Reading List (September 2020) (Patreon)

Hello! Hope you're doing well. 

It feels like the games biz is really waking up - we've had big games like Spelunky 2, Mario All-Stars, and Marvel, and of course all the news on the next Xbox and PlayStation. Exciting stuff!

But for now, here's 25 articles and videos that I reckon you'll really enjoy.

Critical Hit

[Watch | CC | 5 mins] Carrion Is A REVERSE-HORROR Gem! You Need To Play It - Snoman hates horror games - which is why he fell in love with a gory indie game that lets you turn the tables, and become the monster.

[Watch | CC | 10 mins] The Art of Lying To Your Friends - 2018's betrayl sim Among Us has become the surprise hit of 2020. Here, Razbuten explores the game's design

[Watch | 17 mins] CO-VIDs: what makes a shooter arsenal good? - Ian Danskin writes the rules for imaginary arsenals. 

[Watch | CC | 15 mins] The Identity Crisis of Marvel's Avengers - Writing on Games reviews Square's snazzy new loot 'em up. 

[Watch | CC | 27 mins] The Future of Writing About Games - Not Writing ON Games, but ABOUT games. Jacob Geller's thoughts on game criticism. 

[Watch | 26 mins] How Splinter Cell Changed - Turbo Button returns for a surprise video: a deep dive into three iconic Splinter Cell games, to see how the series evolved. 

Culture Club

[Watch | CC | 13 mins] Uncovering The Tattoos of Yakuza - Your first Yakuza piece for the month: looking at the game's bonkers back tattoos. 

[Read] Yakuza examines masculinity with care, but leaves women behind - Follow it up with a piece on how the series lets down its female characters. 

[Read | Long Read] The secret Avengers video game the world never got to play - Square's Marvel romp wasn't the first stab at the multi-hero concept. THQ tried to make one first, and CNET's got the inside story.

Code Monkeys

[Watch | CC | 28 mins] How Forza Uses Neural Networks To Evolve Its Racing AI - Do Drivatars really learn how to drive by watching you play? Find out.

[Watch | 6 mins] Okami’s Celestial Brush - Mix and Jam's latest "lets try and remake that cool mechanic in Unity".

[Read | Long Read] Shaping Emotions: Utilizing Shape Language and Symbols in Level Design - Shapes hold deep meanings for humans, which makes them a handy tool for conveying emotion and more.

[Watch | 6 mins] GOODBYE - And thanks for everything! - Huge game dev YouTube channel Brackeys hit 1 million subs this year. Now, the channel is over. Peace out.

History Corner

[Read] Super Mario at 35: Mario's makers on Nintendo's most enduring mascot - Nintendo's old guard are giving interviews to celebrate Mario's birthday. Here's one for The Guardian.

Indie Nation

[Watch | CC | 20 mins] How Undertale Was Made and Why its Success Scared The Creator - A nice round-up of interviews and info on the iconic indie RPG.

[Watch | CC | 11 mins] Before & After Don't Starve - The History of Klei Entertainment - Noclip chats to Jamie Cheng about the studio that makes Shank, Griftlands, and Mark of the Ninja.

[Watch | CC | 40 mins] Edmund McMillen Breaks Down His Game Design History - Then, follows it up with a hefty conversation with Super Meat Boy and Binding of Isaac maker Edmund McMillen.

[Watch | 16 mins] Why Subnautica Owes Its Success to This Button - How listening to user feedback made Subnautica great.

[Read] It’s Vlambeer’s 10-year anniversary, and the studio’s breaking up - They made Super Crate Box, Luftrausers, Nuclear Throne, and more. Now, the duo is parting ways.

Scenes, Sound, Story

[Watch | CC | 7 mins] How Mario's Cap Throw Animation Works - Dan Root breaks down the split-second animation of Odyssey. It's surprisingly detailed! 

[Read] How PlayStation 5’s Instant Loading Could Change Video Game Storytelling - SSDs could give game makers the ability to "cut" games like a film. Here's what that could mean for narrative. 

[Watch | CC | 10 mins] Disney's Influence on Broken Sword - Dan Root again, this time looking at one of my all-time favourite games: the yummy point and click Broken Sword.

[Watch | CC | 7 mins] SLOW IN & SLOW OUT - The 12 Principles of Animation in Games - Other Dan, now, continuing his excellent series on animation fundamentals. 

Beyond Bytes

[Read] How a designer used AI and Photoshop to bring ancient Roman emperors back to life - A really cool use for AI, right here.

[Watch | 31 mins] The Modern Class of Gonzo Blockbusters - Patrick Willems makes the case for giving auteur directors a big bucket of money to make some wild sh*t.