On Silent Protagonists: The Case of Persona 5’s Joker

On Silent Protagonists: The Case of Persona 5’s Joker

I should begin by saying this is not an ode to silent protagonists. If anything, I’d like to argue that for a strong narrative-driven game, a silent protagonist is actually a detriment. How does one hook a story on a main character who has no or limited personality? In this essay, I will… argue that Joker, the silent protagonist in Persona 5/Royal, had no right to be silent.

Spoilers abound for Persona 5 Royal. (more…)

Postgame.5: Hard Casual (or, A 2020 Retrospective)

Postgame.5: Hard Casual (or, A 2020 Retrospective)

Welcome back to Postgame, Sidequest’s monthly podcast, where the editors lay down hot takes on cold games. This is our December 2020 episode, which you may notice is releasing before our November 2020 episode, because we love to sow chaos. The November episode is already recorded and coming shortly—we just figured our 2020 retrospective should go to you while it’s hot!

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Postgame.1: Why Are We Talking About Hair, This Is a Video Game Podcast

Postgame.1: Why Are We Talking About Hair, This Is a Video Game Podcast

Welcome to Postgame, Sidequest’s monthly podcast where the editors lay down hot takes on cold games.

In our first episode, we consider narrative cohesion in Final Fantasy VII Remake, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Persona 5 Royal, and Red Dead Redemption 2. Please note: we curse in this podcast.

BIG spoilers for Red Dead Redemption 2 start at around 33:05, or when Melissa says “Fast forward to Act 3.” They pretty much go through the end of the pod.

Melissa was mistaken about the way that the mission that causes the above spoilers works. In actuality, the game will force you to do the mission by starting it automatically when you enter camp after a certain point.

Theme music is Bass Thee by Alexander Nakarada, used under Creative Commons 0.

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The Best 2019 Games We Didn’t Play Because We Didn’t Have Time

The Best 2019 Games We Didn’t Play Because We Didn’t Have Time

Another year has come and gone, and once again our gaming backlogs have ballooned in size. Will we ever shovel our way out from beneath it? Do we really miss anything by not being up on the hype?

The answers are no and yes, respectively. We’re suffering from a serious case of year-end gaming FOMO, so, naturally, we’ve packaged our sorrow for your casual consumption. Enjoy our list of the best games of 2019 we never found time to play! (more…)

GYGO: WNBA in NBA 2K20, Pokémon Get Poké Jobs, and Black Ops Rumors

GYGO: WNBA in NBA 2K20, Pokémon Get Poké Jobs, and Black Ops Rumors

Happy Wednesday! What have you been playing lately? I bought Fire Emblem: Three Houses today so I’ll be starting that soon—more on Three Houses below! I started Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order; the top-down view, beat-’em-up arcade style isn’t my usual preferred game, but I love Marvel characters, and I’ll keep playing until I can play as Black Widow and Spider-Gwen. I also started my second playthroughs of Night in the Woods and Firewatch. This time in NitW, I’m choosing to hang out more with Gregg. Did you know you can help Gregg move a couch and also go on a crossbow-shooting adventure together? Let us know on Twitter what games you’re playing!

Here’s recent news that’s been on our minds, and check back every Wednesday for more on the latest news in games! (more…)