‘Metaphor: ReFantazio’ Steals the Best Ideas From ‘Persona 5’
When it came time to make Metaphor: ReFantazio, developer Atlus had a guiding principle: make a video game that was a culmination of all the beloved RPGs the company had …
gaming culture
Delta Is an iOS Game Boy Emulator That (Likely) Won’t Get Taken Down
Video game emulators are having a tough time. Back in March it was Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu, which got shut down following a lawsuit from Nintendo. Pizza Emulators, another Nintendo …
How ‘Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley’ Hit Its Anti-Authoritarian Stride
Snufkin said ACAB. OK, not literally “all cops are bastards.” Rather, the hero of Hyper Games’ Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley says things like, “If you remove all the signs in …
Influencers Are Trying to Go Viral By Playing ‘Content Warning’—a Game About Going Viral
Ben disappeared somewhere in the pitch black of the Old World. A handful of streamers gathered to investigate its monster-filled caverns and hallways, only to find their friend had gone …
The Future of Video Games Is … Reality TV?
Over by the pool, a slap fight breaks out. Two cast members, no longer content to trade insults, are flailing at each other with the fervor of a schoolyard fight. …
A ‘House of the Dragon’ Star Made a Video Game to Grieve His Father
A decade ago, Abubakar Salim lost his father. That grief lives within him. An actor by trade, with credits in Raised by Wolves and House of the Dragon’s upcoming season, …
Is AI the Future of NPCs?
Bloom, a non-player character with a face like a potato and a black beanie pulled tight around his ears, wants to know about my strategy and how I fare in …
‘Super Mario Bros. Wonder’ Almost Had a Live-Action Mario
Super Mario Bros. Wonder’s titular flowers can make the game Get Weird, whether it’s by changing the game’s stage or turning Mario into something slightly terrifying. One prototype idea in …
GameScent Wants You to Smell the Gunfire While You Play Video Games
Burnt rubber and gunfire are not the most pleasing of smells, but for action games, they might be the most common. At least, that’s true for GameScent, a new device …
Europe’s Biggest Salt Mine Is Now in ‘Minecraft,’ and It’s Helping Ukraine Rebuild
On February 24, 2022, Stepan Bandrivskyi woke up before dawn and got ready for a special day: his birthday. It wouldn’t be a particularly happy one. Hours earlier, a couple …