Isn't that the name of the goddess? Pit has an attack in Brawl where he holds up something that looks like a mirror.

The problem I had was that it felt kind of like they took the plot of one game, stretched it out along four games, then padded it out with randomly generated dungeons. I was interested in the plot but not interested enough to pay for four games to see all of it...

I wasn't implying that it was simple, I think it is actually quite complex.

The thing is, the "language changes" argument is self-defeating. If languages changes from one thing to another (which I agree with), it can just as easily change in a different direction. Change in language is driven by society, not by some external force. If you believe language can change, then why are you…

While I wouldn't go out as far to say most Kotaku commenters are misogynistic or treat women unfairly (mostly because I have no way of measuring that), you're using an "at least I'm not Hitler" kind of comparison that doesn't really make sense.

Odd as this is, it actually might be kind of helpful. On the DS, games where you had to use the d-pad, shoulder buttons, and the touch screen could get kind of uncomfortable. If this stand fixes any of that, it could be nice.

I loved certain things about Dragon Age 2, and I think those things should be in more games. I didn't hate it as much as other people did, but I also didn't really love it either.

I would play "evil" characters more if they made it more interesting to do so. A lot of the evil choices in games tend to be screwing over completely innocent people for personal gain (or just to make them suffer). For example, it always bothered me that in Mass Effect there is only about one situation where choosing…

How dare they try to point out alternatives to Gamestop! Competition among retailers sucks, it only results in more choices for everyone!

I never liked the word "gameplay" either. :p It has all the same problems...

Yeah, you're probably right, it's just the kind of detail that would bother me. I'm sure developers are all in the know and get what they're talking about, but I just think having a section named after the whole sounds odd.

Right, I get that now, but rhetorically it sounds like that means the aesthetic, narrative, and conceptual elements of the game are not part of the "game" because the "Game Design" uses the word "game." It should be called "mechanics design," "play design," "systems design," or something like that instead, so it is…

Well, it should better named then. Game design sounds to me like "design of a game" not "design of all the parts of the game that don't fit in other categories." I don't doubt that you are right but it is rather strange to say that sound and visual design aren't part of the game.

That makes it kind of awkward that all the nominees are almost the same then. Although I think Zelda has a lot more whiny fanboys than Deus Ex does (no offense to either game, I like them both).

I'm not a game developer, or anything really, but considering the final product is a "game," isn't game design the sum total of everything? I mean all those things you listed are part of the game, I would think designing a game would include coming up with a concept that addressed all of those things.

There are no loyalty missions in ME3?

So what is the difference between best game design and game of the year?

Spot on. I wasn't a fan of the more shooter-y gameplay, but I would have given it a pass if the story had been up to the standard set by the first game.

"I was far less interested in the bad guys in Mass Effect 2—the collectors had no clear personality, just an odd voice that kept saying "Assuming Control." The eventual reveal that they were merely enslaved Prothean drones made them feel even less menacing. And worst of all, the final boss fight agains the giant T-800…

Personally I love the Tex Murphy series. There were times when I found them frustrating (as a kid), but that's what the "hint" button and GameFAQs are for, heh.