The following is an episode of With a Terrible Fate’s weekly podcast discussing video-game storytelling from all angles. Find all episodes here.
Join Aaron and Dan in a behind-the-scenes look at “The Gwyn Moment,” a reflection on how Dan’s experience with the first Dark Souls led him to think about video-game storytelling, Miyazaki, and his own life differently.
Topics include: why it can be hard to take good video-game recommendations from friends; how gamers get motivated to care about the lore of a world; using Gwyn as a cipher to understand Miyazaki’s other works; the community’s ever-fraught relationship with Dark Souls II; how memorable moments in games can radically change our views about the games—and ourselves.
Want to dig further into the storytelling of Elden Ring? Attend With a Terrible Fate’s PAX East 2022 panel on April 21st, in person or virtually! Find all the details you need to know here.
(Spoilers for the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Demon’s Souls, Final Fantasy XIII-2, and BioShock.)


Director’s Commentary: The Gwyn Moment
Written by Dan Hughes and Aaron Suduiko on
The following is an episode of With a Terrible Fate’s weekly podcast discussing video-game storytelling from all angles. Find all episodes here.
Join Aaron and Dan in a behind-the-scenes look at “The Gwyn Moment,” a reflection on how Dan’s experience with the first Dark Souls led him to think about video-game storytelling, Miyazaki, and his own life differently.
Topics include: why it can be hard to take good video-game recommendations from friends; how gamers get motivated to care about the lore of a world; using Gwyn as a cipher to understand Miyazaki’s other works; the community’s ever-fraught relationship with Dark Souls II; how memorable moments in games can radically change our views about the games—and ourselves.
Want to dig further into the storytelling of Elden Ring? Attend With a Terrible Fate’s PAX East 2022 panel on April 21st, in person or virtually! Find all the details you need to know here.
(Spoilers for the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Demon’s Souls, Final Fantasy XIII-2, and BioShock.)
Dan Hughes - Video Game Analyst
Dan Hughes has dabbled in everything from playwriting to religious studies to YouTube personas. He is the seriesrunner for With a Terrible Fate's "Now Loading... The Video Game Canon!" Learn more here.
Aaron Suduiko - Founder and Chief Video Game Analyst
Aaron Suduiko is the founder of With a Terrible Fate and a philosopher of video-game storytelling. He specializes in the impact of player-avatar relations on game stories. Learn more here.
With a Terrible Fate is dedicated to developing the best video game analysis anywhere, without any ads or sponsored content. If you liked what you just read, please consider supporting us by leaving a one-time tip or becoming a contributor on Patreon.
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