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Michael Clarkson

Michael Clarkson has written 3 posts for Critical Distance
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Grand Theft Auto IV

By Michael Clarkson ⋅ October 14, 2009 ⋅ 19 comments

At the time of its release, Grand Theft Auto IV was hailed as the most important moment in the development of games as art, and their mainstream acceptance as such. It had the usual controversies, from reactionary conservatives as well as genuinely-offended feminists. The perfect scores poured in, then the imperfect scores, and the game’s [...]

Fallout 3

By Michael Clarkson ⋅ July 17, 2009 ⋅ One comment

Imagine the enormity of the task: to take one of the most fondly-remembered role-playing games ever made, a game developed by another studio, and craft a sequel with vastly different gameplay, advancing the world design and graphics for a new era of gaming while recapturing the ineffable spirit of the beloved predecessor. If that doesn’t [...]

BioShock

By Michael Clarkson ⋅ June 17, 2009 ⋅ 5 comments

BioShock is the rare game that really does change the way we think about video games, if for no other reason than that it has turned up as an example in almost every discussion of game style, mechanics, story, or design that has been written since its initial release in 2007. BioShock has received excessive [...]