With a Terrible Fate

Pokémon Rose Episode 4: ”From You, 25 Years Ago”

On this special episode of Pokémon Rose: a reflection on the meaning of the original Pokémon anime to gamers and '90s kids, on the occasion of Ash's final episode in the anime.

Pokémon Rose Episode 3: ”We Succeeded”

Where did Mewtwo come from, and what does he have to do with the implicit storytelling for which Pokémon has become famous? Journey back with us to the original postgame in this week's episode of Pokémon Rose.

Pokémon Rose Episode 2: ”Smell Ya Later”

What makes for a compelling rival, and how do video games bridge the gap between fictional characters and real-life rivals? In the second episode of Pokémon Rose, join Dan in a study of how the Pokémon model of friendship and competition has evolved from Blue to Nemona.

Pokémon Rose Episode 1: ”I Choose You”

How do the iconic words "I choose you" define Pokémon, and how do they inform the relationship between a player and his starter Pokémon? In this first episode of Pokémon Rose, join Dan in reflecting on how Pokémon teams subvert the typical JRPG party experience.

Pokémon Rose: A New Retrospective Audio Series

Today, on Pokémon Day 2023, With a Terrible Fate is proud to introduce a new, weekly audio series by seriesrunner and video game analyst Dan Hughes: Pokémon Rose: A Nostalgic Look Back! Tune in to this introductory episode to learn what the series is about, and how Pokémon can be a cipher to our past, present, and future as gamers—and as people.

References

• "Understanding Xemnas in Kingdom Hearts II," Dan Hughes

Director’s Commentary: The Gwyn Moment

Join Aaron and Dan in a behind-the-scenes look at "The Gwyn Moment," a reflection on how Dan's experience with the first Dark Souls led him to think about video-game storytelling, Miyazaki, and his own life differently.

Topics include: why it can be hard to take good video-game recommendations from friends; how gamers get motivated to care about the lore of a world; using Gwyn as a cipher to understand Miyazaki's other works; the community's ever-fraught relationship with Dark Souls 2; how memorable moments in games can radically change our views about the games—and ourselves.

Want to dig further into the storytelling of Elden Ring? Attend With a Terrible Fate's PAX East 2022 panel on April 21st, in person or virtually! Find all the details you need to know here.

(Spoilers for the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Demon's Souls, Final Fantasy XIII-2, and BioShock.)

• "The Gwyn Moment," Dan Hughes
• "Understanding Xemnas in Kingdom Hearts II," Dan Hughes

Director’s Commentary: How Elden Ring Turns Its Player into an Outer God

Join Aaron and Dan in a behind-the-scenes look at the argument that the player of Elden Ring is an Outer God, not a Tarnished.

Discussion topics include: why Elden Ring's endings are puzzling in the first place; what we can learn about Elden Ring from Miyazaki's other work; how Elden Ring uses lore differently than Dark Souls; why the Golden Order is a paradox, and how the player's ability to resolve it spells new opportunities for video-game storytelling.

Want to dig further into the storytelling of Elden Ring? Attend With a Terrible Fate's PAX East 2022 panel on April 21st, in person or virtually! Find all the details you need to know here.

(Spoilers for Elden Ring, the Dark Souls series, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.)

• “How Elden Ring Turns Its Player into an Outer God,” Aaron Suduiko
• “Where are the Humans in NieR: Automata?”, Aaron Suduiko
• “‘How Gaming Will Change Humanity as We Know It’: A Reply,” Aaron Suduiko
• “Understanding Xemnas in Kingdom Hearts II,“ Dan Hughes

Director‘s Commentary: The Path to Necron in Final Fantasy IX

In the inaugural issue of a new type of With a Terrible Fate audio content, join Aaron and Dan for a deep dive into the publication's most recent analysis, "Critical Review: The Path to Necron in Final Fantasy IX."

Discussion topics include: what video games can learn from theater; the good, bad, and ugly of games that "break the fourth wall"; how complex stories like FFIX's can be rendered coherent and compelling; FFIX's place in the shadow of FFX; what FFIX's endgame can teach us about the endgame of Final Fantasy VII Remake.

(Spoilers for Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Bioshock.)

• "How Final Fantasy VII Remake's Whispers Changed Fate—and Storytelling," Aaron Suduiko

Announcing a Change in the Podcast

This week, we come to you with an update about the future trajectory of With a Terrible Fate's podcast endeavors. In summary, we're going to be working to retool our audio material around deep-dives into our written analytical content, as well as longer, less frequent explorations of the most fascinating topics concerning video games as a storytelling medium.

At the same time, Stefan will be stepping away to launch a new podcast focused more broadly on video game studies and culture; he'll continue to be involved with With a Terrible Fate as an analyst, and we're already looking forward to his first article.

Listen in for all the details, and we're looking forward to more conversations with you in the weeks and months to come.

• Listen to the first of With a Terrible Fate's new "Director's Commentary" features
• Check out Stefan and Dan's new, broader game studies and culture podcast

Silent Souls

What does it take to put two great video game series together in a successful mashup? Join us this week in a free-wheeling exploration of the concept of "Silent Souls": a hypothetical mashup of Dark Souls and Silent Hill, inspired by a provocative internet image of a Catarina Knight sitting by the rest stop James Sunderland visits at the beginning of Silent Hill 2.

In our side quests, we ponder Dontnod's new home office program and Aaron's experiences with the wonderful gamers of PAX West 2021.

Support us on Patreon!

• Main Story
  • 00:01:51 Silent Souls
• Side Quests
  • 00:43:42 Dontnod adopting permanent work-from-home policy (Brendan Sinclair)
  • 00:50:29 PAX West
    • Now Loading… The Video Game Canon! (Dan Hughes)

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