Worth Reading: 12/02/2014

Hey everybody, it's Tuesday!

Sorry for not getting Worth Reading together for Monday, but I'd run out of time last week, and I was far, far too intoxicated to spend any time with it during the Thanksgiving holiday.

You know what's awesome? Playing Bayonetta 2 on a plane because the seats have outlets. You know what's awkward? Playing Bayonetta 2 on a plane because the seats have outlets. Also, you know, because Bayonetta 2 ends with a credit sequence where Bayonetta pole dances. I'm sure it's fine exercise, but the two-year-old next to me probably didn't need to see that juuuuuust yet. Time to grow up, kiddo!

I also can't stop thinking about Bayonetta. BAYONETTA. BAYONETTA. BAYONETAAAAAAAA!!!!!

You Should Read These

• "Wardrobe Theory: Vivienne From Dragon Age: Inquisition" by Gita Jackson

There probably isn't a character in Dragon Age: Inquisition who makes a bigger first impression than Vivienne. Confident, cocky, and dressed to the nines, Vivienne is a delightful addition to an already colorful and eclectic group of characters. Gita Jackson breaks down what makes Vivienne so interesting, especially given how often fantasy worlds completely fail to dress women appropriately.

"And as with all dating sims, I like to research who I’m going to fuck before I play. Initially, I assumed I’d be all about Cullen—whose got a smirk like James Van Der Beek in Rules of Attraction—but I’m honestly most drawn to Vivienne, who, of course, you can’t romance. Woe is me. At least she’s apparently a complete beast and unstoppable dragon slayer—my kind of woman.

Vivienne looks like the sort who subscribes to French Wardrobe Theory, has a closet full of Loubitons, but refuses to change her ringtone from “Anaconda” by Nicki Minaj. She looks like the kind of woman who has a regular table at her favorite bar, some dimly lit speakeasy where she only drinks Manhattans. The frustrating, enticing kind of woman who’s always on point, head to toe in designer, and who would break your neck as soon as look at you. In other words: she’s perfect. In my ongoing quest to be perfect, I’m gonna try to take a few suggestions from Vivienne, because if you can’t have videogame sex with ‘em, join ‘em."

• "Ten Years of World of Warcraft" by Raph Koster

We all have one game or another we should get around to one of these days, but there's no greater shame in my personal history than World of Warcraft. The impact of Blizzard's MMO has been sweeping and profound, yet I've never touched foot in Azeroth. Even without having played WoW, it's been impossible to ignore, and Raph Koster makes the case for why WoW's been such a titan. In fact, Koster argues WoW is what defined--and killed--the genre.

"Rather than try to break new ground on features, WoW set out to instead collate the very best from every game it could, with a relentless focus on the fun. Where other games were chasing high-end graphics, they chose instead to aim low on technical requirements, opening up the potential playerbase considerably, while relying on stunning art direction that was initially decried as cartoony, but which was vivid and colorful and appealing in a way that the grittier other games were not.

And WoW indeed took many of the core features that other games had established, and by and large made them better through the alchemy of recombination and polish."

If You Click It, It Will Play

These Crowdfunding Projects Look Pretty Cool

• Affected wants to explore an Oculus Rift horror experience within the confines of a cabin.
• Theresa Duncan's games for young girls were a pioneering effort that people want to revive.
• That Dragon, Cancer is nearing its final days, and the funding is almost there.

Writing From Giant Bomb's Community, Courtesy of ZombiePie

• PimblyCharles shares a Giant Bomb theme abstract work that he has been working on for months.
• TheMasterDS shares a friendly reminder Donkey Kong Country is almost of drinking age.
• regularassmilk theorizes what goes into a good side quest for open world games.
• N7 blogs about how things are just as disappointing for Assassin's Creed fans with Rogue.

Tweets That Make You Go "Hmmmmmm"

Oh, And This Other Stuff

• Cara Ellison played a game about having sex with women with a group of women.
• Kevin Wong outlined how Unreal Tournament's "Facing Worlds" map remains king.
• Joe Martin unearthed new information on a series of abandoned Deus Ex sequels.
• Dan Crawley profiled the emerging gaming scene in Poland.
• Mike Rougeau profiled a series of games exploring depression. (It's on Playboy, FYI!)
• John Teti pointed out how the new Batman trailer seems to feature him killing people.
• Christian Nutt pondered the future of Amiibos and when the figures might amount to more.
• Heather Alexandra explored the definition of AI, as seen through Binary Domain.
• Daniel Starkey reviewed Never Alone from the perspective of a Native American.
• Austin Walker examined Far Cry 4's balance of content, world, and bombast.