gameplay Archives - Austin's game writer central

The Yankees Baseball…

The Yankees’ “Goldilocks Baseball” and Why Baseball Needs a New Ball So the Yankees baseball or “Goldilocks baseball” made headlines in 2022, but it’s still a burning issue that’s also a golden opportunity for MLB to prove it cares about the future of Yankees baseball, major-league pitching talent, baseball in every state, and the kids […]

Simple Gameplay In Banner Saga: A Mini Case Study

Finished Banner Saga awhile ago, but I captured this image when I was impressed by some of its simple but thought-provoking gameplay. Seems like a simple multiple-choice question, doesn’t it? So… let’s break this down a little bit. This challenge (and similar others) comes up midgame and has consequences on the size of your cohort, […]

Gauntlet Revived: Reworking a Classic

Just saw this trailer for the reboot of the arcade original, and it’s well done. It shows how the gameplay echoes the original, and even more importantly, it’s humorous. I like how the arrowshot at the beginning draws you through the story it’s telling. The new game can be found on Steam.

Austin LAN Party Discounts

If you’re looking to get your game on with dozens of other Austin PC gamers this summer, you’re in luck. Mayhem Team, a very inclusive group of gamers operating under the admirable slogan “Character Above Skill,” is setting up a massive Austin LAN party at the Omni Hotel at Southpark, a good south-central location. The […]

Charge That Xbox 360 Controller

Charge Your Xbox 360 Controller the Smart Way Recharging an Xbox 360 controller is totally different than charging a PS3 controller. An Xbox 360 controller, unlike the PS3 controller, has many removable battery options. If you choose, you can run your Xbox 360 controller off disposable AA batteries. However, buying new batteries and disposing of […]

PS3 Controller Charging

Charging Your PS3 Controller Battery Your PS3 controller charging should have a strategy. That’s right – it’s not just playing the PS3 that demands tactical thinking. You see, someday your PS3 (aka Sixaxis or DS3 or, if you’re looking at the controller’s model number, CECHZC2U) controller battery is going to crap out. Not today, probably […]

A Game Hero Should Be Voiceless: T or F?

Game Case Study: The Voiceless Hero The typical game hero is mute. Have you noticed? Especially in first-person shooters, your typical game hero is a stoic son of a mesh. He has an inhuman pain tolerance, miraculous healing powers, and can tote as much military hardware as a Sherman tank. But he can’t communicate. He’ll […]

Uncharted 2 Steals Hearts

Uncharted 2 and Naughty Dog Revive the Adventure Genre The Uncharted 2: Among Thieves SKU and its action/adventure gameplay are dominating the ratings at Metacritic. Adventure games? Zork? Monkey Island? Indiana Jones? Hello again. We’ve missed you. Uncharted 2 brings back Nathan Drake (Indiana Jones?) for another round of high-stakes artifact hunting, this time to […]

Videogame Shoutout — From Sheep?

Videogame Kudos to Atari, with Love, from Sheep Okay, videogame fans, you’re probably thoroughly confused by now, but this one simply has to be seen to be believed. Extreme shepherding re-imagined as vibrant performance art.

Gears of War 2 gets a new smoke grenade

Gears of War fans, rejoice. The gameplay for those previously useless smoke grenades is getting a facelift. In the first Gears of War, the smoke grenades were as useful as they would be in a Quake 3 deathmatch. There’s really nothing tactical about GoW; it’s a pure twitch game with zero stealth. And I’m not […]