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Caravan SandWitch: Collapse is not inevitable
You know that feeling? The one that grabs you by the gut and won’t let go. That feeling of emptiness you want to avoid at all costs. You’re looking at that game…
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The injunction to play
“You absolutely must play this game!”. “What? You’ve never played such a game? How is that possible?”. “What do you mean you didn’t like it? No, you just didn’t understand. Wait, I’ll…
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Ellipsis, the revelation of time
This paper is taken from the September 2024 issue of Kaleidoscope, and deals with the notion of Time. One day, I wanted to tackle the subject of time, I’ve opted for a…
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Trans people and VG: everywhere and nowhere at the same time
Article published May 22, 2024 as part of the Diversity and inclusivity newsletter If we’ve gathered here today, it’s first and foremost because we share a certain fascination for video games. And…
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Subnautica and the obsession with the deep
The start of 2018 was marked by the release of one of those games that you don’t really see coming and yet almost instantly get the aura of a cult work. Recent…
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Rapture: Art Deco as the soul of the place
The term unique has been overused in our contemporary language, but it’s undeniably appropriate to describe the underwater city of Rapture. Oppressive yet haunting, Rapture fully deserves the status of genius loci,…
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Final Fantasy VII: the real enemy is us
It all begins and ends Opening scene. A young woman observes ancient elements on the wall, holding a basket of flowers. The camera pans away, revealing her to be in a crowded…
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How to create an atmosphere in video games ?
After dissecting what “ambience” actually means in my previous article, we concluded that ambience cannot be deliberately created in reality. However, fortunately for video game developers, it is possible to invent one…
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Schim and his little shadow theater
The shadow is so much a part of us that we end up forgetting about it. A key element in Professor Layton’s most devious puzzles; the personification of the spirit of childhood…
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What’s an atmosphere ?
“What mediates between the objective factors of the environment and the aesthetic feelings of a human being is what we call atmosphere.” – Makis Solomos Definitions Atmosphere is a term that comes…