Chances are, if you are a video game enthusiast, you likely don't need me to tell you what a looping path is. If you're a video game developer, the notion of explaining such a fundamental part of environmental design may seem laughable. Many exploration, adventure, and role-playing titles utilize this technique in order to create satisfying gameplay loops out of their game worlds, rather than just their gameplay mechanics and systems. It is one of the textbook ways to perpetuate a feeling of momentum within a video game world, making sure traversal does not become tedious by slicing off chunks of backtracking.

Hand of Fate 2 plays nothing like any other Role-playing game I have encountered, yet very clearly is a Role-playing game. The depth of its combat mechanics and the variations that it layers atop the foundations of its progression and narrative structure are smart and nuanced. The way it challenges the player to continuously achieve and succeed while tackling its chapters is commendable. The difficulty present in its scenarios is intense and unyielding. These phrases could be applied to a number of different titles, and this has something to do with the nature of personality in video games.

Breath of the Wild is a hugely important game, not just for the Zelda series in which it exists, but also for Nintendo. As one of the largest projects they have ever worked on, and the first Zelda title to truly use open-world design, there was a great deal riding on the shoulders of this title. Upon its release, it received an overwhelming amount of positive feedback, which is something of a double-edged sword. On one hand, this likely means that the open-world, or rather, open-air philosophy for this particular entry to will carry on into future 3D Zelda games, with a focus on interconnected systems and organic experience. On the other, there are some aspects of Breath of the Wild that I believe have not received their fair share of critique, and I worry that they too will transfer over into future entries. This is a game so massive, it requires an equally massive, sloppy look at it from every angle I can possibly think of. Within this analysis, you will find what I consider to b...