The GamerGuru desk
Editorial
An argument worth your time. Perspective on the games we play.
Arcade design / Crazy Taxi
Crazy Taxi's clock turns every shortcut into a wager
A ticking fare timer turns route knowledge into a series of escalating decisions.
Arcade history / Metal Slug
Metal Slug's rare test build shows why its tank became a power-up
A rare location-test build reveals the design decision that made Metal Slug's tank sing.
Swordplay design / Onimusha
Onimusha: Way of the Sword gives every counter a job
Capcom's returning samurai series makes its defensive tools feel like a conversation rather than one familiar button.
Tomb Raider at 30 / Design
Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis has to remake the original game's questions
The coming reimagining needs to update Tomb Raider without making its spaces too easily read.
Survival design / RuneScape
RuneScape: Dragonwilds turns survival chores into new abilities
Dragonwilds uses RuneScape skills to alter the survival loop, not merely lengthen it.