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A very traditional Strategy RPG, with not much to set it apart from any other games in the genre. The gorgeous anime-styled character portraits and art pieces are the biggest highlight of the game. The generational aspect to romance and the story do offer some replayability, and there's room for role-playing along the way. That being said, the relatively mundane combat and one-dimensional characters keep this one from ever breaking through. Pros Well-done, handmade art for character portraits and specific scenes. Varied "romance" options and paths available. Strategic, grid-based combat. Cons Battle maps are boring, flat fields, without any interesting layouts or effects. Extraordinarily juvenile character writing. Reused maps and assets. Verdict

Fledgling Manor is a vampire-centric visual novel with horror elements. Its interesting premise — a newly turned vampire is forced to participate in a reality/game show with deadly stakes — is woefully let down by its execution, but it's not all bad. Striking character portraits and entertaining moments in the dialogue hold enough water to keep things moving through the short play time. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of choice and agency throughout the game, with your only real choices being where to go — you have almost no control over your scene-to-scene actions or dialogue. Pros Occasionally clever dialogue. Solid character portraits go well with black and white visuals. Cons Backgrounds are dull and mostly featureless. Shocking lack of agency or choice for a visual novel. Premise is interesting, but execution leaves a lot to be desired. Verdict Developer:   In Secret Places Publisher:   In Secret Places Platform:  Played on PC (Steam) Availability:  Released Dec. 11, 2024 for Windows PC, Mac OS, and Linux

Silent Hill 2 Remake is just the latest in an ongoing trend The Silent Hill 2  remake is here, and the reception thus far has been great. The remake of the horror classic has achieved a Metacritic score of 87 at the time of its release, with Bloober Team adding their work to the ever-growing list of successful remakes. The critical and commercial success of horror game remakes cannot be understated. The Resident Evil 2  remake, for instance, was not only critically lauded, but has since gone on to become the highest selling game in the iconic series, with nearly 14 million copies sold. So how, exactly, have horror games been so successful with those remakes? To get a better sense of what makes these games work, I reached out to content creator, cosplayer, and horror connoisseur SrgtMeow . Regarding the success of remakes, SrgtMeow told me, “So, with the horror game remakes, I feel the success comes from having the new age technology and tools to be able to create what they had envisioned in their heads back when they first started them.” The police station in each version of RE2 . The remake is faithful, but visually improved. I think she’s onto something there. Graphical fidelity, lighting techniques, audio quality and design – all of these elements have vastly improved over the years, allowing more developers to see their vision through. But those tools are available to everyone, and remakes in other genres have not seen nearly the same commercial success. Even a game as iconic as Final Fantasy VII  has had trouble getting people on-board with its highly anticipated and much requested remake. Square Enix has even gone as far as noting their disappointment in sales. So, what’s the difference here? Why have horror games thrived where other genres feel like a gamble? SrgtMeow had something to say about that, too: “Well, because horror. Everyone lately seems to be chasing the shock and adrenaline they get from these games, truthfully it is fun! Plus, other genres it seems didn’t need the tools to create what they wanted being lighthearted story rich games, where horror relies on all elements: story, ambience, build up, sounds, details.” Improved lighting and sound design have made each room scarier than ever before. With the improvement in technology over the years, artists and developers have found ways to more accurately represent their vision. As someone who is not a regular horror game enjoyer, games of this genre seem more frightening than ever to me. The graphics are more realistic, making the gore or frights even more terrifying; sound design has come a long way, allowing developers to raise tension through music, or other sounds - every shuffle or groan feels ominous. On top of that, improvements in lighting technology have allowed these games to really keep us in the dark when needed or create strong effects with shadows to create confusion. Not everyone is a fan of these remakes, however. With so many already out, and many more still on the horizon, there are rumblings of “remake fatigue,” and fans of the genre asking for more original games. When I asked her if she thought the trend of remaking horror games would slow down any time soon, SrgtMeow replied, “Absolutely not. There are so many horror games that DESERVE remakes and others that are wonderful as-is for the nostalgia.” System Shock is a great example of a game many felt deserved a remake. Obviously, she’s not alone in those thoughts. Remakes are still selling well, and getting great reception, so why would they stop? The older versions of games are still there for many to play if they prefer the original experience – the magic of the original games remain despite the existence of the remakes. Instead, they should be seen as a new interpretation of the material. They are not meant to replace the original games, but rather be supplementary. But with so much of the attention on these big budget remakes, where does that leave more original games from smaller development teams?  Is there still room in the horror game space for indie horror games? SrgtMeow seems to think so, noting, “Indie horror will never die. If it wasn’t for indie horror, we wouldn’t have a lot of the horror games we do now. I feel indie horror is a huge part of the Horror genre space. I feel it has inspired a lot of devs to just DO IT. DO the thing and put it out there for feedback from the fans.” Indie horror games get a huge boost from content creators covering them positively. Indie horror games are no stranger to success, either. Games like Signalis  and Omori reviewed great and sold well, too. The success of mega-hit Lethal Company made waves in the industry. There are thriving subcultures, websites, and YouTube channels all about indie horror. The ideas these games bring to the table are often influential, with major companies taking ideas from them and implementing them in their big budget titles. As long as the people who love horror games are seeking the next thrill, indies will always have a place. In a way, the relationship between indie horror games and big-budget horror games has become symbiotic. Not just in terms of the mechanics or ideas presented in them, but also by creating a positive feedback loop within the horror genre. Success of a major title brings more eyes to the genre, indie games then have a larger reach, which feeds back into the player base at-large. To sum it up nicely, it’s not so much that horror remakes  are succeeding – the whole genre is thriving in ways we haven’t seen before. Silent Hill 2  is just the latest beneficiary of that growth, and Bloober Team has made great use of the moment by delivering something special. Image Credits: Taylor Rioux, EA, OMOCAT, Nightdive Studios, and rose-engine

More than just a fantasy Persona Oct 11, 2024 - Announced via tweet by Sega's official Twitter account, Atlus’ Metaphor: ReFantazio has officially sold over one million copies, and it hasn't even been out a full day. This mark would make it Atlus’ fastest selling game to date - beating out the previous crown-bearer, Persona 3 Reload , which took just under a week to reach the same mark . The tweet that Sega posted regarding the sales landmark. Releasing on Steam, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S, Metaphor: ReFantazio has garnered heavy attention in the gaming space, releasing to universal acclaim. With an average Metacritic score of 92 across all platforms, critics have noted its great social mechanics and compelling story as major selling points. Those selling points seem to be resonating with the fanbase quite well. Despite coming from the developers of the excellent Persona series, the rapid success comes as a bit of a surprise, as Metaphor: ReFantasio is an entirely new ip. We're not sure if this new property will become a mainstay for Atlus, but with the resounding success and positive reception, we're certainly hoping to see more in the future.

Releasing in 2004, Star Ocean: Till the End of Time 's directors cut was a massive success for Tri-Ace and Square Enix becoming their most successful venture into the "Star Ocean" - critically and commercially (at the time). Star Ocean: Till the End of Time remains one of my favorite games to this day, but it's become difficult to play a legal and supported version that replicates the original PS2 experience. There is a version on the Playstation Store that exists, but it comes with its own issues, including a bug that causes frequent crashing when viewing an enlarged mini-map. Frankly, the game and the series deserve an opportunity to find a new audience. There's so much to love about SO:TET. From its eccentric and varied cast of characters, to its incredible music, combat, and story, it is both an exemplar of the games of yesteryear, and a game in dire need of some love. Now is the perfect time for Square and Tri-Ace to do it. Remake fatigue is hitting hard, in general, but with the recent successes of Star Ocean: The Divine Force and Star Ocean The Second Story R , now is the best chance to make this happen. Star Ocean as a series is probably in the best position it has been in 20 years, so why not use this momentum to remake one of their most popular entries? I think we could take lessons from both the Divine Force and SO2R, to make something really special. The Graphical fidelity and presentation of Divine Force could be used, as it and SO:TET share a similar art style vs the sprite-based style of SO2R. I would also like to see some of the QOL changes seen in SO2R implemented in a remake, like fast travel, PA indicators, and some improvements to crafting. I could go on for hours about what it is that makes this game special, but I would prefer it if people just got to experience it in a better way than what we have now. I would be ecstatic if I could see the game in true HD, and I would cherish the opportunity to review it as a relevant game in the minds of consumers. Hell, I might make it my first true "retro review" here - but that's for another day.

Sept. 24, 2024 - Sucker Punch Productions has announced Ghost of Yōtei , the sequel to their massively successful 2020 game Ghost of Tsushima . First shown off during today's State of Play presentation, Ghost of Yōtei served as the endcap of the showing. Fans of Ghost of Tsushima have been waiting for some time for a sequel announcement, but today's reveal was surprising in more ways than one. To start, the announcement was relatively unexpected. While there were some rumblings that a sequel was in the works, we had little info on the timing or nature of that sequel. Second, Yōtei  has a new protagonist in Atsu, with the studio moving on from Tsushima' s Jin Sakai. It's the second point that is drawing the ire of many online. Image credits: Sony Interactive Entertainment/Sucker Punch Productions It should not be too surprising that the new game will not star Jin, as the plot of Tsushima was neatly concluded and Jin's own character arc was resolved. Much of the pushback has been related to the fact that Atsu, portrayed by the actress Erika Ishii , is a woman. We don't currently know if Atsu is related to Jin at all, or if the plots of the games are in any way tied together. Unfortunately, the inclusion of Atsu has caused consternation among the right-wing gaming space, with many throwing around words like "Woke" or "DEI", as if they were at all legitimate criticisms. Ishii herself is now facing harassment online from those who are upset at the change. This backlash is not a surprising development, as online spaces over the last few years have seen a growth in right-wing talking points and harassment campaigns - egged on by Russian propaganda campaigns . Outside of the right-wing gaming space, the announcement has been met with excitement for the game and everyone involved. Despite the predictable nature of this backlash, I can't help but feel disgusted. Ishii and Sucker Punch deserve better than this type of vitriol. I sincerely hope it dies down in the lead-up of the game's release. Ghost of Yōtei is set to release sometime in 2025.

Sept 23, 2024 - Atlus announced today that the Vanillaware tactical role-playing game Unicorn Overlord has officially sold over 1 million units worldwide. In their announcement post, Atlus thanked the fans, stating "To celebrate this huge milestone, here is a special Berengaria, Melisandre, and Rosalinde illustration from Vanillaware’s Takashi Noma. Thank YOU for supporting the Liberation Army!" Unicorn Overlord was met with a very positive reception from both fans and critics alike - selling over 500k units within the first month and achieving a Metacritic score of 89 on the Switch version of the game. Unicorn Overlord Released on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S platforms on March 8, 2024.

Sept 18, 2024 - Nintendo and The Pokemon Company have filed a lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair, citing multiple instances of patent infringement. “Nintendo Co., Ltd. (HQ: Kyoto, Minami-ku, Japan; Representative Director and President: Shuntaro Furukawa, “Nintendo” hereafter), together with The Pokémon Company, filed a patent infringement lawsuit in the Tokyo District Court against Pocketpair, Inc. (HQ: 2-10-2 Higashigotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, “Defendant” hereafter) on September 18, 2024. This lawsuit seeks an injunction against infringement and compensation for damages on the grounds that Palworld, a game developed and released by the Defendant, infringes multiple patent rights,” Nintendo states. Nintendo's statement continues, “Nintendo will continue to take necessary actions against any infringement of its intellectual property rights including the Nintendo brand itself, to protect the intellectual properties it has worked hard to establish over the years.” This lawsuit should come as no surprise, as they released a different statement earlier this year, vowing to investigate allegations of infringement by the Palworld developer. Palworld released in early access this January, becoming an instant success. On Steam, it broke records for concurrent players, landing with a high of 2,101,867 - currently third all-time. Despite the success, allegations of improper use were levied by Pokémon fans shortly after release, with many accusing Pocketpair of lifting assets directly from Pokémon games. Pocketpair has since responded to Nintendo's lawsuit, indicating they are unaware of which specific patents Nintendo is alleging they infringed upon. Pocketpair has also expressed their disappointment in having to deal with the lawsuit. “It is truly unfortunate that we will be forced to allocate significant time to matters unrelated to game development due to this lawsuit. However, we will do our utmost for our fans, and to ensure that indie game developers are not hindered or discouraged from pursuing their creative ideas,” Pocketpair continues, ”We apologize to our fans and supporters for any worry or discomfort that this news has caused.” It is currently unknown which patents Nintendo believes Pocketpair violated with Palworld , but we'll keep an eye on it as the story evolves.

Pokémon games, personal information among the items released Update: more information was included in the article to note other items in the leak, and the lack of a response from the developers on the other data leaked. Oct 13, 2024 - A massive leak of Pokémon games and other items has hit the web. The weekend drop has surprised longtime fans of the series, with many excited to see the developer's plans, beta work, and lore information that was previously unknown. The next Nintendo console also saw its codename, "Ounce" leak within these files. In addition, information on the next Pokémon game, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, was included. The leaks suggest it is set to release in 2025. The leak also detailed plans for new spinoffs, a new anime series, and potential films for the franchise. While this information may be exciting, it is not the only data obtained in the breach. According to a statement by Game Freak, the Pokémon game developers, personal information of over 2600 employees was accessed during the August 2024 server breach. The personal information leaked includes email addresses, names and other sensitive info. Nintendo, Game Freak, and the Pokémon Company have not addressed any of the other leaked information, or provided insight into what other data was compromised in the attack. This type of leak obviously has business ramifications for Nintendo and Game Freak, but it's much more important to remember the human cost in this. Data leaks like this can lead to employee harassment and financial instability. Data breaches for companies like CD Projekt Red, Insomniac, and Rockstar have also made waves over the last few years - with many employees seeing online vitriol following the breaches. Out of respect for the people affected by this breach, we will not be sharing links or images to any of the files or content included in the leaks.

Changes abound as the industry continues to struggle October 22, 2024 - NCSoft, the South Korean developer best known for Guild Wars 2 , Throne and Liberty , and Lineage , will undergo a company restructure and layoffs. As reported by Yonhap , the layoffs are a product of the company's ongoing financial woes. "We reviewed and fiercely discussed various alternatives to overcome the current situation, but we concluded that it would be difficult to overcome the situation with just a few symptomatic methods,” co-CEOs Taek-Jin Kim and Byung-Moo Park stated. Company management has claimed the changes are coming due to low performance and underwhelming sales, saying “as a result of operating in a way that most of the manpower and functions are concentrated at the headquarters, financial performance has continued to deteriorate and we are at risk of becoming a chronically loss-making company.” They continue, "there will be terminations and reductions in projects and support functions with uncertain market competitiveness, and personnel reductions that will occur in the process.” This announcement follows the recent release of Throne and Liberty , which has seen more than 3 million players join since launch . It is unknown whether this metric is in-line with internal company expectations, or if NCSoft's troubles stem from its other projects. Layoffs like this have been happening all across the video game industry over the last few years, with more than 15,000 people losing their jobs this year alone. Studios are finding it harder and harder to stay afloat as development costs balloon, and the market moves toward live-service games as a core part of their development pipeline. Coupled with general economic anxiety and COVID-related aftereffects, this has created a very harsh downward trend across the industry. With more than 2 months remaining in the year, who knows how much more of this we'll see in 2024. Hopefully the industry will stabilize soon, and stories like NCSoft's become less common as we move into 2025.

How two seemingly diametrically opposed characters are alike, and why they've become my favorites Disclaimer: Major spoilers for Dragon Age: Inquisition, and minor spoilers for Dragon Age: The Veilguard are contained in this article. Solas and Blackwall are different in so many ways - visually and narratively. Contents Intro What Blackwall did What Solas did Inverted paths and remorse Relationship with each other Retribution and Repentance Foils are great reflectors What happens next? When you first meet Blackwall and Solas, the men seem so unassuming. Blackwall is a humble Grey Warden, fighting with his sword and shield to keep the blight and darkspawn at bay. He is confident, selfless, down-to-earth, and morally upstanding - always sure to tell you what the right thing to do is, and ready to scold you if you don't do it. Solas, by contrast, gives off airs of wisdom, compassion, and worldliness - all while reminding you he is but a humble apostate mage. Solas is a repository of knowledge, frequently regaling you with stories of his time in the fade, and will try to guide you down the right path – informed by history itself. Of course, we now know that (almost) all of this is a lie. What Blackwall did Blackwall is not a Grey Warden at all. Instead, he is a war criminal named Thom Rainier. As a captain in the Orlesian military primarily concerned with his own advancement, Rainier took a job from a supporter of Grand Duke Gaspard and ordered his unwitting men to kill innocent civilians. Eventually, Rainier would have his troops attack a family of nobles, including children, which would lead to his actions being disavowed by Gaspard. From this point, Rainier and his men became criminals, with many being executed for the act. Rainier returns to mercenary work and meets the real Warden-Constable Blackwall, who recruits Rainier for the Grey Wardens. Rainier, seeing this as his chance for redemption, accepts and travels with Blackwall to begin his new life. Unfortunately, Blackwall dies and Rainier, fearing for his life, takes up Blackwall's identity. In an effort to do good, honor Blackwall's memory, and protect himself, he becomes  Blackwall. Blackwall eventually joins the Inquisition under this guise and keeps up the façade for some time before finally giving in to his shame and offering himself up for execution as Thom Rainier. It is here the player has the option to free Rainier and decide his fate at Skyhold or keep him imprisoned in Orlais for his crimes. At Skyhold, the inquisitor can set him free, send him to the wardens after Corypheus is stopped, or force him to continue the masquerade. He continues to go by Blackwall both due to familiarity and out of reverence for the man who saved him, likening it to a title. What Solas did Solas, on the other hand, remains a bit of an enigma, but what we know is much different than what he initially portrays. He is, after all, Fen'Harel, the elven god of trickery, betrayal, and rebellion - all of which he enacts on you and the Inquisition. In the ‘halcyon’ days of the Evanuris’ rule, the gods would own and abuse elven slaves, bitterly fight, and use their power for their own advancement. Eventually, Mythal, one of the Evanuris, would be betrayed and murdered. This event, plus the Evanuris’ general abuses, spurred Solas into action. He would create the veil, banishing the gods to the beyond, as he dreamt in the fade. These actions had unforeseen consequences: elves lost their immortality and much of their magic, civilizations crumbled, and humanity rose and inflicted horrors on the other races across the world. Solas awoke to a new world – one he did not like – and decided the best course of action was to give a powerful weapon of mass destruction (the anchor) to a group of evil, conniving mages who work for the very gods he initially imprisoned. He had hoped they would unlock its power, but die in the process, so that he could then use it to tear down the veil in his weakened state. Tearing down the veil would unmake the world as we know it, with everyone in it likely dying. When Corypheus survived the orb of destruction being unlocked, he unleashes horrors beyond comprehension upon the world, leaving swathes of people dead or otherwise displaced. Solas seeing this then makes inroads with the Inquisition, in order to help stop Corypheus and manipulate the Inquisitor for his own purposes. He is successful. He lies, obfuscates, and controls the course of the Inquisition from inside, eventually regaining possession of both the Orb of Destruction and The Anchor – a mark that plagued the Inquisitor throughout the game. With both items in his possession, Solas now has (at least part of) what he needs to enact his eradication of the peoples of Thedas. If you play as a Female elf character who romances him, this betrayal is even more foul. Solas gaslights, abuses, and otherwise manipulates the player into a romantic relationship. If romanced, Solas will express some remorse over the betrayal, but it ultimately has no effect on his decision to continue his genocidal plans. Inverted paths and remorse With the actions of the two men in focus, we can see their paths are nearly perfectly inverted. Blackwall committed horrific crimes willingly for selfish gain, but due to guilt and remorse seeks to be redeemed by doing good. Blackwall is willing to submit himself to justice over his crimes, or to spend his days in service of greater good, unwilling to let others die for his mistakes. Solas did what he believed to be an act of good for altruistic reasons but feels the need to make up for past mistakes by committing increasingly horrific atrocities. He cuts a path of death, destruction, and abuse to get what he wants, not even saving his friends from the fallout (see Mythal and The Inquisitor). Solas believes "guilt is a distraction," or something that only serves to stop him from accomplishing his goals, where for Blackwall guilt is his primary motivator. Solas is motivated by the results of his actions in the aggregate, he does not have time to think about the cost of lives along the way. To him, the people of Thedas are not really people  just shades of a lost civilization. Despite outwardly saying he doesn’t have time for guilt, Solas is hurting inside. Cole gives us insight into his thought process, saying “He hurts, an old pain from before, when everything sang the same. You're real, and it means everyone could be real. It changes everything, but it can't. They sleep, masked in a mirror, hiding, hurting, and to wake them...” The differences don’t end there- they even lie differently! Blackwall’s lies are plain: he is saying he is someone who he is not. Blackwall’s forthright disposition even comes through when he is lying to you – expressing the falsehood in a straightforward manner. Solas mostly leans on lies by omission, feeding into his reputation as a trickster god – although he does slip up with the occasional bald-faced lie. For all of the wisdom Solas holds, he is prone to self-aggrandizing once the mask is lifted, claiming only he can make things right. His name means pride  after all. This dichotomy manifests in gameplay as well. Blackwall is the heavy tank; all of his specialization abilities and core competencies revolve around being a defender of others. He will take the hits so others may live. No matter how much it hurts, he will hold the line for others. He does not stand because he can, he stands because he must . It is his penance. Solas, however, has a heavy focus on control . Pushing and pulling enemies where he wants them to go, knocking them down so they can’t get close, siphoning their magic, and weakening them so they cannot harm him. He’s the master manipulator, and they are the puppets. It’s actually a phenomenal way to express who these characters are. Relationship with each other Solas and Blackwall have a complicated relationship throughout the game. Prior to any reveals, they're quite friendly with one another. In Blackwall, Solas sees a man who has had to deal with the harsh realities of war and the death and destruction that it entails. He sees himself. For Blackwall, he sees a comrade-in-arms and a friend, even if he has some issues with mages and Solas' views on their freedoms. Once the Blackwall reveal happens, Solas is initially quite angry, stating "There is little to say. I assumed we were alike. We'd seen war, knew its terrible costs, but understood that it was necessary. But there was nothing necessary in what you did. You did not survive death and destruction. You sowed them. To feed your own desires." Despite the harshness toward Blackwall, I actually think Solas is partially talking about himself here. He's being hypocritical, as his current goals are entirely selfish - bringing down the veil will only harm the people living, and he does not know what remains of his people in the fade. He is upset that the world he created is not the place he called home, and he wishes to restore it to how it was. Eventually, Solas apologizes and comes to accept the reformed Blackwall: "My people had a saying long ago - "The healer has the bloodiest hands." You cannot treat a wound without knowing how deep it goes. You cannot heal pain by hiding it. You must accept. Accept the blood to make things better. You have taken the first step. That is the hardest part." Retribution and Repentance So, what should become of these characters? Both have committed heinous acts in service of their own goals, being directly behind the death of innocents and friends. For Blackwall, the player has an opportunity to make this decision in-game. You’re given all of the information and options in a straight manner. What are we willing to forgive? Does his repentance and willingness to offer himself up change the way we should view his previous actions? Thom Rainier is dead, whether he’s executed in-game or not. Only Blackwall remains now. Solas, however, continues to cause harm, with no end in sight. Can he be redeemed? The scale of harm he is responsible for outweighs even the most wicked villains the series has seen so far. Even if his initial intentions were good, does that exclude him from being brought to justice? Dragon Age: Inquisition  gives us a moment to ponder this at the end of the last DLC, but we never have the chance to affect Solas’ fate in-game. Perhaps Dragon Age: The Veilguard  will have some method of redeeming or punishing Solas, but that’s not certain yet. For Solas, another question lingers – Can someone without true regret for their actions ever actually be redeemed? Even if he feels sad about what he’s doing, he continues to do it. Where does the onus lie on changing his mind? What, exactly, is the threshold of wrongdoing we can stomach? This is obviously personal for everyone, and I’m not here to tell you one way or another for either character. And what about the people of this world? Would they ever forgive the actions of Solas and Blackwall? Should they? It's hard to judge them for holding grudges - these men destroyed lives, families, and homes - and as an outside perspective, we don't have to deal with the pain of loss that comes with being wronged in this way. Foils are great reflectors A foil character generally serves to be a contrast with another character, and these two certainly fit that with one another, but a foil can also reflect like a mirror. For Solas and Blackwall, they remain the same at their core – they are broken men driven by their past mistakes. While the methods and outcomes are wildly different, both characters are attempting to rectify their missteps. Both are deeply committed to their new purpose, and both struggle to come to peace with who they are at first, but reconcile it in their minds by the end of their journey. I deeply love each of these characters. Blackwall for his desire for redemption and moral compass. His compassion and earnest personality, combined with his complicated past, make him a great take on the “straight-laced warrior” archetype. He just wants to do what’s right, even if it costs him. Solas is, to me, a really great example of a truly complex villain. His motivations start from somewhere good, or out of altruism, but as things get along, the methods get more perverse. Do the ends always justify the means? Solas seeks to restore what he destroyed, but he doesn’t seem to care what it costs others. There’s also an air of mystery still surrounding him, as not all questions were answered about his past and goals. What happens next? With the release of Dragon Age: The Veilguard right around the corner, some questions remain about where these characters will land. For Blackwall - his story is done. As a quantum character, he will likely never appear in any meaningful capacity in a Dragon Age  game again. I find this unfortunate, as he remains deeply interesting as a figure (much like Loghain Mac Tir of DAO ), but I understand why both narratively and from a development standpoint. You can take any ending slides with Blackwall in Inquisition as gospel. Solas is obviously a major character in the upcoming DATV , prominently featured in all of the marketing surrounding the game. I am interested to see what we learn about Solas in the next installment, and what his ultimate fate may be. Will he become a forever NPC, like Morrigan? Or will we be putting a cap on his story as well? Only time will tell where the series and these characters go, but I am so excited to find out more.

The classic series has a great showing, with more on the way. December 5, 2024 – According to a press release by Square Enix, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake has officially moved more than 2 million copies through a combination of physical and digital sales.   As one of Square Enix’s most popular series’, the legendary Dragon Quest franchise has sold more than 91 million units worldwide. While it is not a surprise that the latest entry has sold well, it’s a good sign for fans of the series that a remake has done so well, so quickly.   Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake , which released on November 14, 2024 was well received upon its debut. Boasting Metacritic scores of 82 , 84 , and 87 for Nintendo Switch, PS5, and PC respectively, this remake came with a plethora of updates to the classic RPG. Aside from the splendid HD-2D graphical style, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake also includes newly voiced scenes, orchestral arrangements of the music, a new “Monster Wrangler” vocation, and even new story elements. With DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake in development and slated for release next year, this is great news for Square and their development teams, showing that there remains great interest in these titles. Famitsu’s recent weekly sales report notes that nearly 1 million physical copies have been sold in Japan alone – a monumental achievement after less than one month.   DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake is now available for purchase via the Nintendo eShop, PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, and Steam. Image Credits: Square Enix