Mediatheory | With A Terrible Fate

“If You Change Your Mind”: Shapeshifters of EarthBound

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

By Max Gorynski, 3 years ago August 29, 2019

The Witness is an icon of minimalist video-game storytelling. But when—and how—can minimalism go too far?

By Caymus Ducharme, 3 years ago May 11, 2019

In the latest With a Terrible Fate podcast episode, we unpack the good, the bad, and the ugly of our PAX South 2019 panel on teaser culture.

By Aaron Suduiko, 3 years ago February 18, 2019

In an industry that still doesn't seem to have fully cracked the code on story adaptation, one 2005 game has lessons worth learning.

By Chris Anhorn, 4 years ago January 18, 2019

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, 4 years ago October 4, 2018

Despite being smaller than an MP3 file, EarthBound achieved more with its music than many symphonies manage.

By Max Gorynski, 4 years ago October 3, 2018

What do NieR: Automata and Rear Window have in common? Find out in our latest podcast episode.

By Aaron Suduiko, 4 years ago June 14, 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, 4 years ago May 22, 2018

On our latest podcast episode, we chat with two of our team members who are developing "comprehensive theories" of landmark video games.

By Aaron Suduiko, 4 years ago April 24, 2018

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

By Adam Bierstedt, 4 years ago April 17, 2018