My computer and video game fandoms.
A few months back, I have finished Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, the third standalone installment of the Dishonored series and the finale of its "Kaldwin Era" story arc. The game has left me with... mixed feelings, particularly in regards to its value as an immersive sim, which is a genre that I got into through the Dishonored series, in the first place.
Read more: A Lengthy Rant on Dishonored: Death of the Outsider
The following essay was originally published on my Mass Effect Wiki blog and later reposted on TV Tropes. You may have also seen it in an academic paper form, which I published in December 2016.
Mass Effect 2 is the most universally adored part of the original Mass Effect trilogy, and despite its gameplay refinement and improved variety, Mass Effect 3 could never supplant its predecessor. Part two had something its sequel didn't: A mind-blowingly epic ending that left every player in awe. But what exactly made the ending of Mass Effect 2 so amazing? Although the magnificent cutscene direction and musical composition contributed a lot to it, the key to the awesomeness of Mass Effect 2's endgame segment lies in the gameplay design and the story scripting of the entire Suicide Mission.