Matthew Birdzell is a videogame writer with experience in a variety of genres My favorites? Cinematic- heavy, narrative titles with multiplayer - social and competitive styles.

My bread and butter are beat-by-beat story development, dialogue with sprinkles of humor, and punchy descriptions. Games like Halo, Horizon Zero Dawn, The Elder Scrolls, God of War, Tomb Raider, and Star Wars Jedi. I am fascinated with building narrative structure in long-form stories, and how that challenge can be tackled in innovative ways within a completely different feature: multiplayer. For example, Halo Infinite’s Seasonal Multiplayer content. Furthermore, what you see in Helldivers 2, Battlefield, or Star Wars: Battlefront II (the DICE version). Telling a side story that plugs into the larger picture, yet does - or doesn’t - influence it is fascinating in its design and execution. Describing that armor skin that makes your avatar look brooding, or flavor text for armor attachments that make you crack up, or how maps plug into the lore. Make these worth reading in loading screens!

When I write for your team, I emphasize vivid writing, attention to detail, emotional interest, and characters that players want to live (or die) side-by-side with. I am driven to being an effective collaborator and owning assignments, or doing all that I can on my own.

In the different arenas of prose, I write novels and short stories. Of the sci-fi and fantasy sort, before you ask. Grand adventures steeped in emotionally striking, serious scenarios with heart and humor (see my Blog). Its the long form story of novels, the interactivity of videogames - even the visual storytelling of movies - that make me passionate about game writing, its competitive elements, and the communities formed around them.