Elizabeth Henges

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Elizabeth Henges

I write about video games 99% of the time. I'm gaiages on most websites--feel free to say hello!

Spotlight

My personal favorites.

Into The Spine •

NieR: Fatherhood and Sacrifice

The new God of War title released last month, and it had many gamers talking about a subject that’s not brought up often in the gaming sphere–fatherhood. It’s for a good reason, too, as the tale of Kratos and Atreus is an amazingly told tale. But as Kratos learns to build bonds with his son and deals with the loss of his wife, I can’t help but think of a lesser-known gaming father and his tale. His wasn’t a story of redemption, though, but of sacrificing everything for your child.
PCGamesN •

Monster Hunter: World gives strong women proper body representation

Monster Hunter: World can be described with many words but ‘realistic’ is not a prominent one. After all, you’re fighting giant fantastical beasts with absurdly large weapons, all while your bipedal pet cat runs around in a fairy outfit. Many aspects of the Monster Hunter series fall clearly in the realm of fantasy, but one aspect of these games that is realistic is how women, and their bodies, are represented.
Videodame •

The Bittersweet Endings of The Banner Saga 3

The Banner Saga 3 was released late in July to overall critical praise. Stoic’s strategy RPG trilogy was never known to be happy and uplifting, but as the story moved forward to its resolution, it was increasingly clear to see that there would be no happy end to this tale. How exactly it ended, though, was left up to the player, left to placate a man who has all but lost faith in the world and humanity and is being forced into a difficult decision.
Rock Paper Shotgun •

The Joy of unravelling the deception in The House in Fata Morgana

Visual novels arguably have less to impress gamers than other genres. With no real ‘gameplay’ to speak of, visual novels need to rely heavily on narrative prowess to make a lasting impression. Originally released in Japan in 2012, but only getting an English localization in 2016, The House in Fata Morgana is pegged as a horror visual novel. As the player explores the desolate mansion and views the different tragedies of the past, however, the game slowly unravels its tangled plot threads, revealing that it’s much more than just a compilation of sad tales.
RPG Site •

In Defense of Fetch Quests

When people think of sidequests, they often only think of the ones that offer an interesting narrative or character motivation. Whether it’s beating up a bunch of thugs to get a kid’s video game back in Yakuza 0, or taking down a mighty djinn in The Witcher 3, people will often point to these games as shining examples of what sidequests should be. Many RPGs’ side content gets held up to The Witcher 3’s high storytelling standards in particular, and often players come away disappointed that most games have more typical, fetch quest style sidequests in comparison.

Latest Reviews

My latest reviews for any site.

RPG Site •

Life is Strange 2 Episode 1: Roads Review

Dontnod released the original Life is Strange to critical acclaim in 2015, and since the conclusion of Max and Chloe’s tale fans have been eagerly awaiting the second season of the narrative series. After three years, a prequel, and a free episode starring a different protagonist, Life is Strange 2 has finally released its first episode, ‘Roads’. The second season is off to a very strong start and benefits from the new characters and scenery.
Quillstreak •

Russian Subway Dogs Review

I’ve always been a cat person. It’s not that I hate dogs–I’m just allergic to them. I can admire them from afar, but the hives I get when they give me sloppy wet kisses means that I can’t cuddle them like I can my feline friends. Digital puppies, however, are fair game. All of the adorable aspects of a puppy without the allergic reaction? Sign me up! That was my mentality when starting up Russian Subway Dogs, the arcade style game from Spooky Squid Games.
RPG Site •

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Review

It has been over nine years since the last mainline Dragon Quest game made its way Westward. Since Dragon Quest IX, we've missed out on the Japanese-only MMO entry Dragon Quest X, but in recent years there’s been a renewed sense of life in the franchise with titles like Dragon Quest Heroes and Dragon Quest Builders. While these spin-off titles still carry the spirit of the Dragon Quest series, they haven’t been the classic menu-based RPGs that the franchise is built upon. The wait is finally over, though, as Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is finally releasing on PlayStation 4 and PC.
Into The Spine •

Into The Spine Of: 20XX

There’s no mincing words here: 20XX is an unabashed Mega Man X clone. This indie title feels just a lot like the classic series, and it’s not trying to hide its inspiration. But in a world where it’s been over a decade since the last Mega Man X title and only a collection of the older games to look forward to, 20XX can be a very welcome addition to any series fan’s collection… especially with its unique mechanics that help keep the game fresh.
RPG Site •

Nepenthe Review

Nepenthe is strange. It’s a strange game to play, with a strange but successful Kickstarter campaign. The creation of one man with a bunch of watercolor pencils and a dream, it’s truly a difficult game to describe. It feels like playing through a child’s idea for an RPG, with all the whimsy and confusion that comes with it. If anything, Nepenthe is a testament to the creativity the budding indie market allows to grow within it, even if that creativity comes at a cost of playability.