S01E03: Echoes of the End had so much potential. It also had a protagonist with all the charm of a cactus in a swimsuit, controls held together with good intentions and Sellotape, and bosses who treat your victories like an Outlook scheduling inconvenience.

This is why we need to talk.

In this video I am looking at my short-lived relationship with Echoes of the End. After living my god-killing dreams in Flintlock: Siege of Dawn*, I was up for another scrappy, character-driven adventure to sink my teeth into.

This was not the answer.

I get into Echoes of the End in detail so you don't have to, from unresponsive combat mechanics and non-existent world-building to trying to find a single redeemable quality in a protagonist who treats absolutely everyone she meets with radioactive hostility.

Join me as I warn you off this fibreglass enema, while comparing it to what a scrappy action-RPG can be when it's firing on all cylinders (because the bar exists, and some studios are clearing it).

If you've played it and loved it, I respect your constitution. If you bounced off it like I did, pull up a chair.

• 🗣️ New Zealand accent worse than Ryn's personality? Full transcript here: https://parrydox.com/why-you-didnt-like-echoes-of-the-end/
• 📚 Support the channel by checking out my novel featuring a heroine who is a bosskiller without being a douche: https://www.books2read.com/BladeofGlass

🎮 Games mentioned: Echoes of the End, Flintlock: Siege of Dawn, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, Forspoken

#EchoesOfTheEnd #ActionRPG #GameReview #Flintlock #RPGGames #GamingOpinion #IndieGames #FantasyGames #VideoGameReview #GamingYouTube #NotRecommended #GameCritique #SinglePlayerGames #GamingCritique #FlintlockSiegeOfDawn #ARPG

S01E02: Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn launched to brutal market realities and culture war noise, but underneath the Game Pass tragedy lies one of the most poignant AA games of 2024.

In this piece I look past the souls-lite label to examine A44 Games' ambitious God of War-style action RPG. From its stunning, New Zealand-inspired world-building to its intricate combat sandbox, Flintlock is a game that's one part murder playground, one part brilliance.

It's also a parable for our times. Join me as I sift through the entrails on Nor and Enki's tale, the corporate Devil's Bargain of Microsoft's Game Pass, and why this solid 7/10 game might just hold a map to finding our better selves.

• If you enjoyed this critique, consider picking the game up to thank the devs! https://www.playflintlock.com
• Support the channel by checking out my own gunpowder fantasy: https://www.books2read.com/BladeofGlass
• New Zealand accent the worst boss you've faced? Transcript here: https://parrydox.com/why-you-liked-flintlock-the-siege-of-dawn/
• Check out my Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order review: https://youtu.be/mrp8zVtSp3Y
• Miss Tomb Raider as much as I do? Play Flintlock as Lara Croft!: https://www.nexusmods.com/flintlockthesiegeofdawn/mods/13 and https://www.nexusmods.com/flintlockthesiegeofdawn/mods/19

#FlintlockTheSiegeOfDawn #VideoEssay #A44Games #GameReview #Flintlock #ActionRPG #GodOfWarLite #XboxGamePass #SoulsLite #GunpowderFantasy #RollForNarrative

S01E01: Dispatch: The Game That Plays YOU

Games often mistake a good story for good agency. We think swinging the sword is what matters, but what if the game is using that very assumption against us?

Dispatch might look like a superhero graphic novel come to life, but underneath that gorgeous art and S-tier voice acting, it's pulling the ultimate player con. It's not just a game you play. It's a game that makes you feel the weight of command, the sting of failure, and what it’s like to be a washed-up hero called Robert Robertson.

If you loved the story mechanic that made BioShock legendary, you need to see how Dispatch takes that same trick and turns the dial right to 11.

I'm diving into this management sim/animated movie/people story. We'll get into whether the episodic release cadence is really a problem, the real cost of heroism, and whether this a game you must play before you die.

• Need a transcript? Sure you do: https://parrydox.com/why-you-liked-dispatch/
• Support the channel by checking out a cool superhero book (sadly, no Jeffrey Wright): https://www.books2read.com/TheThreeFacesofFate

⏱️ Time for Timestamps!

• 00:00 🤯 The Storytelling Trap: What Games Get Wrong
• 04:33 🫠 Anxiety as Gameplay (Where the Real Terror Lives)
• 07:39 💾 Wait, Episode 4? (The Binge-Play Dilemma)
• 09:43 🎨 It's Art, Stupid (S-Tier Talent & Banging Beats)
• 11:47 😩 Being Robert (Consequences Vector)
• 15:20 ✅ So, What? (Is it a Must-Play?)

Fair warning: this review contains spoilers for BioShock (it's been 18 years, you've had your chance).

And let me know in the comments: are you Team Blazer or Team Invisigal?

#Dispatch #GameReview #Storytelling #IndieGames #AaronPaul #JeffreyWright #LauraBailey #ErinYvette #MatthewMercer #AlanahPearce #BioShock #SuperheroGames #NarrativeGames #GamingAnalysis #MustPlay #CriticalRole #TelltaleGames #VideoGameStories #GamingCommunity #PCGaming #ConsoleGaming #WhatToPlay #BestGames #IndieGame #DispatchGame #DispatchReview #VideoGameReview #SuperheroGame #Telltale #BioShock