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Features

October 4, 2024

by Flora Merigold · Published October 4, 2024 · Last modified October 3, 2024

The Mismatched Puzzle Pieces of ‘Phantom Liberty’: Why the ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ DLC Expansion Falls Short

One of my personal video gaming rollercoasters is CDProjekt Red’s infamous Cyberpunk 2077. A notorious disaster at launch, I initially boycotted the game due to its egregious mistreatment of working staff, reversal of key...
Features

September 6, 2024

by Flora Merigold · Published September 6, 2024 · Last modified September 3, 2024

‘Venba’ and the Cultural Memories I Wish I Had

Venba is a magnificent game that transmutes cultural memory and identity through food. It also evokes the loss of that culture. Here’s how.
Features

August 9, 2024

by Flora Merigold · Published August 9, 2024 · Last modified August 2, 2024

No, Queen’s Blood From ‘Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’ Should Not Be Its Own Standalone Game: Here’s Why

One of the delights of the breathtaking entries in the remake series for Final Fantasy VII is the surprising abundance and depth to mini-games. Fort Condor, as it launched with the Yuffie DLC for...
Features

July 5, 2024

by Flora Merigold · Published July 5, 2024 · Last modified June 29, 2024

An Essential Steam Deck Title: ‘Heading Out’

Heading Out looks like yet another racing game, but this wonderfully designed gem should be on every Steam Deck owners’ radar. Here’s why.
Features

May 24, 2024

by Flora Merigold · Published May 24, 2024 · Last modified May 1, 2024

Erasure in ‘Emily is Away’

Emily Is Away has a sterling reputation as a nostalgia-baiting AIM simulator. Under the surface of the writing lies something much more sinister, however.

Features

April 26, 2024

The Importance of Asking For Help: My Experience With ‘Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’

Here’s how Flora Merigold felt her relationship to the Yakuza games change when she stopped drinking alcohol.

Features / News

April 5, 2024

The Best of PAX East

These were the best of the games at PAX East 2024.

Features

March 27, 2024

The Sequel I Couldn’t Have Predicted: Demoing ‘Kind Words 2’ at PAX East

PAX East is packed with game demos, but 2024’s game of the show has to be Kind Words 2 – the sequel no one expected. Here’s why.

Features / Reviews / Three and Out

March 8, 2024

Ranking the Yakuza Series: ‘Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth’

In her ongoing ranking of the Yakuza (Like a Dragon) series, Flora Merigold assesses the newest mainline entry, Infinite Wealth.

Features

February 9, 2024

How ‘Goodbye Volcano High’ Captured My Childhood Experiences

Goodbye Volcano High is a zenith in queer video game storytelling. Here’s how my own experiences paralleled with the narrative.

Features

January 5, 2024

How ‘Cocoon’ Is A Game That’s Its Own Worst Enemy

Cocoon is the latest effort by the creators of Inside and Limbo. Despite tons of charm, the game never leaves that same impact.

Features / Roundtable

December 31, 2023

Streaming Resolutions: A Look From Our Twitch Team

For the first time ever, we brought a few members of our Twitch Team together to pitch some New Year’s resolutions we have for our individual channels.

Features / Reviews

December 18, 2023

Ranking the Yakuza Series: ‘Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name’

Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name isn’t exactly the most robust attempt at a Yakuza title. Here’s where is succeeds & fails.

Features

December 1, 2023

How ‘Sea of Stars’ Taught Me That JRPGs Can Be More Than a Story

Sea of Stars showed me exactly what the genre was capable of when combat isn’t taken for granted.

Features / Roundtable

November 23, 2023

Video Games and What We’re Thankful For in 2023

Each year, the Epilogue staff likes to reflect on what we’re grateful for. Here’s are our highlights from 2023.

Features

November 17, 2023

Couples Therapy and ‘Marvel’s Spider-Man 2’

The Scream fight in Spider-Man 2 was not only unexpected, but helped me understand my romantic relationship better. Here’s how.

Features

October 25, 2023

‘Saltsea Chronicles’ is A Wonderful Experiment in Narrative Complexity

Saltsea Chronicles is a lovely follow up release by Die Gute Fabrik, creators of Mutazione, offering a complex but relaxing narrative.

Features

September 22, 2023

‘Final Fantasy XVI’ Has An Identity Crisis

Final Fantasy 16 has an incredibly strong opening & achieves technical marvels. It also fails to do anything meaningful as a game.

Features

May 19, 2023

Vicarious Drunkenness: “Feud of the Ages” and the Role of Alcohol in ‘Like a Dragon: Ishin!’

All it took to bury a generational grudge was a night out with the lads. Here’s what makes “Feud of the Ages” in Yakuza Ishin special.

Features

May 5, 2023

‘Strayed Lights’ is Good, But It’s Missing Something

Strayed Lights is an impressive indie debut from Embers, but the combat system ultimately never evolves enough to remain interesting.

Features / News / Top Lists

March 31, 2023

The Best Games at PAX East 2023: Highlights From My First Gaming Conference

If you couldn’t make it to PAX East this year, Flora has you covered. She discusses her overall PAX experience as well as her favorite games from the show.

Features

March 22, 2023

The Subversive Delights of ‘Take Me or Leaf Me’ – A Houseplant Dating Simulator

I didn’t know that I wanted a houseplant dating sim, but here we are, romancing plant-partners. The only question is: which to pick?

Features

February 28, 2023

The Protracted Pacing of ‘A Plague Tale: Requiem’

While I adored the original Plague Tale, the sequel overstays its welcome, dragging out what it otherwise a powerful story.

Features / News

February 10, 2023

Sitting Out The New Harry Potter Game Is The Bare Minimum

If you claim to care about transgender people, sitting out the new Potter game is the least you can do to show solidarity.

Features

February 3, 2023

The Simple Delights of ‘Celebrating Bubble Tea’ – A Google Doodle

Bubble Tea is a wonderful comfort. This cute, quick game about making it is a relaxing way to spend a few cozy minutes.

Features

January 20, 2023

‘Vampire Survivors’ and The Glory of Floor Chicken

Floor Chicken in Vampire Survivors is crucial to survival in the early game. But it also comes in clutch as you play further. Here’s how.

Features / Top Lists

December 30, 2022

Editor’s Picks: Flora’s Favorite Games of 2022

2022 was a mixture of massive releases and dozens of charming indies. Here are the top five games that impacted Flora the most in 2022.

Features

December 16, 2022

Winding Down: Reflecting on Five Years of Games Writing

Flora Merigold reflects on five years of games writing, revisiting her favorite articles from Epilogue’s website.

Features

December 2, 2022

The Trouble With Playing Games “Buffet Style”

If you are struggling to finish the games you’ve started, it might be because you’re playing games “buffet style.” Here’s why.

Features

November 18, 2022

The Game That First Allowed Me to Explore Gender: ‘Pokemon Crystal’

During Transgender Awareness Week, the Pokemon fandom seems particularly supportive, which has unlocked some fond gender memories of Crystal.

Features

November 4, 2022

My Abandoned Completionist Attempt to 100% ‘Yakuza 0’

Die-hard Yakuza fans may be tempted to 100% the prequel. Here’s why doing so is tougher than it seems. Beware of the platinum.

Features

October 21, 2022

The Horror of Deadnaming: My Recent Replay of ‘Doki Doki Literature Club Plus!’

This article features a before and after story of two Doki Doki Literature Club playthroughs. It explores deadnaming after transitioning.

Features

October 7, 2022

How ‘Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ Nails The Vibes of ‘Cyberpunk 2077’

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners not only pays tribute to the game, Cyberpunk 2077, but enhances its strengths with an incredible story. Here’s how.

Features

September 30, 2022

‘Metal: Hellsinger’ is Good, But It’s Missing Something

The headbanging premise of Metal: Hellsinger will hook any lifelong metalhead, but does the game maintain its groove?

Features

September 19, 2022

My Disturbing Obsession With ‘Immortality’

Immortality is one of the most mind-bending games in recent memory, and will haunt my thoughts for years to come – in the best way possible.

Features

August 31, 2022

I Can’t Stop Replaying ‘We Are OFK’

We Are OFK is a fantastic biopic of queer indie musicians. Come for the music, stay for the complicated relationship drama.

Features

August 26, 2022

‘Neon White,’ Player Fatigue, and Gaming Burnout

Neon White is one of 2022’s best games, indie or otherwise. It is also an exhausting, protracted experience that may burn you out.

Features / Reviews

August 17, 2022

‘Fashion Police Squad’: Fun, Fashionable, Frustrating

Growing up in Florida, I’ve always wanted to be able to slap some fashion sense into folks who wear socks with their sandals. Fashion Police Squad (FPS for short, in case you missed this...

Features

July 15, 2022

The Buildup to ‘Stray’ Reminds Me of ‘Untitled Goose Game’

The buildup to Stray feels a lot like the cultural conversation around Untitled Goose Game before it released. Here’s why we’re excited.

Features

July 1, 2022

How ‘the earth is a better person than me’ Explores Self-Love

Games can hit you differently at different times. Here’s how the earth is a better person than me hit me during a turbulent time.

Features

June 17, 2022

Being Trans is the ‘Dark Souls’ of Gender: An Exploration of Parallels

Comparing anything to Dark Souls is basically a meme, but here’s one trans woman’s perspective on how Souls reflects her experiences since coming out.

Features

June 3, 2022

How ‘13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim’ Turned Me Into A Yakisoba Fan

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim made me want to try Yakisoba Pan. Here’s some context from the game, as well as a recipe to make your own!

Features

May 20, 2022

Difficulty Spikes, Gacha Mechanics, and Luck-Based Progression: Is ‘NieR Reincarnation’ Worth Playing?

Fans of the NieR series seem unlikely to enjoy this gacha-laden mobile game keen on aggressive microtransactions. Should you play it?

Features

May 6, 2022

Cheating the Challenge Away: My Experience With ‘Elden Ring,’ ‘Dark Souls,’ and ‘Returnal’

It’s no secret that Dark Souls, Elden Ring, and Returnal are brutally unforgiving games. But can you still enjoy them if you make them easier?

Features

April 15, 2022

‘Ghostwire: Tokyo’ Feels as Empty and Abandoned as Its City

Ghostwire: Tokyo is a mixed bag containing beautiful urban environments and repetitive open world interactions. But is it worth playing?

Features

April 1, 2022

Video Games Are Too Long: How the Promise of ‘Tales of Arise’ Falls Short

Tales of Arise starts strong, feeling like a comfy JRPG. But after a while, the game loses its luster, dragging on for too long.

Features / Reviews

March 25, 2022

A World of Secrets: Why You Should Play ‘Tunic’

Ben recommends listening to Tunic’s excellent OST while reading the review. Should you prefer, a video review is available on Patreon for supporters $1 and up. The article below discusses Tunic from a post-play...

Features

March 18, 2022

Understanding The Surprisingly Hilarious and Thought-Provoking Player Messages in ‘Elden Ring’

The cryptic player messages in Elden Ring are baffling riddles. Here’s my attempt to interpret what these messages mean and why they were written.

Features

March 11, 2022

A Universe of Wonder: Why ‘Outer Wilds’ is One of the Best Games of All Time

Ben suggests listening to Andrew Prahlow’s Outer Wilds’ original score while reading and watching. The following content involves spoilers and a post-play perspective. What does it mean to wonder? Playing Outer Wilds, I imagine,...