I’m writing this because I care. For a while now, The Sims 4 has been showing signs that it might be on the verge of a nervous breakdown, the sort that would end with it covered in its own waste fluids in the middle of an executive meeting, babbling about the Keen rocketship that it’s building using old tin cans. We’re told that this game is a well-rounded emotional being and an architect – a party>techt, if you will*. It has a robust yet fluid Build mode and enjoys social engagements, but it cannot plan a pool party because it’s incapable of building a pool. Observe.

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The Detail seems like it could scratch some eons-old itches of mine both in that it a) cites The Wire as a primary influence on its “realistic” crime adventuring antics and b) looks a little rough around the edges. The comic book visual style caught my eye, but board-stiff animations and slightly hackneyed promo writing forced me to put my expectations in check. That said, when you say things like, “we are combining the emotional impact of Telltale Games’ The Walking Dead crossed with the themes of a realistic crime drama like HBO’s The Wire,” I can’t help but hope. No, Telltale’s not actually making it, but the influence is obviously strong. Trailer (and also maybe, like, a million clips from The Wire) below.

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Fun fact: when it was first conceived, Dreamfall Chapters was going to be an episodic series. Thus, the name Dreamfall Chapters>. Before long, however, man of so many yarns that cats are magnetically drawn to his face, Ragnar Tornquist, decided the plot necessitated “one big meaty game with a fully story and a full conclusion.” Apparently, though, the game outgrew that model too, so now it’s back to episodic. I know, I know. Let Tornquist explain it below. It makes a lot more sense when he says it, that linguistic Viking demigod.

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Battlefield Hardlimes‘ surprise E3 beta is officially over and done with, or in military speak (that I have learned exclusively from videogames), Charlie Mike Oscar Bravo Rhinoceros Chimpanzee Overalls Tuba. Given how Battlefield 4‘s launch turned out, however, I’m quite glad to hear that another beta will be happening this fall. Maybe… maybe this one will finally launch in actual, factual ship shape?

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By Porpentine>

Hi! I was on hiatus for health reasons, and Nobody graciously agreed to cover in my absence. I ve appreciated the opportunity to share these wonderful vidgames, but I ve made the decision to end the column. Here are some thoughts on my departure.

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Sundays are for sending emails, to set in motion the wheels of future words about videogames. Let’s inspire ourselves first by rounding up some of the week’s best writing from elsewhere.

Dog Eat Dog is a game about colonialism and identity, the first task of which is described by its author Liam Burke as As a group, you work together to describe one of the hundreds of small islands in the Pacific Ocean . One player takes on the role of *all* of an occupying force, representing their capable military, their quisling government, and whatever jaded tourists and shrewd businessmen are interested in a not quite pacified territory, and all other players become individual Natives, responding as best they can to the actions of the colonizing power.

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Steam is having their annual summer sales, which means a conglomeration of flash deals and bargains that will no longer exist by the time you read this. Grumble grumble.> Similarly, we have GOG.com reducing prices like crazy and ShinyLoot, BundleStars, and a cast of smaller names filling out whatever space is left. In light of that, Bargain Bucket will only be tangentially focused on games this week. (Unnamed plushie is courtesy of Norbert. I may be terrified of it.)

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I’ve discovered a novel way to conduct interviews: tweet vaguely about something you’re interested in, then wait for two game designers you like and respect to have a chat about it and send you the logs. I carefully laid my bait: “I use ‘walking simulator’ warmly and earnestly. I adore walking around looking at stuff and reflecting. Walking is great! Sim it to the max.”

The trap snared my chums Ed Key and Ricky Haggett. Ed created walking simulator Proteus while Ricky is working on Hohokum, a dicking-about sim for PlayStations which might, with fewer puzzles, be called a walking simulator. Unsuspecting, they discussed Proteus, the ‘genre,’ exploring and wandering, and what a “walking simulator” even is. Afterwards they decided “Just email it to Alice,” rather than blog about the chat themselves. “She can turn it into ‘news,’” they said. Suckers!

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The answer is, of course, “Yes, obviously,” but The Sims’ triumphant return to our lives (well, technically non-lives with The Sims ruling them) might be a slightly bittersweet one. The Sims 4 is bringing all sorts of new building, customization, and socialization features, but it’s losing some classics. Remember swimming pools? Of course you do, you SimSadist, you ladder-deleting devil. Well, they won’t be available, unfortunately. Neither will toddlers. Details below.

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Amid my frequent worrying that the rise of the YouTuber means I’m going to starve to death in a couple of years’ time, I take occasional solace that there’s one aspect of games that even those new frontier-folk can’t replicate the experience of either – VR with a game that truly suits it, which in this particular case is Elite: Dangerous. Words or videos cannot describe it, but so help me I’ll give it a shot anyway. … [visit site to read more]