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The number of Lord of the Rings games being made is rapidly increasing. Movies, too. We’re verging on theMCU-ification of Tolkien’s work, and frankly, I hate it. There are still good Rings games, but we’re getting to the point where quantity is taking precedence over quality. Recent years haven’t been kind to Rings adaptations. The Shadow of Mordor duology are hit-and-miss in their execution, often brutalising the lore as often as Talion brutalised Orc bosses while he murdered his way up theinnovative Nemesis System....

Final Fantasy 12was both an innovative leap forward and a return to tradition for the franchise. Released in 2006, the game brought back the Active-Time Battle system and job classes, but also technical innovations like a controllable camera, AI-controlled teammates, and the series' first true open world. It was also a game beset by development troubles. Arriving two years behind schedule, initial game director Yasumi Matsuno resigned partway through development. According to aPolygonpiece celebrating the remastered version released in 2017, Matsuno resigned partially due to a “health crisis” brought on by the stress of FF12’s extended development, but also “frustration” with Square Enix management’s meddling....

I’ve never played aFinal Fantasygame. This is somewhat embarrassing to admit, because of what I do for a living, but I’ve simply never felt the desire to. Though my peers started early, playing the first few games on Playstation Portables and Game Boy Advances, my parents refused to buy me any handheld devices for fear that they’d lose my already intermittent attention forever. I had an Xbox, but Square Enix wasn’t making games for Xbox back then....

Ten years ago, gamers were arguing over the ending ofThe Last of Us. Now the finale of the HBO series has premiered, and a whole new audience of viewers new to the story are arguing about it. I, for one, love discourse, and I love that this game that so many of us admire has once again spawned arguments over its conclusion. Spoilers ahead, obviously. In the finale, Joel and Ellie finally find the Fireflies, but the faction doesn’t recognise Joel and immediately knock him out....

Fire Emblem Engagewouldn’t be complete without a slew of Paralogues to tackle, and the ones offered in this game are a little different than previous entries. There are 15 Paralogues, 12 of which are tied to the Emblem Rings. Related:Fire Emblem Engage: The Best Emblem Ring Pairings Engage is something of an homage to the entire Fire Emblem series. One way Intelligent Systems has capitalised on this is by having the majority of the Paralogues be a reference or re-imagining of a map important to each of the Emblems from their respective game....

Video games are great, we can all agree on that, but what about those games you get within games, the smaller ones? Minigames they’re called. Many great titles have them. Fun little experiences you can use to distract yourself from a main quest or to get some cool in-game reward, or maybe they’re just so fun an entire compilation of them is released. But what are the best ones? Gamers over onResetErahave been discussing their favourite minigames and side activities....

Quick Links The Northern Realms may be vast, but they’re just one part ofThe Witcher 3’slarger world. In the base game the rest of it is Skellige, a large archipelago populated by warring clans that raid ships and the mainland’s shores. At some point in his story, Geralt will need to return to the islands to meet Yennefer and continue searching for Ciri. Related:The Witcher 3: Empty Coop Side Quest Walkthrough Thanks to its fearsome reputation, few captains are willing to go anywhere close to its shores....

With the release ofGod of War Ragnarok, we now have eight games that make up the franchise. In typical God of War fashion, most of them start things off with an epic boss fight to get the blood pumping, giving each game in the series a particularly memorable opening few hours as a result. Fans over on theGod of Warsubreddit have been discussing their favorites, and the answers are actually pretty varied....

Deep beneath the surface of a sprawling underground world lies the kingdom of Hallownest, an enigmatic and perilous realm shrouded in mystery and teeming with danger at every turn.Hollow Knightis a game that allows players to explore this vast and intricate realm, filled with breathtaking landscapes, cunning enemies, and hidden secrets that can challenge even the most astute adventurers. RELATED:Hollow Knight: Saddest Lore Details You Missed While some of these secrets may be obvious, others are tucked away in dark corners or behind locked doors, waiting for those with the patience and skill to discover them....

Honkai: Star Raillaunched earlier this week and it’s arguably HoYoverse’s biggest release since Genshin Impact. This latest Honkai entry, with each game in the series telling mostly separate stories, has been sailing up the top games lists as it has racked up 20 million downloads and counting. It seems HoYoverse has another major hit on its hands, although it is still early days, while players have been busy discussing the game’s merits....

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty’s final mission, the Crouching Dragon Roars, sees you face off against the Blindfolded Boy, who was previously your ally in the very first mission. Your old friend has learned some new tricks and can even deflect your attacks during this battle. Related:Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty - Dragon Vein Essence Location Guide The fight takes place in the same arena you fought Zhang Liang and it remains exactly the same this time around....

Quick Links Usually, the dungeons inPersona 4 Goldenare created by the feelings of only one person, but when it comes to Heaven, the dungeon is a collaborative effort between Nanako Dojioma and Taro Namatame. Nanako believes it’s where her mother went when she passed away, while Namatame believes it’s where he’s keeping people safe inside the Midnight Channel. RELATED:Persona 4 Golden: The Best Party For Each Dungeon But for as colorful and bright as Heaven appears, the sentiment behind the dungeon and the stakes for completing it are some of the saddest in all of P4G....

Busting ghosts inLuigi’s Mansion 3is a strenuous affair. If you’re ready to take down DJ Phantasmagloria, then you’ve fought the laborious uphill battle already by knocking out 14 other ghost bosses. That’s right, Phantasmagloria is the 15th boss fight in Luigi’s Mansion 3, and she’s not going down without a few scratches, scribbles, and a killer downbeat — or beat down rather. RELATED:Luigi’s Mansion 3: Beginner’s Guide As expected, DJ Phantasmagloria can be found in the Dance Hall on the 14th floor....