academic writing

Press B to Cuddle: Values in Romance as a Game Mechanic

Date: December 15, 2014 – Full Text Here

Game Studies – A detailed look at games that use romance as a mechanic, and how these mechanics are embedded with the social and cultural values of the designer.


I am the Shadow, the True Self: Exploring Dungeons, Gender, Sexuality, and Identity in Persona 4

Date: November 21, 2013 – Full Text Here

Game Studies – An in-depth analysis of Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4, and how the game uses its dungeon mechanic to explore gender, sexuality, and identity.


Down Goes Another One: the History and Genre of Multiplayer Online Battle Arenas

Date: October 7, 2013 – Full Text Here

Game Studies – An in-depth look at the history and importance of the MOBA genre, from its origins to its offshoots.


Low Velocity Impact: Recognizing and Analyzing Blunt Force Trauma in the Human Skeleton

Date: May 3, 2012 – Full Text Here

Forensic Anthropology – An outline of the application of analysis of blunt force trauma (low velocity impact trauma) in the human skeleton, for use in forensic anthropological study.


The Road Goes Ever On: The Celtic Musical Influence on the Film Trilogy, the Lord of the Rings

Date: December 7, 2011 – Full Text Here

Music/Film – An analysis of Celtic music and its influence on the score of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, taking into consideration Celtic history, and the fictitious history and culture of Middle-Earth.


Calming the Rage of Achilles: Civilization and Savagery in Epic Poetry

Date: December 9, 2010 – Full Text Here

History/Classics – An in-depth analysis of the use of “civilized” and “savage” culture in epic poetry, while looking at three poems of the Classical era – Gilgamesh, the Iliad, and the Odyssey.


Men of Honour and Violence: A Comparative Analysis of the Sicillian Mafia and the Japanese Yakuza

Date: December 13, 2009 – Full Text Here

History – A comparative analysis of “La Cosa Nostra” and the Japanese Yakuza – from their distinct, yet similar pasts, to the role they play in the present.