The things that I write

So, I've been a little bit slack with updating this side of the internet. I have two blogs alongside my scheduled writing at Nightmare Mode and I invariably pay more attention to my Tumblr. Why do I do this? I'm not sure. I'd like to say it's because I have an established audience there but that "established audience" is honestly not the sort who would have the time/patience/effort to read the things I write.

I mean, it's Tumblr. It thrives on reblogs and funny images. I'm kind of out of my element there.

Art by Jake Lawrence. Always and forever.

Anyway, I've written two pieces recently that now rest at Nightmare Mode for the foreseeable future. The first was a little treatise on flying in video games and looked at what is my ideal form of flight. It's a little whimsical - as all my pieces often are - but I had a lot of fun with it.

The second piece is, well, I hesitate to call it controversial, but it's certainly the most confrontational piece I've written. I don't get angry or shout at anyone but I look a little deeper into what I want when I play games and respond to a piece by Richard Cobbett about guilt and choice. It's certainly a piece that has words and opinions in it!

And, finally, go pitch things to Nightmare Mode. They're lovely people and they want lovely writing. Write some lovely things, please.

Writing Forays!

Hey friends,

I've written a lot about Nier already (Papa Nier or Brother Nier?, Ambiguity and Nier) but my piece on nightmaremode.net entitled Confronting Violence in Nier truly, finally, closes the book on what I've been trying to put into words for a long time. Click the link to read about Nier, Epic Theatre, New Game +, and excessive murder all in one piece! SPOILERS AHOY!

Cavia have always struck me as a developer that finally found its feet when they released Drakengard. Nier is in many ways a continuation of what Yoko Taro started in Drakengard and you get the sense that if Cavia stuck around long enough, they would have ironed out all the kinks on the technical side of development and made something really important and recognised. There are the grubby marks of an auteur embedded into each game.

We need more games like Nier. They might not be perfectly executed, but what Nier gets right is far more important than anything else in games: It makes you think.