Long Reads
20 Years Later, The Rowdy Creators of Tokyo-to Reflect on Making Jet Set Radio
Jet Set Radio turns 20.
Never Mind The Last Of Us, Here's The Real Game With The First LGBT+ Protagonist
In 1989, a lone developer released the LGBT+ detective game Caper in the Castro.
TimeSplitters at 20: How the Cult Classic Series Laid the Groundwork for Modern Hero Shooters
For TimeSplitters's 20th anniversary this year, we talk to David Doak about creating the seminal shooter.
Latest Long Reads
Why Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Was Fated to Be Overlooked Despite Its Brilliance
Yoshi's Island is a top-tier Super Mario game, but bad timing and bad advertising caused a lot of people to miss out the first time around.
Horizon Zero Dawn Still Shines on PC Despite a Port That Trails Behind Death Stranding
Horizon Zero Dawn is on PC, good. The port isn't as tight as it could be, bad.
After 9 Hours, Marvel's Avengers Spends a Lot of Time Fighting Itself
The strengths and weaknesses of Marvel's Avengers come to blows as entropy closes in.
FIFA 21's Battle With Lag, And What EA Has to Say About Other Longstanding Gameplay Problems
"FIFA 21 is the most responsive game we've ever made," EA says.
There Shouldn't be a New Call of Duty in 2020
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone is getting its new season this week, but all eyes are on what's next for the series.
Traces of Beta Yoshi's Genetic Material Can Still be Found in Super Mario World
The Nintendo Gigaleak reminds us immortality through our offspring is possible. (And potentially disturbing.)
USG Game of the Month: Necrobarista Is an Electric Story About Letting Go
Our Game of the Month for July 2020 is a moving tale at the edge of the afterlife.
StarCraft 2's Rollercoaster Decade, As Remembered By Its Developers
Reflections on StarCraft 2's early success, the impact of free-to-play, and what Blizzard might have done differently.
Starting Screen is our weekly column featuring news, commentary, and music to help you get over your case of the Mondays.
View Starting Screen archiveStarting Screen | There Shouldn't be a New Call of Duty in 2020
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone is getting its new season this week, but all eyes are on what's next for the series.
Starting Screen | StarCraft Deserves Better
On its 10th anniversary, the future of Blizzard's flagship RTS is uncertain. It shouldn't be.
Starting Screen | It's a Critical Week for the Future of Halo
Halo Infinite is finally being revealed this week. Will it be good enough to return to gaming's top echelons?
Horizon Zero Dawn Still Shines on PC Despite a Port That Trails Behind Death Stranding
Horizon Zero Dawn is on PC, good. The port isn't as tight as it could be, bad.
After 9 Hours, Marvel's Avengers Spends a Lot of Time Fighting Itself
The strengths and weaknesses of Marvel's Avengers come to blows as entropy closes in.
Starting Screen | There Shouldn't be a New Call of Duty in 2020
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone is getting its new season this week, but all eyes are on what's next for the series.
Traces of Beta Yoshi's Genetic Material Can Still be Found in Super Mario World
The Nintendo Gigaleak reminds us immortality through our offspring is possible. (And potentially disturbing.)
USG Game of the Month: Necrobarista Is an Electric Story About Letting Go
Our Game of the Month for July 2020 is a moving tale at the edge of the afterlife.
Grounded is Off to a Good Start, And Game Pass Gives It Room to Grow
Obsidian Entertainment's survival game has a chance to survive in a crowded genre.
One Year Later, Fire Emblem: Three Houses's Very Horny Community Endures
Here's to you, erotic and non-erotic artists.
FIFA 21's Battle With Lag, And What EA Has to Say About Other Longstanding Gameplay Problems
"FIFA 21 is the most responsive game we've ever made," EA says.
StarCraft 2's Rollercoaster Decade, As Remembered By Its Developers
Reflections on StarCraft 2's early success, the impact of free-to-play, and what Blizzard might have done differently.
Don't Call Fight Crab Another "Gag Game"
We chat with the developer behind Fight Crab, a crustacean-led, physics-heavy fighting game.
From Music to Programming, Olija Is Largely the Work of Just One Developer
Devolver Digital's latest surprise reveal has you wielding a harpoon in a Prince of Persia-inspired world.
The 10 Gaming Trends That Need to Die on Next-Gen Consoles
The USG team has come together to talk smack about the trends we can't stand as we look ahead to the PS5 and Xbox Series X.
These Are the Samurai Films You Should Watch After Finishing Ghost of Tsushima
From Sanjuro to Ran, and Lady Snowblood to Samurai Assassin, here are the films to watch after Ghost of Tsushima.
The 5 Scariest Moments in The Last of Us Part 2
Naughty Dog's sequel sure is a fully-fledged horror game.
It's Time to Rank Pokemon's Main Rivals, And No, Blue Isn't #1
Rivals are as synonymous with Pokemon as gym leaders in goofy costumes and children fighting organized crime. We're here to rate them from best to worst.
Ranking the Fictional Punk Bands in The Last of Us Part 2
From The Clover 4 to Scribbling Kids Concept, we take a look at the best fictional punk bands in The Last of Us Part 2.
20 Video Game Starting Screens That Left A Fantastic First Impression
From The Last of Us to Mega Man 2, these are our favorite title screens in video games.
The Most Beautiful 2D Sprite Games of All Time
Let's celebrate the simple beauty of sprite-based games.
20 Amazing In-Game Maps That Did More Than Show the Way Forward
From A Link to the Past to Planescape: Torment, these are our favorite maps in video games.
Why Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island Was Fated to Be Overlooked Despite Its Brilliance
Yoshi's Island is a top-tier Super Mario game, but bad timing and bad advertising caused a lot of people to miss out the first time around.
Remember When…The Virtual Boy Introduced Shin Megami Tensei to the West
In 1995, a select few welcomed Jack Frost into the domain of Western mortals.
Remember When... Dragon Quest 9 Shocked the World?
Robust multiplayer options and a brief affair with action-based gameplay made Dragon Quest 9 the Shockmaster of the Dragon Quest series.
Why I'm Still Playing Gradius 35 Years After Its Original Release
On its 35th anniversary, the Vic Viper lives on.
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