Obsidian

We have a new writer in town, a self-proclaimed feminist by the name of Alex Raymond, who at the time of writing has graced our site with three op-eds on the representation of women in video games. While I think issues of gender representation in video games are a perfectly valid and worthwhile topic, I'm consistently finding Alex's articles to be misguided and occasionally misinformed attempts to promote dubious and unscientific ideals about female equality. But it's her attack on the creative freedom of game developers that I find most worrisome.

Or: Why I am dreading Alpha Protocol.

...some video games allow the player character to have sex with NPCs; even more allow the player to have romantic relationships with NPCs. What the vast majority of these games inevitably do is present relationship mechanics that distill the commodity model down to its essence—you talk to the NPC enough, and give them enough presents, and then they have sex with/marry you. This design approach is extremely simplistic and perpetuates the commodity model of sex—the player wants sex, they go through certain motions, and they are "rewarded" with what they wanted (like a vending machine).

According to ESRB, this game contains: Blood, Violence

Star Wars is without a doubt one of the most popular and powerful franchises in Hollywood history, and you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who hasn't at least heard of it. It's nothing less than a cultural juggernaut, and along with that comes the expectations of the legions of fans that have supported it for decades.

Game Description: Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords is the next chapter to Knights of the Old Republic saga. It's five years after the first game and the Jedi are being crushed by the Sith. The twisted wreck named Darth Sion will bring down the Republic, unless a lone Jedi can reconnect with the Force. You will guide this Jedi and make an important decision: Do you follow the Light or succumb to the Dark?