gamesbriefs
Topic

Identity

Who someone is taken to be, and who gets a say.

3
in games
10:24
average
31 min
in total
138
across the network
Identity across the network →
All briefs3
10:48

Prey (2017 video game)

Arkane Studios · 2017

Prey (2017) is a first-person immersive sim set aboard the Talos I space station. You play as Morgan Yu, a scientist surviving a Typhon outbreak. You begin with a wrench and gradually unlock weapons, Neuromod abilities, and environmental tools. Talos I opens in stages—from linear missions to free exploration—and supports multiple solutions via systemic interactions: oil spills, turrets, explosive canisters, and the Gloo Cannon. It draws inspiration from System Shock and Arx Fatalis. It shares only its name with Human Head Studios’ earlier Prey series. It was developed by Arkane Austin under Raphaël Colantonio’s leadership.

10:21

AI: The Somnium Files

Spike Chunsoft · 2019

AI: The Somnium Files is a branching adventure game developed by Spike Chunsoft in 2019. It alternates between first-person investigation and timed third-person dream exploration ('Somnium'). Players use an AI assistant named Aiba to analyse scenes and augment vision. Progress requires completing multiple routes via a flowchart, with each route withholding key narrative information until all are finished.

10:02

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider

Arkane Studios · 2017

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is a first-person action-adventure game developed by Arkane Studios in Lyon. It is a standalone expansion concluding the Kaldwin-era arc of the Dishonored series. Players assume the role of Billie Lurk and use conventional weapons, gadgets—including a wrist-mounted crossbow, land mines, grenades, and a new hook mine—and fully unlocked supernatural abilities such as Displace and Semblance. Energy for powers regenerates automatically, eliminating consumables. The Chaos system is removed, and optional Contracts serve as side missions.

More from games

All briefs →
11:06

1080° Snowboarding

Nintendo · 1998

1080° Snowboarding is a Nintendo 64 snowboarding game released in 1998. Players control one of five snowboarders in third-person across eight levels. Core gameplay splits between racing (Race, Time Attack, 2 Players, Match Race) and trick-based scoring (Trick Attack, Contest). Tricks — 24 standard and 5 secret — fall into grab or spin categories and require circular stick motions plus R, Z, and B inputs. Scoring rewards complexity, combos, and timing. Characters and boards have distinct stats affecting technique, speed, weight, balance, and edge control. The game emphasises realistic physics and responsive controls.

9:13

Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising

Intelligent Systems · 2003

Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising is a Game Boy Advance turn-based strategy game released in 2001 by Intelligent Systems. It refines the Wars series’ core loop with non-linear campaign progression, Super CO Powers, and terrain-specific objectives like capturing Black Cannons. It asks players to sequence actions across turns with precision, not flair. Its rigour is its strength—and its limit.

8:39

Alone in the Dark (1992 video game)

Infogrames · 1994

Alone in the Dark (1992) is a 3D horror adventure game set in 1920s Louisiana. The player selects Edward Carnby or Emily Hartwood and begins trapped in the attic of the haunted Derceto mansion. Escape requires exploration, weight-managed inventory use, and puzzle-solving—some enemies demand ritual solutions; others must be avoided entirely. Fixed camera angles and mixed 2D/3D visuals create deliberate tension. It received international attention upon release.

10:46

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney

Capcom · 2007

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney is a DS courtroom game built on three fixed actions — Press, Present, Perceive — and one hard constraint: you cannot move forward until you trigger the correct response. It works because every phase feeds the next. It falters because it offers no deviation from that feed.