When simply holding a controller in my hands still felt new and exciting, the loosely defined JRPG genre quickly came to epitomize videogames for me. Ever the precocious child, I gladly lost myself in their depth as I admired their vast storyscapes that often saw groups of outcasts or eccentrics…

In a manner that continues to feel frighteningly familiar, the summer of 2018 was a muddled time in my life, a chapter that lacked direction. Yet, it was also during those listless weeks, when I was sweating the days away in a small apartment above a shopping mall in the…

Unexpectedly, in late 2017, joining an ill-fated literature club quickly turned into one of the most haunting videogame experiences I have ever made. Doki Doki Literature Club certainly did not take long to leave a lasting impression. Its more overtly disturbing moments kept me awake for nights as my thoughts…

Ever since I played the original Luigi’s Mansion for the first time, I have had a soft spot for this quirky and genuinely charming series. And as somebody who gets scared very easily and thus cannot handle the real deal particularly well, its gentle approach to horror themes quickly captured…

The words displayed on screen as I interacted with the very first save point in Deltarune’s recently released second chapter stopped me in my tracks: “You are filled with the power of immediate nostalgia.” Seemingly innocuous, this message had a very peculiar effect on me. Or perhaps it is more…

My recent first playthrough of Final Fantasy III’s 3D Remake began with a little bit of preliminary homework. Before I started my new save file, I took a closer look at the list of Steam Achievements to form a clearer idea about what exactly would be expected of me to…

When I look back at the time of Skyward Sword‘s original release, it can feel like a lifetime ago. And the thought that a full (very eventful) decade has passed since then can be difficult to fathom. But it was a crucial moment in my personal history with videogames —…

Sometimes I find myself retreading the steps of a past journey. When exactly this will happen or how exactly it will play out — these things are difficult to say in advance. Perhaps these days I am even more susceptible to rumination as I spend much of my time thinking…

Places overflowing with memories — blending together to mask the imperfection of remembrance. It is not always loss that causes grief. What could have been can be its source instead: Regrets and paths not taken, missed opportunities that will never return. …