Death in video games is tricky- it usually serves as a punishment for not playing the game "correctly," although it is more often used as a save-state reload. Essentially, if the player is doing something wrong, death is a way of resetting incorrect or sloppy play and allowing them the chance to approach from another angle. How does this factor into Skipmore, a Japanese independent developer whose three action-RPG titles have appeared on both the 3DS and Switch eShops? Though the small size and simple graphics of Fairune, Fairune II, and Kamiko may look low-budget and lacking depth, there is something lurking beneath the surface of these three titles that allows for continuous revisits and a greater level of complexity. Although Kamiko is much more transparent in the way that it encourages speed-running, these games treat death as a means of complicating their gameplay and encouraging precision and strategy.

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...