ed smith
Why 2002 Was Possibly the Most Important Year in Video Gaming History
From 'Hitman 2' to 'Vice City' via the second Metal Gear Solid, the gaming landscape was changing for the better.
How Video Games Could Benefit from Hurting Us More
Gaming representations of physical and mental suffering are regularly reductive. But by really making us hurt, these experiences could become unnerving and exciting.
‘The Magic Circle’ Explores the Dangers of a Life Lived Through Video Games
By examining an unfinished epic in development hell, this indie game exposes the human frailty at the heart of development and fandom.
Replaying ‘No One Lives Forever’ Shows Us That Sexism in Gaming Never Dies
Back in 2000, gaming welcomed Cate Archer, a secret agent ready to challenge male authority. But how little things changed in her wake.
How the Original ‘Grand Theft Auto’ Got Violence and Characters Right
Rockstar's GTA series has become bigger over time, but its "good criminals" are a far cry from the original's straight-faced violence.
The Underwater Horror of ‘SOMA’ Shows the Way Forward for Indie and Mainstream Games Alike
Frictional's sci-fi nightmare is the "walking simulator" done right, bridging the division between indie and triple-A gaming.
‘Call of Duty: Black Ops III’ Reflects the Desperate Side of Video Games
Treyarch's new shooter plays as if its makers have finally tired of their own status and grown angry at their industry and audience.
On ‘Tekken 2’ at 20, and How It Illustrates Video Gaming’s Timid Progression
In the years since Namco's PlayStation fighter was released, video games look as if they've changed a lot. But they haven't.
The Video Games That Deserve a Second Chance
Dismissed on release, several games have gone on to represent worthwhile investments of time, and here are just four of them.
Doing It Together: Remembering PlayStation’s Net Yaroze Console
The homemade Yaroze games felt like outsider art, their spirit evident in some of the modern indie titles that PlayStation has acquired.
Ten Years of ‘Killer7’, Suda51’s Revelation of Raw Sensory Power
Delivering a level of extravaganza reached by few other games, this collision of individuality and corporate production remains magnetic.
These Are the Scientific and Personal Benefits of Not Masturbating
I refrained from orgasming for three weeks, then asked a professor about all the feelings I was feeling.