How Spec Ops: The Line Conveys Meaning Through Visuals Thinreaper 2016-08-02 | How Spec Ops: The Line uses visual design to convey its narrative themes. (CONTAINS SPOILERS)Big thanks to Chadunda & Joseph Anderson for giving me valuable feedback on my script! If you haven't already, check out their fantastic channels here:Chadunda: youtube.com/channel/UCaaMfVZ1ageYNStciQYPh6wJoseph Anderson: youtube.com/channel/UCyhnYIvIKK_--PiJXCMKxQQFeel free to like, subscribe and share this video. Follow me on Twitter @thinreaperYou can support my channel on Ko-fi if you like: ko-fi.com/thinreaper
What Celeste Taught Me About My Depression Thinreaper 2020-12-31 | To say Celeste took me somewhat by surprise would be a bit of an understatement. I was well aware of its esteemed reputation when I sat down to play it for the first time, but it still managed to bowl me over; it’s easily the best game I’ve played all year and probably the best 2D platformer I’ve ever played. I was also surprised however by the game’s story. I didn’t know much about the story or its themes going in and I was surprised to find that the game dealt with issues like depression and anxiety and that it would resonate with me so strongly. In this video I discuss how Celeste gave me hope for the future and what the mountain taught me about my own depression.I used the She/Her pronouns when referring to Madeline as that's what creator Maddy Thorson used in their blogpost discussing Madeline being trans.maddythorson.medium.com/is-madeline-canonically-trans-4277ece02e40Footage courtesy of Transparency! Please check out their channel!youtube.com/channel/UCwOConcPgxt3lIKIfBSNrTgFollow me on Twitter @thinreaper Support me on Ko-fi www.ko-fi.com/thinreaperCheers!
The Critical Failure of Insomniacs Spider-Man Thinreaper 2020-10-19 | I discuss what I believe to be the critical failure of Insomniac's 2018 Spider-Man game for PS4. For a lot of people, Insomniac Game's Spider-Man seemed to tick just about every box you could hope for in a Spider-man game; cool gadgets, loads of suits, a decent story with a huge roster of iconic characters that are written faithfully to the comics and, most importantly a robust combat system and incredible swinging mechanics. All the while, looking gorgeous. Many people hailed it as the Ultimate Spider-man experience. But was it? Because for me there was one box it completely failed to tick; a box that in my mind is critical to truly capturing the spider-man experience...Support me here: ko-fi.com/thinreaperFollow me on Twitter: @thinreaperPlease check out my pal Corrupted Save! This video wouldn't exist if it wasn't for his incredible kindness and generosity! He makes great videos too!Check out his awesome video on TLoU Part II and make sure you subscribe!:youtu.be/bJzjPIFZmZIAnd follow him on Twitter too:twitter.com/JackLockjawAlso a big thanks to these great people for providing really valuable feedback on my script. Check them out too! Chris Davis: youtube.com/c/ChrisDavis_GamesMegabite: youtube.com/c/MegaBiteGamesDaniel Santos: youtube.com/user/ShintaiReviews
Okami - In-depth Review Thinreaper 2020-07-20 | A retrospective in-depth critique and analysis of Okami.Okami will certainly feel familiar to anyone who’s played a 3D Zelda game before, but to label it merely a ‘Zelda-clone’, I think, would be to do it a disservice. The game has some really unique mechanics, one in particular, and the influences that the story, characters and overall design draw from, are heavily rooted in Japanese history, folklore and mythology which give it a truly distinct feel that sets it apart from its peers. But most importantly, at its core, it feels to me like the game has very different design goals to Zelda and, dispelling some of the dismissive criticisms of the game as a Zelda clone is something I want to address in this video by looking a bit more closely at the design of both series’. So, join me as we take an in-depth look at Okami.MASSIVE thank you to @HeavyEyed for letting me borrow some footage from his Okami video! You should check his video out too, it's great! youtu.be/B_oFS1DpkM4Follow me on Twitter @thinreaperYou can donate to me on Ko-fi if you would like to support me! ko-fi.com/thinreaperThanks!Intro - 0:00Zelda Clone? - 0:36Opening - 2:26General Gameplay - 5:26Combat - 30:42Difficulty - 39:05Rewards - 43:00Dungeons & Bosses - 44:28Story, Themes & Characters - 52:24Music & Audio - 1:06:37Outro - 1:11:40
Reinventing the Zelda Formula: A Breath of the Wild Analysis Thinreaper 2017-08-28 | An in-depth analysis/critique of The Legend of Zelda formula and how Breath of the Wild has adhered/broken with that formula.In this video I want to take a look at what defined the classic Zelda formula and how Nintendo have attempted to reinvent it; what’s made the transition and what's had to go; discuss the impact these changes to the formula may or may not have had on how the game feels, based on what we expect from a Zelda game and discuss what this new approach means for the future of the series. This isn't so much a thorough critique of BotW itself, more a critique of it's 'Zelda-ness'. Follow me on Twitter @thinreaperI no longer use Patreon but you can support my channel on Ko-fi if you like: ko-fi.com/thinreaperPlease check out these awesome videos:Turbo Button - How Breath of the Wild Fixes Zelda's Item Problem: youtu.be/NgBvbX1wTRAMark Brown's series on Zelda's dungeon design - Boss Keys:youtu.be/ouO1R6vFDBo?list=PLc38fcMFcV_ul4D6OChdWhsNsYY3NA5B2Footage used:Ocarina of Time - Graphic Gaming: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlnwcLcCbVA1cMrZdkfaZUnuFyH6bvP0LOcarina of Time - FullGrownGaming: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEE458B6CFC6D6035A Link To The Past - GetDaved: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGlGqHpTdgM8bQWQD04YKcLij-5bfWbPFDivine Beasts - GamersPrey: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLi8rTpm0dFlIgjalSc7Iy_gOmVoaAK3vzBoss Fights - Boss Fight Database: youtu.be/2kUExCS3pBsVarious - Matthewmatosis: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdg60-UktzB7FOxFNrVBmNZN7jqhkQdIuThanks for watching!
Overlooked Games - Stacking Thinreaper 2017-01-11 | Welcome to another episode of Overlooked Games, a series where I examine games which had some really cool ideas or mechanics, or some other interesting aspect of game design, that didn’t quite get the recognition they deserved.This episode explores Double Fine's 2011 puzzle, adventure game Stacking and it's innovative use of multiple puzzle solutions.Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think in the comments and be sure to subscribe and follow me on twitter @thinreaper.I no longer use Patreon but you can support my channel on Ko-fi if you like: ko-fi.com/thinreaper
Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare - In-depth Review Thinreaper 2016-12-31 | A retrospective in-depth critique and analysis of Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare.This video follows on from the in-depth review I made on Red Dead Redemption and if you haven’t seen that, I’d recommend watching that first as a lot of the points I’m going to make here will be referring to things I talked about in that video. But I thought it might be fun to take a look at this DLC and examine what changes they made from the main game, for better or worse and how my thoughts on this might differ from those on Red Dead.Original Red Dead Redemption In-Depth Review: youtu.be/evprGzIcwxMI no longer use Patreon but you can support my channel on Ko-fi if you like: ko-fi.com/thinreaperHope you enjoyed this video, let me know what you thought in the comments and be sure to follow me on Twitter! @thinreaper
Red Dead Redemption - In-depth Review Thinreaper 2016-12-02 | A retrospective in-depth critique and analysis of Red Dead Redemption. Red Dead Redemption is perhaps one of the most beloved, revered, critically acclaimed games of all time, certainly of its generation. Now that Red Dead Redemption 2 has officially been announced, it's the perfect time to take a look back and see how the original game holds up today; what worked, what didn’t work and what could be done to improve. Intro - 00:00Gameplay - 00:43Story - 40:00Visuals & Setting - 1:05:39Sound & Music - 1:17:42Outro - 1:22:49Make sure you check out these great videos:Razbuten - Mini Maps are Stupid: youtu.be/4FfG-4HKoWQCraytrey - Video Game Film School: youtu.be/R8gM7_xTxo0And my buddy SockDry for letting me use his funny GTAV Online clip - Jet Pilot Snipe Suicide: youtu.be/L11ZP6hMQzYHope you enjoyed this video, let me know what you thought in the comments and be sure to follow me on Twitter! @thinreaperI no longer use Patreon but you can support my channel on Ko-fi if you like: ko-fi.com/thinreaper
Overlooked Games - Condemned: Criminal Origins Thinreaper 2016-10-08 | A series where I take a look at games which, maybe weren't perfect, but at least had some cool ideas that I think deserve a bit more recognition. This episode takes a look at how Condemned: Criminal Origins took an innovative approach to melee combat which still feels fresh over ten years on.Turbo Button: F.E.A.R. - Level and Enemy Designyoutube.com/watch?v=p_3LQhncl2cI no longer use Patreon but you can support my channel on Ko-fi if you like: ko-fi.com/thinreaperFollow me on Twitter @thinreaper
Overlooked Games - I Am Alive Thinreaper 2016-09-14 | A new series where I take a look at games which, maybe weren't perfect, but at least had some cool ideas that I think deserve a bit more recognition. Mark Brown: Game Maker's Toolkit - The Mechanics of Movement: youtu.be/lQRr3pXxsGoFollow me on Twitter: @thinreaperYou can support my channel on Ko-fi if you like: ko-fi.com/thinreaper
Papers, Please and the Importance of Pixel Art Thinreaper 2016-09-02 | A look at how the pixel art in Papers, Please has as much thought and meaning behind it as any other celebrated indie art game and shouldn't be dismissed because of its apparent simplicity. Huge thanks to Gonzalo Alvarez for letting me use his artwork and creating the survey that inspired this video! Check him out on Twitter: twitter.com/GonzzinkAnd Instagram: instagram.com/gonzzinkFollow me on Twitter! @thinreaperYou can support my channel on Ko-fi if you like: ko-fi.com/thinreaper
Hitman: Absolution - In-depth Review Thinreaper 2016-04-30 | A retrospective critique and analysis of Hitman: Absolution (Contains Spoilers). Follow me on Twitter @thinreaper.Intro - 00:00Gameplay - 01:16Plot/story - 27:45Setting/Level design - 39:49Visuals - 43:48Sound - 48:10Outro - 52:12A HUGE thanks to Centerstrain01 for giving me kind permission to use his footage. Check out his fantastic walkthroughs for all the Hitman games: youtube.com/user/Centerstrain01 Also check out What's With Games' excellent video on the Stealth genre: youtube.com/watch?v=U9BUaDN36a0Thanks for watching and feel free to like, subscribe and check out my other videos!You can support my channel on Ko-fi if you like: ko-fi.com/thinreaper
5 Ways to Improve Game Design in The Last of Us II Thinreaper 2016-02-02 | A look at 5 different areas of gameplay that could be improved in a sequel to The Last of Us with some ideas as to how. Plus some suggestions of mechanics that could be introduced to help better incorporate the narrative themes into gameplay.Check out Matthewmatosis' excellent Review here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFhRF...Footage used from the following The Last of Us Playthrough's:TheBeautyofGames: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMvjv1gwBcWjGltTFwFcNlVYqkQRfHpYHTheAntiVerse: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSwZznAWI30h8ARrQH3eI2xorw6O37HtTI Am Alive footage:cad5150: youtube.com/playlist?list=PLJA2yaYRBiwa7dkejhSpoiDDEdw6T33kfHope you enjoyed the video! Follow me on twitter @thinreaperYou can support my channel on Ko-fi if you like: ko-fi.com/thinreaper
Dark Souls and Discovery in Game Design Thinreaper 2015-12-20 | A look at how Dark Souls incorporates player discovery into every aspect of its game design and how these elements all work together and compliment each other. *Contains SPOILERS for Dark Souls*This video was heavily inspired by Extra Credit's fantastic video 'Exploration In Games - Four Ways Players Discover Joy' which you can find here: youtube.com/watch?v=FE7lDFAcb4YAlso check the excellent Dark Souls commentary by Matthewmatosis here: youtube.com/watch?v=EV16ROaHVfoFinally, a massive thank you to Stormicyde for letting me use the footage of his Dark Souls Playthrough! His clear and concise video descriptions meant sifting through the hours and hours of footage made editing much easier! Check out his playthrough here:youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnDJfXZl5uGIXX0ahjA_rRFhzBczxM1rRHope you enjoyed the video! Please feel free to comment; I genuinely appreciate all feedback and will always do my best to respond to everyone. Please like button if you enjoyed and check out my other videos, you can also find me on twitter @thinreaper. Thanks!You can support my channel on Ko-fi if you like: ko-fi.com/thinreaper
Gears of War - In-depth Review Thinreaper 2015-10-09 | A retrospective in-depth critique and analysis of the original Gears of War (contains spoilers).00:00 - Intro01:00 - Gameplay13:07 - Plot/Story18:56 - Visuals22:10 - Sound24:13 - Setting/Level Design25:32 - Multiplayer31:04 - OutroCee Marshall's excellent video on Forced Turret Sequences: youtu.be/DI3zWni8N5AHuge thanks to redditor Tim187 for the Photoshop help! Hit the Like button if you've enjoyed this video and please subscribe for more in-depth reviews! Let me know what you think in the comments and you can also follow me on Twitter: @thinreaperYou can support my channel on Ko-fi if you like: ko-fi.com/thinreaper
Dead Space - In-depth Review Thinreaper 2015-09-02 | An in-depth critique and analysis of Dead Space (contains spoilers)00:00 - Intro01:34 - Gameplay09:25 - Story16:07 - Visuals20:40 - Setting24:12 - Sound26:44 - Criticisms 34:12 - OutroHit the Like button if you've enjoyed this video and please subscribe for more in-depth reviews! Let me know what you think in the comments and you can also follow me on Twitter: @thinreaperYou can support my channel on Ko-fi if you like: ko-fi.com/thinreaper
Journey - In-depth Review Thinreaper 2015-05-05 | An in-depth critique and analysis of the game Journey (contains spoilers!)In this review I discuss various aspects of the game such as visuals, gameplay, setting, music and also explore the game's story and themes. 00:00 - Intro02:05 - Gameplay07:41 - Visuals11:07 - Setting12:40 - Music/Sound14:12 - Story/Themes21:21 - Criticism 22:58 - OutroHit the Like button if you've enjoyed this review and please subscribe for more in-depth reviews! Let me know what you think in the comments and you can also follow me on Twitter: @thinreaperYou can support my channel on Ko-fi if you like: ko-fi.com/thinreaper
Limbo - In-depth Review Thinreaper 2014-11-05 | You can support my channel on Patreon if you like: patreon.com/thinreaperAn in-depth critique and analysis of the game Limbo (contains spoilers!)In this review I discuss various aspects of the game such as visuals, sound design, gameplay, music and also explore the game's story and themes. 00:00 - Intro02:35 - Animation & Level Design03:38 - Visuals05:08 - Music & Sound Design07:26 - Atmosphere10:08 - Trial and Error13:05 - Criticisms16:58 - Story & Themes20:22 - OutroHit the Like button if you've enjoyed this review and please subscribe for more in-depth reviews! Let me know what you think in the comments and you can also follow me on Twitter: @thinreaper
Mirrors Edge - In-depth Review Thinreaper 2014-08-05 | A retrospective in-depth critique and analysis of Mirror's Edge (Contains Spoilers!)In this review I talk about every aspect of the game in detail including gameplay, setting, combat, visuals etc etc and discuss which aspects worked and which didn't. Hopefully I can shed some light on why the game was so divisive.00:00 - Intro01:52 - Art Direction/Setting06:46 - Plot/Story 13:09 - Gameplay16:18 - Combat22:26 - Level Design26:53 - Replay Value/Time Trials29:05 - OutroHope you enjoy the video! Let me know what you thought of the game and if you agreed/disagreed with what I said in the comments below! Also don't forget to like and subscribe for more upcoming reviews and follow me on Twitter! @thinreaperYou can support my channel on Ko-fi if you like: ko-fi.com/thinreaper
The Unfinished Swan - In-depth Review Thinreaper 2014-06-25 | An in-depth analysis of Giant Sparrow's The Unfinished Swan - contains spoilers for the entire game.In this video I attempt to examine the themes and ideas explored in the game and discuss what I interpreted the meaning behind The Unfinished Swan to be. I also talk about why I believe the game is under rated and often misunderstood.Hope you enjoy the video! Did you enjoy the game? Did you have a different interpretation? Let me know in the comments below!Subscribe to my channel for more reviews coming soon!Follow me on Twitter @thinreaperYou can support my channel on Ko-fi if you like: ko-fi.com/thinreaper
