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Tag: gamedesign

All Articles

How Elden Ring Turns Its Player into an Outer God

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.

By Aaron Suduiko, 3 months ago April 14, 2022
Podcast

With a Terrible Fate Podcast Episode 17: Silent Souls

This week on the podcast: analyzing Dark Souls and Silent Hill through the lens of a hypothetical mashup, plus PAX West 2021 reflections.

By Aaron Suduiko, 10 months ago September 12, 2021
All Articles

Critical Review: The Path to Necron as Elenchus in Final Fantasy IX

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

By Aaron Suduiko, 10 months ago September 5, 2021
Podcast

With a Terrible Fate Podcast Episode 16: Scarlet Nexus

This week on the podcast: analysis and discussion of Bandai Namco's "brain punk" JRPG, Scarlet Nexus.

By Aaron Suduiko, 11 months ago August 22, 2021
Podcast

With a Terrible Fate Podcast Episode 14: Maps—Salvation or Sin?

Listen in on a discussion of how maps can interfere with—or improve—the storytelling of your favorite video games.

By Stefan Heinrich Simond, 11 months ago August 8, 2021
Podcast

With a Terrible Fate Podcast Episode 11: EarthBound’s Flavor Text

Enjoy a conversation with Max Gorynski about the latest in his Comprehensive Theory of EarthBound, plus meditations on Nintendo hardware, collectibles, and narrative metagames.

By Max Gorynski, 12 months ago July 11, 2021
All Articles

Why Final Fantasy VII Remake’s Church is so Memorable (and How to Analyze It)

The Sector 5 Church isn't just the most incongruous building in Midgar: it also plays a quietly pivotal role in Final Fantasy VII Remake.

By Adam Bierstedt, 1 year ago February 24, 2021
All Articles

The Second Impact of NieR: Automata’s Ending E

NieR: Automata's Ending E is a case study in how to completely erase the distinction between gameplay and story.

By Caymus Ducharme, 1 year ago January 16, 2021
All Articles

Critical Review: Final Fantasy VII Remake is Completely Incomplete

How Final Fantasy VII Remake turned a cliffhanger ending into an unexpected path to "boundless, terrifying freedom" for Cloud—and Sephiroth.

By Aaron Suduiko, 2 years ago December 28, 2020
All Articles

The Horror of Code Vein is You

The hidden achievement of Code Vein's fusion of Dark Souls with JRPGs is that it quietly turned you, its player, into a monster.

By Aaron Suduiko, 2 years ago November 22, 2020

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