Lovecraft Was Wrong: Knowledge Is Power in ‘Bloodborne’
Bloodborne is not about the horror of knowledge, but the horror of unfettered knowledge.
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As ‘The Longest Journey’ Makes Clear, a Good Story Is Not Timeless
The Longest Journey isn’t just dated because it has obtuse puzzles and blocky graphics. It’s dated because it tells a serious story that it doesn't know how to take seriously.
The Deconstruction and Destruction of a Hero
Shadow of the Colossus begins as a game about a hero rescuing a princess, but by the end, there are no heroes and there are no princesses.
The True Dogs of War: Nation, Language, and Identity in ‘Valiant Hearts’
Valiant Hearts challenges the barbaric connotations of the appellation “the dogs of war” by making a dog, the only creature blind to the “essential” identity markers of nationalism and language, the hero.
The Assassins’ Aristocracy
Assassin's Creed: Unity highlights the difficulty of influencing social change from the shadows.
No One Wants to Play the Fool Like ‘Watch Dog’s Aiden Pierce
Watch Dog's protagonist is a cliché that never grows beyond cliché.
From Nietzsche to Hegel: Perspectives on Humanity in ‘Dark Souls’
Despite putting on display both the virtues and vices of man, Dark Souls does not make a judgment call about humanity, but rather leaves that up to the player.
The Assassins’ Propaganda
Black Flag isn’t interested in breaking the world into two opposing ideologies. It’s interested in how those ideologies sell themselves to a broken world.