For me, it's even more disappointing when the writing is good but the gameplay has little to do with the story—or worse—the gameplay is boring or not fun. I can ignore a bad story, but it feels worse when I have to, like, slog through bad puzzles or something to get through a story
January 1, 2026 at 9:09 PM
For me, it's even more disappointing when the writing is good but the gameplay has little to do with the story—or worse—the gameplay is boring or not fun. I can ignore a bad story, but it feels worse when I have to, like, slog through bad puzzles or something to get through a story
Sorry, poor turn of phrase
January 1, 2026 at 8:38 PM
Sorry, poor turn of phrase
Lol that's why you're mad? "Gamers, read a book", was a joke, man. I acknowledge that some videogames do a good job at cohesive story telling, but I stand by it: most do not. So those who ONLY consume videogames—especially the most popular, like Last of Us—are missing out
January 1, 2026 at 8:29 PM
Lol that's why you're mad? "Gamers, read a book", was a joke, man. I acknowledge that some videogames do a good job at cohesive story telling, but I stand by it: most do not. So those who ONLY consume videogames—especially the most popular, like Last of Us—are missing out
You can read my thoughts on most of those games: bckl.gg/jKGy
But my point still stands: the vast majority of videogames just tack on a story without any consideration to the uniqueness of the medium itself.
But my point still stands: the vast majority of videogames just tack on a story without any consideration to the uniqueness of the medium itself.
KKGlider's review of Journey | Backloggd
Aesthetically, absolutely beautiful. But also technologically impressive because they really nailed the kinesthetic feel of the traversal and the sand, making the whole thing that much more satisfying...
bckl.gg
January 1, 2026 at 8:23 PM
You can read my thoughts on most of those games: bckl.gg/jKGy
But my point still stands: the vast majority of videogames just tack on a story without any consideration to the uniqueness of the medium itself.
But my point still stands: the vast majority of videogames just tack on a story without any consideration to the uniqueness of the medium itself.
Are you purposely misinterpreting me? I never said they are "inherently weaker". Where are you getting this from???????
January 1, 2026 at 8:19 PM
Are you purposely misinterpreting me? I never said they are "inherently weaker". Where are you getting this from???????
Not "meaningful", just different. And while some writers use that difference in a meaningful way, most do not (currently, and up til now). What's your argument anyway? That film, prose, and games are all the same? Die on that hill if you want
January 1, 2026 at 8:13 PM
Not "meaningful", just different. And while some writers use that difference in a meaningful way, most do not (currently, and up til now). What's your argument anyway? That film, prose, and games are all the same? Die on that hill if you want
Literally, no. If you wanna argue that point, fine. But most scholars that I know of agree that there is a big difference between passive consumption and active consumption, even though "consumption" is in itself an (inter)action.
January 1, 2026 at 8:11 PM
Literally, no. If you wanna argue that point, fine. But most scholars that I know of agree that there is a big difference between passive consumption and active consumption, even though "consumption" is in itself an (inter)action.
That's a false equivalency—or at best, a stretch. A game (video, or otherwise) is not just a "value" or "idea", it is a set of structured interactions. Most other formats do not have this, so the same cannot be said for them.
January 1, 2026 at 8:02 PM
That's a false equivalency—or at best, a stretch. A game (video, or otherwise) is not just a "value" or "idea", it is a set of structured interactions. Most other formats do not have this, so the same cannot be said for them.
I can't tell if you're trolling or misunderstanding, so I guess you win
January 1, 2026 at 7:45 PM
I can't tell if you're trolling or misunderstanding, so I guess you win
I play so many games across a wide swath of styles and generations: I can say definitively that the vast, vast majority of them—no matter how good the writing may be—have a narrative-mechanical disconnect, or "ludonarrative dissonance", as Hocking calls it.
January 1, 2026 at 7:30 PM
I play so many games across a wide swath of styles and generations: I can say definitively that the vast, vast majority of them—no matter how good the writing may be—have a narrative-mechanical disconnect, or "ludonarrative dissonance", as Hocking calls it.
I watch way more films and play more videogames than read books, but I will argue to my grave that —mostly—videogames are objectively inferior ways to tell a story. As a medium, the only thing it has going for it is interaction, and most writers do not make use of it in a significant way
January 1, 2026 at 7:19 PM
I watch way more films and play more videogames than read books, but I will argue to my grave that —mostly—videogames are objectively inferior ways to tell a story. As a medium, the only thing it has going for it is interaction, and most writers do not make use of it in a significant way
To most gamers: please read a book. Any book.
January 1, 2026 at 5:05 PM
To most gamers: please read a book. Any book.
I'm not sure how a series of hobbyist publications that published consumer product reviews and book reports became "journalism", but here we are
January 1, 2026 at 5:04 PM
I'm not sure how a series of hobbyist publications that published consumer product reviews and book reports became "journalism", but here we are
I mean, from the get, they were seen as a type of consumer products: toys. Gendered ones, even. Unfortunately I think that old videogame criticism ("reviews") really only reinforced this because it was often written as "should you buy (or rent) this". I'm hopeful though; I think it's gotten better
December 27, 2025 at 1:24 PM
I mean, from the get, they were seen as a type of consumer products: toys. Gendered ones, even. Unfortunately I think that old videogame criticism ("reviews") really only reinforced this because it was often written as "should you buy (or rent) this". I'm hopeful though; I think it's gotten better
Though the various remakes (besides the HD version) do reduce the amount of grind needed fwiw
December 21, 2025 at 7:13 AM
Though the various remakes (besides the HD version) do reduce the amount of grind needed fwiw
Um, what's not being mentioned is the grinding though. That's the angle a lot of people don't like. I find the repetition relaxing, but walking back and forth just to randomly enter a menu based mini-game ain't most people's bag...
December 21, 2025 at 7:12 AM
Um, what's not being mentioned is the grinding though. That's the angle a lot of people don't like. I find the repetition relaxing, but walking back and forth just to randomly enter a menu based mini-game ain't most people's bag...
In America? I haven't seen anyone here say it explicitly, but basically, it's because cities and towns weren't built or designed for going 20mph, so going at the speed feels too slow, or unsafe, as others have mentioned
December 15, 2025 at 3:26 AM
In America? I haven't seen anyone here say it explicitly, but basically, it's because cities and towns weren't built or designed for going 20mph, so going at the speed feels too slow, or unsafe, as others have mentioned