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cml694@nyu.edu
Alexandra Lu

Alexandra is a game design student currently living in New York. She's passionate about writing, traveling, and has a budding appreciation for magical girl shows. She also has a minor in anthropology.

Projects By Alexandra Lu

Imperium

Afterwords

AMNH – Soundscape
Why are you studying games?
Games have always had a special place in my life. Many of my fondest childhood memories involve them in some way--huddled next to my mom while we played Adventure Company games, watching from the couch as my brother dove into Prince of Persia, or hours wiled away wandering Hyrule Field just to hear the music. At first, I almost applied for Film & TV. I knew I needed a creative outlet and thought that might be a fit, but I kept drifting back to the Game Center's page. On the last day possible, I to changed my application to game design. I knew it was the right choice when I realized I was having fun writing the essay for the app. I wrote about Majora's Mask. :)
What's your secret weapon?
I once gained permission to take a graduate level course as an undergrad--I expressed my interest in the class and cited my reliable work ethic, but I suspect what solidified it for me was that I included gif of a cat begging "Please". I can find the perfect cat gif as a response to anything.
How has the Game Center changed your thinking about games?
That games are genuinely meaningful. It sounds simple, but hearing that from a professor at an esteemed university when I was seventeen and in utter disbelief at getting accepted into the program? It was like something clicked into place. Games are art, and I will defend that till I die.
What do you hope to accomplish after school?
You know that feeling you get when you reach the end of a story you love? Or when you hit a good plot twist, and there's this moment where everything is still, and then an instant later you're desperate to talk to someone else about it? Or maybe just bask it in for awhile? I want to create something that gives someone that feeling.
What's the last great game you played and what's great about it?
Lately, I've been getting into Final Fantasy XIV. I had friends who played it, and it seemed like a good quarantine game. But sometimes when certain areas are busy, you see all sorts of players who dress their characters in different ways. Some are really wacky and mismatched, some are gorgeous and flashy, and some sleek and clean. But there is so much customization and room for self-expression that it really reminds me of just walking through the city and seeing all the different types of people you encounter. It's something I haven't properly seen for awhile, so it was really nice to have it back, in a way.