From the Depths – A Puzzling Present and the Game Development AI

GamingDaily was a fantastic website, where I learned a lot about games writing. Many brilliant writers got their start here, and I was very lucky to be able to work with some of them for a time. 

Unfortunately, a few years ago, it was shut down. In the spirit of archival, I’m going to re-upload some of my favourite articles here.

Here’s my write-up of a Christmas game without a single human developer – A Puzzling Present was programmed entirely by a game-developing AI.

OverHeat is a thing I have been making

So, over the last year or so I’ve been learning to code. I’ve had to do this very much in my spare time for the most part, but I’m now ready to show what I’ve been working on to the world!

If you want to skip the explanation and just have a go, you can find the latest test version here: https://benjrose.itch.io/overheat. Be warned – it’s still unfinished!

Otherwise, read on for more!

From the Depths – Hotline Miami

GamingDaily was a fantastic website, where I learned a lot about games writing. Many brilliant writers got their start here, and I was very lucky to be able to work with some of them for a time. 

Unfortunately, a few years ago, it was shut down. In the spirit of archival, I’m going to re-upload some of my favourite articles here.

Up first: My preview of Hotline Miami, from the very first time I played it. Warning – i may have done some swears.

Ben’s Best of 2015 – Star Wars: The Force Awakens (no spoilers)

Here’s another thing I was very glad to see not be terrible.

Ben’s Best of 2015 – Bloodborne

Bloodborne is an incredibly rich experience, with an atmosphere so thick you can almost feel the fog seeping from the sides of your TV.

Ben’s Best of 2015 – Escape Rooms

Photo from Shut Up And Sit Down

Escape rooms are like real life video games. If this doesn’t make you want to go out and do one right now, you’re reading the wrong blog.

Ben’s Best of 2015 – Playstation 4

Yes, I know, the PS4 came out in 2014. Luckily, this is my blog, and I make the rules.

Ben’s Best of 2015 – Doctor Who

 

I’m so glad to be writing this.

Ben’s Best of 2015 – Introduction

Greetings! My, it’s been a while, hasn’t it. I’ve managed to clear out the cobwebs and blow the dust off this place, and it seems to me that some new words are in order.

How Burial At Sea Redeems Bioshock: Infinite

After watching my significant other polish off the campaign from Bioshock: Infinite last week, I found myself itching to play the DLC, which I’d hitherto ignored on the basis that I thought it’d be mediocre at best. The first episode of Burial At Sea was, sadly, almost exactly that. If you ignore the plot, it’s basically just the combat from Infinite transplanted into Rapture, really nothing more than a change of scenery.

But Episode 2 is something else entirely.

Fair warning: I’ll be discussing plenty of mechanical spoilers here. I’m not going to discuss anything story related, but if you’re really keen to stay spoiler free then I’d recommend finishing off the episode before reading on.