With A Terrible Fate

A case study of Regal Bryant casts Kratos Aurion in a new light and shows how Tales of Symphonia's relationship system informs its story.

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.

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.

A case study of Regal Bryant casts Kratos Aurion in a new light and shows how Tales of Symphonia's relationship system informs its story.

With a Terrible Fate invites you to a PAX West 2023 panel on Pokémon, JRPGs, and what we do when we talk about video game stories!

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!

Pokémon Generation 4 showcases not only how mythopoeia illuminates Pokémon, but also how Pokémon satisfies the human need for mythopoeia.

A study in how the same games that turn you off of a series in childhood can call you back to it as an adult—featuring Pokémon Gen 4.

Within the DNA of Pokémon Alpha Sapphire and Omega Ruby's storytelling dwells an invitation to reinterpret yourself as a player—and a person.

Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire pushed the series' storytelling in a new direction by inviting its player to reconsider the meaning of rivalry.

What can Pokémon villains teach us about the value—and limits—of dreams?

How the innovation of Pokémon's modern metagame in Ruby and Sapphire unexpectedly enriched the heart of Pokémon's storytelling.

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.