Challenging games are often associated with gatekeeping. But designers can use difficulty levels in interesting and…
Author: Will Bedingfield
How the Games Industry Shake-Up Could Play Out
Many devs are leaving their studios to found new ones, and indie players are getting bought…
Elden Ring Is the Game of the Year
FromSoftware has reinvented Dark Souls in an open world, and the result is a triumph.
Pokémon Legends: Arceus Isn’t Great. It Doesn’t Matter
Game Freak once again gets away with not nailing an open-world Pokémon game. And we are…
This Fallout TV Show Is a Terrible Idea—Unless It’s a Comedy
Game studio Bethesda’s successful franchise is full of surrealist comedy, and Amazon’s forthcoming adaptation should reflect…
Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Deal and the Post-Console World
Microsoft is betting on a future more focused on games than hardware.
Game Studios Are Turning Play Into Work
Video games are being split into titles geared toward fun and those that beguile us into…
A Totally Fair Progression System Is Impossible
The developers of Halo: Infinite fell short when designing the game's reward system. Some systems are…
Rumbleverse Adds a Melee Twist to the Battle Royale
Epic Games’ first published title is a free-to-play romp where competitors unleash elbow drops and dropkicks…
It’s Never Been More Obvious That You **** at Video Games
Comparing ourselves to professional gamers and checking online ranking systems can be humbling—and fun.