Articles

Factorio stands as one of the finest automation games ever created, combining elegant design, staggering technical optimization, and near limitless replayability. This review explores the mechanics, philosophy, and engineering decisions that transformed a modest factory builder into a modern PC masterpiece.

Fort Solis, Per Aspera, Tankhead

Video game prices have remained surprisingly stable for decades, but the economics behind them have been changing. From inflation and rising development costs to free-to-play games, digital distribution, and evolving monetization strategies, the industry has fundamentally reshaped how games are designed, sold, and valued.

News Update: June 2026

Arrival is celebrated for its striking visuals and thought-provoking themes, but beneath its elegant presentation lies a story built on questionable linguistics and shaky causality. This review examines where the film's ambitious ideas succeed, and where its internal logic quietly falls apart.

An in-depth look at Hardspace: Shipbreaker, examining its innovative zero-gravity salvage mechanics, grounded sci-fi storytelling, immersive presentation, and technical achievements. This article explores where a potential sequel could expand on its physics-driven gameplay, ship variety, and management systems.

Star Trek (2009) successfully relaunched the franchise with spectacular visuals, a charismatic cast, and plenty of action. Beneath the excitement, however, lies a script filled with scientific inconsistencies, questionable worldbuilding, and narrative choices that don't always stand up to the scrutiny of classic Star Trek's mindful fans.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War builds confidently on Shadow of Mordor by expanding its world, refining the excellent Nemesis System, and introducing large-scale fortress warfare. While weighed down by uneven pacing and a notorious late-game grind, it remains one of Monolith's most technically ambitious and memorable games.

Caravan Sandwitch, Humans: Fall Flat, Sea of Stars

News Update: April 2026

The streaming wars were not an inevitable consequence of technology, but of business decisions. They created a fragmented ecosystem that left consumers with a out ownership rights and a declining user experience. In a competing ecosystems, one that explores a model for true digital ownership, and argues that stronger consumer rights could have created a healthier future for creators, distributors, and audiences alike.

Planet of Lana is a colorful evolution of the cinematic platformer genre, blending Studio Ghibli-inspired visuals with clever puzzle mechanics and a interesting companion system. This article explores its world, design choices, presentation, and the technical tricks behind its atmospheric environments, including its approach to dynamic foliage and shaders.

Fallout 4 expands Bethesda's post-apocalyptic formula with settlement building, deeper crafting systems, and a more action-oriented approach to combat. While some design decisions hold it back from surpassing earlier Fallout titles, the Commonwealth remains a compelling world to explore. I also take a closer look at the franchise's long-running lockpicking minigame and why such a simple mechanic remains so effective.

Still Wakes The Deep, a first person horror game and one of the better cosmic horror games made. With a tightly written plot, smart compelling character drama, and strong visual storytelling it results in an impressive game. The mechanics of Still Wakes The Deep aren't incredible robust, but involve a number of important adaptations including the regenerative health system which employs an animated overlay that is unique.

Gold Mine Simulator, Manifold Garden, Resistance: Fall of Man

Metro 2033 remains one of the more distinctive post-apocalyptic shooters I've played, blending survival horror, stealth, and excellent worldbuilding into a remarkably cohesive package. While some technical shortcomings persist, its immersive sound design, atmospheric presentation, and unique military-grade ammunition economy help it stand apart from other first-person shooters.

News Update: April 2026

This article explores plans for Golem Mancer's audio systems, from delayed sound effects and camera shakes that emphasize the immense scale of golems to an ambitious dynamic soundtrack. Inspired by Breath of the Wild, the proposed music system would layer instruments and motifs based on the player's chosen golem types, creating a unique soundtrack for every formation while presenting significant composition and implementation challenges.

Sniper Elite III blends tactical sniping, stealth mechanics, and open sandbox level design into a rewarding World War II shooter. We analyses the game's implementation of noise cover that enables stealthy long-range engagements.

Limbo is a minimalist puzzle-platformer that combines atmospheric black-and-white visuals, subtle storytelling, and clever environmental puzzles into a memorable experience. We look at the game's design, presentation, and achievements while exploring how its distinctive film-grain and vignette effects can be recreated using Unity's Rendering Pipeline and 'Volume' post-processing system.