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.
Tagged: Games
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.
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.
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?
Is the First ‘Witcher’ Game Worth Playing? – Three and Out
When I got hooked by Netflix’s adaptation of the Witcher series, I was initially inclined to skip the first two games and dive into the universally acclaimed The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Against my...
Roundtable: Is Good Narrative an Excuse for Bad Gameplay?
Question: Does a strong narrative exempt a game from issues in its gameplay? In terms of difficulty, lack of engagement, or simply poor game design, is such a narrative enough motivation to push through...
Open World Games and Why Kingdom Hearts Isn’t One
The Epilogue Crew breaks down open world games and argues Marcos argues that Kingdom Hearts isn’t one of them. Plus, EA releases a Battle Royale and there some juicy Nintendo Switch rumors float their way onto the podcast.
On Play Finale: Episode 7
Andy discusses play and asks “What makes play fun?” in his finale of “On Play”.
Roundtable: Videogames are NOT Art?
Question: Why would anyone believe that games are not art? What is some of the value in or purpose of labeling games as an art form? Blake: I think the reason games are easily...
Exploring Antenarrative in ‘The Stanley Parable’
I began my first playthrough of The Stanley Parable by not following directions. The game’s narrator guides you along through the opening gambit of the level until you are met with two doors. Each...
Game Award Surprises and Comedy in Video Games
The Epilogue crew breaks down the Game Award announcements and tallies up their predictions. Why don’t video games have a comedy genre? Ben, Marcos and Dakota look to find the answers.
Testament
Andy dissects Blake Guthrie’s “Short Stories and Scrambled Chronologies in ‘Beyond: Two Souls”. How much does player perspective mean? Can we compare games to moments in film or poems?
Analysis: Is Bethesda going the way of Telltale?
With the abysmal reception to Bethesda’s recent release, Fallout 76, many gamers including myself found themselves in a state of utter disappointment. Though the company has taken repeated criticisms for buggy games, an outdated...
Detective Pikachu, Game Awards and Video Game Tropes
The Epilogue Crew has an unsurprising amount of hot takes on the Detective Pikachu trailer. Ben thinks the Game Award nominees are short on depth. Marcos and Dakota debate over video game tropes and which ones deserve to live on.
‘One Hand Clapping’: A Sonorous Sensation
One Hand Clapping combines unexpected gameplay mechanics, lore, and surprisingly silent storytelling. The premise is generally a mystery. You are dropped into a world swirling with atmosphere and intrigue, something deeply reminiscent of how...
On Play: Part Three
Andy discusses shared language and participatory art.
Telltale and Video Game Nostalgia
The Epilogue crew returns for a second season of the podcast. In this episode, they break down the Telltale closing and its effect on the industry. They also discuss the use of video game nostalgia as a marketing technique.
No Man’s Subway Station
No Man’s Sky started as a flop with broken promises, and what seemed like immense empty space. The last part is the most intriguing though, a game full of empty space with very little...
Mega Man Masters Monotony
It took me four different Mega Man games, all of which I played in order, to realize that they’re pretty much identical to one another. In an era where consumers rip franchises like Call...
Ben and The Gang Talk Antagonists and Villains
The Epilogue crew breaks down what makes a good villain and the latest Kingdom Hearts 3 trailer.
Ben and The Gang Talk Video Game Protagonists
The Epilogue crew breaks down their favorite protagonists and what qualities make a protagonist a “good” one. Red Dead Redemption 2 gets a release date, and Dakota compares Nintendo to Waffle House.
