What makes a world enjoyable in Kingdom Hearts? I explore that question in the context of Kingdom Hearts III.
What Makes a Good Kingdom Hearts World?
Ikenfell’s Combat Gets Better With Age
An hour or more in, I was worried that Ikenfell's combat was going to be too simple for my personal preferences, but once the game feels confident that you get the basic concepts it begins to ramp up the complexity in meaningful ways.
How My Brief Flirtation with FE Builder Gave Me a Greater Appreciation for Game Development
I've often read a sentiment from game developers that it is essentially a miracle anytime a video game is shipped. My experience helped me to have a deeper understanding of how true that is, but it also showed me how satisfying it can be to work on a game.
A Tale of Two Battles: How Mastering Bravely Default II is Fun When It is Easy and When It is Hard
Mastering systems is a major piece of the appeal of video games for me. I love it when I can dig into the mechanics of a title and develop a deep understanding for the possibilities, experimenting with different ideas to discover the most effective combinations of tools to succeed at the game. In games like... Continue Reading →
Overcoming First Impressions: Persona 5 Strikers Shines Brighter Beyond the First Chapter
There's a saying about first impressions: we rarely move past them. Your initial impression of a thing colors every interaction with it, establishes a bias for which your mind seeks confirmation and little else. It's something that became very evident to me when I started regularly writing first impression articles for Adventure Rules - often... Continue Reading →
Mario’s Crafted World – Exploring the Design and Mechanics of Origami King’s Overworld
This version of the Mushroom Kingdom matters to me a little more now because I was given the responsibility of putting it back together.
The Surprising Depth of Origami King’s Battle System
Depending on the boss what actions are going to be most effective will change, and the way you move will be altered by their abilities.
Reclaim the Wild’s Extended Challenge Mechanic Provides a Versatile Tool for Non-Combat Challenges in TTRPGs
At their best, extended challenges allow the heroes to put their unique traits on display while still working together as a team towards a single common goal.
Learning from Past Mistakes – Dealing with Savage Enemies in Tokyo Mirage Sessions
For me, a time loss may mean the difference between completing a game and setting it aside...it's important to have tools for dealing with it.
A Place for Sylvando: Party Composition in Dragon Quest XI
I just met the fifth wheel of my party in Dragon Quest XI S, so now I gotta figure out what to do with him.
