Commissar SFLUFAN

Kickstarter campaign page Official site Realms Beyond: Ashes of the Fallen is inspired by the classic RPGs of the 80s and 90s, taking the best elements of the beloved old classics and reforging them into something new in a powerful modern engine. In Realms Beyond, you will find the tactical turn-based combat of the Gold Box Games, Temple of Elemental Evil and Dark Sun, the world exploration and camp management of Realms of Arkania, the interactivity and living world of Ultima, the choice-driven quests and reactivity of Fallout and Arcanum, and the rich NPC interaction of Baldur’s Gate and Planescape Torment, along with fresh new features that haven’t been seen before in the genre. Kickstarter campaign video: Screenshots

Correct - that's why I didn't include it!

Thomas Friedman DEFINITELY gets the

Conservatives mount a whisper campaign smearing Khashoggi in defense of Trump

The Waste Lands is the peak of the series though Wizard and Glass is fantastic in its own right. But you can stop there and just pretend books 5 to 7 simply don't exist.

Mutant Year Zero will make this year, Biomutant won't

I...uhhhhhh...yeah.

OH SNAP, DAWG - YOU DID NOT GO THERE! (I totally agree, by the way)

That's one mega assholeish way to make sure the game doesn't break the street date early.

Probably a better way to spend $60 than Assassin's Creed or RDR 2. OH YES, BITCHES - I WENT THERE!

Yes, the physical version comes on two discs.

It has to do with the PS4's way of allocating space for the download and the unpacking of the files during the installation process. Steam operates in pretty much the same way.

Superb post that absolutely nails it! I was just thinking about the Prince of Persia series that went from the "light" but compelling Sands of Time to the ridiculously grimdark mediocrity of The Warrior Within. Ubisoft tried to reverse course a bit with The Two Thrones, but the damage was already done. Too many developers confuse "darkness" with "maturity". Guess what? It's not. Not even close.

I wonder...hmmm....

Alight, the shouting match between Kelly and the Rage Walrus was supposedly over the Rage Walrus's criticism of DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen who was Kelly's deputy when he was over there. The Rage Walrus accused her of not doing her job due to the significant jump in border crossings by families, the Imbecile-in-Chief took the Rage Walrus's side, and Kelly exploded.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Oh, he's not telling them - he's getting ready to whip it out and lay it on the table. "Hey - who wants to check out Lyndon Baines' Johnson?"

Destructoid - 95% This is a game I can not stop thinking about. I think about it at work -- either remembering crazy moments I didn't see coming, or reflecting on recently discovered information and its implications. This is absolutely a "thinking man's game," and it's one that I hope other developers (or Mr. Pope himself) decide to ape and expand on. Despite the fact that this isn't a detective game, I've never felt more like a dick. Game Informer - 87.5% My only frustration with the Obra Dinn is the overarching story. The plot is ultimately fine, with more than enough emotional beats coming together for an engaging mystery. However, the ultimate payoff fails to complement the thoughtful gameplay giving players who solve every fate the narrative short shrift. Luckily, the individual stories you learn about the crew during your investigations – their betrayals, ambitions, loves – are enticing enough on their own to make up for the deficit. This mixed quality of storytelling doesn’t stop the experience from highlighting its other strengths; Return Of Obra Dinn is a surprisingly hardcore detective title with a surreal bite, and one that shouldn’t be missed by anyone who loves a great challenge.

I think the Divinity: Original Sin series is very much an example of games with a "light" tone that can meaningfully address "mature" subject matter.

Hold on, this is gonna take me a while. Probably something like point n' click adventure games mostly.

Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales transforms Gwent into magic (Polygon) It’s a fully functional, 30-plus-hour isometric RPG powered by cards. Not only is it an excellent narrative experience in its own right, but it also proves out the flexibility and nuance of an exceptional CCG. Several hours in, I felt like I was learning magic tricks. GamesRadar+ - 100% It's as if the folks at CD Projekt Red weaponized a game to specifically target my interests, despite the fact that I've not spent a single minute playing as Geralt. Thronebreaker calls to mind the supreme polish of Hearthstone; Diablo 2's rich isometric worlds; ethereal writing a la inkle's 80 Days; upgrading my base camp in Darkest Dungeon; the hard choices and heartbreak of Telltale's The Walking Dead. I've done my best to avoid any spoilers for Thronebreaker's story and surprise puzzle elements for this review, because you deserve to experience them for yourself. Thronebreaker isn't just a great spinoff of The Witcher, or just an excellent card game - it's a spectacularly crafted RPG that'll delight anyone who loves a good story wonderfully told. PCGamesN- 70% If you’re looking for an in-depth card game then Thronebreaker is probably not for you. There are some great ideas hidden just under its surface, but I find its take on Gwent simplistic. Fans of The Witcher and its bedrock of interwoven stories, however, are brilliantly catered for. It’s not the deepest RPG, but Meve is an excellent choice of main character – a powerful and devoted matriarch the likes of which we don’t see enough of in games. That said, Thronebreaker’s greatest success is its supporting cast. Brilliantly drawn and superbly voiced, each one oozes personality, meaning even this pared-down Witcher experience teems with the same sense of life as its predecessors.

SURPRISE...it's not! Though I really gotta ask the Polygon writer: why did you have any expectations to begin with in order for you to be disappointed?

Jefferson isn't in the painting. That's Andrew Jackson who took great pleasure is Native American genocide. And there's Woodrow Wilson, a man who screened The Birth of a Nation in the White House.

One of the greatest challenges in any medium is to make something with a "light" tone be meaningful in some way and not seem like empty fluff. I can probably count the examples of it working in the gaming industry on one hand probably. Note that I'm primarily referring to narratively-driven games as opposed to something like a platformer.