Ed Smith
Video Game Guns Don't Need to Be "Fun" to Be Interesting
What if video game guns were allowed to be tragic or frightening instead of just empowering?
Everyone's Talking About Crash Bandicoot, But What About Spyro the Dragon?
The first level of 'Spyro' set the tone for a friendlier 3D platformer.
‘The Beatles: Rock Band’ Was a Revolution for Gaming Fantasies
Seeing the very real history of the world’s biggest pop band was a greater trip than journeying through any magical realm.
'Grand Theft Auto III' Was Special Because It Was Mundane
The purposefully dull environment of ‘GTA III’ was wonderfully unlike anything that’d come before it.
'Far Cry 5' Needs to Confront Montana's History of Violence and Greed
There’s a great opportunity here for Ubisoft to use the state as an allegory as much as a playground.
Hollywood's Most Famous Alien Was Never Scarier Than in 'Isolation'
As ‘Alien: Covenant’ explains more about these monsters’ origins, it’s left to video games to capture their frightening unpredictability.
‘Call of Duty: WWII’ Gives War Games the Opportunity to Be Factual Again
By returning to World War II, CoD has the chance to educate and entertain—and perhaps influence the next wave of conflict-set shooters.
‘Grand Theft Auto IV’ Shows the Importance of Outsider Perspective
The series’ satirical slant on America is most relatable when seen through the eyes of a newcomer.
In Praise of the Graceful Camera Choreography of ‘Nier: Automata’
It’s unafraid to shift perspective even at the cost of players' sense of clarity. And yes, this is a good thing.
An Account of Uncommon Darkness: 'Lone Survivor' on Its Fifth Anniversary
Jasper Byrne’s survival horror remains a singular descent into discomfort. We speak to the solo developer.
Celebrating the Uncommon Economy of Kalinatek, from the Original ‘Splinter Cell’
Doing a great deal with very little, the 2002 game’s fifth mission flips and streamlines its prior dynamic to great effect.
'Stories Untold' Is an Expression of Anti-Nostalgia
No Code’s game bears visions of the past, but the more you seek comfort in its familiar aesthetics, the more sinister it becomes. We speak to its maker, Jon McKellan.