Action-adventure games

“Two Stand To Fall is a solo storytelling game about people who would sacrifice for each other, in the face of a world that seeks their destruction. Perhaps they live, in spite of the world. Perhaps they die, and are forever separated. But there is a chance you both will come out alive. Therefore, you must try.“Play involves moving across a map and answering prompts as you travel. Your answers will slowly flesh out the world around your character: who they are, who their partner is, why this bond is so important—and…

Last night, Critical Role played a Legend of Zelda-inspired tabletop roleplaying game, and we might never get to see it, play it, or hear about it ever again. This could change but... who knows. The point is that there is a Nintendo-approved Zelda-inspired TTRPG out there, totally playable, and nobody is handing it out or even telling us how we might be able to see it, eventually.What Was Your First Experience with Super Mario Bros? | io9 Interviewio9 reached out to Critical Role and Nintendo for a comment. The only thing…

Earlier in the week, Sony’s PlayStation showcase featured a variety of video games that are meant to release in the coming months (if not years). Among the big triple-A games featured was Remedy Entertainment’s Alan Wake II, which aims to go all in on survival horror in a deeper way than the original 2010 game. And part of that jump into the genre also involves introducing some new blood into the series.The First Things To Do In VR, Part 2Much of the newest trailer for Alan Wake II takes place from the perspective of FBI…

Image: Critical RoleIn between doing their main campaign and the occasional new thing, the Critical Role crew has done TTRPG one-shots themed around specific video games. Usually timed to come out around a title’s launch window, past one-shots have included the likes of Elden Ring, Elder Scrolls Online, and Doom Eternal.What Was Your First Experience with Super Mario Bros? | io9 InterviewIn a few weeks, the next game to join that list will be Nintendo’s recently released Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. On Friday, …

The release of Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in 2017 brought with it several new additions to Nintendo’s long-running franchise. Not only did it mark the debut of open-world and crafting elements that most of the games industry had been using for years, it also brought in voice actors for the English cast. Earlier games employed voice acting for Japanese audio (or in non-canonical works like Super Smash Bros.), but Breath was the first mainline entry to feature voice acting in its cutscenes.What Was Your First…

Image: HBOThe second season of The Last of Us has delayed auditions and pre-production due to the ongoing writers strike.Thanks, Last of Us. Thanks a Lot. | The Last of Us Episode 7 ReviewVariety reports that as showrunner and primary writer on The Last of Us season 1, Craig Mazin, has been on strike since May 1, current auditions for the sophomore season adapting the smash-hit Playstation franchise have been paused. Previously, due to a lack of available scripts for season 2, the HBO series had purportedly been…

“It is inevitable all of us will see something of ourselves within Link,” says Keroblin, a Zelda fan who first remembers playing Phantom Hourglass in 2007, and identifies as transmasculine and agender. “We’re an active participant even we can’t make narrative decisions, because we get to decide who Link is. It is easy to discover yourself and your gender through a character like this, and to make trans readings, as the lack of traditional gender roles creates, maybe for the first time you’ve seen, a world where all you…

We love some Legend of Zelda art.Image: Martin, Willoughby, Moss, Banzuela, TranThe day is almost here and we couldn’t be more excited. Friday, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom will be released for Nintendo Switch; it’s the latest game in the long-running, mega Nintendo franchise. The Legend of Zelda has an incredible history of beautiful storytelling, character development, and exciting, action-packed adventure, which is why we’ve been playing it since 1986.If there’s one problem with Zelda games though it’s…

Come tomorrow night, Nintendo’s big game of the spring season, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, releases. What Was Your First Experience with Super Mario Bros? | io9 InterviewAs the direct sequel to 2017's Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, anticipation for Tears has been high ever since it was simply (and clunkily) titled “The Sequel to Breath of the Wild.”Up until it got leaked last week, Nintendo’s been quiet on what all is happening in the sequel. The game’s marketing has largely focused on Link…

Today, the Library of Congress announced that 25 recordings representing some of the “defining sounds of the nation’s history and culture” will be added to its National Recording Registry. For the first time, the additions will also include music from a video game: Koji Kondo’s iconic Super Mario Bros. theme.Spoilers of the Week April 24-29There are lots of iconic pieces of video game music that are instantly recognizable by gamers around the world, including the Tetris “Type A” musicand The Legend of Zelda theme. But…