GYGO: It’s Officially Awards Season, and It’s Going About How You’d Expect

GYGO: It’s Officially Awards Season, and It’s Going About How You’d Expect

So, now that we’re (thankfully) in the home stretch of 2020, publications and media conglomerates have started putting forward their votes for that age-old tradition, Game of the Year (GOTY). While yet another delay that I talked about in my last GYGO pushed Cyberpunk 2077 officially out of contention for this year’s awards slate, and the new slate of PS5 launch titles are also largely not in the running, there’s still a lot of buzz surrounding the titles that places like the Golden Joysticks and of course Geoff Keighley’s Game Awards have put up for nominations. Here’s the Game Awards slate for GOTY 2020: (more…)

Do We Really Need Combat? Systems of Interaction in AAA Games

Do We Really Need Combat? Systems of Interaction in AAA Games

If you’ve been involved with any sort of political conversation surrounding video games for the last twenty years, you’ve probably heard a lot of people harping on about violence: specifically, that violent video games lead to violent behavior in real life. While that claim has largely been debunked by research, there’s no denying that violence is an integral part of most high-profile titles. A tight and fluid combat system is a major selling point for a major release from an AAA studio, and a game with poor combat is lambasted with bad reviews. For better or worse, combat can be how players define a game: it determines how we view its quality (sometimes privileged over other concerns like graphics and narrative), and how fun the process of violence is in a game is the point by which we decide whether or not to play. (more…)

The Last of Us Part II’s Conservative Politics Show How Far Games Have To Go

The Last of Us Part II’s Conservative Politics Show How Far Games Have To Go

Joel’s outlook on life in The Last of Us is simple: kill them before they kill you. Let the people you love motivate you to survive. Even after his death in Part II, this is a philosophy the player confronts over and over again, and one that gives the game a distinctly conservative cast. (more…)

GYGO: It’s Officially Awards Season, and It’s Going About How You’d Expect

GYGO: Star Wars: Squadrons, Horizon Zero Dawn Sequel, and More

Happy Wednesday! What games are you playing lately? I’m completely absorbed in the world of The Last of Us Part II. I’m over 11 hours in and it feels like I’m barely at the halfway point; the game is much, much more expansive in the sheer number of places to explore than the first game. If you’re a fan of the first game, I can (so far) recommend it. Ellie and Joel’s banter and adventures together are fun and emotional as ever, and Ellie and Dina’s interactions are sweet and organic. Let us know on Twitter what games you’re playing and looking forward to, and check back every Wednesday for more news! (more…)