Environments: Not so EASY?

In a game, there are many core elements that are usually more important than others, such as the story, gameplay, and presentation. Presentation is mostly broken up into sub categories, such as graphics, audio, UI, and etc. Usually this is not much of a problem for games that try to focus on these aspects in presentation. Yet, for some reason, the environment in games are sometimes the hardest to make in games. Now this can be truly odd, even if the game gets so much right. It is always a shame to see a game not go all the way just because of its dull playing ground.

Backlogs: What to do?

For those that do not know, but a backlog of games is simply when you have more games than you can play with at a single moment, making all of these games build up. You want to play these games, but are already caught up with other games and your own life. There is simply not enough time for you to play all of these games. How can you play so many games? There are actually simple ways to lessen or even completely rid of your backlog; no, this does not include locking yourself away from the world! All it takes is time and a little quick thinking.

Ports, Remasters, and DEs! (oh my)

We are now at the next generation of gaming, where new games and experiences will be made thanks to next-gen technology. Yet, we are still heavily connected with the previous generation still. Not only that, but we have had many ports, remasters, and Definitive Editions of many games being brought to next-gen consoles. Even as I write this, God of War 3 is coming to the Playstation 4. There have been many that have been dissatisfied with bringing older games to newer consoles. But for some games, especially God of War 3, it is a necessity.

Souls: Consume Your Soul!

Demon's Souls. Dark Souls. Dark Souls 2. And potentially soon, Bloodbourne. These are games that have certainly re-defined the term difficulty in video games. These games can literally consume your soul, and make you become the abused character that you play as. It is a unique attribute that encourages people to play more, literally making people like being abused. But why? What does it feel so good dying over and over? For many games, this would be a something horrible.

Creativity: Is the Well Dry?

Creativity and video games go hand and hand. That is obvious, as video games are a special form of interactive art, or simply incarnations of thoughts and the imaginations of others. But hard ideas start to become had overtime. The industry relies on creativity so much, as it pushes games to become the best the can be. But it only goes so far to the extent of an idea sounding like a rearrangement of a simple cliche. Then when people finally do fin new ways to be unique, it is unfortunate if the game falls flat. How is it so hard to find creative new ideas now these days? Have gaming came to the point where games are simply going around in circles?

Super Mario: Too Much, Too Long?

Released in the mid-1980's, Mario changed how people looked at Nintendo. Nintendo was the home of one of the most iconic characters in video game history. Every person that plays video games would know who Mario, aka Super Mario, is and has most likely played one of his game. Those chances are extremely high, considering on how many games Mario has been features in. From brawls, to racing, from sports, to games with Sonic and Donkey Kong, Mario has been Nintendo's mascot and has made countless appearances. That is just it though, has he overstayed his welcome? He has been a part of video games for generations. But should the plumber consider retirement?

Graphics Are NOT Everything

The Order: 1886. It would be simple to just leave this as the main example of how graphics are not everything in video games. But that would be too easy. Ever since we have entered the new generation in video games, graphics have became more of a priority that before. It has even gone to the extent of the The Order, where one of the game's only strong points were its graphics. That is just it: graphics are not everything in games.

Five Nights At Freddy's: Why Does it Still Exist!?

Five Nights at Freddy's is a PC horror game that brings horror to players for the wrong reasons. It is not that it is a bad game; well, this depends on who you are asking. Just like the game itself, it is capable of being a jump scare to players when the least expect it. Whether be in its constant release dates or the whole game trilogy overall, Five Nights at Freddy is a new franchise that has made a great impact. But why?

DLC: How it SHOULD be Done!

Downloadable Content, or DLC for short, has been around since the early ages in gaming, but has mostly been pushed during the 7th generation in gaming. The games released on the Xbox 360 and the PS3 has implemented DLC and companies have experimented with the practices of this extra content. While it is a great idea for some, it has a dark side that made DLC an issue to many gamers.

Grand Theft Auto: Important for All Ages

Grand Theft Auto. These three words together have been hated by many parents, hated by the media, and by anyone that is offended by the antics the game has done. From adult themes, to drugs, to even a torture scene, GTA has had a wild ride as it has sold for millions and became a masterpiece in gaming. Despite what others may tell you, GTA (specially GTA 5) is a necessity that has received a bad reputation.