‘Hardcore Henry’ Tells Gamers Sorry, There Is No Princess
Hardcore Henry questions gamers' instinctual need to fulfill a particular role within the context of a presumed masculine identity.
Half-Life 2
Playing Sophisticated Trash: ‘Duke Nukem 3D’ and the History of the First Person Shooter
Trashy gameplay calls for trashy presentation, and sophisticated gameplay calls for sophisticated presentation. However, Duke Nukem 3D is a game that is constantly in tension between these two principles.
The Success and Failure of Silence: Gordon Freeman in ‘Half Life’ and ‘Half Life 2’
In terms of silent protagonists few come bigger, or quieter, than Dr. Gordon Freeman, whose beard, glasses, and crowbar cut an iconic figure, which has left an imprint on video game culture, reaching the tops of popularity polls.