Magician, Persona, and the Weight of Nostalgia By Sam Desatoff • February 1st, 2018 I grew up as a citizen of Midkemia. Here, in this land filled with elves and dragons and ancient magicians who live in a realm apart from time, I came into adolescence and, more importantly, fostered a love for fantasy.
Seeland and the Community of Economy By Sam Desatoff • January 18th, 2018 One of my favorite examples of game economy comes from a rather unassuming title. Seeland is a game about using windmills to reclaim land from the sea.
The Tragic Tale of Futaba Sakura By Sam Desatoff • January 15th, 2018 Persona 5 is a game rife with emotion. Each major story arc presents players with impressively-written characters and themes other RPGs are afraid to touch, and Futaba Sakura’s arc is the best the game has to offer.
The Mundane Magnificence of Persona 5 By Sam Desatoff • January 4th, 2018 My favorite scenes in Persona 5 are those quiet moments where Ryuji eats too much ramen, Yuske reflects on a new piece of artwork, or Sojiro teaches Joker how to brew the perfect cup of coffee.
Simplicity Rules in El Dorado By Sam Desatoff • December 14th, 2017 What makes El Dorado so good is its simplicity. A mashup of two different genres has the potential to become clunky and confusing, but that is not the case here.
Tabletop The Virtue of Bean Farming By Sam Desatoff • November 30th, 2017 It felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off of me. It was the single greatest game of Bohnanza I have ever been a part of.
Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a JRPG Without the Filler By Sam Desatoff • November 27th, 2017 In Battle Chasers: Nightwar, all the standard RPG elements are present, albeit in a distilled, no-frills way.
Snake Oil: The Only Party Game You’ll Ever Need By Sam Desatoff • November 9th, 2017 The pantheon of party games holds esteemed company, and Snake Oil assuredly belongs the upper echelons among Scattergories, Pictionary and Charades.
Cardboard for One: Embracing the Solo Game By Sam Desatoff • October 26th, 2017 Board games are a group activity, something that friends and family can use as a tool for bonding. At least traditionally.
Cuphead’s Difficulty Undermines its Aesthetic By Sam Desatoff • October 19th, 2017 Cuphead is a game that very much wants you to look at it. Studio HDMR has hand-crafted an absolutely gorgeous adventure that is like nothing else in the gaming landscape.
