Even without knowing the term "isekai", you have probably at some point encountered a story or piece of media that follows its basic framework. A Japanese term meaning "another world", isekai stories deal with the notion of being adrift in a setting quite unlike one's own; they follow protagonists who are ripped away from a world much like ours and dropped into an unfamiliar place or time. Be it Edgar Rice Burroughs's depiction of Mars as a futuristic kingdom in the Barsoom books or the fantastical realm of Oz, the specifics matter less than the intent - to challenge the protagonist's preconceived notions and lead them to personal growth in the face of unexpected conflict. I lay all of this out for you because I think the intent with Heir to the Queen, a small-scale adventure game, was to hit the basic points of the isekai journey under the constraints of a threadbare budget and no larger media presence. That's speculation on my part, though, sinc...
As other, brighter folks have pointed out, 2019 seems a key transitional year for the games industry as all hands prepare for the next (maybe last?) console generation. Questions abound about the future, about the culture in and around the medium, and about the responsibilities those in power must face. Let us turn, then, to the titles I felt stood strongest (in my own experience) during this past year. These works not only impressed and endeared themselves to me, they illustrated the thankless labour and dedication of people in the industry who - let's not beat around the bush - deserve far better. 5) Blazing Chrome Is it shameless in building itself upon the foundational gameplay and sci-fi action imagery of the Contra games? Yes. Does that make it any less of an impressive r endition of that same style of run-and-gun action? Not one bit. Blazing Chrome starts off with absurd excess and never really lets up, thoroughly basking in over-the-top frenzied gunfights agains...