Yesterday the final DLC for Dark Souls III, The Ringed City became available; however, as I haven’t had the chance to delve into it heavily, instead of a review I offer the final part in the trilogy of writing pieces on what the experience of playing these games offers to everyone but especially creators.

I understand that game play and design is a sort of broad topic to tackle with any game. Though in this particular context I mean as it pertains to the experience Dark Souls and the related titles of the Soulsborne series create. In truth, and with any well designed game, the way you play the game, the way you explore it is as essential to the player experience as the graphics and the story. In the best designed games, game play and design are the story. Because, after all, experience becomes story in the end, does it not?  Read more… ›

When I consider the publishers which define my birth as a gamer, Capcom and Konami are unequivocally the answer. With Capcom it started with a little blue robot and fireball-throwing martial artists. For Konami, it was a chance purchase in Toys “R” Us when I was around ten years old: an old castle, creatures of the night and a showdown with none other than Dracula himself! It was all of the things I loved in one game. Thus began my love affair with the Castlevania series and my commitment to Konami as a publisher. Recently it seems the entire gaming community is questioning their loyalty to Konami (and Konami’s sanity); however, as a Castlevania fan, I find myself unsurprised. Read more… ›