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New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

Visual Arts

A still from the video game Return to Monkey Island depicts a locksmith wearing a pair of black goggles, standing behind the counter of a workshop. The workshop is decorated with various keys.

Review: ‘Return to Monkey Island’ is a nostalgic pirate adventure game

The latest revamp in the “Monkey Island” series recovers the glory of the patient point-and-click. “Return to Monkey Island” is available on Nintendo Switch, macOS and Windows.
Ferris Elaraby, Contributing Writer October 21, 2022

Point-and-click video games were particularly popular in the ‘90s. As the name suggests, players point and click on different elements of the games’ environments in order to...

An illustration of a man holding a gun and wearing a khaki trench coat. Behind him there is a mill, and to the left there is text: “Call of Duty Vanguard Warzone Season Two.”

‘Call of Duty’ brings subtle yet impactful changes with new season

With season two’s arrival comes a plethora of updates to “Warzone” and “Vanguard” that add innovative content, alter gameplay, and fix old glitches (but not without adding some new ones).
Brian Savino, Contributing Writer March 31, 2022

“Call of Duty: Vanguard," and “Call of Duty: Warzone" are the two active installments in the “Call of Duty” first-person shooter franchise. But not much has changed since...

Developed by 343 Industries, “Halo Infinite” is the newest installment in the “Halo” franchise. The game has successfully blended familiar aspects of “Halo” with modern first-person shooter elements. (Staff Illustration by Manasa Gudavalli)

‘Halo Infinite’ multiplayer: the revival of a franchise

After years of anticipation, “Halo Infinite” multiplayer has been released with a fun factor that masterfully combines series traditions with novel first-person shooter elements.
Brian Savino, Contributing Writer December 8, 2021

There has been immense pressure for the Halo franchise to return to its roots after fans experienced years of disappointment from developers. The newest installment’s multiplayer...

“Call of Duty: Vanguard,” the newest installment in the “Call of Duty” series, will be released on Nov. 5. The multiplayer beta, which allowed players to try the game’s multiplayer mode before release, proves to be promising despite a few issues. (Staff Illustration by Manasa Gudavalli)

Review: ‘Call of Duty: Vanguard’ beta revives the first-person shooter

Although the “Vanguard” beta had its problems, it shows promise for the series as long as the developer makes some necessary changes.
Brian Savino, Contributing Writer October 18, 2021

It’s mind-blowing that developers have churned out a new “Call of Duty” game almost every year since 2003. As November approaches, fans are dutifully preparing for the latest...

Though historical revisionism is an issue in video games, taking liberties with the details can enhance the game play experience. (Staff Illustration by Manasa Gudavalli)

‘Call of Duty: Vanguard’ demands historical distortion

Brian Savino, Contributing Writer September 20, 2021

The spread of misinformation is as rampant as ever, and video games are no exception to this. Despite the need for historical accuracy in both scientific and political fields revolving...

Video games depend on delivery on many different fronts. Stars Wars: Battlefront II is close to that but not quite. (Staff Photo by Manasa Gudavalli)

‘Star Wars Battlefront II’ lacks gameplay balance

Video game success is dependent upon numerous factors, and “Star Wars Battlefront II” delivers on all fronts — except gameplay balance.
Brian Savino, Contributing Writer September 15, 2021

As the technology behind video games advances, developers are eager to incorporate the best graphics, audio and cosmetics into their games. But these aspects are not the only things...

Former Bethesda lead artist Nathan Purkeypile spoke to WSN on working on “Skyrim” and the “Fallout” series. With over 14 years of experience, Purkeypile has a long established a name for himself. (Image courtesy of Nathan Purkeypile)

Former Bethesda lead artist discusses working on ‘Skyrim’ and the ‘Fallout’ series

Having worked at the studio for over 14 years, Nate Purkeypile reflects on his time designing some of the most beloved RPGs of all time.
Nathan Chizen, Video Games Editor April 29, 2021
Having worked at the studio for over 14 years, Nate Purkeypile reflects on his time designing some of the most beloved RPGs of all time.
Before Your Eyes features a unique gameplay set in the afterlife guided by a ferryman. Players move through the story with blinking tracked by webcam. (Staff Illustration by Debbie Alalade)

‘Before Your Eyes’ encourages its players to be more present

“Before Your Eyes” uses our real-time blinks to control the outcome of its story.
Nathan Hughes, Contributing Writer April 23, 2021

I wouldn’t consider myself to be a gamer. In fact, I had not played an entire video game in years, before sitting down this week to play Will Hellwarth and Skybound Games’...

Playstation owners are now able to obtain free games that are playable on the PS4, PS5, and Playstation VR exclusives. Sony is continuing its "Play at Home" initiative to help people combat the second year of the pandemic. (Photo by Shy Mitchell)

Playstation just gave away a bunch of games for free, and you should play all of them

With the continuation of Sony’s “Play at Home” initiative, our Video Game Editor reviews some of the games that users can add to their collection.
Nathan Chizen, Video Games Editor March 30, 2021

As we begin the second year of the pandemic, dread, boredom and anxiety continue to eat away at all of us. In order to combat this, Sony decided to continue its “Play at Home”...

"Animal Crossing: New Horizons", released on March 20, 2020, is a life simulation game played in real-time on the Nintendo Switch. “New Horizons” provided its users a virtual safe haven during the first months of the pandemic. (Staff Photos by Nathan Chizen, Staff Illustration by Manasa Gudavalli)

The bittersweet joy of returning to ‘Animal Crossing: New Horizons’

One year after abandoning his village, Nathan returns to see how things have changed and reminisces on the joy “Animal Crossing: New Horizons” brought him during the pandemic.
Nathan Chizen, Video Game Editor March 23, 2021

After months of not even thinking about my island, Windsblow, I decided to return to my home in “Animal Crossing: New Horizons,” one year after its release date.  When...