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Action role-playing games in the vein of Diablo are about collecting the spoils of combat, ad infinitum, right? Maybe we've lost our way.

Developer Runic Games' Torchlight II desperately needs a dodge ability.

Endless Space stumbles with its tutorials, unfortunately opting for lengthy and boring text explanations.

Dragon's Dogma might play to similar fantasy tropes as Oblivion and Skyrim, but developer Capcom has designed much better combat, dialogue, and exploration.

Dragon's Dogma surpasses many role-playing games in terms of its detailed and rewarding combat model; however, Capcom's control schemes unfortunately mar the experience.

Men of War: Condemned Heroes walks the line between "good A.I." and "fun A.I," which creates a fresh experience in the real-time strategy genre.

X-Com is the story of the underdog because of "broken" design, and that's what makes the game so memorable. Will Firaxis' Enemy Unknown re-imagining do the same?

The emphasis on violence and dehumanization in The Last of Us trailer reveals the narrative crutches of video games.

News Blips for Friday, November 18: Torchlight 2 delayed, Splash Damage working on new game, MechWarrior reboot will use CryEngine 3, and more

Dark Souls uses vulnerability in its online play to create genuinely horrifying thrills.

Zelda's and Metroid's embrace of open exploration and tantalizing discovery continues on in From Software's Dark Souls.

In contrast to the modern game's careful, designer-managed experience, Dark Souls treats players with the respect they deserve by trusting them enough to find their own enjoyment.

News Blips for October 7, 2011: Robert Daly exposed as having falsely represented his military credentials; ABC's Ex-Comm sounds a lot like the revered strategy series, X-Com; PC players drop the negative-review bomb on Rage; and Xbox 360 hackers have modded Dark Souls save-data files.

The Binding of Isaac explores the depths of humiliation and successfully marries those themes to its game design.

News Blips for September 29, 2011: Zynga's money woes, Microsoft denies security breach, always-on DRM in the arcade, and changes to the Dark Souls collector's edition

Men of War: Vietnam, 1C Company's latest real-time strategy game, evokes the panic, confusion, and guerrilla tactics of the real Cold War-era proxy conflict.

Warhammer 40,000: Kill Team's rote gameplay only makes the 17-year-old Space Hulk all the more appealing.

While Blizzard has axed mods for Diablo 3, Runic Games and Crate Entertainment discuss their support for user-generated content in the upcoming action-RPGs Torchlight 2 and Grim Dawn.

Men of War embraces Helmuth von Moltke the Elder's axioms of war in ways that surpass Company of Heroes' similar focus on the battlefield.

Eidos Montreal discusses class struggle, mechanical augmentation, and corporate power in Deus Ex: Human Revolution's narrative with Bitmob.