Avatars | With A Terrible Fate

How Final Fantasy VII Remake’s Whispers Changed Fate—and Storytelling

The ending of Final Fantasy VII Remake has turned the storytelling formula of challenging fate on its head—and all it took was a Whisper.

By Aaron Suduiko, 2 months ago May 7, 2020

Only EarthBound could marry the mechanics of dungeon-crawling with the themes of epic poetry.

By Max Gorynski, 11 months ago August 29, 2019

A puzzle about how much of Where the Water Taste Like Wine is true reveals an unexpected lesson about the value of folk tales.

By Adam Bierstedt, 2 years ago October 8, 2018

Terms like "immersion" might seem like a great way to have productive conversations about video games—but they're actually holding us back.

By Aaron Suduiko, 2 years ago October 4, 2018

Knights of the Old Republic established Star Wars as more than a film franchise. How has it impacted gaming over the years?

By CJ Thomas, 2 years ago August 31, 2018

In a decade that gave us a library of games about orphans, EarthBound reminded us how important fathers are to their sons.

By Max Gorynski, 2 years ago May 22, 2018

God of War took classic Greek mythology and established a brutal lore all its own. Does it belong in the pantheon of great storytelling?

By Dan Hughes, 2 years ago May 6, 2018

Some of the most heavily criticized elements of Fire Emblem: Awakening contribute to its narrative in surprising ways.

By Adam Bierstedt, 2 years ago April 17, 2018

Behind all the ire towards Sonic Forces is a lesson in the costs and benefits of character creation.

By Skylar Cohen, 2 years ago March 21, 2018

One of the world's oldest thinkers gives us a surprising view into one of the world's newest forms of storytelling.

By Aaron Suduiko, 2 years ago March 14, 2018