The Long takes close looks at the games, people, trends and ideas that matter most - from the most obscure to the most mainstream.
Mass Confusion: Mass Effect 3′s Crippling Identity Crisis
Patrick Lindsey | Friday, June 14, 2013 
I’m going to talk about Mass Effect 3 for a while. Spoilers: I don’t like it very much. In order to explain why I don’t like it very much, I’ve got to talk a bit about RPGs in general, so I’m going to do that now.
What does RPG mean? Role …
Finally: A Review Of Penny Arcade’s On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4
Joshua Dennison | Friday, June 14, 2013 
The idea that the new Zeboyd Games title Penny Arcade’s On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness 4 correlates in any way to the “Penny Arcade universe” makes me want to vomit brown chunks. I can recognize that the site’s schtick speaks to a certain crowd, but it left a truly …
Microsoft Didn’t Get The Memo For Its E3 Press Conference
Jason Rice | Wednesday, June 12, 2013 
I can only imagine what things must be like at Microsoft HQ right now. Tears and shouts, the telltale signs of lamentation, echoing through the halls. A single employee, their polo shirt stained with sweat and grime, huddled in a ball and tucked into some forgotten corner office. Flatscreen TVs, …
Soon It Will Be Here: A Review Of The Yawhg
Tom Auxier | Thursday, May 30, 2013 
What can I say about Damian Sommer and Emily Carroll’s The Yawhg without ruining it? Well, it’ll be here soon. The Yawhg came out today, and the Yawhg itself comes in six weeks. Will you be ready?
The Yawhg is a multiplayer choose your own adventure story about the six weeks …
Transitions: The Heart Forth, Alicia Interview
Joshua Dennison | Thursday, May 30, 2013 
Alonso Martin may be in over his head.
The Mexican-born film director has written and helmed nearly twenty short films, and in that time, he’s gained an appreciation for the medium and its ability to convey a feeling. By now, with film, he knows what he’s doing. But an idea soon …
DOTA 2: A Primer
Tim Hsu | Tuesday, May 28, 2013 
Everything is a zeitgeist. Well, by definition that’s impossible, but in practice it’s basically the only real truth: everything is the result of a conflict of diametrically opposed ideals. In its original use, Hegel intended it to define a final state of existence, an “ideal ideal” that resulted not from …
Hopping Brilliant: A Review Of The Night Of The Rabbit
Joshua Dennison | Monday, May 27, 2013 
In workshops, bedrooms, and studios across the world, people who grew up on titles like Space Quest and The Curse of Monkey Island are now making their own adventure games. Proudly wearing their influences on their sleeves, they’re making strides in the genre by cherry-picking their favourite elements in these …
God, Give Me Puzzles: A Review of Reus
Tom Auxier | Friday, May 24, 2013 For the past few days Reus has confused me. On the surface a gorgeous God Game, Reus doesn’t play like one. It draws you in with one set of ideas, then gives you something different. It’s damn attractive, but it’s like ordering a coffee at your local watering hole and …
Magic & Gathering: A Review Of Prime World: Defenders
Joshua Dennison | Tuesday, May 21, 2013 
We’re all allowed to hate certain genres, and for me, that genre is real-time strategy games. They simply aren’t interesting to me. I often find them repetitive and lacking in any real feedback mechanism; games devolve into fits of rage, trial, and error, requiring multiple attempts to master missions, and …
Bioshock Infinite’s OST Cockup, And How You Can Fix It
Caitlin Oram | Monday, May 20, 2013 
First, I want to make it clear that the Bioshock Infinite OST is good, and as I’ve said before, I love the OSTs composer Garry Schyman so very much. However, Irrational Games has made a mistake.
As you likely noticed during your playthrough of the game, there are a number of …
