The classic approaches weren’t bad or archaic. It’s a common misconception. They often had janky controls, poor accessibility, or even overly difficult game design – but the aesthetic was never to blame. The industry has ironed out a lot of these creases over the years to create much smoother experiences, and the indie space is proof enough that 2D doesn’t mean old and obtuse. The Binding of Isaac takes the original Zelda and makes it a roguelike, even sharing its UI, dungeon format, and item pickup animation – the inspirations ooze. Undertale is a 2D RPG that has combat expressed through a small box that has you avoiding the bullet-hell barrage – it doesn’t rely on fancy graphics. Little Dew is a more comedic Zelda that feels like an HD rendition of the classics with a quaint, cartoony art style. These are all iconic titles, despite not being 3D triple-A blockbusters. Meanwhile, when Nintendo wants to revive its classic library, it does so by modifying its 2D approach, 3Dizing them instead. Look no further than the upcoming Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl Pokemon gam
One of the first anti-RPGs to come out that was woefully underappreciated for its time, people can see why Earthbound has such a cult following that continues to grow even now. The idea of controlling children in the modern setting who fight run-of-the-mill may not sound all that engaging but is a huge part of why Earthbound has such a dedicated fanb
Breath of the Wild followed the evolution of RPGs across the industry – open-world, 3D, and filled with side objectives and little tidbits to do besides the main story. The difference was that it revolutionized open-world games, as evidenced by the titles it has since inspired like Genshin Impact, Immortals Fenyx Rising, and Horizon Forbidden West, but Nintendo’s been there and done that… twice now. Whatever comes after Breath of the Wild 2 will determine Zelda’s future trajectory in a rather significant way. For current generations, BOTW is what put the series on the map. I had friends that played the DS and Game Boy ones at school but it was never a part of my childhood. What really drew my eye to the series was BOTW. Granted, I’m 21 so in my age group, I’m no doubt an anomaly. I imagine that for those much younger, however, Zelda is known as that open-world jaunt on the Swi
As mentioned earlier, the game can get pretty intense with the number of villagers hounding after Leon. Some areas, like the early village sections, are interesting puzzles. Where is the best place to set up shop in order to take the horde out most effectively? It makes the player really th
Is there anything that can save VR? Before I played Resident Evil 4 VR, I probably would have said this is as good as it gets for the Quest 2. Now that I’ve got my hands on it, however, I firmly believe that remakes are the future of
While this entire series has some commonalities with Studio Ghibli’s works, certain titles have Ghibli’s magic more than others. Those titles are Dominion of the Dark Djinn and Wrath of the White Witch. Those two particular games are worth checking out because their animated sequences were created by Studio Ghi
Whether it’s Link, Zelda, or something completely out of left field like Waluigi – I just hope the Princess isn’t left to gather dust as a prisoner beneath Hyrule Warriors Age of Imprisonment Castle. As I mentioned earlier, Breath of the Wild’s timeline now exists in the present, offering a level of dramatic agency that simply isn’t possible with flashbacks. Our emotions will react to an ongoing story we’re an integral part of, instead of pondering on flashbacks whose participants have long since met their end. Princess Zelda is the strongest character of the whole lot, and pushing her aside purely so Link has a passive damsel to save is woefully archaic writing this series could do without. Who knows, I still have a feeling she’ll be playable. Or there will be time travel. Screw it – do whatever you want, Ninte
Given how uplifting Spiritfarer looks at first glance, it’s honestly hard to imagine that this game deals with hard topics like death and mourning. However, viewers of Studio Ghibli will feel right at home with this depressingly charming look at the sadder parts of l
In the mid-2000s, everybody and their mothers wanted to add in quick time events. It was supposed to immerse players more. While they still exist today, a lot of companies have learned not to be so strict with prompts meaning that a missed button press or two won’t result in a game o
It does something that a remake or remaster can never do. No matter how much Mass Effect Legendary Edition or Spyro Reignited may look like how we remember them, they’ll never be able to capture the experience of playing games as a kid. Revisiting classics through remasters and remakes definitely induces nostalgia, and they have the power to trigger all manner of memories and feelings from the past, but a fresh coat of paint just isn’t enough to truly bring me back. Resident Evil 4 VR, despite it being a completely different format, has moved me in ways a normal remake never could. This game makes me regress, and from talking to other people and watching streamers play it, it seems to be doing the same thing to everyone that grew up with Leon’s Spanish advent
