Narelle Ho Sang
Kotaku
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Past articles by Narelle:
The Video Game Music That Helped Us Through 2020
2020 was tough. There were nights we wondered where and how this year would end. Just when things seemed like they couldn’t get worse, they did time and again. On every level, it was difficult just to get through the day. One of the things that helped us through was music. Specifically, video game music. Music therapy is real. Sometimes, it was listening to a vocal rendition of Schala’s theme… → Read More
The Bittersweet Journey Of A Short Hike
A Short Hike isn’t just a delightfully relaxing game. It’s also an unexpectedly real outing, with an ending that hit me hard. → Read More
'Shop Contest: Gaming Valentine's Day Cards
This upcoming Friday is Valentine’s Day and Nintendo released a bunch of Animal Crossing inspired Valentine’s Day cards. I’ve never played Animal Crossing on Valentine’s Day, or any day for that matter, but these cards have me curious what this game is about and how groovy my day will go if I actually received one of these cards. XOXO. → Read More
The Weird, Funny Things That Make Pokémon Sword and Shield So Delightful
The idea behind Pokémon games is a weird one. Kids trekking across the country in their quest to collect cute, sometimes dangerous, creatures is strange enough. But the things I saw while playing Pokémon Sword? Hoo boy. → Read More
If You Could Replay A Game For The First Time, Which Would You Choose?
In 2019, I played the brilliant sci-fi space exploration game, Outer Wilds. If only the game’s time loop was a real thing so that I could go back and experience it all over again. → Read More
I Can't Get Enough of Trails of Cold Steel III's Intense Battle Music
I love picking fights with tough monsters in The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel III, even when I don’t have to. Why? Because it means I get to hear one of the game’s fantastic battle themes over and over again. → Read More
Revisiting Animal Crossing: New Leaf Was A Mistake
There’s a reason why I don’t return to Animal Crossing games long after I stop playing them. But stupidly, I decided to break that rule last week. I have some regrets. → Read More
10 Favorite Meals In Gaming
Thanksgiving means lots of food and lots of sweets. Last time we covered Thanksgiving, we went over 9 of the strangest foods in gaming. Here’s 10 new gaming meals that made us salivate. → Read More
What Game Do You Love, But Can't Seem To Finish?
Will The Phantom Thieves ever steal all the hearts? Will I ever eat curry again with the best boy, and starving artist, Yusuke? When can I expect it to stop being November in Persona 5? When I pick up the controller and finish the game, you say? Oh. Okay. → Read More
The Haunting Discoveries Of Outer Wilds
My Outer Wilds journey had me awash in emotions from fear to joy to sadness. There was one discovery, however, that made me unexpectedly queasy. It also left me with a lingering sense of overwhelming dread that morphed into much more. → Read More
I Played Breath of the Wild With My Sister And Put Her Through Hell
It’s not often I replay games, but when my sister asked for something to play together, I suggested The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. More than two years had passed since I completed Link’s adventure on my own, and I wanted her to experience it ahead of the recently-announced sequel. Let me recount all the ways I led her astray during her adventures in Hyrule. → Read More
By The Gods, I Just Want To Hang Out At Charon's Shop In Hades
Escaping the House of Hades is no easy task. The ever-changing pathways through the Underworld are filled with danger—vicious specters prowl, eager for a kill, and traps are scattered everywhere. The music is a steady, pulsating rhythm to amplify that struggle. It can feel daunting. That’s why, whenever Charon’s shop appears, it’s a welcome respite. → Read More
Collecting Things (And Silly Animals) In Dragon Quest Builders 2 Is Stressful Fun
There has never been a video game checklist that I didn’t simultaneously love and hate. The Explorer’s Shores islands found in Dragon Quest Builders 2 are chock full of them, and I could not resist their siren songs. They led me to mini-adventures that were fun and mildly frustrating, as well as an absurd encounter with a foolish animal. → Read More
One Year Later, Did Nintendo (And Friends) Keep Their E3 2018 Promises?
In June 2018, the Nintendo Switch was a few months past a debut year that featured the standout games The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey. What would Nintendo reveal at E3 2018 that could possibly rival their 2017 output? And could they deliver? → Read More
One Year Later, Did Sony (And Friends) Keep Their E3 2018 Promises?
On the evening of June 11, 2018, at LA Center Studios, PlayStation’s head of worldwide studios Shawn Layden welcomed everyone to a tent where Sony was about to host an unusual E3 showcase. → Read More
One Year Later, Did Microsoft (And Friends) Keep Their E3 2018 Promises?
E3 2019 is just around the corner, and it’s going to look very different this year without PlayStation. Before we look to the future and are blinded by the razzle-dazzle of trailers and announcements at this year’s event, we need to address what happened in 2018. As we ask every year: Did the three big console makers and their development partners deliver on their promises made at last year’s… → Read More
A Tribute To JRPG Villages That Were Annihilated
The life of an NPC is tough. Perpetually stuck with one or two interesting things to say. Trapped in houses or stores, or making idle chatter around the town’s well. The most excitement that may happen is when the troublesome village kid runs off. But don’t worry, the protagonists will save them. Oh, but what’s this? The villain has set their sights on your humble abode? Uh oh. → Read More
What's Your Greatest Gaming Comeback Moment?
The final decision I made in Into the Breach cost me the life of one of my pilots, and almost cost me the entire game. → Read More
Enter The Gungeon's Composer Talks Rap, Video Game Music, And Bullet Hell
Enter the Gungeon demands so much of your attention. Mastering the bullet hell means enduring a cycle of dodging, rolling, shooting, and dying. Its intense gameplay is driven by the fierce beats of its soundtrack composed by Doseone, whose background as an indie rapper intersects his video game work in a way I didn’t quite expect. → Read More
The Weird Desire To Play Resident Evil 2 Even After Quitting Out Of Fear
Two days before the release of the Resident Evil 2 remake, I had a nightmare about zombies. → Read More