Open world video 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…

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…

“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…

Image: Wizards of the Coast | MinecraftIf you’re into Minecraft, good news! Dungeons & Dragons has partnered with the blocky video game to create a special adventure that mimics some parts of the D&D mechanics and gameplay. The new DLC will be available in spring of this year, and has some unique features for Minecraft, including dice rolling for combat, your choice of four classes (Paladin, Barbarian, Wizard, and Rogue), and for the first time in Minecraft history—voice acting. The First Things To Do In VR, Part…

We all have a favorite video game that we’ve played through time and time again (for me, it’s Link’s Awakening) but for Kaze Emanuar, simply playing through the N64's Super Mario 64 isn’t enough. Through modding, they’re trying to push the game to its absolute limits, and so far the results are unbelievable for a console that’s almost 30 years old.It’s no secret that games released earlier in a console’s life cycle don’t look as good as titles released later on, when developers will have become more familiar with the…

Photo: Sergei Elagin (Shutterstock)Reports indicate that a bug in Grand Theft Auto V Online is putting PC gamers’ gameplay—and even, potentially, hardware—at risk. The bug is allegedly allowing cheaters and modders to hijack, edit,or corrupt PC gamers account information. Some players report having all of their gameplay and account data erased, while others have said that their in-game currency has been stolen. Worse, the bug allegedly allows for “partial remote code execution,” which could allow malicious users to edit…