“Master-class”...? Really? We must have different definitions of “environmental storytelling”, since very little is actually environmental to my knowledge (still own the game and all the cables/GBAs). Almost all the lore is told by NPCs, through cutscenes, or through voiceovers. The environmental storytelling that was…

really helps ppl come together.

When it comes to the KH story, you gotta play the rhythm games. Otherwise you might miss a beat.

Its fine. I wouldn’t buy it. Right before Kingdom Hearts 4 in a decade there will be a “Kingdom Hearts 3.872 Repeating Nightmare Fall/2 Mega Mom.5" release that will catch you up to speed.

It is 100% guaranteed that if you don’t play this game, when KH4 rolls around you will not understand a single thing in the story, a dozen characters will be unfamiliar and you’ll have to watch a 4 hours explainer just to catch up.  

In fairness, nobody’s better at turning left than Nascar.

This was absolutely fascinating - even for someone like me who has never played an Animal Crossing game. Great work!

That tracks. Very much like these pathetic wannabe soldiers, Pikachu won’t have anything to do with balls.

angsty edgelords.

The two I expected on the list were that one and The Ember Island Players - I know it’s not as plot-essential as these others, but like Tales it’s an iconic episode that really does something special that no other show could do as well, and I’m not sure this list showcases’ the show’s sense of humor well.  Yes, it’s…

Not to be that asshole, but:

..maybe you could just stop reading it instead?

Finished reading and sort of instinctively scrolled down to leave a comment, but I’m not sure why. I can’t think of much to say.

I get the point you’re making, and I agree, but now I really want a game where I play as the Goose and I go around fucking up Cthulhu’s day.

The honest reason it’s up there (because it’s not a construction I especially like, either) is that I was desperate not to let even the slightest hint of a spoiler slip into the headline. Even calling the ending “bold” or “experimental” or whatever would have potentially tipped a hand for folks. (Even knowing there’s s…

The interesting thing about the Cardcaptors dub was how it either completely flew under people’s radars or bowled them over, depending on their particular narrative sensibilities. Cardcaptors was very much your traditional monster-of-the-week episodic series, but unlike the vast majority of localized anime that made…

And it would not surprise me at all if Sony might be wary releasing a game about a post-apocalyptic world where a virus completely decimates society during a time where we’re apparently not even close to “how bad this is going to get.”

I mean, yeah it is slow and meditative — but when that’s what you’re in the mood for this show is great!

Waiting for that cat licking the plate to knock the next domino over is as tense as a Hitchcockian thriller.