Val Hull

Resident role-playing RPG game expert. Knows where trolls and paladins come from. You must fight for your right to gather your party before venturing forth.

Joined: March 2, 2023
Articles: 149
Comments: 4

ByVal Hull
OnOctober 2, 2024

Elden Ring Patch 1.15 Released – Bug Fixes and Performance Improvements

Having introduced quite a few balance adjustments in their previous patch for Elden Ring, and in particular the game’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, Bandai Namco together with FromSoftware now bring us a shiny new patch for the Shadow of…

ByVal Hull
OnSeptember 10, 2024

The State of RTS Games in 2024

The ’90s were the undeniable golden age for real-time strategy games. Everyone just seemed fascinated by the idea of constructing a well-defended base, gathering resources, drawing green boxes around assorted units, and sending them into battle against a human or…

baldur's gate series comparison featured image

ByVal Hull
OnSeptember 8, 2024

Baldur’s Gate Trilogy Ranked – Which Game Is the Best?

When Baldur’s Gate 3 launched, it was hailed as the new gold standard in cRPGs. The game’s strikingly detailed visuals, approachable gameplay, colorful cast, and some clever viral marketing all came together to create a gaming phenomenon. Since its release…

ByVal Hull
OnSeptember 6, 2024
1 Comment

Should You Play Starfield in 2024? Examining Bethesda’s Latest A Year Later

Bethesda Game Studios released Starfield on September 6, 2023. It was the studio’s first new IP in 25 years. According to the game’s director Todd Howard, it was the dream project he’s been meaning to make since his earliest days…

dragon age veilguard release date featured image

ByVal Hull
OnAugust 15, 2024

Dragon Age: The Veilguard Announces Release Date With a Trailer

Dragon Age: The Veilguard, the next entry in BioWare’s dark fantasy RPG saga, is now scheduled to go live for PC (Steam page), Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5 on October 31, 2024. The release date was announced in a…

Owlcat Games Goes Into Publishing Featured Image

ByVal Hull
OnAugust 15, 2024

Owlcat Games to Publish Two Indie RPGs – Rue Valley and Shadow of the Road

Indie RPG developer becomes indie RPG publisher. Owlcat Games, the studio behind some of the meatiest RPGs of recent years (Pathfinder: Kingmaker, Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous, Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader), announced on their website that they’ll be expanding their…

elden ring returning player guide featured image

ByVal Hull
OnJune 17, 2024

How to Prepare for Elden Ring DLC Shadow of the Erdtree

So, you want to revisit Elden Ring. Whether it’s because you’re looking to get a character ready for the DLC, or because it’s just fun to experiment with new builds in FromSoftware games, you’ve come to the right place. If…

ByVal Hull
OnMay 10, 2024

I’m in Love With Streamlined Roguelike RPG Path of Achra

Path of Achra is a game that came seemingly out of nowhere and immediately consumed and monopolized my free time in a way few games can these days. Tearing myself away from actually playing to do some research revealed that…

alone in the dark goat of the woods featured image

ByVal Hull
OnMarch 20, 2024

How to Beat the Black Goat of the Woods – Alone in the Dark

This is it. The final boss fight in Alone in the Dark will have you going up against the Black Goat of the Woods – a malign carnivorous tree spirit, and perhaps a personification of H.P. Lovecraft’s own Shub-Niggurath. For…

alone in the dark how to beat jacob featured image

ByVal Hull
OnMarch 20, 2024

How to Beat Jacob van Ostadte – Alone in the Dark

As you work on breaking the Dark Man’s contract in Chapter 4 of Alone in the Dark, there will come the time for you to Temper Manic Behavior. In order to do it, you’ll need to go through a portal…