For what it's worth, I think the second half of Champions Road is actually less difficult than the first half. The trick is being able to consistently get there, of course.

I definitely agree that forging and managing your identity is one of the most significant parts of the high school experience. However, I would also argue that the concept of a definitive “identity” probably peaks during high school. Those are confusing years, and knowing anything about yourself can be a challenge.…

Her Story is only 2 hours (at absolute most), and is an extremely memorable experience. The "gameplay" works better than you might think. I played it with my parents and had everybody shouting out what I should ask next. I really enjoyed it.

I guess I'm saying that it makes us (players) feel better and it probably makes the devs feel better, too. It doesn't exonerate anyone but at least it indicates unspoken limits on what our conscience will confortably accept. When a game like Hatred comes out, everyone can at least agree that it's beyond the pale, no…

Of course, you're completely right. The existence of a conscience does not mean it is being put to good use. And some people's consciences are far too easily convinced that violence and death are acceptable solutions to problems. And maybe video games and violent media help lull our consciences to sleep by offering a…

I chose not to interact with anyone, given the ambiguity about the circumstances under which killing would be deemed "necessary".

But to address your broader point, where are we with violence generally? Sure, video games have failed to advance, but so have cop shows and violent movies. The vast majority of history books tell the tales of violent conflict, to the detriments of the periods of cultural awakening. The news is dominated by stories of…

At the heart of it, this is why Superheroes shouldn't kill people. There's enough real deadly violence in the world and that violence obviously leads to conflicted and mostly negative results. Sure, we might worry about how masked vigilantes engaging in street brawls against masked criminals is not ideal, but at least…

I remember one time after I arrived at Amsterdam airport, I glanced up at one one of the digital info feeds that was probably normally used as a stock ticker. Instead of information about top 500 companies, the readout slowly scrolled the message, “killing is sometimes necessary, but never something to be praised”.…

Ah, that explains it. I had a feeling there was a facet to it that I wasn't getting.

Wait, there is some higher reward for killing Silver Knights? What is it? I probably won't be able to access it anyhow, since most of my NPCs are dead or disappeared. And yea, Pikmin 3 is great. A great exemplar of how Nintendo buries excellent game design under a cutesy coat of paint. It would be one of my top Wii U…

It really is amazing how difficult it is to stop from giving advice sometimes, even though I know it will annoying and unwelcome. My usual penance is to go and make some popcorn.

Just what kind of job interview was this?

Everything that goes wrong in a wedding is usually delightful and memorable, so onwards with the procrastination!

It really is. Just a stone classic. I feel like when the kids of today grow up and talk about "remember when…?" with video games, they're going to focus on the really well-designed indie roguelikes like Spelunky, Binding of Isaac, and FTL.

This weekend I'll be playing some Pikmin 3. After finishing up Kirby's Epic Yarn, I decided to check this out as my dedicated "playing games with the kids" games. They're pretty into the tiny little guys. The whole game is pretty cute, but it's legitimately stressful too. Any time I'm losing Pikmin it affects me way…

But all my stamina is gone from attacking him while he sits there, just waiting to be slashed.

I don't understand what everybody has against the AV Club staff having a little fun with writing a parody of a Chili Peppers song.

Yea, the movie raises all kinds of interesting and troubling questions… and then promptly resolves them without really addressing them. If he's upset about his movie being misinterpreted, he should have tried a little harder on the messaging.

I dunno, will a Stew-Bum be able to navigate in a world where he "lacks fluidity"?