darkness, yet it also tells us not to let the First Flame go out; it tells us to take the flame for ourselves.
The Joy of Missing Out in ‘Dishonored 2’

The Joy of Missing Out in ‘Dishonored 2’

Dishonored 2 wants us to know it’s OK to miss out on things.
We’re All Animals in ‘Far Cry: Primal’

We’re All Animals in ‘Far Cry: Primal’

Primal gives the Far Cry series the thematic link it has always been missing.
The Delicate and Dangerous AI of ‘Event[0]’

The Delicate and Dangerous AI of ‘Event[0]’

Event[0] exposes artificial life as more delicate than our tropes and clichés have led us to believe.

Neat Games I Never Got Around to Writing About: 2016