Metal Gear Rising: Revengance – Review

Written for Exeposé Online, published on embargo day.

Unsheathing Raiden’s lighting-spitting high-frequency blade and carving through the head of an adversary cyborg refreshes sword fighting with a grisly intensity. You can leave one-legged half bodies hopping in circles before falling onto the ground like freshly sliced deli salami. The power and precision of Kojima’s E3 2010 ‘stealth action’ tech demo has been stylishly realised, now distilled as a pure, frantic beat ’em up with a little help from Platinum.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag Preview

Written from Ubisoft’s London event, written for Exeposé Online

Don your tri-point and practice your best shanty, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag will explore the golden age of piracy in the Caribbean.

Set for release in summer 2013, the Ubisoft game will be released on all current-gen platforms in addition to the Wii-U and PS4. A massive naval open world, seamless gameplay, and an all new progression system promise an Assassin’s Creed game rich with prizes, plunder and adventure.

Edward Kenway, grandfather of AC3’s protagonist Conor Kenway, will fill the lead role inside the world of the animus while you – that’s right, you -become the star of present day gameplay set in ‘Abstergo Entertainment’. Read on as Exeposé gives you the full breakdown of Ubisoft’s historical stealthy slasher.

Iteration Fetishism

How Eric Zimmerman, Naomi Clark and the Brooklyn Game Ensemble are avoiding trends and tropes to create a metaphysical experience.

My first real (legit, 100% proven) freelance article for a site I’m a little in awe of. Click the image to read it.

2012’s Unsolved Mysteries

Originally written for Exeposé

Moby Gear Solid?

The Spike VGAs in December surprised us with a trailer for The Phantom Pain, the debut title from Swedish ‘Moby Dick’ studio. Featuring an enormous flaming whale and a massacre committed by supernatural solider’s, the trailer’s amputee protagonist bore resemblance to Big Boss (naked snake).

Faecal Opportunities: A Royal Flush

Originially published in Exeposé 25th Anniversary Issue. I still don’t know why.

Make a splash in the best john on campus as Marcus Beard, Games Editor, watches the thrones.

Sometimes, unloading your greasy, bean-filled log into just any old water closet doesn’t cut it. As your bowels squeeze out the digested remnants of yesterday’s gorging, it’s nice to be somewhere with comfort, taste, and style. Grind some beef, unbuckle your belt and place your cheeks upon this tour of Exeter’s luscious lavatories.

Ram & Forum – 2*
Almost impossible to tell apart, these two excrement halls share the same trough-style sinks and warped mirrors. The seemingly complete inability to deal with any stool larger than an aborted squirrel is forgiven by the spaciousness of each commode. These toilets share a wall, so one has to wonder; why make two mediocre fecal depositories instead of one poo-poo paradise. Expect to find vomit in every cubicle Thursday – Saturday.

Playstation Access TV #52 – Eurogamer Special

After a series of extraordinary events (which I’m sure you’ve heard if you’ve met me), I found myself presenting for the lovely guys at Playstation Access.

One of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences I’ve ever had. Ridiculous throughout, but good fun.

Molyneux: Microsoft Scared of Innovation

Originally published in Exeposé

Fable creator opens up about ‘Curiosity’, ‘Co-operation’ and ‘Milo’

Curiosity can be dangerous. For Peter Molyneux, his curiosity at Microsoft lead to the rise and fall of one of the most groundbreaking interactive experiences of the current generation.

In a small office in Guildford technology centre, a few hundred yards from his previous studio Lionhead, Molyneux’s startup 22Cans is hard at work testing Curiosity: What’s Inside The Cube. The iOS game features a giant black cube made from millions of ‘cubelets’ which, after 64 billions taps, will reveal a secret so profound it will “make world news” according to Molyneux.

Don’t be surprised if this sounds far-fetched, Molyneux is well known in the industry for making promises about his game that don’t end up being strictly truthful. He’s well aware of this, as the game is currently a month behind the previously announced launch date .“It was my stupid mouth that shot off and gave the date in the first place,” he says. “That was a bit silly.”

Staying Playful with Keita Takahashi

Originally written for Exeposé, didn’t make it into the freshers’ issue.

Katamari Damacy creator talks about his past at art school and why fun is so important, Marcus Beard, Games Editor reports.

Sitting on stage in flip flops and shorts, casually flipping through his iPhone, you wouldn’t get the impression that Keita Takahashi is the creator of a series that has reunited millions with the quirkyness and playfulness of youth. As the mind that sprouted the 2004 sleeper hit and cult classic Katamari Damacy, Takahashi doesn’t possess the fashion sense of Hideo Kojima or the bold rhetoric of Peter Molyneux.

“I don’t like [to] talk much” he admits as one of his greatest weaknesses to a theatre full of amateur game designers at the Babycastles Summit in Manhattan. Keita’s keynote (which took the form of a Q&A session) kicked off the three-day festival of workshops and interactive exhibitions at the Museum of Art and Design. The summit’s goal is to explore new ways to play and develop games, with a focus on experimentation and collaboration.

“I need[ed] to find a road” he says, describing what moved him into game development “..where I can make fun things.”

Polygon’s Chris Plante and Russ Frushtick talk launch, response to ‘Press Reset’

Written for practice/fun/personal enlightenment.

There are links in this article – click them, they’re entertaining.

With the first installment in Polygon’s making-of documentary nearing, Chris Plante, Editor-at-large and Russ Frushtick, Senior Editor give some insight into the future of site, as well as addressing the negative response to the documentary’s trailer.

“Don’t give him a date” Frushtick warns his colleague not to make any promises the site can’t keep. “It’s not that I’m worried about it or anything, but if we miss that date by a week .. it’s not good.” “We’ll have it soon,” Plante, former freelancer, confirms. “Within the year.”

Veni Sancte Spiritus

Originally published in Exeposé

Making history in Exeter Cathedral as Marcus Beard, Games Editor, reports on Flower being used as part of Holy Worship

“History is being made in Exeter Cathedral today” says Canon Missioner of Exeter Cathedral , Anna Norman-Walker. The ambient orchestral score of thatgamecompany’s flower fills the knave as people have gathered to celebrate the Eucharist on a Sunday evening in mid-May.

“For the first time, we are going to be using a videogame as part of Holy Worship.” There’s some squirming from the mostly over-40 congregation, as we watch a single a single yellow flower blow in the wind on the 6 foot screen. Andy Robertson, editor of gamepeople.co.uk, takes hold of a controller, and as the petal on screen opens up to start our communal game of Flower, a collective gasp can be heard. History has been made.

In late August, Andy gave a talk at the TEDx conference in Exeter. Speaking on sustainable perspectives on videogames, Robertson commented on the ethical, social, psychological and spiritual contribution to human life that games can make. He spoke of creating a new ‘priesthood’ of videogame players and writers to appreciate games in a broader sense that just entertainment value. This was when he was approached by Anna, and the idea of using videogame as part of a service at Exeter cathedral took hold.