Seeing as video games have been around since the late 1950’s, it’s no surprise that an astounding rise in video game review, critique, and discussion was quick to follow.  One such participant in this phenomenon is Brenden Caldwell, known for the humor and unique style he injects skillfully into each of his pieces of writing.  Caldwell, in every work, fosters a relationship with his readers, often employing the use of the second person and using a conversational tone.  While he may not be the only writer to make use of these tactics, his well defined personal style is evident and recognizable even in the earliest of his reviews.  As for myself, when I constructed my first entry onto this blog, I had not even considered the value of establishing a connection with the traditional public reader seeing as the blog initially just struck me as a different medium to submit your average college level english essay.  Seeing Caldwell and his writing, however, has opened my eyes to a new methodology.  In fact, you may even be able to detect some of this influence already within this post to a certain extent.

Caldwell’s efforts to connect with his readers is especially noticeable in the opening paragraph of one of his early reviews regarding Garry’s Mod, one of my favorite games from a while back: “You there. You’ve probably heard of Garry’s Mod. You might have played it. It was released like six years ago. But see that kid? He hasn’t. Hey, kid. You there. Have you heard of Garry’s Mod? No. See. Well, obviously you can’t see each other. This is the internet. You’re all weaving about like blind puppies” (Caldwell, 2011).  This casual, borderline tangential style of introduction is readily recognizable as well as an immediate hook for the reader to familiarize themselves with the unique tone of the article.  His experience with the game is also spectacularly unique, much like most things that occur in Garry’s Mod, perfectly showcasing the game’s sandbox charm and concluding with the decisive review: “like an only child set loose in his back garden, protected from the harsh realities of human nature, I played.  And I liked that just fine” (Caldwell, 2011).  Of course, however, this is not delivered before the ever crucial “I peed myself” (Caldwell, 2011).

References:

Caldwell, Brendan. “Living And Breathing In Garry’s Mod.” Rock Paper Shotgun, 14 Mar. 2011, www.rockpapershotgun.com/living-and-breathing-in-garrys-mod.