GAMES

‘Curse of the Sea Rats’ promises too much
Petoons Studio’s rat-themed metroidvania delivers on visuals and story, but lacks final polish.

Game design students recommend indie gems
Check out some of USC’s undergraduate experts’ favorite overlooked titles.

‘STARWEAVE’ rejects roles in role playing games
Rachel Geng’s MFA thesis tells a story of diversity and personal journey through AI.

Free Play: The esports industry is changing, but the game is not
The esports industry has made considerable progress in aiding the equality and inclusivity of women, but a new direction must be taken.

Animated: ‘Dumb Ways to Die’ calms my anxiety
There might be “so many dumb ways to die,” but there are also smart ways to cope.

‘Shadow of the Erdtree’ DLC predictions
Celebrating ‘Elden Ring’’’s first anniversary by focusing on future content.

State of Play provides new information on 2023 games
Lots of new content is coming for “Street Fighter”, “Baldur’s Gate” and DC fans.

‘Metroid Prime Remastered’ stirs nostalgia
A product of its time that (mostly) stands the test of time.

Free Play: I’m not going back to the kitchen
Women have faced the toxicity of the competitive shooter community since the dawn of video games, and I will never understand why.

‘Blanc’ is sweet, simple and sometimes frustrating
“Blanc” has gameplay as minimal and satisfying as its art style, but it isn’t without technical pitfalls.

Ready player two? Team up on Feb. 14
Cozy co-op games to play with that special someone this Valentine’s Day.

Redefining the default: Gordon Bellamy
The USC professor discussed his decorated career in game design and activism.