Running Along a Mirror's Edge

Grab your running shoes, because we're jumping straight into Mirror's Edge, the 2008 running simulator from DICE. This first-person platformer was a fresh face in a market saturated with serialized franchises and dark, gritty shooters, but it wasn't without its problems. Disjointed flow, unpolished combat, an underdeveloped story, short length, and sometimes excessive trial-and-error hold it back from perfection, but the rest of the game is so good that it's still worth playing. If you've never played it, continue reading to find out why you should.

Singularity: Not As Cool As a Black Hole

Raven Software's semi-latest game, Singularity, would be great if only it were better. I know that's asking a lot, in a vague sort of way, but there's really not much else to say. There's plenty to say, actually, but the case with Singularity is that it has the framework to be excellent, but squanders its brilliance with blemishes. What could have been a fun, creative shooter turned out to be a rote, by-the-book FPS. It has a wonderful premise with promising gameplay elements, but it just doesn't capitalize on its ideas, and ultimately holds itself back with certain limitations. It's still an enjoyable game; it's just disappointing to realize that it could've been even better. Read more about Singularity after the jump.

The End is Hard to Find Via Search Engine

Preloaded have just released a new game for Channel 4 called The End, a sort of platforming/puzzle game that incorporates an interesting level of introspection. The End tries to tackle different aspects of life, death, and the afterlife, asking you to stop for a moment to reflect on your own life and principles, while considering a series of "yes or no" questions. It's a provocative idea that promises a lot of depth, but its impact is a little mired by the gameplay. More after the jump. (Link to play the game at The End of the article.)

Video Games in TV: NCIS

"Some TV shows just don't get it."  Part of a periodical series: Video Games in TV.

When a mysterious death becomes connected with an MMORPG, the NCIS team has to investigate the nature of the game and the people playing it. In this first-season episode "The Immortals," we get a look at how delusional and obsessive someone can get over a video game. This episode actually isn't too bad--it doesn't do anything nearly as inept as in The X-Files episode "First-Person Shooter"--which is something of a compliment. The game footage doesn't make any sense, and certain aspects of the game community are over-dramatized, but it otherwise handles gaming culture fairly adequately. More about "The Immortals" after the jump.

Making a Better Morality System

I'm sick of morality meters ruining games. They promise a lot of depth, choice, and replay value, but once your back is turned they steal your wallet and run off with your girlfriend. I find myself wary whenever I'm presented with a morality meter, because the pitfalls are too great for it to turn into a shallow, boring affair. As far as I'm concerned, only one game has ever delivered a truly remarkable morality system; the rest have all been kind of "meh." So what's so hard about making a karma system that actually adds depth and significance to a game experience, and why do they often turn out so shallow? What does it take to make morality actually matter in a game? More after the jump.

More Online Games Need to be Like Guild Wars

I really miss Guild Wars. It was a fine game that, at the time, handled the MMORPG scene in a unique and interesting way. While other mainstream MMOs featured persistent environments with large-scale level grinding, Guild Wars used instanced zones with mission-based gameplay. Guild Wars proved to be a highly rewarding experience that didn't require the same kind of commitment as other MMOs, and blended single-player gameplay with massively-multiplayer gameplay.

I also really miss the feeling of playing an MMO, of being involved with a large community of players experiencing the same content and working together to accomplish common goals. But I don't have the time to commit to grinding hours a day for months at a time just to keep up with the in-game community. Which is why more online games need to be like Guild Wars. So I'm going to take some time to examine what Guild Wars did well and why it'd be nice for more games to be like it. More after the jump.

The PC is the Superior Gaming Platform

Any time a PC gamer makes a negative comment about consoles, people are quick to label him as a "PC elitist," thereby "discrediting" his opinion. Some PC gamers may in fact be elitist jerks who just want to bully console players, but the PC truly is the "elite" gaming platform. For objective, quantifiable reasons, no less. Put that in your console and smoke it.

Consoles are fun and enjoyable for what they are, but they really don't hold a candle to the kinds of things the PC delivers. Besides all of the stuff you've already heard a dozen times, I'm going to shed some light on different aspects that you might not have considered before. So let's jump right in, shall we?