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The Bittersweet Journey Of A Short Hike
A Short Hike isn’t just a delightfully relaxing game. It’s also an unexpectedly real outing, with an ending that hit me hard. Initially, I approached A Short Hike, created by Adam Robinson-Yu, as I do so many other games: running here and there to finish quests with the mindset of trying to complete the main…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published February 9, 2020 -
The Weird, Funny Things That Make Pokémon Sword and Shield So Delightful
The idea behind Pokémon games is a weird one. Kids trekking across the country in their quest to collect cute, sometimes dangerous, creatures is strange enough. But the things I saw while playing Pokémon Sword? Hoo boy. I haven’t played too many Pokémon games. With every new generation of the mainline RPG series, however, I…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published February 9, 2020 -
CultureIf You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?
In 2019, I played the brilliant sci-fi space exploration game, Outer Wilds. If only the game’s time loop was a real thing so that I could go back and experience it all over again. If you’ve played Outer Wilds by Mobius Digital Games, you’ll know that being trapped in its time loop isn’t the best…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published February 8, 2020 -
I Can’t Get Enough of Trails of Cold Steel III‘s Intense Battle Music
I love picking fights with tough monsters in The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III, even when I don’t have to. Why? Because it means I get to hear one of the game’s fantastic battle themes over and over again I’ve heard a lot of great tracks during my 80 hours with the…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published February 8, 2020 -
Revisiting Animal Crossing: New Leaf Was A Mistake
There’s a reason why I don’t return to Animal Crossing games long after I stop playing them. But stupidly, I decided to break that rule last week. I have some regrets. When Animal Crossing: New Leaf released on the Nintendo 3DS in 2013, I sank hundreds of hours into building up my virtual town, Tennant.…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published February 8, 2020 -
10 Favorite Meals In Gaming
Thanksgiving means lots of food and lots of sweets. Last time we covered Thanksgiving, we went over 9 of the strangest foods in gaming. Here’s 10 new gaming meals that made us salivate. The Witcher 3 Hunting noonwraiths, becoming the fisticuff Champion of Champions across Skellige, Novigrad and Velen, and choosing the right choices to…
Narelle Ho Sang & Peter Tieryas Published November 28, 2019 -
CultureWhat Game Do You Love, But Can’t Seem To Finish?
Will The Phantom Thieves ever steal all the hearts? Will I ever eat curry again with the best boy, and starving artist, Yusuke? When can I expect it to stop being November in Persona 5? When I pick up the controller and finish the game, you say? Oh. Okay. You know how, sometimes, you really…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 25, 2019 -
The Haunting Discoveries Of Outer Wilds
My Outer Wilds journey had me awash in emotions from fear to joy to sadness. There was one discovery, however, that made me unexpectedly queasy. It also left me with a lingering sense of overwhelming dread that morphed into much more. Mobius Digital’s game, which was released earlier this year on Xbox One and PC,…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 25, 2019 -
I Played Breath of the Wild With My Sister And Put Her Through Hell
It’s not often I replay games, but when my sister asked for something to play together, I suggested The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. More than two years had passed since I completed Link’s adventure on my own, and I wanted her to experience it ahead of the recently-announced sequel. Let me recount all…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 25, 2019 -
By The Gods, I Just Want To Hang Out At Charon’s Shop In Hades
Escaping the House of Hades is no easy task. The ever-changing pathways through the Underworld are filled with danger—vicious specters prowl, eager for a kill, and traps are scattered everywhere. The music is a steady, pulsating rhythm to amplify that struggle. It can feel daunting. That’s why, whenever Charon’s shop appears, it’s a welcome respite.…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 24, 2019 -
Collecting Things (And Silly Animals) In Dragon Quest Builders 2 Is Stressful Fun
There has never been a video game checklist that I didn’t simultaneously love and hate. The Explorer’s Shores islands found in Dragon Quest Builders 2 are chock full of them, and I could not resist their siren songs. They led me to mini-adventures that were fun and mildly frustrating, as well as an absurd encounter…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published August 24, 2019 -
CultureE3One Year Later, Did Nintendo (And Friends) Keep Their E3 2018 Promises?
In June 2018, the Nintendo Switch was a few months past a debut year that featured the standout games The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey. What would Nintendo reveal at E3 2018 that could possibly rival their 2017 output? And could they deliver? As with past years, the company…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published June 5, 2019 -
CultureE3One Year Later, Did Sony (And Friends) Keep Their E3 2018 Promises?
On the evening of June 11, 2018, at LA Center Studios, PlayStation’s head of worldwide studios Shawn Layden welcomed everyone to a tent where Sony was about to host an unusual E3 showcase. In lieu of a “bombardment of new creative” (i.e. a trailer showcase of upcoming and new game announcements), Layden said Sony would…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published June 4, 2019 -
CultureE3One Year Later, Did Microsoft (And Friends) Keep Their E3 2018 Promises?
E3 2019 is just around the corner, and it’s going to look very different this year without PlayStation. Before we look to the future and are blinded by the razzle-dazzle of trailers and announcements at this year’s event, we need to address what happened in 2018. As we ask every year: Did the three big…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published June 3, 2019 -
What’s Your Greatest Gaming Comeback Moment?
The final decision I made in Into the Breach cost me the life of one of my pilots, and almost cost me the entire game. Into the Breach isn’t really a game of comebacks. As the game shows you enemies’ attacks before they play out, any bad decisions made are basically your fault. Sure, there’s…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published February 10, 2019 -
CultureEnter The Gungeon‘s Composer Talks Rap, Video Game Music, And Bullet Hell
Enter the Gungeon demands so much of your attention. Mastering the bullet hell means enduring a cycle of dodging, rolling, shooting, and dying. Its intense gameplay is driven by the fierce beats of its soundtrack composed by Doseone, whose background as an indie rapper intersects his video game work in a way I didn’t quite…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published February 10, 2019 -
The Weird Desire To Play Resident Evil 2 Even After Quitting Out Of Fear
Two days before the release of the Resident Evil 2 remake, I had a nightmare about zombies. In my low-budget looking dream, I was fending off undead hordes in a sunlit hallway resembling those of Resident Evil 2‘s Raccoon Police Department (R.P.D). The dream was a result of my decision to play the game alone…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published February 10, 2019 -
Exploring One Of Dragon Quest XI‘s Most Devastating Stories
Dragon Quest XI features a collection of gut-wrenching, bittersweet redemption stories. The Dragon Quest series often puts the spotlight on tragic stories affecting its main characters and NPCs alike. NPC characterization is strong in the worlds of Dragon Quest, with Dragon Quest XI paying special attention to its cast as well as the characters they…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published February 10, 2019 -
The Swords of Ditto‘s Brilliant Twist Makes Me Want To Finish More Games
Leaving games unfinished is a practice I recently developed. God of War? 75% done. Persona 5? It’s forever November as per the in-game calendar. This habit bothers me because I could be missing out on worthwhile adventures—something I was reminded of by The Sword of Ditto’s surprising ending. I’ll admit it was tough seeing The…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published February 9, 2019 -
One Year Later, Did Nintendo Keep Its E3 2017 Promises?
By the time E3 2017 rolled around, Nintendo Switch was barely three months old. Coming off the success of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, what other exciting things were planned for year one of Nintendo’s newest system? Going into E3, the company had the wind at its back, but it still had…
By Narelle Ho Sang Published June 7, 2018
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