Game Design
Ongoing coverage on Game Design.
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Control Issues
This article argues that the control schemes in Dark Souls have negatively impacted the design of other action games, even those outside the Soulslike genre. The unique input methods and responsiveness of Dark Souls are presented as a benchmark that has led to less innovative control designs in subsequent titles.
Cronos: Lazarus Showcases New Gameplay and Story Details In Its Latest Trailer
The latest trailer for Cronos: Lazarus offers new details on the Pathfinder's story and gameplay mechanics, including teleportation and decoy abilities. The expansion aims to be a worthy addition to the base game and potentially set foundations for future content.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced vs Assassin’s Creed Shadows – Which Vision of AC Actually Works?
This article compares Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced with Assassin's Creed Shadows, examining whether a return to the franchise's roots is beneficial. It contrasts the RPG elements and open-world structure of Shadows with the more focused, classic Assassin's Creed experience potentially offered by Resynced, highlighting differences in combat, stealth, and traversal.
Diablo 4’s Massive Mythic Item Changes Aren’t Finding Many Fans
Diablo 4's recent overhaul of Mythic items in Season 14 has been met with significant player dissatisfaction. The changes, intended to expand endgame build options, have instead introduced excessive randomness, making powerful items harder to acquire and less reliable. Community feedback, including from Reddit and content creators, indicates frustration with the new system's RNG-heavy nature and misleading crafting mechanics.
If Persona 3 Gave Me The Ick, What Does That Mean For Persona 6?
The author expresses a feeling of "ick" towards Persona 3 Reload, finding the series' formulaic writing and focus on teenage protagonists to be tiresome. This sentiment raises concerns about the potential direction of Persona 6, as the author believes the franchise may be suffering from a lack of vision and has become too rigid in its design over the years.
Wisdom of Nym: So what will Final Fantasy XIV’s cosmetic ability overlays be like?
This article speculates on the upcoming cosmetic ability overlays for Final Fantasy XIV's 'Evercold' expansion. While the initial advertisement showed a Dragoon's old animation, the author argues this is unlikely to be the primary implementation. Instead, they propose a system similar to Summoner's job mechanics, where a few core abilities or 'suites' are customized, offering a more viable and exciting approach to cosmetic rewards.
Building Round Shapes in Minecraft: Perfect Circles Guide - Walkthrough, Tips, Review
This guide explains how to build perfect round shapes in Minecraft, transforming builds from functional to architectural. It details the use of a perfect circle generator, which employs the Bresenham algorithm to create the best possible block approximations of circles. The article also covers applying these techniques to various build elements like crop circles, fountains, and window frames, and discusses integrating round shapes with rectangular structures.
Cheaters have infested Meccha Chameleon as dishonest players scan images and auto paint their models
Players in the casual game Meccha Chameleon are reportedly using a cheating program to scan images and auto-paint them onto their characters, a tactic described as dishonest and lacking self-esteem. This "auto-paint" cheat allows players to hide from seekers by blending into the environment. While some players have been caught and even pointed out by others, the practice is seen as detracting from the game's focus on creativity and skill.
EverQuest Legends’ reduced inventories in pre-order beta raise fears of over-monetization
Players are expressing concerns about perceived over-monetization in EverQuest Legends' pre-order beta, citing reduced inventory slots and convenience features. Developers Daybreak Game Company and Game Jawn have acknowledged that some of these features will be tied to the cash shop or achievements, with executive producer David Youssefi stating this monetization model was decided upon long ago.
Marvel Rivals After 6 Months for Adults | TAG
Six months after its launch in late 2024, Marvel Rivals remains a viable live service option for busy adults, offering short matches and a casual mode that respects player time. While the battle pass progression can be demanding, the game's design elements, including cross-platform play and hero variety, make it sustainable for those with limited weekly hours, though ranked play requires significant commitment.
Review: The Necromancer’s Tale (Switch 2)
The Necromancer's Tale is an isometric RPG for the Nintendo Switch 2 that features a deep, choice-driven narrative and extensive character customization. Despite its engaging story and lore, the game is significantly hampered by clunky controls and underdeveloped turn-based combat, making it a frustrating experience on the platform.
Why Modern Players Expect Casino Games to Borrow Features From Video Game
Modern casino games are increasingly incorporating features from video games, such as progression systems, skill-based elements, and immersive visuals, to appeal to a new generation of players. This trend, known as gamification, aims to enhance player engagement by making casino experiences more interactive and rewarding, blurring the lines between traditional gambling and video entertainment.
The Daily Grind: What’s the dumbest way you’ve ever died in an MMORPG?
This article discusses humorous and often frustrating ways players have died in MMORPGs, citing examples like falling to death due to poor jump timing in Guild Wars 2, accidental deaths while AFK, and forgetting to breathe underwater in Ultima Online. The piece invites readers to share their own 'dumbest' in-game deaths.
This week in PC games: Stardew Valley plus vampires, a lavish gamebook RPG, and Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced, finally
This week's PC game releases include the remake Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Resynced, the gamebook RPG Veritas Tales: Witch of the Dark Castle, and various indie titles like Cosmodrill and Mothkeep. News includes potential job cuts at Microsoft and studio closures, while previews of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag Resynced and interviews are also mentioned.
Bournemouth University’s Games Courses Achieve TIGA Accreditation
Bournemouth University's BSc (Hons) Games Design and BSc (Hons) Games Software Engineering courses have received accreditation from TIGA, the trade association for the UK video games industry. The accreditation highlights the university's best practices, including industry connections, portfolio development, and student-led workshops.
Dark Souls isn't "an especially difficult game," former Tekken boss says – it's in its world where FromSoftware boss Hidetaka Miyazaki's "true creativity shines through"
Former Tekken lead Katsuhiro Harada believes Dark Souls' true strength lies not in its difficulty, but in Hidetaka Miyazaki's creative world-building. Harada describes Miyazaki as a unique and serious developer whose obsessive approach to creativity shines through in the intricate worlds of FromSoftware's games, including Dark Souls and Elden Ring.
Super Smash Bros creator Masahiro Sakurai sometimes "sounds exactly like Goku," ex-Tekken boss says: "A Saiyan who genuinely believes he's just another ordinary human"
Former Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada compares Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai to a Dragon Ball Saiyan, noting Sakurai's seemingly effortless solutions to complex problems. Harada also briefly mentions Hidetaka Miyazaki and discusses Bandai Namco's collaboration with Sora Ltd. on the Super Smash Bros. series, particularly regarding the inclusion of Kazuya Mishima.
War Fantasy is “the anti–Call of Duty” and delivers a kick to the groin of the games industry’s relentless gamification of conflict.
War Fantasy, developed by a former Call of Duty developer, is described as an "anti Call of Duty" game that critiques the gamification of conflict. The game aims to expose how war is marketed to players and highlights the tragic cost of conflict, contrasting with typical war game narratives.
Weekend Discussion - July 5, 2026
This Weekend Discussion article from July 5, 2026, touches on various gaming topics including Demon's Souls, the World Tendency system, ammo counters, and the eerie atmosphere of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It also features music recommendations and highlights recent Shacknews articles.
MMO Week in Review: EverQuest rising
This week's MMO news roundup highlights the resurgence of the EverQuest franchise with EverQuest Legends entering paid beta and expansions teased for EverQuest and EverQuest II. Other major stories include the implosion of DreamWorld, potential layoffs at Blizzard and Bethesda, and Sony's shutdown of PS3 and PS Vita storefronts. The article also covers updates and news from various other MMOs like Elder Scrolls Online, Conan Exiles, and Valheim.