There’s an insidious pattern repeating itself in sandbox narratives that makes many of these stories feel like they’re ironically trapped inside of a box, even as they theoretically offer large possibilities. If sandbox storytelling is to avoid the fate of the classic MMORPG, it must grow in these challenges or else risk falling by the wayside.

Is Elegy for a Dead World effective at generating raw fiction?

It’s possible that Elegy's strengths may not rely on encouraging fiction, but instead, on encouraging essaying and more personal forms of expression.

What does the year of the gamer entail? Multiple front page hits of the New York Times? Beating TV ratings for eSports? Or maybe it just means good games? We asked our regulars about the brightest moments of 2014, and while they might seem satisfied, some still eagerly anticipate 2015 will shine brighter. 

Though the challenge of branching video games out from one mechanic to another is hardly a new one, Tales from the Borderlands early success is a strong lesson for developers lucky enough for the opportunity to expand their games’ world beyond their original mechanics. By seeking out key, strong characteristics of the original game, and concentrating on how they interact with a new set of mechanics, developers stand to learn both about their original creation and about the new ways it can be explored.

Emblematic Group and Nonny de la Peña’s Use of Force recreates the brutal assault of Anastasio Hernandez Rojas, a Hispanic, undocumented immigrant whose story, Peña tells SevenCut, took him to a dark end at the hands of U.S. Border Patrol officers. 

Indiecade, as a festival, can sometimes be a festival of themes. This year -- perhaps more needed than years before -- the theme seemed to focus around relationships, and the physical and nonphysical ways people interact.

Instead of being aberrations, there must be a time and a place when bug become a natural part of a video game’s flow. Why is it that some bugs will render a game to be broken, but others are celebrated and hunted by players?

Whether it’s in Deus Ex, Splinter Cell or Dishonored, stealth games ask players a question -- when sneaking through a room full of guards, would you rather mercilessly kill your enemies, or would you rather harmlessly knock them out?

The cosplay world can be cynical, and I know that photographers like me perpetuate these disparaging problems.

But from my camera, I just want people to know I consider myself lucky. 

The Mass Effect series invites gamers to view the world through the lens of a so-called "female gaze," which helps redefine how we think about characters that challenges how we think about sexuality and attraction. 

Best game for Orc politicians? What about best game for decapitation experiences? Bryant goes over his favorite gaming experiences at PAX Prime 2014.

Double Fine's Massive Chalice shone as one of the brightest demos on the show floor. The Kickstarted game flaunted both the macro-level mechanics and battle tactics, and scratches all the right itches for Fire Emblem fans looking for their next fix.

Obsidian Entertainment’s Pillars of Eternity was a hidden gem at E3. Leveraging older role-playing mechanics, the crowdfunded CRPG builds on a modified Dungeons & Dragons ruleset, promising a streamlined and updated version of an RPG system that defined games like Neverwinter Nights

Telltale shifts to the wild west for gonzo desert crazies and player-crafted tall tales meant to amuse and exaggerate.Tales From The Borderlands mutually benefits the development of the Pandora narrative while also boosting Telltale’s signature storytelling repetoir. 

Ready for Thomas Jefferson and more candy corn costumes? Double Fine’s Costume Quest 2 demo prepares players for even zanier costumes from last time at PAX Prime. 

After Kickstarting the game with almost 74,000 backers, it looks like the Infinity Engine subgenre of RPG looks to be making a revival. Even Obsidian Entertainment's Josh Sawyer knows you won't come close to choosing every option in their new Pillars of Eternity.

The loot-obsessed shooter returns to Pandora for a jaunt to the moon set between the first two Borelands games. Core gameplay similar to previous Borderlands enemies, get loot, laugh at inappropriate jokes and weird accented ...