My Life as a Fallout 4 NPC

My Life as a Fallout 4 NPC

Philadelphia had been sheltering in place for about six weeks when I started my second playthrough of Fallout 4. It seemed like everyone in my life was planting orchards and selling turnips on an island full of charming animal friends, and I got nostalgic for my carefully tended tato gardens, rattletrap cabins, and grumpy villagers. The Fallout 4 aesthetic seemed well-suited to my melancholy mood, thanks to the somber instrumental score and the crushed remains of human civilization littered around the irradiated wasteland. As I started a new save, I reflected that the first characters you meet in the Commonwealth are defined by their losses: the Abernathys lost their daughter; the Minutemen, their home; the Sole Survivor, her entire way of life before the bomb. After six weeks of grief, anxiety, and total physical isolation, I too felt like I had lost something. (more…)

Confessions of a Dodo Airlines Worker

Confessions of a Dodo Airlines Worker

This is a piece of fiction written from the perspective of Orville, the dodo who works at the airport desk in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Orville never leaves the 24-hour airport, but he sees me often as I jetset to my friends’ islands—and he sees the strange parade of my colorfully-dressed friends as they fly in to visit me. Being able to hang out with friends virtually is a comfort for me and many others during this trying time and has contributed to the major phenomenon that New Horizons has become. It occurred to me that Orville and the other denizens of the Animal Crossing world aren’t burdened by the same real-world troubles as we are, but they’re still witnessing the way they’ve affected the parts of the game I value. (more…)

GYGO: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Gets a Documentary

GYGO: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Gets a Documentary

Howdy, GYGO fans! Welcome again to your weekly news roundup. This week I was both delighted and distinctly undelighted by some of the biggest news stories. So let’s dive in: (more…)

GYGO: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater Gets a Documentary

GYGO: Coronavirus, Stardew Valley Followups, and More Politics in Games

Hello, and welcome to GYGO! I’m Kael, your local gaming bard, and I’ve been playing more D&D than anything else. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve touched a video game console in weeks, though I did learn a few Final Fantasy songs on kalimba for role-playing purposes (and Sadness and Sorrow from Naruto). When not practicing my scales I’ve also been scouring the net for some of that hot, fresh, sweet, and surprisingly squishy gaming news. (more…)