narrative

A Structural Critique of IMMORTALITY

Ian Bryce JonesLeave a comment

Ian here—

Five years ago, I posted a video analysis of Sam Barlow’s game HER STORY that I’m especially proud of. Now, I follow it up with a lengthy discussion of Barlow’s 2022 game IMMORTALITY. This video serves as the twelfth video in my Shape Up! series, and I’m also considering it the long-belated sixth entry in my detective games series.

Full script below the jump, with ample citations. (I leaned heavily on the newly-released book IMMORTALITY: Design Works for background research on this one.)

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OMORI’s Fantastical Pacing Problem

Ian Bryce JonesLeave a comment

Ian here—

Upon first playing it several years back, it struck me that OMORI, while having rather spectacular high points, it didn’t quite cohere and stick the landing as much as Rakuen, with which it shares many similarities (and which I dearly love). It took me awhile, but with this eleventh video in my Shape Up! series, I break down why. (And define an entire genre along the way, with plenty of graphs.)

Script below the jump.

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Mouthwashing, Flashbacks, and Agency

Ian Bryce JonesLeave a comment

Ian here—

I haven’t been having my students write blog posts for the past few quarters, which has left some significant gaps between posts. This has been exacerbated by the fact that I took a 6-month break from posting any video essays, which I’m returning from now, with the ninth video in my ongoing Shape Up! series. (With still more to come!)

Script below the jump.

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SHAPE UP!: Repetition and Difference

Ian Bryce JonesLeave a comment

Ian here—

The sixth episode of the ongoing Shape Up! series is posted. This one addresses a structural innovation present in Oxenfree and NieR: Automata—two old favorites of mine I’ve mentioned before in videos and/or posts—as well as Doki Doki Literature Club! and Kitty Horrorshow’s ANATOMY, which I haven’t written about before but am excited to do so now.

Full script below the jump.

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Introducing: SHAPE UP!

Ian Bryce JonesLeave a comment

Ian here—

Almost a year ago I offhandedly mentioned that I was planning all-new series of videos for 2023. The start date is later than I had anticipated, but I’ll still be sneaking a few in by the end of the year.

It is my pleasure to introduce Shape Up!, a new series of video essays about form, structure, and pacing in games. It is the fruit of a whole lot of academic work I’ve done in the past year, including two different courses I taught about shape and form in art (narrative and otherwise).

Episode one is uploading as I type this. In the meantime, as we wait, the script to this introductory video is below the jump.

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Alignment, Allegience, and Abby: A Last of Us Retrospective, Part 3

Ian Bryce JonesLeave a comment

Ian here—

Flying by the seat of my pants on this series, really hope to time the fourth and final video to drop on June 19, which will be the one-year anniversary of the release of Last of Us Part II. Script below the jump!

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You Don’t Have to Do This: A Last of Us Retrospective, Part 2

Ian Bryce JonesLeave a comment

Ian here—

It’s back to The Last of Us—this time, Part II. I’m trying my best to finish one entry in this series once every three weeks, even in the midst of my current teaching schedule. So far, so good! Script below the jump.

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A Last of Us Retrospective, Part 1

Ian Bryce JonesLeave a comment

Ian here—

Well, I’ve inaugurated a new video series, and I’ve done so smack dab in the middle of an academic quarter. Perhaps inadvisedly! We’ll see if I can keep up a regular schedule for this series, which dives deep into the storytelling techniques of the Last of Us franchise.

Script below the jump.

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Rule of Rose and the Tidiness of Unreality

Ian Bryce JonesLeave a comment

Ian here—

Whoops! I made sure to give myself enough time to finish this video by Halloween … but then I neglected to post the announcement here! Happy belated Halloween, everyone.

I really relished the opportunity to talk about Rule of Rose, one of my favorite odd little games that I’ve never written about in any fashion before. Unfortunately copies of the game have become real collector’s items over the years, and it’s sad to praise a piece of media that so few will have access to. But hey, I also write about experimental film, so I know the feeling.

Script below the jump.

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