Note: Ladykiller in a Bind is an erotic visual novel that deals with several themes surrounding sex and intimacy. We talk about these topics in a mature manner, but if this subject matter bothers you, it's best not to read further. 

The portrayal of sex in video games has had a tumultuous history, often leaning more towards low-brow titillating content or acting as a reward that isn’t always realistic. Christine Love’s newest visual novel, Ladykiller in a Bind, isn’t always realistic either, as it seems like every character you speak to is constantly flirting with you or pushing your buttons. At its core, LKIAB is a sex romp, featuring titillation and eroticism, but it pushes the envelope in terms of depicting sexual content maturely and uniquely, never shying away from its brazen themes. It also covers crucial subjects, such as the role and importance of consent. Playing as a lesbian who is posing as her twin brother on a school trip cruise, you find yourself part of a strange competition of social manipulation, where outwitting and outsmarting your classmates earns you more votes, and closer to a $5 million prize.

Javy Gwaltney and I both played through the game and came away with our own impressions. Read below to find out what we thought.

Telltale has just announced the official release date for the third season of its point-and-click, story-based adventure The Walking Dead: A New Frontier (which begins December 20), and while it feels like Season Two was ages ago, I'm already excited for what lies ahead.

For now there aren't a lot of details for the new season, but we already know it takes place four years after the last one. Clem returns, but a new playable character – Javier, a man who has lost his family – is introduced. Art for the game also shows a woman. Could this be Jane from season two with a new hairstyle? Judging by some of her facial features, I definitely think it could be.

Having played through two seasons and 10 episodes of the series (as well as some side content), we certainly know what to expect from the franchise as a whole. However, with a new season comes new possibilities. Here are some thoughts on what I hope is in store.

Suda Goichi (also known as Suda51) has a strange approach to game design. He famously thought of the concept for No More Heroes while using the bathroom, but his creation process is a little more nuanced. His writing style derives from his subconscious, which allows players to infer their own meanings from the vagueness of his insanely weird works. While the satire of Suda's games is filled with immaturity and toilet humor, these games manage to tackle mature subjects that are difficult to discuss in any entertainment medium. The following are just some of the themes we've found in Suda's creations. Be warned there are spoilers ahead.

Love Hurts – Shadows Of The DamnedWhat it's about: On the surface, Shadows of the Damned is a straight-forward, save-the-princess story with some immature jokes and general weirdness thrown in for good measure. The game stars Garcia F. Hotspur, a demon hunter who met his amnesiac girlfriend Paula in a dumpster. Besides her sudden violent outbursts they're happy until Fleming, the lord of the underworld, kidnaps Paula as revenge for Garcia meddling in his affairs.

The world of Dishonored is filled with mysticism, science, and political intrigue. As players explore the streets of Dunwall and Karnaca in the original game and its sequel, they are bound to come across powerful supernatural items known as bone charms. 

When paired strategically, these trinkets of carved whale bone can combine to give players several enhancements that complement their play style, be it the stealth oriented low-chaos approach or the rancorous, kill-anything-that-moves high-chaos method. 

Dishonored 2 introduces a new wrinkle to this bonus system with bone charm crafting. Though unlocking and upgrading the various supernatural powers at your disposal is the natural draw for spending runes, min-max oriented players should think seriously about investing in crafting as well. With almost 100 different pre-existing bone charms for players to experiment with, the possibilities are nearly endless. We break down how and why below.

The Mass Effect trilogy remains one of my most treasured gaming experiences; each character still holds a special place in my heart. It’s hard to forget shooting bottles off the Citadel with Garrus or that special moment with Liara viewing the archive of your journey during the finale of Mass Effect 3. I was invested in these lives; I was hellbent on saving the galaxy. The trilogy got me to care, which isn’t something most games can achieve. Andromeda is the next chapter in the Mass Effect series, and with it comes higher expectations. This is the first Mass Effect game on this generation of consoles, and so much has changed since the trilogy ended in 2012.

BioWare has the difficult task of not only innovating and topping its trilogy, but also appealing to a new generation of gamers and keeping up with the demands of this new era of RPGs. I was fortunate enough to visit BioWare for the recent cover story and got an extensive look at the game. I could not be more excited to start a new chapter in the series, but if the game is to succeed, it needs to surpass some tough obstacles. Here’s what Mass Effect Andromeda needs to achieve to keep the series on track.

Mass Effect Andromeda features the series’ largest universe to date. Previous games let us take on small side quests and visit planets for specific missions, but Andromeda is raising the stakes with less linear planets and hub cities, opening them up for greater exploration and more to do than ever before. “If you look at the trilogy, you see all the hubs we created and the side content that came off the hubs,” says producer Mike Gamble. “That’s one place to put it, but imagine that side content in a place where you’re not limited to keeping your weapon holstered. There are so many different elements we can bring in by putting it on those planets with exploration areas. It makes the number and the type of side quests that we can do that much more interesting, whereas before if you’re on the hub you’re kind of limited to a fetch quest type of thing.” 

Whether you're recovering from a post-turkey gorging or waiting in line on Black Friday, here are 10 fun Android games to keep you entertained.

I've been doing Android game round-ups for quite a while now, and I'm always impressed by the continually increasing quality of games. Sure, there are a lot of clones and free-to-play garbage to wade through, but that's what I'm here for! This latest collection contains a host of strategy, puzzle, and actions games, plus a few word games – I am an editor, after all.

ReignsOne of the more high-profile games that came out this year, Reigns puts you in the hot seat for some Game of Thrones scheming – if Game of Thrones starred a bunch of colorful characters with silly problems. Your goal is to stay alive and in charge as long as possible by balancing the powers of your kingdom through deft decision-making. As your lineage progresses through the ages, new cards and challenges unlock, encouraging you to play "just one more game."

One of my favorite holidays is just a few days away. No, I'm not talking about the wonderfully gluttonous Thanksgiving. I love shopping, and there's no better day to do that than on Black Friday. I don't wake up at the crack of dawn to track down "door buster" bargains; I'm more in the market for dirt cheap Blu-Ray movies and television shows. The crowds and lines have never been that bad in my neck of the woods, and I've never run into shortages on items I want to pick up. For the first time this year, I haven't looked in advance at ads to see what I may want to purchase. I'm going in blind, and my excitement levels are through the roof. I know this is a random aside for my Science-Fiction Weekly column, but it could be a primer for next week's discussion if I happen to pick up a few science-fiction movies or shows. It's also a nice reminder that Thanksgiving and Black Friday are imminent. Get your food, and don't buy a lot of stuff for the chance of getting it cheaper this weekend.

Dragon Ball Fusions is out today for 3DS, moved up from its original December 13 release date, but what is it?

Turns out it's an RPG with turn-based tactics gameplay that allows you to fuse certain familiar Dragon Ball Z characters together (like the two pictured above) to create never-before-seen combinations. It's a strange entry in the library of Dragon Ball Z video games, and Ben Hanson and I talk about our experience with the game so far while showing off its combat and absurd story. We also show off its weird photo fusing feature, where you and a friend can fuse to create the ultimate (or worst) hero.

If you want to hear more about Dragon Ball Fusions, tune into the Game Informer Show podcast (subscribe here!) later this week to hear Hanson and I chat about it and its comparisons to this year's other Dragon Ball Z game, Xenoverse 2.

When you’re exploring the far reaches of space, it helps to have a home away from home. In the Mass Effect series, your ship serves a variety of purposes. It can be a military base, where you plot your next tactical move; it can be a clubhouse, where you hang out with companions and get to know them better; and it can be a command center, where you make decisions about your character’s progression.

In the Mass Effect trilogy, players had the Normandy, which became almost as iconic as Commander Shepard. In Mass Effect Andromeda, you have the Tempest, a ship that functions like the Normandy in some ways, but also stands out with its own distinguishing features and innovations. Since players will spend a lot of time aboard this vessel exploring its corridors and interacting with its crew, we’re taking a closer look at what you can expect from the Tempest and how it helps in your mission to find a new home in Andromeda.

Areas of Interest During our trip to BioWare’s Montreal studio, we got a limited virtual tour of the Tempest. The team wasn’t ready to show off every corner of the ship, but we saw some of the major areas, like the bridge, the galley, the garage, and the Pathfinder’s quarters. You can seamlessly travel between these locations, with no loading screens or painfully slow elevators to hold you back.