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Changes abound as the industry continues to struggle October 22, 2024 - NCSoft, the South Korean developer best known for Guild Wars 2 , Throne and Liberty , and Lineage , will undergo a company restructure and layoffs. As reported by Yonhap , the layoffs are a product of the company's ongoing financial woes. "We reviewed and fiercely discussed various alternatives to overcome the current situation, but we concluded that it would be difficult to overcome the situation with just a few symptomatic methods,” co-CEOs Taek-Jin Kim and Byung-Moo Park stated. Company management has claimed the changes are coming due to low performance and underwhelming sales, saying “as a result of operating in a way that most of the manpower and functions are concentrated at the headquarters, financial performance has continued to deteriorate and we are at risk of becoming a chronically loss-making company.” They continue, "there will be terminations and reductions in projects and support functions with uncertain market competitiveness, and personnel reductions that will occur in the process.” This announcement follows the recent release of Throne and Liberty , which has seen more than 3 million players join since launch . It is unknown whether this metric is in-line with internal company expectations, or if NCSoft's troubles stem from its other projects. Layoffs like this have been happening all across the video game industry over the last few years, with more than 15,000 people losing their jobs this year alone. Studios are finding it harder and harder to stay afloat as development costs balloon, and the market moves toward live-service games as a core part of their development pipeline. Coupled with general economic anxiety and COVID-related aftereffects, this has created a very harsh downward trend across the industry. With more than 2 months remaining in the year, who knows how much more of this we'll see in 2024. Hopefully the industry will stabilize soon, and stories like NCSoft's become less common as we move into 2025.

How two seemingly diametrically opposed characters are alike, and why they've become my favorites Disclaimer: Major spoilers for Dragon Age: Inquisition, and minor spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard are contained in this article. Solas and Blackwall are different in so many ways - visually and narratively. Contents Intro What Blackwall did What Solas did Inverted paths and remorse Relationship with each other Retribution and Repentance Foils are great reflectors What happens next? When you first meet Blackwall and Solas, the men seem so unassuming. Blackwall is a humble Grey Warden, fighting with his sword and shield to keep the blight and darkspawn at bay. He is confident, selfless, down-to-earth, and morally upstanding - always sure to tell you what the right thing to do is, and ready to scold you if you don't do it. Solas, by contrast, gives off airs of wisdom, compassion, and worldliness - all while reminding you he is but a humble apostate mage. Solas is a repository of knowledge, frequently regaling you with stories of his time in the fade, and will try to guide you down the right path – informed by history itself. Of course, we now know that (almost) all of this is a lie. What Blackwall did Blackwall is not a Grey Warden at all. Instead, he is a war criminal named Thom Rainier. As a captain in the Orlesian military primarily concerned with his own advancement, Rainier took a job from a supporter of Grand Duke Gaspard and ordered his unwitting men to kill innocent civilians. Eventually, Rainier would have his troops attack a family of nobles, including children, which would lead to his actions being disavowed by Gaspard. From this point, Rainier and his men became criminals, with many being executed for the act. Rainier returns to mercenary work and meets the real Warden-Constable Blackwall, who recruits Rainier for the Grey Wardens. Rainier, seeing this as his chance for redemption, accepts and travels with Blackwall to begin his new life. Unfortunately, Blackwall dies and Rainier, fearing for his life, takes up Blackwall's identity. In an effort to do good, honor Blackwall's memory, and protect himself, he becomes  Blackwall. Blackwall eventually joins the Inquisition under this guise and keeps up the façade for some time before finally giving in to his shame and offering himself up for execution as Thom Rainier. It is here the player has the option to free Rainier and decide his fate at Skyhold or keep him imprisoned in Orlais for his crimes. At Skyhold, the inquisitor can set him free, send him to the wardens after Corypheus is stopped, or force him to continue the masquerade. He continues to go by Blackwall both due to familiarity and out of reverence for the man who saved him, likening it to a title. What Solas did Solas, on the other hand, remains a bit of an enigma, but what we know is much different than what he initially portrays. He is, after all, Fen'Harel, the elven god of trickery, betrayal, and rebellion - all of which he enacts on you and the Inquisition. In the ‘halcyon’ days of the Evanuris’ rule, the gods would own and abuse elven slaves, bitterly fight, and use their power for their own advancement. Eventually, Mythal, one of the Evanuris, would be betrayed and murdered. This event, plus the Evanuris’ general abuses, spurred Solas into action. He would create the veil, banishing the gods to the beyond, as he dreamt in the fade. These actions had unforeseen consequences: elves lost their immortality and much of their magic, civilizations crumbled, and humanity rose and inflicted horrors on the other races across the world. Solas awoke to a new world – one he did not like – and decided the best course of action was to give a powerful weapon of mass destruction (the anchor) to a group of evil, conniving mages who work for the very gods he initially imprisoned. He had hoped they would unlock its power, but die in the process, so that he could then use it to tear down the veil in his weakened state. Tearing down the veil would unmake the world as we know it, with everyone in it likely dying. When Corypheus survived the orb of destruction being unlocked, he unleashes horrors beyond comprehension upon the world, leaving swathes of people dead or otherwise displaced. Solas seeing this then makes inroads with the Inquisition, in order to help stop Corypheus and manipulate the Inquisitor for his own purposes. He is successful. He lies, obfuscates, and controls the course of the Inquisition from inside, eventually regaining possession of both the Orb of Destruction and The Anchor – a mark that plagued the Inquisitor throughout the game. With both items in his possession, Solas now has (at least part of) what he needs to enact his eradication of the peoples of Thedas. If you play as a Female elf character who romances him, this betrayal is even more foul. Solas gaslights, abuses, and otherwise manipulates the player into a romantic relationship. If romanced, Solas will express some remorse over the betrayal, but it ultimately has no effect on his decision to continue his genocidal plans. Inverted paths and remorse With the actions of the two men in focus, we can see their paths are nearly perfectly inverted. Blackwall committed horrific crimes willingly for selfish gain, but due to guilt and remorse seeks to be redeemed by doing good. Blackwall is willing to submit himself to justice over his crimes, or to spend his days in service of greater good, unwilling to let others die for his mistakes. Solas did what he believed to be an act of good for altruistic reasons but feels the need to make up for past mistakes by committing increasingly horrific atrocities. He cuts a path of death, destruction, and abuse to get what he wants, not even saving his friends from the fallout (see Mythal and The Inquisitor). Solas believes "guilt is a distraction," or something that only serves to stop him from accomplishing his goals, where for Blackwall guilt is his primary motivator. Solas is motivated by the results of his actions in the aggregate, he does not have time to think about the cost of lives along the way. To him, the people of Thedas are not really people  just shades of a lost civilization. Despite outwardly saying he doesn’t have time for guilt, Solas is hurting inside. Cole gives us insight into his thought process, saying “He hurts, an old pain from before, when everything sang the same. You're real, and it means everyone could be real. It changes everything, but it can't. They sleep, masked in a mirror, hiding, hurting, and to wake them...” The differences don’t end there- they even lie differently! Blackwall’s lies are plain: he is saying he is someone who he is not. Blackwall’s forthright disposition even comes through when he is lying to you – expressing the falsehood in a straightforward manner. Solas mostly leans on lies by omission, feeding into his reputation as a trickster god – although he does slip up with the occasional bald-faced lie. For all of the wisdom Solas holds, he is prone to self-aggrandizing once the mask is lifted, claiming only he can make things right. His name means pride  after all. This dichotomy manifests in gameplay as well. Blackwall is the heavy tank; all of his specialization abilities and core competencies revolve around being a defender of others. He will take the hits so others may live. No matter how much it hurts, he will hold the line for others. He does not stand because he can, he stands because he must . It is his penance. Solas, however, has a heavy focus on control . Pushing and pulling enemies where he wants them to go, knocking them down so they can’t get close, siphoning their magic, and weakening them so they cannot harm him. He’s the master manipulator, and they are the puppets. It’s actually a phenomenal way to express who these characters are. Relationship with each other Solas and Blackwall have a complicated relationship throughout the game. Prior to any reveals, they're quite friendly with one another. In Blackwall, Solas sees a man who has had to deal with the harsh realities of war and the death and destruction that it entails. He sees himself. For Blackwall, he sees a comrade-in-arms and a friend, even if he has some issues with mages and Solas' views on their freedoms. Once the Blackwall reveal happens, Solas is initially quite angry, stating "There is little to say. I assumed we were alike. We'd seen war, knew its terrible costs, but understood that it was necessary. But there was nothing necessary in what you did. You did not survive death and destruction. You sowed them. To feed your own desires." Despite the harshness toward Blackwall, I actually think Solas is partially talking about himself here. He's being hypocritical, as his current goals are entirely selfish - bringing down the veil will only harm the people living, and he does not know what remains of his people in the fade. He is upset that the world he created is not the place he called home, and he wishes to restore it to how it was. Eventually, Solas apologizes and comes to accept the reformed Blackwall: "My people had a saying long ago - "The healer has the bloodiest hands." You cannot treat a wound without knowing how deep it goes. You cannot heal pain by hiding it. You must accept. Accept the blood to make things better. You have taken the first step. That is the hardest part." Retribution and Repentance So, what should become of these characters? Both have committed heinous acts in service of their own goals, being directly behind the death of innocents and friends. For Blackwall, the player has an opportunity to make this decision in-game. You’re given all of the information and options in a straight manner. What are we willing to forgive? Does his repentance and willingness to offer himself up change the way we should view his previous actions? Thom Rainier is dead, whether he’s executed in-game or not. Only Blackwall remains now. Solas, however, continues to cause harm, with no end in sight. Can he be redeemed? The scale of harm he is responsible for outweighs even the most wicked villains the series has seen so far. Even if his initial intentions were good, does that exclude him from being brought to justice? Dragon Age: Inquisition  gives us a moment to ponder this at the end of the last DLC, but we never have the chance to affect Solas’ fate in-game. Perhaps Dragon Age: The Veilguard  will have some method of redeeming or punishing Solas, but that’s not certain yet. For Solas, another question lingers – Can someone without true regret for their actions ever actually be redeemed? Even if he feels sad about what he’s doing, he continues to do it. Where does the onus lie on changing his mind? What, exactly, is the threshold of wrongdoing we can stomach? This is obviously personal for everyone, and I’m not here to tell you one way or another for either character. And what about the people of this world? Would they ever forgive the actions of Solas and Blackwall? Should they? It's hard to judge them for holding grudges - these men destroyed lives, families, and homes - and as an outside perspective, we don't have to deal with the pain of loss that comes with being wronged in this way. Foils are great reflectors A foil character generally serves to be a contrast with another character, and these two certainly fit that with one another, but a foil can also reflect like a mirror. For Solas and Blackwall, they remain the same at their core – they are broken men driven by their past mistakes. While the methods and outcomes are wildly different, both characters are attempting to rectify their missteps. Both are deeply committed to their new purpose, and both struggle to come to peace with who they are at first, but reconcile it in their minds by the end of their journey. I deeply love each of these characters. Blackwall for his desire for redemption and moral compass. His compassion and earnest personality, combined with his complicated past, make him a great take on the “straight-laced warrior” archetype. He just wants to do what’s right, even if it costs him. Solas is, to me, a really great example of a truly complex villain. His motivations start from somewhere good, or out of altruism, but as things get along, the methods get more perverse. Do the ends always justify the means? Solas seeks to restore what he destroyed, but he doesn’t seem to care what it costs others. There’s also an air of mystery still surrounding him, as not all questions were answered about his past and goals. What happens next? With the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard right around the corner, some questions remain about where these characters will land. For Blackwall - his story is done. As a quantum character, he will likely never appear in any meaningful capacity in a Dragon Age  game again. I find this unfortunate, as he remains deeply interesting as a figure (much like Loghain Mac Tir of DAO ), but I understand why both narratively and from a development standpoint. You can take any ending slides with Blackwall in Inquisition as gospel. Solas is obviously a major character in the upcoming DATV , prominently featured in all of the marketing surrounding the game. I am interested to see what we learn about Solas in the next installment, and what his ultimate fate may be. Will he become a forever NPC, like Morrigan? Or will we be putting a cap on his story as well? Only time will tell where the series and these characters go, but I am so excited to find out more.

The classic series has a great showing, with more on the way. December 5, 2024 – According to a press release by Square Enix, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake has officially moved more than 2 million copies through a combination of physical and digital sales.   As one of Square Enix’s most popular series’, the legendary Dragon Quest franchise has sold more than 91 million units worldwide. While it is not a surprise that the latest entry has sold well, it’s a good sign for fans of the series that a remake has done so well, so quickly.   Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake , which released on November 14, 2024 was well received upon its debut. Boasting Metacritic scores of 82 , 84 , and 87 for Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PC respectively, this remake came with a plethora of updates to the classic RPG. Aside from the splendid HD-2D graphical style, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake also includes newly voiced scenes, orchestral arrangements of the music, a new “Monster Wrangler” vocation, and even new story elements. With DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake in development and slated for release next year, this is great news for Square and their development teams, showing that there remains great interest in these titles. Famitsu’s recent weekly sales report notes that nearly 1 million physical copies have been sold in Japan alone – a monumental achievement after less than one month.   DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake is now available for purchase via the Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, and Steam. Image Credits: Square Enix

December 17, 2024 - The first new card pack for Pokémon TCG Pocket is out today, and it is a big one. Boasting a collection of 86 new cards, the "Mythical Island" set features new powerful cards like Mew EX, Aerodactyl EX, and Vaporeon, plus alternate versions and immersive art for existing Pokémon. Early impressions are good, with many of the newcomers already seeing heavy play. Mew Ex fits in perfectly with the already existing Mewtwo EX deck that has been making waves since the beginning of the game's life. I'm personally interested to see how the competitive meta shapes out around all of the new stuff we got. There are, of course, ongoing events to run alongside the release of "Mythical Island," so now is a good time to jump into the game if you haven't already. The first major expansion for the game isn't set to release until the end of January, so this is a good way to tide people over until then. Details on the expansion are sparse, but it has been confirmed that trading cards will be opened up when it drops (currently, the trading option is greyed out in the menus).

Games, like grief, are not a one-size-fits-all My mom died today. The last month has been quiet for me, as far as writing goes. I had been running a seasonal theme for the site centered around being thankful for the games and people we love, and while the event went off well enough, there was a somber feeling within me throughout. Mom was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer some time ago, and we knew her journey around the sun was drawing to a close soon – even if we didn’t have a date or time frame it would happen within. In my infinite wisdom, I chose to mostly just look the other way. Not a conscious decision, mind you – I was simply not involved in the day-to-day care in the way my other family members were. I visited her several times and called in to check on her, but my involvement was limited beyond that. Instead, I stayed home with my family, taking care of my child and burying myself in books and video games. I never had time to really sit and think about what was happening on the family front, because I made sure I didn’t have time to spare. I played a lot of games, but not with the intent to help me process what was happening. Games have never really been therapeutic for me in dealing with loss or grief, as I generally have other outlets for my thoughts, like writing poetry or songs. In this particular case, gaming was not a hobby of mine that my mother approved of growing up – is that something I want to be reminded of as I play? But with so many games out there dealing with themes of loss and death, surely something can help us cope, right? Well, maybe. Gris is a great example of a game about grief that can help us process our emotions surrounding death. See, most games about these subjects are not instructive – that is, they do not attempt to tell you how to cope with these situations – and that is for the better. Loss and grief are unique to each person, and the many variable situations that arise from the deaths of friends or family members, and the way we process all of it, are so different that it wouldn’t benefit anyone to simply say, “do this thing and you will be happy again.” Instead, games like Gris and Spiritfarer make you a participant in the processes and proceedings surrounding death and dealing with the emotions that come from it. It offers you an opportunity to guide those characters within the game through their own struggles – struggles that are often all too familiar to its players – and help them come to terms with their grief. It is through the endeavors of these characters that we see ourselves reflected, offering new perspectives or outlooks on our own situations. Other games, like What Remains of Edith Finch , take a slightly different approach by exploring life and memory in the face of death. As perhaps a more hopeful or explicitly positive spin on the healing journey, Edith Finch has the player taking control of the titular Edith as she wanders through her family home, viewing the life events and inner thoughts of those who came before her. It’s a strong reminder that our lives and relationships are both complicated and beautiful, despite the pain that may come with our losses along the way. We are valuable. It matters that we lived. That Dragon, Cancer is a more familiar tale for me, as it explores Joel Green’s battle with cancer. Thinking about this game feels very raw for me now, not that it was ever an easy play. It is a sad and moving journey through the experiences of a family slowly losing someone to terminal cancer – it seems impossible not to find myself in this, even if the experiences are not a one-to-one match. That Dragon, Cancer hits closer to home now that my mother has passed. So many games out there explore these ideas, explicitly or not, and many are exceptional games, but what can be said about them if they don’t seem to help you? What is there to be done if the pain of grief and loss sticks in your throat in spite of the images on the screen, or your food turns to ash as a cheery tune blares through your headphones? Sadly, I don’t have a great answer. For some, time may be the only cure. For others, there is no way forward without professional help. The inability of these games to help someone through their grief does not diminish their value as pieces of art, nor does it mean they can’t be useful coping mechanisms for others in similar situations. In many cases (including some of my own past experiences), the value and meaning behind these games can only be recognized when you are further removed from the trauma (or the game) itself. These games can normalize our trials, offer comfort, and present a hopeful outlook and message – or maybe they just exist as a pleasant distraction. There’s no one way to deal with our grief and no single way to approach games about the subject. Our experiences with art are oftentimes just as much about what we bring to them as it is about the content presented to us.  While playing games likely won't help me now, maybe they will later. Maybe they already have. I think it’s worth noting that when this happened, my thoughts did  turn to those games about grief and loss. This is not the first time anyone I’ve known has passed away, of course, but it is the most fresh for me. It’s still raw, and I don’t know when it will heal. But I will say this: in searching for answers during a difficult time, I arrived at the same place I started – hurt by my mother’s condition and eventual passing, but grateful for the positive memories and everything she did for me and my siblings. Thank you, Mom. I love you.

January 29, 2025 — Pokémon TCG Pocket released their long-awaited trading update today — just ahead of the equally anticipated Space-Time Smackdown expansion set — and the reception has been unfavorable, to say the least.  Despite the initial excitement, reactions to the update have turned sour in online spaces (such as the TCGP subreddit and the dedicated trading discord) as the cost of such trades became more widely known. If we take even a cursory look, we can see these forums inundated with topics about the subject.  You can see a few examples of the backlash on Reddit here. To be blunt: the cost of trading is absurdly expensive and downright predatory. There are numerous reasons why this is the case, but if you don't know how it works, here's a quick rundown of how trading works in Pokémon TCG Pocket : First , you need trade stamina, which works as the time gate for trading. Each trade uses a single trade stamina, with a single stamina replenishing after 24 hours. You can, of course, use in-game items and items purchase with real money (gold) to get more of this. Second, you can only trade cards of the same rarity (no cards two-stars or above). This second one is important as it means there's no way to trade something like a Charizard for a Squirtle. Third, trading a card with flair is only possible if you receive a card with flair back. Fourth, you can only have one active trade at a time. That already seems so restrictive, but we haven't even scratched the surface yet. Next, any card above two-diamond rarity requires trade tokens, which is a separate resource from the aforementioned trade stamina. Token requirements are shown in the image below — 3 diamond cards are 120 tokens, 4 diamond cards are 500 tokens, and 1 star cards are 400 tokens. Mind you, this is all for a single card. To get trade tokens, you must expend excess (any card copy beyond your second copy) cards. The rates are as follows: 3 Diamond – 25 Trade Tokens 4 Diamond – 125 Trade Tokens 1 Star – 100 Trade Tokens 2 Star – 300 Trade Tokens 3 Star – 300 Trade Tokens Crown – 1500 Trade Tokens That means you would need to burn 4 copies of a 4 star card just to receive one back (not counting the one you are trading). The trading is also blind, for some reason. There is no way to request a card for trade in-game. Instead, you initiate a trade with whatever card you are sending to the other player. There are ways around this, of course, like knowing the person in real life, or joining the trading pages online, but it's a restriction that just makes the experience worse. On top of the heavy resource requirements that trading necessitates, there lies another, equally annoying reason the trading system is dysfunctional - card flairs. Card flairs are essentially just little animations that play for your cards when you play them in battles. To obtain these card flairs, you need a totally separate resource (stardust) and an extra copy of the card, where any additional copy beyond the first 2 counts as the 'extra' to be used in crafting. What this means is that a player will have to choose between keeping extra cards on hand for trading, or spending them to obtain the flairs. There's really no room for both, given how rare the 1 star rarity cards are (2.572% chance of any 1 star card appearing at all and it only gets worse from there). There's really no excuse for this type of model, especially when you consider the primary demographic and player base of any Pokémon game are literal children. It is clear that the only purpose of this system is to further extract money from the player base (again, mostly children), and that it was not born out of any concern for the health, balance, or benefit of the game itself. Setting aside ethical concerns (Jesus Christ, no), the act of trading itself is pretty convoluted and bafflingly restrictive. As someone who is only missing two regular cards from any existing set, the entire process feels like more effort than it's worth. I know I won't be interacting with the system in any way unless it is completely overhauled. There has not been any statement from developer DeNA, Creatures Inc., or The Pokémon Company regarding the backlash, and given their track records, I would not expect any positive resolution to this situation anytime soon — if ever. The trading update coming on the eve of the game's largest update (expansion) yet is such a terrible look, you have to wonder if the companies behind it are just hoping for the noise to die down thanks to Space-Time Smackdown.

More of a fever dream than a fright-fest When I think about my early childhood, the memories are a bit hazy. I can picture the broad strokes - cattails in the pond, tall figures walking around and talking, shadows and shapes of houses in the distance. But all the details, like faces or words spoken, are lost. Little Nightmares is like those memories translated into video game form. At least aesthetically. The actual events and creatures contained within the game are certainly more unnerving than anything I ever experienced first-hand, but the visuals hold a dream-like quality to them that is really engaging as an art style. Publisher: BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment, Playdigious, Namco Bandai Games America Inc. Developer:   Tarsier Studios Platform:  Played on PC Availability : April 28, 2017 for PS4, Xbox One, and Windows. May 18, 2018 for Nintendo Switch. From the very first moments of play it is clear there is something more to the game than meets the eye. The camera sways and shifts as you wander through the dark. Giant figures stalk the halls, reaching around corners and under furniture with long, spindly arms. Grotesque people with squished faces look for every opportunity to devour you. So much of the game is dripping with a sinister visual flare, it's impossible not to think something deeper is happening here. Yet, the game doesn't give you any direction in the storytelling department. There are no cutscenes or text boxes, no dialogue or notes to find. Everything is communicated through environmental design and music. That music does a lot of the emotional lifting, too. While it mostly fades into the background, it is a tense and disconcerting score that shows up in all the right moments - keeping you on your toes when there's an enemy nearby, or inducing paranoia through clever sound design in more quiet moments. Hide and Seek is the name of the game. Unfortunately, that wordless, oblique story-telling doesn't really give you much to work with on a surface level. You don't learn much of anything about any of the characters’ (including Six, the protagonist) motivations or ideals, and you'll never hear a thing about how they're all related. While not necessarily a negative, that hyper-focus on visual style over all else means that people not looking to do a deep-dive on the environments might not get much out of the experience. At this point I'm sure you've noticed we haven't discussed the way the game plays at all. Truthfully, I find the actual action to be the most underwhelming aspect of Little Nightmares. At its core, this is a puzzle platformer with a heavy focus on stealth. I'm using the word “puzzle” a bit loosely here, as the most difficult decisions you’ll have to make are whether you sprint past an enemy or wait them out under a table. There is no combat in this game - you're just a child running for your life. You'll dash, crawl, swing, climb, and jump to safety as you're chased across the few short levels in the game. There's not much mechanical depth to the action - you have a grab button for picking up items and climbing/swinging, a jump button that doubles as a throw button when holding an item, a crouch button to walk silently or slide while running, and a lighter to illuminate the darkness. That mechanical simplicity works in the game's favor, as it never feels like you're searching for the right move. There's a clarity of purpose when you walk into a new room - hard to mess up when you have so few options available. Little Nightmares has great ambience, combining a unique visual flare with a moody soundscape. Disappointingly, that lack of mechanical depth goes hand-in-hand with mostly uninspired level design. Each room usually has a single exit, and it's just a matter of finding the right object to climb up, or finding a key for the door. There are a few exceptions to this formula, but they're rare. The chase sequences are great fun (maybe the most interesting part of playing  the game), but suffer this same problem. There's really no creativity in the way you progress or navigate the world. Luckily, Little Nightmares is an incredibly short game, with my run clocking in at just over three hours. The brevity of the experience keeps the game fresh, even if it is mechanically repetitive. There's always something new and interesting to look at or figure out in the brief runtime. Despite these hiccups, Little Nightmares was still a positive encounter. It is extremely expressive in its visual language and it kept me on the hook for the whole ride. The music and art direction create a very uneasy atmosphere, which I found more interesting than scary, but your mileage may vary. In the end, Little Nightmares feels just a bit unfocused and comes away seeming more like a fleeting daydream than the nightmares it sought to emulate. Verdict Little Nightmares is a game begging to be examined more closely, but even if you do, I'm not sure you'll ever get a concrete answer. Despite being visually engaging, nothing I was shown motivated me to dig deeper - leaving the experience feeling a bit underwhelming. With such a short runtime, Little Nightmares stays engaging the entire playthrough, but it never quite reaches the heights I had hoped for. The game has a captivating atmosphere (both aesthetically and musically), but it ultimately left me feeling more ambivalent than excited. Image Credits: Taylor Rioux

Tiny Glade, a casual building game marketed as a diorama builder, drifted into my life through the 2024 Steam Awards, where it was nominated for the Sit Back and Relax Award. As someone who enjoys sitting back and relaxing, I was intrigued and purchased the game while it was on sale. Tiny Glade was developed by Pounce Light, a small but mighty team of two. The game boasts stunning visuals with soft textures and intricate details. The soothing soundtrack by NokNok Audio perfectly complements the aesthetic, creating a truly serene atmosphere. I spent a good 20 minutes exploring the world, marveling at the charming details like the adorable sheep that wander freely. The best part: you can pet them!  Publisher: Pounce Light Developer:  Pounce Light Platform:  Played on Windows PC Availability: Released on September 23, 2024 for Windows PC and Linux (Steam, GeForce NOW). The core gameplay revolves around building your own idyllic landscapes. You're provided with the essential tools: building rooms, laying paths, creating ponds, and adjusting the terrain. The simplicity of the interface is initially appealing, but the full customization options for each element are somewhat hidden. It took an embarrassingly long time to figure out how to make a door. While left-clicking on an object provides basic controls, right-clicking reveals the more advanced options, which took some time to discover. Unlike many games, Tiny Glade offers no quests or objectives. This complete freedom to create is both its greatest strength and a potential weakness. The game might feel aimless if you prefer a more structured experience. However, if you enjoy open-ended creativity, the possibilities are truly endless. You’re not completely left in the dark though, as Tiny Glade offers a daily theme that acts as a prompt to inspire creativity, which I have found to be very helpful. There are an array of settings and tools available to you in Tiny Glade — the possibilities feel endless! Overall, Tiny Glade is a charming and relaxing game. While the interface could be more intuitive, the freedom to create and the enchanting atmosphere make it a delightful experience. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a creative outlet and a peaceful escape from the demands of everyday life. Image Credits: Eloise Crawford

Maybe we should run for President My biggest problem with Dungeons and Dragons doesn’t stem from the game’s systems themselves - it’s just hard to get a bunch of people with similar sensibilities in the same room at the same time on a regular schedule. Coming from a small town, this has become a nearly insurmountable barrier to entry, with any sessions I play either coming very infrequently, or remotely via dedicated sites. Baldur’s Gate 3  attempts to rectify this by offering you the closest approximation to the tabletop experience available today. While many video games based on the Dungeons and Dragons property have been excellent, they’ve never quite managed to emulate the tabletop experience. Games are inherently limited in scope, and the tabletop experience is limit less . In tabletop, there are an uncountable number of ways to solve a problem and innumerable ways for you and your party to grow and react to the events in front of you. Truly capturing that feeling of freedom and possibility in video games is nigh impossible. Baldur’s Gate 3  has come as close as we’ve ever seen. Publisher: Larian Studios Developer:  Larian Studios Platform:  Played on PC Availability: Released on August 3, 2023 for Windows PC, September 6, 2023 for PS5, September 22, 2023 for macOS, and December 7, 2023 for Xbox Series X/S. Baldur's Gate 3 is the latest role-playing game developed by Larian Studios, previously most well-known for their Divinity series of role-playing games. Taking heavy inspiration from games like Planescape: Torment and the first two Baldur's Gate titles by BioWare, Baldur's Gate 3 leans heavily on the conventions of the CRPG genre - possessing a psuedo-isometric camera and list style conversation choices - but aims to improve them in some way. Starting your adventure on the Nautiloid, a large plane-hopping ship shaped much like its namesake, you find yourself implanted with an Illithid tadpole that threatens to turn you into a mind flayer (a large, squid-like species that is controlled by a hivemind). It is here that you will meet Lae'zel and Shadowheart, two companions who would assist you on your quest to escape the Nautiloid and remove the tadpole. This tutorial sequence serves as a good introduction to the base mechanics of the game: skill checks for tasks you want to do and actions in combat are done via dice rolls, which get bonuses based upon your stats chosen in character creation and equipment you are wearing, and conversations offer a wide array of choice that guide how people react to you and how some quests progress. If you have played Dungeons and Dragons, or any of the video games spawned from it, the dice-rolling aspect will be familiar. Baldur’s Gate 3  doesn’t stop at just having the dice rolls happen, however, they make a show of it. Every choice or action that requires an active roll (or would in tabletop) brings you to a separate screen with a digital die and all of your bonuses or options available to you, and then you’ll press a button to roll it yourself. Incorporating sound and visual effects to amplify what would otherwise be a mundane event, Baldur’s Gate 3 instead makes these rolls a focal point of the experience.  The Nautiloid section also introduces you to combat - another familiar aspect if you’re a tabletop player. Despite not being a grid-based affair, everything else about the battles is familiar to 5th edition players, as this is the system Larian Studios translated to video game format. Again, dice-rolling is integral here, as you roll to see if you land your attacks and then roll again for damage - both are handled automatically for the player to keep things moving. It flows beautifully, and the sheer number of abilities and approaches you can take is staggering. Baldur’s Gate 3 has an unparalleled level of freedom in your approach to combat for a video game, giving you the ability to decide when, where, and how you approach each encounter, with very few exceptions. The options are so vast that I found myself asking what wasn’t allowed more than what was. Baldur's Gate 3 seems to contain endless possibilities. That level of freedom of choice extends far beyond combat in so many important and revealing ways. In fact, it starts the moment you start a new game, in the character creator. Now, obviously the character creator in Baldur’s Gate 3 is not the first of its kind, but it may just be the most comprehensive to date, in totality. With 11 different races (many with different sub-races), 12 different classes, 4 different body types, and an array of various skin tones, scars, and hairstyles, this game stretches the limits of the creativity of its players. Unfortunately, it is limited in face types, with only a few being available for each race, and not fully customizable themselves. This issue is largely alleviated by mods, which now have official support from the studio and game, but persists in the base game. I think it is also worth noting just how well the character creator (and by extension the game) treats gender, sex, and body types.  Baldur’s Gate 3  lets you choose a “body type” from four options: the first two are standard issue male and female presenting, with 3 and 4 being a larger version of that same binary. You then choose your pronouns, including a non-binary option. Your voice selection is not limited by your selected body type or pronouns, either. You can choose any voice from the slider, including masculine and feminine-sounding options, regardless of your other choices. Perhaps most notably, you can choose your genitalia independent of your other choices. It’s a great way to bolster inclusivity for LGBTQ+ players. All of this is then reflected in the game proper, with NPCs referring to your player character as your chosen pronouns, and your chosen genitalia being represented in the romance scenes appropriately. The option to change all of your appearance and pronoun selections is also available via a standing mirror within your campsite, meaning you can make the change midway through a playthrough, if you like. I find this to be one of the best-implemented systems in any character creator I’ve ever seen. It just opens up so many roleplaying opportunities for the player that might not otherwise be available with the current standard A/B body type and gender most games employ. There are a vast number of options available to the player in character creation and beyond. The game’s freedom is astonishing in the context of the adventure proper, as well. Larian has somehow accounted for, or at the very least not prohibited, an uncountable number of creative solutions. You can fly to the top of buildings to circumvent enemies or find ways to break into a building, pickpocket an NPC while your player character distracts them, or lay down 100 barrels of explosives next to a group of enemies undetected - whatever your mind thinks of, is worth trying. It truly mimics the feel of a DM willing to allow you to at least give things a go, asking “yes, and?” There’s just incredible attention to detail in every aspect of your interactions in the world. It’s also a vast and interesting world, thankfully. Set in the Dungeons and Dragons world of Faerûn, Baldur’s Gate 3 has a lot of material to draw from and work with, which it uses to create interesting storylines, visit well-known, legendary characters, and introduce you to varied locales. Larian has successfully navigated decades of prior material and incorporated it in a way that makes you feel like your actions have a real impact on the world while also respecting the source. Along the journey, you will be exploring 3 large areas, one for each act, with smaller dungeons or biomes available for traversal throughout.  While so much of this game wowed me, my favorite aspect remains the characters - especially the party. Nearly every major player within the game has complex motivations or beliefs. The party has a great mix of personalities, which sometimes contrast with your decision-making and sensibilities - and they’re not afraid to tell you. However, if you get close to your party members, you’ll come across some of the best-written individuals in gaming. Each one has their own voice, their own morality, and it makes navigating those conversations and scenarios so much more interesting than if everyone was always in agreement with you. There’s also a romance aspect to those interactions you can pursue if you like. It’s just a pity that the multiplayer mode creates limitations in your interactions with those party members. And yes - I did partake, thank you. The multiplayer mode in Baldur’s Gate 3  supports between 2-4 players, with your party playing through the same scenario as the single-player campaign. In many ways, I find the best use of this would be to treat it as a traditional DnD scenario, with your party having interactions and chats outside of the confines of the game. This is largely because in multiplayer, interactions with the companions and other NPCs are much more limited, with each player only able to speak with companions bound to them at a given time. The interaction between the player and NPC is limited to whoever initiated the conversation, and they do not always repeat conversations for other players. With 4 players, companions are entirely cut out of the experience and story altogether. This is a huge loss, in my opinion, and not worth it. I do understand the way things needed to be done to make things work here, and getting the experience to be both playable and fun is certainly commendable, but it’s not a sacrifice I’d endorse on a first playthrough. If you have a group available to meet in the way required to play multiplayer, you’re better served by playing Dungeons and Dragons proper - at least on your first go.  For all of its role-playing opportunities and freedom of expression, Baldur’s Gate 3 is still ‘just’ a game. It’s bound by the limitations of its design in ways tabletop never will be. And that’s okay. There’s so much here that it feels endless, like there’s always another nook to check, or a solution you didn’t try that could alter outcomes. Eventually, we’ll have seen everything there is in the game - maybe we already have - but this is sincerely the best try at replicating the tabletop experience we’ve seen yet. I loved every minute of this game, despite playing it 3 times. Each adventure was filled with different choices, new roleplaying opportunities, and varied outcomes to major and minor questlines. I know that I have not found the edge of possibility here - so much more remains. This is a truly beautiful game Baldur’s Gate 3  is a game that can be daunting to even start. It sports an enormous world with deep and complex characters and combat systems, numbers litter every shop and menu, and there’s a massive amount of content within the game. All of these separate systems, and things to keep track of can seem overwhelming, but I promise that every bit you put into this game is given back tenfold. Verdict Baldur’s Gate 3 is the best approximation of the classic Dungeons and Dragons experience available in video game format. As a game I loved so dearly while playing, I will surely continue to mess around with it for years to come. With exceptionally deep role-playing opportunities, complex and interesting combat mechanics, wonderful visuals, and great writing, Baldur’s Gate 3 is now counted among my favorite games ever. The bar has been raised for what is possible in the AAA role-playing space - let’s see if anyone can ever match it. Image Credits: Taylor Rioux

A Hekki  good time 1000xRESIST opens up with a rather brutal scene of the player character, Watcher, murdering her “ALLMOTHER” in cold blood. Okay, you have my attention. It’s a rather jarring start, as you’re immediately shunted back in time to see everyone – including Watcher – giving praise to the ALLMOTHER as they say goodbye to one of the sisters. Each character uses in-world jargon or phrasing as they speak to you, and things start moving fast, so there’s no time to really get settled into the world.   Despite (or because of) this, the world is immediately interesting. Each of the sisters are clones of the ALLMOTHER, most people in the world have died, and something  got to them. Soon after starting, your character starts moving back and forth through memories at different points in time, as you piece together little bits of information on the “ALLMOTHER” character, your sisters, and the past. This time travel mechanic is also seamlessly used to navigate through the world and environments therein. Publisher: Fellow Traveller Games Developer: Sunset Visitor Platform:  Played on PC Availability: Released on May 9, 2024 for Windows PC and Nintendo Switch This flipping back and forth, combined with its non-linear narrative aspects, can sometimes make the adventure a bit disorienting. I think that makes things more interesting. It opens up new avenues of storytelling for the game, and allows you to guide your own experience with the story in a way that a normal cutscene would not. Sometimes you have dialogue to choose from, or maybe you’re just running trough a nearly empty zone as words fly by. This variety extends beyond just the mechanical aspects of gameplay.   See, 1000xRESIST is a lot of things, but it becomes very hard to say, specifically, what type of game it is. Part mystery, adventure game, and even part visual novel, it’s impossible to pin down. That ambiguity exists within the story and narrative of the game as well, as it leaves you crumbs of information that may seem like nothing as you play, which then blow up into major revelations.   The core experience of the game is done through exploration of the mission areas. You’ll walk through, talk to people, solve some puzzles, and watch some cutscenes. There aren’t many major decisions to make, and there aren’t any battles, but the game keeps you on your toes through its storytelling. I was always reading every dialogue box intently as I clumsily forced my way through the environments, trying desperately to piece the events together before the game outright explains it to me. And there’s a lot there to unpack.   I loved the way they used lighting and angles to convey ideas throughout the cutscenes. The game makes expert use of various techniques to paint a picture for you in each scenario by changing perspective via camera angles – shifting from first person to third, side-scrolling to fixed angles. 1000xRESIST is always trying to tell you something , and I’m not certain I have grasped everything that was intended. I don’t necessarily think you need to. Certainly, there are themes about family, independence, living as part of the immigrant diaspora, living under fascism, nature vs nurture, and so on, but I think it’s possible to play this game and just enjoy what is in front of you without deep examination. The story itself is moving and interesting, even if you can’t quite get  it. Yet, every time I closed the game, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Thinking about what was happening, wondering what I missed, or even creating my own theories about where things were going. Perhaps I didn’t get it all, but the journey itself was rewarding and exciting as I went through.   Where the narrative experience succeeds, I find the actual gameplay falls a bit flat. While they may in many ways be intricately tied together, running through the environments can feel clumsy, and the constant time shifting can make the exploration a chore. Even the hub of the game, The Orchard, seems like a maze; which is undesirable since the hub's only purpose is to house characters you interact with. Realistically, outside of walking around (or zipping around in some of the memory sequences), there’s not much to the actual mechanical gameplay. I can forgive that, as it’s mostly used as a narrative delivery mechanism, and the environments themselves are deeply interesting, even if the actual textures or geometry are extremely simple.   That excellent use of imagery extends to the gameplay moments, as well. Graphical fidelity, performance, and animations may not be the game’s greatest strength, but I find they’ve made great use of the tools to deliver meaningful and interesting ideas. You don’t need ten thousand strands of hair to see the fear or sadness in Watcher’s eyes as increasingly horrific events unfold, but the excellent blocking, lighting choices, and dialogue certainly elevate the scenes.   Ultimately, I found the game to be a lot of fun to play through. I constantly thought about where things would head, and I admired the care with which the story and characters were developed. There are some things I didn’t love about the game, sure, but it doesn’t plod along or stick around for enough time to make those apparent flaws stand out amongst the positives. Verdict   1000xRESIST is an excellent narrative adventure game with a lot to say, but not so much to do. Despite its lack of interactivity, the game delivers on its great characters, story, and music. Positioning itself as an examination of the realities of existing within an immigrant diaspora, 1000xRESIST  strikes at the heart of what it means to be human. Image Credits: Taylor Rioux

As the year comes to a close, I wanted to take some time to reflect upon and talk about the best games that were released in 2024 that I had the privilege of playing. I played over 70 different games during the course of the year. Of that 70, here are the top 10 that have left a positive impression on me. Metaphor: ReFantazio   The first game to make the list comes with a caveat - I have not finished the game. In my defense, it is very long. It is also very, very good. This turn-based RPG features an eclectic cast of characters, each with their own purpose and ideals, that drive the game forward at every turn. It’s a deeply interesting game to look at, has an excellent soundtrack, and features a well-told story that at least attempts to impart deeper ideas and understanding to the audience.  Made by the same people who make the Persona  games at Atlus, there are a ton of familiar game mechanics and design philosophies you’ll encounter throughout the journey, but this is more than just a fantasy Persona . Dragon’s Dogma 2 I had a lot of thoughts about this one , both as I played and long after, but I think my quote here sums it up nicely: “The truth is that this is a hard game to put a number on. The things it does well (exploration and combat) it does exceptionally well. It is a best-in-class experience on those fronts, creating a sense of adventure rarely seen in games.”  Dragon’s Dogma 2  comes up short in a few ways, but shines in so many of the ways that matter. 1000xRESIST     1000xRESIST  is an excellent narrative adventure game with a lot to say, but not so much to do. Despite its lack of interactivity, the game delivers on its great characters, story, and music. Positioning itself as an examination of the realities of existing within an immigrant diaspora, 1000xRESIST  strikes at the heart of what it means to be human. Dragon Age: The Veilguard   Dragon Age: The Veilguard  is an exciting, beautiful, and captivating ride through Thedas. As another sprawling adventure on the list, there’s a lot to do and I had a ton of fun doing it. The combat is fast and flashy, and the characters are beautiful - visually and otherwise. Bursting with both bombastic setpieces and heartfelt moments, the game is a wonder to look at. Thankfully, it also runs like a dream and all of those big moments go off without a hitch. I go into a lot more detail in my review, but this game has a lot of heart.   I am Your Beast   Image Credit: Strange Scaffold The latest game from Strange Scaffold had me singing its praises in my review : “I Am Your Beast is a visceral, exciting, and often silly first-person shooter that is worth every bit of your time and then some. Responsive controls, a unique visual flair, and an enthralling pace create a joyous experience that gives you just as much as you are willing to put into it.”  I was blown away by I am Your Beast  and its beautiful simplicity. There’s only so much you as the player can do, mechanically speaking, but the open mission design and different weapons offer a lot of space for the player to both be creative and efficient. Unicorn Overlord    Image Credit: Atlus Co., Ltd. It's not often that I find high fantasy RPG games refreshing , but Unicorn Overlord  scratched just the right itch. With a heavy narrative focus on the characters, the game tells its story through your interactions with the people along the way, just as much or more than it does in more standard ways like expository dialogue. There’s so much to love about this game - stunning visuals, varied and deep combat, interesting characters - all of it serves to paint a picture of a world torn by war. The game has a strong emphasis on your relationships with your party and that carries through every facet of the game. Definitely worth a look if you like strategy RPGs at all. Granblue Fantasy: Relink   Image Credit: Cygames, Inc. An excellent Action RPG that satisfies both the number-cruncher and “cool guy” enjoyer in my soul. Boasting a cast of 22 unique playable characters and a large array of encounters to participate in, Granblue Fantasy: Relink  has a colossal amount of things to preoccupy yourself with.  Thankfully, it’s not just about how much  you can do in the game - it’s impossibly fun to play, as well. The combat is fast-paced and fun, offering players multiple options per character in terms of how you build their movesets and gear. Additionally, the story, art, and cutscenes are major positives for me , even if it is very straightforward in terms of presentation. Astro Bot   Astro Bot  remains one of the most creative platformers I’ve ever played, and I think my time away from it has only improved my thoughts on it. It’s another one I reviewed here, so I urge you to check that out, but the short version is: tight controls and great level design can really carry a game to great heights. In spite of its slavish devotion to PlayStation brand sentimentalism, Astro Bot  feels like a real love letter to Platformers and great games of Sony’s past. It has a killer soundtrack and cute characters, too - perfect for spending time gaming with the little ones. Balatro Image Credit: LocalThunk At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, Balatro may actually be the most satisfying game I’ve ever played. There’s always a compulsion to start just one more round before bed, at work, or on the couch. Seeing all of your deck building and joker hunting culminate in massive numbers to crush the “blinds” is endlessly gratifying. While the core concept is deceptively simple - play poker hands to beat the target score - the breadth and depth of your deck building options creates a nearly infinite number of combinations to mess around with. Its simple controls and clean UI make it the perfect mobile game. Slay The Princess – The Pristine Cut  In my review of Slay the Princess - The Pristine Cut , I called it a “masterwork of storytelling and visual design.” I’ll stand on that ‘til the day I die. This is a game that has it all: excellent artwork, a top-notch soundtrack, and an excellent story - all told within a winding and mind-blowing narrative framework.  A visual novel / horror hybrid, Slay the Princess  is at times terrifying, and at others deeply moving. Despite being a combination of two genres I don’t frequently engage with, this game is a testament to the medium’s ability to deliver true artistic experiences. Each of these games has something to them that I believe makes them special, and I hope you give them a chance if you haven’t yet. 2024 was a big year for games and there were quite a few I didn’t get to. I’m excited to play more of the ones I missed that came out and I’m looking forward to 2025 titles like Avowed,   Monster Hunter Wilds, and Slay the Spire 2 . If you have suggestions or would like to see a specific game reviewed, you can submit it using the form here . Thank you to all of my readers and have a happy 2025! Image Credits: All image credits to Taylor Rioux, unless otherwise noted.

Brutal and beautiful - this is one game that will stand the test of time.   Have you ever felt like something you loved has passed you by? Like the hopes and dreams you had as a kid evaporated into thin air? As if something you have spent your whole life doing is no longer meant for you to engage with?   I felt that way in 2015.   Up to that point, I had gone through most of my life with playing video games (plus writing about and reading about them, in some capacity) as my primary hobby. As a child, I dreamt of making games. Developing, directing, working in the art department - it didn’t matter where I landed, only that I was involved in some way. Personal failures and unforeseen circumstances led me away from that path, but even after college, I still felt like games were a home for me. In 2014, that feeling changed. After years of progressively worsening monetization in games and the Ubisoft-style approach to open-world games becoming industry standard, I had enough. Ironically, the breaking point for me was a game I ultimately liked, Dragon Age: Inquisition , winning game of the year. It signaled to me that this is where games were going, and where they would be for a long time. So, I quit. I quit playing games, I quit reading about them, I quit watching YouTube videos on them, and I quit going to gaming events.   And then I remembered The Witcher 3  was coming out. So, I booted up The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings  again, just a few short weeks before the third game’s release. I really liked The Witcher 2 . It was a comfort for me during hard times in my life, where I could escape and just enjoy something on my combination TV/suitcase monstrosity and Xbox 360, but I wouldn’t have said it was my favorite game, or even close. I had basically gone dark on gaming news or updates about the third game, so I didn’t know what to expect. Nothing could have prepared me for The Witcher 3 .   I was drawn in immediately – from the opening cinematic to the dream sequence that follows, and even further still to Velen and beyond. I was hooked. I was more than hooked. I spent all night playing and ended up calling into work. It was as if something buried deep within my soul had been revived – a true and deep love for what I was experiencing blooming instantaneously and intensely as I rode Roach across the fields of White Orchard. The Witcher 3  is more than a game for me - it represents a moment in time where I regained my passion for the artform.   It just so happens that there’s a damn good game here, too. Publisher: CD Projekt Developer: CD Project Red Platform:  Played on PC Availability: Released on May 19, 2015 for PS4, Xbox One, and Windows, October 15, 2019 for Nintendo Switch, and December 14, 2022 for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.   For the uninitiated, The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt  is an action-adventure RPG with a heavy emphasis on choice and consequence. Developed by Polish gaming company CD Projekt Red as the third game in their Witcher  series, the third entry released to enormous critical and commercial success. The series, based upon and inspired by the series of fantasy novels by Andrzej Sapkowski, follows Geralt, a Witcher (a sort of monster hunter/spirit detective combined with a bounty hunter), as he navigates a world full of magic, monsters, and political intrigue.   The broad strokes of the plot revolve around Geralt initially on the search for his former lover, Yennifer, and then again looking for his adoptive daughter, Ciri. Along the path, Geralt crosses swords and words with old friends, rivals, and everything in between. If you have a save file from previous entries, decisions you made can carry over into your new game. You can also opt to answer several questions at the beginning that alter the world state you are coming into, but not every carry-over decision is affected this way. While most choices from previous entries do not make major changes to this game, having some quest lines or lines of dialogue altered based on those choices is a welcome bonus.   Those previous world choices help make each playthrough feel like your unique world - a world shaped by your journeys with Geralt just as much as it is shaped by the scenario in front of you - despite the fact that, realistically, not much changes because of them. And I think that’s quite fine, as the depth and breadth of choices available to you within this game is staggering. Outside of the main quest, how each quest plays out or ends is often based on your decisions throughout the journey, and there aren't always clear-cut right answers. Who lives, who dies, and even who rules hinges upon Geralt's choices and actions – sometimes in unforeseen ways. While the main story is quite good, especially in the more emotional moments with Geralt and Ciri, the real standouts are the side quests you encounter off the beaten path. Excellent voice acting and writing even on the smaller missions give a lovely depth of character to the people you encounter, and Geralt is quite brilliant on his own. There are so many interesting and moving moments tucked away in the side stories of this game, it would be a grave mistake to skip any of the missions. Whether it’s a classic story with a unique twist, a story about abuse and revenge, or a reunion with an old friend, there’s so much to engage in and fall in love with. The Witcher 3 is full of emotional moments that are expertly presented.   All of this is within the greater context of The Witcher 3  being an open-world style game. As such, many missions can be easily missed, whether you never go to the area or you advance too far into the main plot, so much of this wonderous game can be left overlooked. That might be the game’s greatest flaw, truth be told; that anything here could go unseen despite its brilliance is a true tragedy. Several world-altering events can be overlooked if you rush too far forward.   Luckily (or unluckily, to some) nearly every major point of interest or quest is explicitly marked on your map. This can feel overwhelming if you’re trying to do everything the game has to offer, as there are so many map markers. Each monster nest, quest line, treasure chest, or other notable object in the world leaves a little question mark on your map until you get close enough to see what it is, exactly. On the first playthrough, seeing so much available to you at once can be a bit disorienting. Personally, I enjoyed going to each of those markers and seeing what was there, because it was almost always interesting (with the exception of the sailing chests in Skellige).   There is just so much care put into the way this world is built. Even minor encounters can tell a story. What appears as a simple chest icon on the map can tell a story about betrayal, murder, or even disease through the excellent environmental design. You will also frequently find notes or letters in an area that explain or allude to the events that have transpired. There’s so much that you can piece together throughout your travels. Of course, not everything is that way. There are times when what you find really is just a barrel or chest with randomized loot and no story to tell. I tend to think there are fewer of those than detractors would have you believe, but they do exist.   Speaking of world-building – it is immaculate here. While much of the groundwork is laid out via the Sapkowski stories, even more is CD Projekt’s own design. Events of the games (which did not happen in the books) have shaped the world into a complex wonder. Seemingly endless journal and bestiary entries expound upon events past and present, or even detail the inner workings and stories surrounding the monsters you’ve taken on as contracts. You could spend hours just reading about the characters, nations, and races of people in this world – and learn about all the complex ways those things meld together. While this is not necessary to do in order to follow the plot of the adventure, I find it makes the events of the game much more interesting when you have an understanding of the world at large. The vistas and locales are absolutely teeming with life and character. From a gameplay perspective, The Witcher 3  is a third-person adventure game with RPG mechanics. The basic loop sees you taking on a quest or contract and trying to find the person or monster in question. Geralt has a “Witcher sense” that helps him see footprints or follow smells, allowing him to track his targets through the world. Your horse Roach can help expedite your long travels, as well.   In combat, you have swords for slashing, signs (spells) for casting, and a crossbow for shooting. The signs are probably the most interesting aspect of this, as they each have alternate versions that change how they function or upgrades that are better at doing one thing versus another. For example, the spell Quen can either be a barrier that can absorb a single instance of damage or be a held barrier that heals your health when attacked but leaves you stationary. From here, upgrades can change how much damage is absorbed, how much health is recovered, or even if breaking the shield causes an explosion. Your melee has many pathways available to you, as well – build for heavy strikes or quick ones, special abilities with different use cases, etc.   Your gear and equipment are a vital part of the experience, as well. The large variety of potions and oils available to you allow you to prepare for upcoming fights and fine-tune the way you fight. That said, your gear is probably the most impactful aspect of your build. Each piece and set comes with innate bonuses, and upgrading them makes a massive difference in the damage you do to others and take yourself. Gear sets largely determine the way you fight, even if you don’t use your swords a lot and opt for your signs instead, as the weapons and armor you have can shape the signs or abilities you use and their effectiveness.   All of this blends together in the battles as more of a dance than a hack-and-slash affair. You move around the battlefield, waiting for the right time to strike. Dodging and parrying are integral to the flow of combat, and when your opening arrives – you strike. It’s a lot of fun, but not particularly complex in action. There’s no sequencing of buttons to press for combos, and nothing particularly deep about the movesets your enemies have, which can lead to a feeling of repetitiveness as you fight Drowners for the 700th time. In my most recent playthrough, I built myself around a devastating, overhead strike – setting it up by lighting my enemies on fire to lock them in place while I charged my move. Other times I’ve built around quick attacks or signs. There’s a good variety of what you, the player, have available, but that doesn’t extend to the enemies you fight. Most really only have 2-4 different moves they can use.   The varied builds and combat tools keep the battles engaging. Combat isn’t the only aspect of gameplay, however, and many of the side activities are just as engaging (or more so) than the fights. Gwent is a major standout here, becoming popular enough to spin off into its own standalone title following the release of The Witcher 3 . For a quick explainer, Gwent is a card game where the cards you play give you points, and the person with the most points in a round wins the round. The first person to win two rounds is the victor of the match. In the base game, there are four decks (factions) to choose from, with a fifth added in the Blood and Wine Expansion, and each has its own strategies and synergies. There are a large number of cards to collect, people to play against, and even some nice quests revolving around the activity. It is a lot of fun, and definitely a worthwhile break from the violence, politics, and drama that unfolds throughout the rest of the adventure.   Perhaps the most underrated aspect of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt  is the music. This soundtrack is absolutely incredible. With a heavy Slavic influence, the OST is brimming with personality and a unique flavor rarely seen in mainstream games. From exciting battle themes like “Hunt or Be Hunted” or “You’re Immortal,” to more somber tunes like “The Wolf and The Swallow,” composer Marcin Przybyłowicz has crafted a beautiful song for every moment. It has led me to appreciate the varied sounds of Slavic, or even more specifically Polish, music. Since playing this game I have developed an appreciation for instruments I never even knew existed prior to the experience, such as the Gadoulka, Gusli, Suka, and Rebec   That music accentuates and enlivens the most dramatic moments in the game in ways that are hard to overstate. Frankly, nothing could have prepared me for the ways in which this game would move me. From beginning to end, and through the expansions that came later, I was so enraptured by every scene and moment, that I felt as if I was experiencing something truly transformative. Those feelings extended beyond the specific cutscenes or events, as well. I often found myself wandering the hillside or woods through a storm awestruck by both the visual beauty on display and the soundscape I was experiencing. Many of the sounds in the game are diegetic, meaning they occur within the context of the story and are able to be heard by the characters, which lends itself to more immersive sounds. Tavern songs, trees creaking, the clanging of armor – all of it was captured so well; it was a truly immersive experience. There's always something to do in a bar or inn. The most positive aspects of the game are elevated even further in the expansions that came out after release. Hearts of Stone  is a heart-wrenching tale that adds new gear, crafting systems, and content in the northern Novigrad area, while Blood and Wine  is a massive send-off for many of the series’ most prominent characters, including Geralt. Blood and Wine opens up a massive new area, new combat enhancements, and a long, engaging story. Both would deserve their own reviews under normal circumstances upon release - many outlets did just that - but what stands out to me is how cohesive they are to the game as a whole. Everything fits in so well, and their inclusion in the entire package makes this one of the most impressive games you’ll ever play from just about every perspective. There’s just something so special about this world that CDProjekt has crafted. From the way each village tells its own story, to the way notes and journal entries have their own voice, everything feels so alive . Characters have bespoke facial animations or tics, NPCs go about their daily lives and react to the world changing around them - every aspect of this game enraptures me. Next summer, we’ll be coming up on 10 years since this game was released, and I’m not sure I’ll ever quite get over how much I love it.   In my most recent playthrough, as I sat down at the fire with an old friend at the end of a long journey, I couldn’t help but tear up a little. I will be putting The Witcher 3  down for the last time, I think, having done 6 full completionist runs of the game. After spending hundreds of hours with Geralt, Dandelion, Triss, and Ciri, it feels like a chapter of my life is coming to a close. Because this is the game that reopened the book on video games for me, and because I cherished every moment I spent playing, I can leave it happy. So, when Geralt smiled at me as the game came to a close, I couldn’t help but smile, too. Good luck on the path. Verdict Bold and breathtaking, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt  is an exemplar of storytelling and narrative design. With a great blend of serious, tense moments and stretches of levity, each quest will keep you engaged and enthralled. Boasting an excellent and varied soundtrack, beautiful visuals, and deep roleplaying opportunities, this game offers a more complete experience than nearly any other game in history. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt  is a revelation – a true work of art – and if you have not yet played it, do so immediately.