With A Terrible Fate

The esoteric mystery of Tales of the Abyss gives us the gift of a mystical experience in the simple act of playing a video game.

A case study of how the storytelling of a linear game can open its world.

Only through the lens of a philosopher at war with himself can we understand a game at war with itself.

Kafka's "Before the Law" offers a new lens for meditating on the relationships between avatars, bosses, developers, and players in gaming.

The Outer Gods of Elden Ring aren't just extra lore: they're also the cipher to understanding the player's place in the Lands Between.

Have you ever played a game where a single moment changes your feelings about it from hate to love? A meditation on the first Dark Souls.

In Karen Travers, Scarlet Nexus tells the tragic story of how a character can become a villain by being cut off from the player's agency.

Where some JRPGs represent philosophical views, Final Fantasy IX tricks its player into actually doing philosophy without even realizing it.

What's the difference between a psychological story and a story about psychology?

The flavor text of EarthBound tells a story you may have missed.

The esoteric mystery of Tales of the Abyss gives us the gift of a mystical experience in the simple act of playing a video game.

Tune into With a Terrible Fate's Twitch channel on April 20th at 7p ET for a live conversation with Sean McGarry, creator of Hero's Purpose!

A case study of how the storytelling of a linear game can open its world.

Announcing a new With a Terrible Fate series playing and analyzing the stories of Bandai Namco's Tales series of JRPGs.

Join the authors of the Leibnizian, Platonic, and Wittgensteinian readings of Xenoblade Chronicles in a panel on the series' storytelling!

Only through the lens of a philosopher at war with himself can we understand a game at war with itself.

Kafka's "Before the Law" offers a new lens for meditating on the relationships between avatars, bosses, developers, and players in gaming.

This Labor Day weekend, join the analysts of With a Terrible Fate for a live and streamed study of Final Fantasy VII at PAX West!

Join With a Terrible Fate at PAX East 2022 on Thursday, April 21st, for a panel exploring the storytelling of Elden Ring!

The Outer Gods of Elden Ring aren't just extra lore: they're also the cipher to understanding the player's place in the Lands Between.

What happens to our relationships with our favorite childhood video-game series as we grow up and new games continue to be added to those series?

A reflection on an early moment in Pokémon history when a new legendary Pokémon blurred the lines between time travel in real and fictional worlds.

Pokémon Gold and Silver teach a master class in how to design a postgame that marries a sequel with the game that preceded it.

A study of the Johto region as a master class in world-building a video-game sequel.

As the number of Pokémon grew in Pokémon Gold and Silver, the trainer's chosen bond with one particular, special Pokémon only deepened.

A reflection on how Pokémon Gold and Silver presented a radical model for the "Pokémon sequel" at the height of Pokémania.

A reflection on the role that the Pokémon anime had in cultivating a generation of gamers, on the occasion of Ash's final episode.

Dissecting the subtle ways in which Mewtwo set the Pokémon postgame standard for over 20 years.

How Pokémon's rivalry mechanics have empowered players and trainers through the years.

A study of Pokémon's party-building mechanics.