(Originally published on the LA Canvas website, back when our humble hobby was represented in that magazine.)
It has become all too easy to forget what a truly great gaming idea looks like. We have been so inundated with iterative shooters and action games that a weapon shooting flames can almost seem innovative. Over the course of four games, Tim Schafer and his Double Fine Productions have fought back against the me-too machine, gracing gamers with telekinetic campers, heroic heavy metal roadies, and other clever inventions. In short, they’ve got the creativity thing down pat. But as much as I admire their work, at times I wish they would lavish the same attention on gameplay that they do their worlds, characters, and stories.
In Stacking, we at last have the compelling gameplay experience to go along with all of those great Double Fine ideas.
Pixels and Pynchon 