Improv in the 'Lab
I’ve seen BoJack Horseman. Both seasons. So the idea of doing improv theatre was... a bit awkward. Still, I’ve played enough Dungeons & Dragons to know …
Child of Eden (PS3)
Back when motion controls were something new for video game consoles, Tetsuya Mizuguchi announced Child of Eden for Xbox 360 with Kinect support. It was …
When Nintendo stopped talking to its players
When Metroid Prime was released it was heralded as something of a miracle. So many years after Super Metroid, nobody thought Nintendo would release another …
Gamification? Use 20 card game learnings instead
Mark Rosewater, of Magic: The Gathering design fame, provides a one hour talk from GDC 2016 about 20 years of working on the collectable card game. To me …
Ingress VS. Pokémon Go: Location Monsters
Having played Ingress for a few years, people were kind of surprised that I held out until the official launch of Pokémon Go in the Netherlands to try it. Yet, …
“They told me I could be anything in VR, so I became myself”
Back at the start of the millennium, the online world was just recovering from its first bubble. But amongst the various train wrecks of businesses grappling …
Why did design cross the flat road?
Skeuomorphism is dead. It’s been dead for so long that we don’t really notice its absence any more. That said, I can still remember the Battle of Gloss, the …
Xbox-as-a-Service VS. muddled PlayStation messaging
After the somewhat awkward presentation of the PlayStation 4 Pro a lot of people were understandably confused about the future of PlayStation. Was this aimed …
Are nerds the problem?
Well, this is awkward. Most core gamers know of the Gamergate group, its ties to the alt-right and the sheer indecency and awkwardness it brings along. But …
Samurai Warriors 4 (PS4)
For many years people have watched Koei’s Warriors/Musou series of games and collectively shook their heads at it. So how could Samurai Warriors 4 possibly be …
Super Metroid's teachings
If you're making a game that breaks from convention, set that expectation early and show the player — force them to understand — through level design how yours …
Nioh (PS4)
It has taken a suspiciously long time before anyone attempted to emulate the success of Demon’s Souls and its offspring the Dark Souls series. Only two years …
Axiom Verge, looking back
It was some time ago that I claimed Axiom Verge to be Metroid 5. It wasn't until this weekend that my brain finally accepted it as a new 'home'. It's something …
Hot billboard
It can get warm in the Netherlands. Not often, but we have our moments.
Sundered (PS4)
Truth to be told, I didn't expect Sundered to be any good. Sure, it looked the part in the trailer, but that initial vid also seemed to put an ungodly emphasis …
Destiny 2 (PS4)
Hitting level 20 does nothing of course. If anything Destiny 2 starts at level 20. An imposed maximum level that marks the end of easy steady progression and …
Lost Sphear looks to fix combat
I am Setsuna was a love-letter to Chrono Trigger, yet it ever so slightly missed the mark with its combat system. All combat abilities basically took place …
Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS)
After completing Metroid Prime I summarised the game as, "a good Metroid in 3D, but not a Super Metroid in 3D." Of course, a Super Metroid in 3D would never …
The Mummy Demastered is... a metroidvania?
Metroidvania is anything but a dead genre, but this "resurrection" might be a bit on the nose. The Mummy Demastered combines the ancient evil entities of …
Roleplaying
My new priest character for Dungeons & Dragons has some flaws...
WipEout Omega Collection gains VR mode
I am honestly not sure if this is the greatest or worst thing ever. Sony has just announced a VR mode for WipEout Omega Collection. Which makes sense as about …
Getting reacquainted with Dungeons & Dragons
I've been playing Dungeons & Dragons for around 20 years now, primarily with a small group of friends that were into the entire role-playing thing to start …