Derek Ex Machina

Apr 9

Apr 9 Assessing World and Narrative Size in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening

Link’s Awakening is but one example of how smaller-scale design can nevertheless make a world feel as believable and immersive as it is tightly constructed and uninterested in wasting the player’s time. Through its tight design and consideration for making an experience that provides a consistent feeling of progression and gradually expanding sense of freedom and exploration, Link’s Awakening ended up provides an adventure that I recall very fondly - an assessment that is in large thanks to the title’s size.

Jul 14

Jul 14 Gravity Rush 2 Review: A Good Sequel that Misses its Potential to be Excellent

Derek L.H.

Game Review

Gravity Rush 2 settles with being a modest sequel. It doesn’t make big advancements upon the original, but merely expands on what the original already did well. With its new additions showing flaws and not being too substantial, Gravity Rush 2 ultimately stands as a sequel that, while solid, lacks the same “Wow” factor that its predecessor had.

Mar 31

Mar 31 Red Dead Redemption 2 and the Open World Question

Derek L.H.

Essay, Talking Point

In a time where open world games are becoming more and more common, I feel that now is as an important a time as ever to bring into question when an open world enhances a game, and when it drags the entire game down. If this genre is to have a healthy future moving forward, it needs to be known when an open world game has mechanics that makes use of its open world and when it lacks mechanics that can cause much of its world to go ignored and uninhabited by players.

Feb 6

Feb 6 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and the Power of Side Content

Derek L.H.

Essay, Talking Point

Whenever we judge any kind of experience - a movie, for example - we judge its value off of the core experience of watching that film, but with video games, it’s not as easy to do so. While many certainly do judge a game purely off of what it offers in its core gameplay (i.e. the story in a narrative-driven game, a combat system in an RPG, etc.), the side content of a game is something that I feel deserves more attention and credit. And when side content is delivered in a way that is as well-executed as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate’s offerings, it’s hard not to stop and appreciate the smaller, side-experiences that help elevate a good game into a phenomenal one.