Author: Isaac Smith
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Abstract vs. Concrete: Storytelling in Games
Nothing gets me like a good story. Undertale tore me up. To The Moon made me cry. Mass Effect made me feel like I was a part of a beautiful and terrifying universe. Journey was true to its name. One of these is not like the others, though. Undertale had pithy dialogue, To The Moon was a flashback in game format, and Mass…
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A Journey to 1001%
Weight Loss Journey I set a goal to lose weight. What started out as a weight loss journey to lose 50 pounds evolved into an overall healthy and balanced lifestyle. BEFORE WE GET STARTED Before I really get into the content of this post, I should note that throughout my weight loss journey, I have…
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Interview – Byte Me Games
By Marshall Garvey So far in Last Token Gaming’s interview series, we’ve talked to a wide variety of people in the gaming industry, including voice actors and documentary filmmakers. But our main focus has generally been giving indie developers a much needed spotlight, especially ones here in Sacramento. In December 2017, lead editor Marshall Garvey…
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The New Combat Paradigm, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Dodgeroll
by Isaac Smith As an early Christmas present, I got my dad Witcher 3 (GOTY edition, what kind of son do you think I am?). He loved the heck out of Skyrim but isn’t a “gamer”, per se. In spite of that, he dug it immensely and, now that he’s my Steam friend, I get to see…
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“Getting Over It” could really be about learning to live with a disability
by Isaac Smith (Disclaimer: I have never suffered from a disability and only know what I have seen, read, and been told by people who do. Please don’t deride me for discussing Getting Over It in this context, though please do educate me if I put forth any misconceptions about it.) Bennett Foddy does not…
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Hall of Fame Review – VA-11 Hall-A
VA-11 Hall-A Release Date: June 21st, 2016 Developer: Sukbegan Games Publisher: Ysbryd Games Rating: M for Mature Genre: Social Simulator, Visual Novel Platforms: PC, OSX, Linux I always know I’m writing about a good game when I have trouble starting. Trying to process the experience of a really well-crafted game can be daunting, even when it’s not as weird…
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Sac Gamers Expo: The Inside Scoop
by Isaac Smith I love being part of the gaming community. It’s so vibrant and alive, full of people who really enjoy doing what they do, whether it’s streaming, speedrunning, developing, making fanart, blogging, or simply just sitting down and slogging through a new title. The earnest social awkwardness and camaraderie is infectious. Our developments…
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The Summer of the Platformer
by Isaac Smith This summer, I was fortunate enough to spend a few hours here and there exploring some games I hadn’t played before. Not as many as I’d like, of course! By and large, I was playing platformers. The lofty platformer is one of my favorite genres, behind sandbox games and RPGs. There have been plenty…
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Unspoken Agreement: How Games Explain Their World
Anybody who’s followed me knows my love of Super Metroid‘s game design. It teaches the player to play the game without a single word, tutoring and encouraging through level design and cleverly placed objectives. It makes plain the fact that it has secrets, but forces creativity in how to obtain them. When I blind play a…
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What We’re Playing This Week: June Bugs Edition!
Ben Fitzgerald – Quest for Glory III: Wages of War, Quest for Glory IV: Shadows of Darkness, Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire (PC) I’m still in the midst of a classic retro binge of the Quest for Glory series, only now I’ve made my way past the first two games (at the time…