The Legend of Zelda is a series built on traditions. While each entry has introduced some unique aspect that makes it stand out from the rest, the franchise has long maintained a clear shared identity—one cultivated by the recurring themes, iconography, characters, locations, mechanics, and design philosophies that loosely make up what is referred to…
We kill the train
Hey, I’m Grump! I’m not so Grump! And we’re the Game Grumps! D- Hello everyone. A- Hi. D- It is time for choo-choo chur chu- chu chu chu ha- Chuck-chu what is it? A- It’s charrrrrrrl- D- Charlie? D- Choo-choo Charles? A- Charles. D- I think so. A- Charles. D- Okay, cool. Uh, so we…
There are parts of the game that seem to be designed expressly to be frustrating
Red Dead Redemption 2 is weird, especially for a AAA game. Where many titles in that space aim to appeal to as wide of an audience as possible, Red Dead Redemption 2 really doesn’t. In a lot of ways, it’s uncompromising. I’d go as far to say that it isn’t even concerned with being all…
What is the loneliest sound you can think of?
What is the loneliest sound you can think of? For me it’s…well, this. There’s something about a train horn in the distance, especially when heard at night, that makes me feel alone, regardless of whether or not I’m around other people. The way it cuts through the quiet darkness, hanging in the air like a…
When playing a game that has optional text entries, do you actually read all of the ones you come across?
All right. Be honest here, when playing a game that has optional text entries, do you actually read all of the ones you come across? Hell, do you even read like half of them? Because for me the answer is a definitive no. I typically will check out the first couple I come across, but…
How do you decide when you’re finished with a game—that you’ve done everything you want to do and are ready to move on to the next one?
How do you decide when you’re finished with a game—that you’ve done everything you want to do and are ready to move on to the next one? For me, and I imagine for a lot of others, the obvious answer is hitting the end credits. Occasionally I will have the terrible idea to go for…
With the majority of titles, it is the action players will perform more than any other, so creating a movement system that holds the players interest is critical
Movement is one of the most important aspects of a video game. With the majority of titles, it is the action players will perform more than any other, so creating a movement system that holds the players interest is critical. While there isn’t a one-size fits all answer to what goes into good movement, it…
The mixture of ideas that make Zelda games feel like Zelda games
The Legend of Zelda is a series built on traditions. While each entry has introduced some unique aspect that makes it stand out from the rest, the franchise has long maintained a clear shared identity—one cultivated by the recurring themes, iconography, characters, locations, mechanics, and design philosophies that loosely make up what is referred to…
The Problem With Mini-Maps
Mini-maps are the bane of my existence. Okay, it’s not that deep, but more often than not they do hinder my enjoyment of a game. The vast majority of them contain so much useful information ranging from the locations and positioning of enemies to points of interest worth exploring to the best path to take…
Should We Stop Comparing Games To Each Other?
I have a question: when recommending a game to a friend, how do you do it? Do you give them a breakdown of the core gameplay loop or tell them the basic premise of the story? Do you show them a trailer or a let’s play of it? Or do you just say dude trust…
Playing Games in the Wrong
Imagine for a moment that you’re a videogame developer. You and your team spend years coming up with and crafting a particular experience. You do everything you can to set a consistent tone and create systems to help guide players so that they feel a certain way when playing. Maybe your game is straightforward or…