VERACITY IN GAMING
VERACITY IN GAMING
Automaton West’s top 5 most bizarre moments of 2024
A round-up of the top 5 weirdest, most random and downright bizarre topics Automaton West covered in the year 2024.
2024 review of major Japanese game companies’ performance
Automaton West's overview of how Japanese game companies like Sony, Nintendo, Bandai Namco, Square Enix, Sega and Capcom fared in 2024.
Masahiro Shindo, the secret hero who propped up Nintendo’s console development from the NES through to the Nintendo Switch
The life and genius of Masahiro Shindo, the secret hero who made the development of Nintendo's Famicom possible.
5 times when non-horror games scared the living daylights out of us
In the run-up to Halloween, we look back on 5 non-horror games that managed to scare us so much we still get flashbacks...
Why Alien Isolation’s Xenomorph is far scarier when you can’t see it
How Alien Isolation cleverly builds up the player's fear of the Xenomorph in a way that stays true to the spirit of the 1979 Alien movie.
How Dead Space’s Necromorphs are similar yet different to Alien’s Xenomorphs
Although the Necromorphs in Dead Space were inspired by the Xenomorphs in Alien, the two horrific lifeforms have some interesting differences
Borderlands: What exactly are Vaults?
Vaults are a vital part of the Borderlands universe and lore- here's how these alien treasure troves became so sort after by Vault Hunters.
How FromSoftware’s Soulsborne games shifted from shield blocking to dodge rolling
From Demon’s Souls to Elden Ring, here are the best ways to avoid attacks in each of FromSoftware’s Soulsborne titles.
Will The Last of Us Part 2’s initial twist be as divisive on HBO’s TV series?
Season two of HBO's The Last of Us is set to hit viewers with a shocking death scene, but will it be as impactful as it was in the game?
This Kingdom Hearts drinking game will put you under your Gummi Ship
Nods to Disney movie plots, “dark” references and even belt buckles... Here are five Kingdom Hearts tropes that make for a fun drinking game.
Tamagotchi caused Bandai to lose 6 billion yen, despite being a hit toy of the 90s
Why did the global success of Tamagotchi in the late 90s cause Bandai to lose the equivalent of $38 million US dollars in today's money? Read on to find out.
How well does Like a Dragon Gaiden’s Sotenbori resemble Osaka’s Dotonbori?
Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name sees Kazuma Kiryu venture into Sotenbori, a fictional district based on Osaka's Dotonbori. We investigate how the well the game mirrors reality.
Some say Tears of the Kingdom & Elden Ring are similar, but are they?
Some players say The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Elden Ring are similar in some way, but are they? Here's my opinion on this topic.
The reason Honkai: Star Rail needed to have turn-based battles
Honkai: Star Rail bears a striking resemblance to Genshin Impact, another of HoYoverse's popular titles. So why would they decide it was necessary to release another game so similar to one that is already popular?
What does “high degree of freedom” mean in games?
With upcoming titles such as The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Starfield, 2023 is shaping up to be a year full of games that tout their high degree of freedom as a selling point. Let's take a look at what causes a game to feel like it provides a high level of freedom.
Fire Emblem Engage: Why is the story being poorly received?
Fire Emblem Engage's story is being poorly received and I want to list a few reasons as to why this is the case: Praised for not doing anything, scenes that doesn't emotionally resonate, dumps of exposition, and over-the-top characters.
The Return YouTube Dislike browser extension returns wildly inaccurate numbers in some cases
The Return YouTube Dislike browser extension has proven itself to be popular, but there are cases where the estimated number of dislikes calculated by RYD deviate greatly from the actual numbers.
Why Harvestella’s reception changed from “disappointing” to “satisfying”
Harvestella’s reputation took a big hit at launch. Then, there was a recent shift in the reception of the game by players. But what’s behind these sudden changes in perception surrounding Harvestella?
Should Pokémon games spend more time in development?
Should Pokémon spend more time in development in order to improve their reception? The fact that the answer isn’t simply “yes” is part of what makes the series unique.
Can anyone actually play enough games to pick the GOTY?
As 2022 draws to a close, the annual tradition of picking a GOTY is upon us. But can anyone actually play enough games to pick the GOTY? It feels more and more unattainable as the medium diversifies.
What does Splatoon 3 take and evolve from FPS/TPS history? [Jini Talks Games: Perspectives from Japan]
What does Splatoon 3 take and evolve from FPS/TPS history? As a Nintendo fan and writer who has played many shooters, I want to try explaining this more objectively and fundamentally. [Jini Talks Games: Perspectives from Japan is a project that aims to deliver English translations of opinion pieces by Japanese writer Jini.]
ByJini
Can “literature” exist in a world where people only accept what they want to see? [Jini Talks Games: Perspectives from Japan]
Getting a glimpse of the literature of works like Elden Ring, Shin Ultraman, and Goodbye, Eri (a one-shot manga by Chainsaw Man creator Tatsuki Fujimoto) , it's clear that literature is alive and well in modern age. Jini Talks Games: Perspectives from Japan is a project that aims to deliver English translations of opinion pieces by Japanese writer Jini.
- ByJini