Brendan Hesse is at PAX West
@Brendan_LH
Followers
17,768
Following
1,873
Media
1,667
Statuses
23,007
DRPG sicko || Associate Editor @gamespot || THE CRAWL || hesse.brendan(at)gmail || He/him (pfp: @alzandahh )
Portland, OR
Joined January 2011
Don't wanna be here?
Send us removal request.
Explore trending content on Musk Viewer
Brazil
• 1302139 Tweets
Elon Musk
• 735973 Tweets
#BUS1stFANCON_KnockKnockKnock
• 325579 Tweets
Caitlin Clark
• 89467 Tweets
#GFRunTheWorldConcertD1
• 81308 Tweets
#WITHYOU_MV
• 62746 Tweets
GULF NEW SONG
• 54921 Tweets
Bluesky
• 50802 Tweets
#プレイバックガチャ
• 44933 Tweets
TEDDYTINT x POND
• 35717 Tweets
Djokovic
• 27710 Tweets
Gomita
• 27097 Tweets
札幌2歳
• 24149 Tweets
ドジャース
• 23608 Tweets
野菜の日
• 22058 Tweets
Stanford
• 17076 Tweets
Popyrin
• 16201 Tweets
JAMESSU FM IN QINGDAO
• 14929 Tweets
台風一過
• 13333 Tweets
SUNSET X VIBES WATCH PARTY
• 10693 Tweets
Last Seen Profiles
Pinned Tweet
The indie game I'm (slowly) making and three inspirations behind it.
The indie game I'm making and three of the inspirations behind it:
9
2
58
7
7
62
Final Fantasy XVI - PS1, 1998.
"COME TO ME, IFRIT."
9
361
2K
Final Fantasy XVI - PS1
Overworld exploration
19
556
2K
19
469
1K
@atelierjoshua
This is the best thread I read all year. I don’t mean “in 2023,” I sincerely mean that last 12 months
1
12
1K
TRAILER: How Metroid Saved The Galaxy
A feature-length documentary on the history of Metroid featuring interviews with game developers, journalists, and some of Samus' biggest fans.
Premiering soon on YouTube, early access available NOW on kofi! (Links in following tweet)
13
128
699
HOW METROID SAVED THE GALAXY premieres Tomorrow, April 12, at 9 a.m. PT.
TRAILER: How Metroid Saved The Galaxy
A feature-length documentary on the history of Metroid featuring interviews with game developers, journalists, and some of Samus' biggest fans.
Premiering soon on YouTube, early access available NOW on kofi! (Links in following tweet)
13
128
699
6
130
650
@9_volt_
They also changed A LOT about the map in general, so it doesn’t feel like a 1 to 1 reuse
2
1
349
NEW VIDEO: Lunacid Is Dungeon Crawling Bliss.
In my latest dev interview for THE CRAWL, I talk to
@Stylish_Kira
about the ways their new first-person dungeon crawler LUNACID maintains and evolves the hardcore gameplay of King's Field and Shadow Tower for modern players.
5
65
342
Once again taking a moment to humbly suggest the "split" was never between "western RPGs" vs "Japanese RPGs," but rather "console RPGs" and "computer RPGs," driven by the differences in hardware and input schemes that necessitated the latter's comparatively streamlined design.
10
34
319
"Hello lovely people, it's Alex from Law&Crime Net here, bringing you our review of Johnny Depp's cross examination.
This transcript was originally written by the Fairfax county court stenographer, & formatted for video by me.
Anyway, that's more than enough waffling..."
2
7
258
@headfallsoff
Yeah I know. I mean more how they bent over backwards and included a whole section in Solo to make that line work.
5
0
235
Now that the contracts are signed and everything is underway, I can finally say:
I am joining the
@GameSpot
team full-time as an associate editor starting April 1! I've loved freelancing with the team these past 2.5 years, and I'm excited to do more with them :)
73
9
199
If Metroid Dread's recent 2nd anniversary has you in a Metroidy mood this week, check out the Metroid documentary I published earlier this year!
It features interviews with
@JonComms
@ZachariusD
@JosephYaden
& more, plus music by
@synamax
and
@Stemage
!
2
39
189
I mean this in the most non-gatekeepery way possible, but it's very fun watching people play Dragon's Dogma 2 and realize that they actually like player-antagonistic game design found in uncompromising dungeon crawlers and old-school RPGs.
Welcome, friends. Hmu if you need recs.
13
32
182
Instead of gods or heroes, we build monuments for brands and products.
8
30
178
My latest for GameSpot: I spent several weeks interviewing developers making games inspired by From Software's King's Field series -- "King's Field-likes," if you will.
14
58
174
Exactly a year ago today, my feature-length Metroid documentary, How Metroid Saved The Galaxy, dropped on YouTube. Thank you to everyone who was involved in the production and to all who've watched and shared. I'm still super (hah) proud of how it turned out.
HOW METROID SAVED THE GALAXY premieres Tomorrow, April 12, at 9 a.m. PT.
6
130
650
4
23
173
Yup. It’s funny how many people don’t seem to understand “old” video game graphics or gameplay styles aren’t loved out of nostalgia. They’re valid artistic and design choices, and often more accessible to solo/hobbyist/small dev teams.
dont think ill ever find a way to clearly communicate that my style/use of pixelart isnt Retro or based on nostalgia. all my true nostalgia is for PS2 games ill never be able to copy lol 90% of my "retro" influences are games i emulated as an adult and i just think they look good
4
4
161
5
22
135
I beat Metroid Dread for like the 10th time over the weekend.
I like Metroid Dread a lot.
10
0
131
For GameSpot, I interviewed Final Fantasy XI's Yoji Fujito and Akihiko Yoshida about the MMO's 20th anniversary, its influence on FFXIV and MMORPGs in general, and what might come next.
@FFXI_EN
5
34
133
Almost 3 hours of footage for the Metroid documentary so far. I still have a bit more left to shoot, but I'm finally in the major editing phase! I'm aiming for ~1 hour in the final video.
It's a lot of work, but I'm having a blast with this project :D
21
7
125
Rearranged my office and *finally* framed and put up my
@DaveRapoza
Super Metroid print.
(Link to print since Twitter's compression ruins the photo: )
2
10
106
7
12
100
I am looking to interview folks about Halo 3's Midnight Launch in 2007.
I'd love to chat with current/former Bungie devs who worked on the game, and any media folks or well-known Halo community members/influencers who participated in the midnight launch. DMs open, email in bio!
11
19
102
Big news: I made a video game!
THE NECROMANCER'S TOWER: a tiny DRPG inspired by classic RPGs like Wizardry, Dragon Quest, & Phantasy Star.
Get it on Itchio RIGHT NOW!
AND I'm donating 100% of sales until 7/21 to the Reproductive Health Equity Fund!
8
51
101
Thank you so, so much to everyone for the overwhelming support for How Metroid Saved The Galaxy!
It means a lot to see so many people enjoying the documentary—it makes all the hard work worth it. 🙏🏻🖤
Here’s the link if you haven’t seen it yet:
5
27
100
It's concerning how many folks sincerely believe "indie games will save us."
Not only is that a naive view of the industry, but such a stance implies that the underlying issue is "Will I still have games to play?" and not "Is this sustainable for the developers who make them?"
6
22
98
Fifth/sixth-gen console beach vibes are just perfection imo.
4
22
99
#Metroid
is trending soooo here's a boost for the Metroid documentary I dropped last month. Almost 2 hours long, covers the entire series, and features interviews with tons of awesome folks.
Give it a watch and maybe share with fellow Metroid fans!
0
38
97
The boss name font in Japanese versions of Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom might be my favorite font of all time.
5
7
95
Might as well take advantage of the
#Wizardry
remake news to bump my video from last year:
How Wizardry Influenced Your Favorite Video Game
0
21
92
Several folks have asked me some variation of "what dungeon crawler has similar vibes to Dungeon Meshi" lately, and the answer is:
Etrian Odyssey.
Pick up the 1-3 HD collection on Switch/Steam. The QoL changes and new, easier difficulty options make them more approachable.
Several people have sent me this article today, and most think it's odd that the article mentions Wizardry 6 as a game few people know about.
But like... it's true?
I expect 99% of Dungeon Meshi fans haven't heard of Wizardry 6, and that's okay lol.
6
8
35
3
38
83
Idk I think there's a lot of potential for a third party-only Nintendo Direct.
2
3
82
Oh hey btw I'm 32 today.
So far I've walked my dog, tweeted about Metroid, and listened to the Dark Spire OST, so it's been very nice day for me so far.
43
0
83
Here is the full cover illustration I drew for Doom At 30! I'll also be contributing some reviews and more interior art.
The book is edited by
@Marc_Normandin
and
@Hegelbon
, and features many other excellent contributors. Links to the project in the replies!
6
27
80
Just gonna pin this tweet for the next couple days: It's okay E3 is light after a deadly pandemic halted most of society for the last year and a half.
2
20
79
@merlino_games
I had the exact same reaction to that video. In general I strongly feel the belief that "more lifelike or open-ended games = better/is progress" is such an albatross and actively harms the medium.
1
1
79
There's a cruel irony that an entire generation who were kids during Sandy Hook are now being beaten and arrested for protesting against a ongoing genocide against a population of mostly children.
0
14
78
It’s done. Trailer this weekend. Premiering on the channel next week.
Almost 3 hours of footage for the Metroid documentary so far. I still have a bit more left to shoot, but I'm finally in the major editing phase! I'm aiming for ~1 hour in the final video.
It's a lot of work, but I'm having a blast with this project :D
21
7
125
9
6
77
@duckvalentine
Not just Souls: this has been From's quest design since King's Field.
It's hella sad lol
1
1
71
I made a list of dungeon crawler (and dungeon crawler-adjacent) releases from this month because HOT DAMN May is absolutely packed with bangers.
These are just the ones I know of and could recall off the top of my head. I'm sure there are tons I'm missing from the list.
7
20
70
I have freelanced for Lifehacker (and other GMG sites) for almost 4 years now, and I will be abstaining from any further contribution in solidarity with my colleagues on strike.
Please support their fight for a fair contract.
Don't be a scab.
#gmgstrike
As of March 1, GMG Union is officially on strike. We're asking people not to click on—or contribute content to—
@Gizmodo
,
@Jalopnik
,
@Jezebel
,
@Kotaku
,
@Lifehacker
, and
@TheRoot
.
Learn more about our fight for a fair contract with
@GOMediaInc
:
205
8K
10K
2
18
65
Thank you to everyone who joined for the live premiere! The full documentary is streaming now!
HOW METROID SAVED THE GALAXY premieres Tomorrow, April 12, at 9 a.m. PT.
6
130
650
1
22
65
*Jackass intro plays*
“Hi I’m Brendan, and I’m about to upset all my followers.”
36
0
67
New video on THE CRAWL talking about my collection of dungeon crawlers (and other related games)! The "Crawllection," if you will.
Plus I go over some updates/announcements. Check it out in the next tweet!
3
16
67
I'm legitimately excited that so many folks are about to find out how easy homebrewing a 3DS is, and how much it can do. It's the best.
1
9
65
Why would you interview Bobby Kotick lmao what
8
0
61
Did it.
I have officially crossed the "I think I want a Steam Deck" threshold.
9
0
29
12
0
65
So the Metroid documentary has officially been out for 100 days!
...and the views have absolutely *tanked* in the past 2 months. So I'm refreshing the thumbnail to hopefully appease the algorithm. Which of these three alternative do y'all like best?
25
6
61
I can FINALLY say this publicly now that our families know:
A little over a year ago,
@MFMitchellPhoto
and I secretly got married. We didn't have rings so we used ring pops.
She's my favorite person and she makes me very happy. I'm excited I can finally tell people 😊
7
1
58
@JonComms
so whole new generation can experience the heartwrenching horror when Razorbeard eats a Lum and the counter goes from 1000 to 999.
4
0
52
I feel like From has two different game design styles for it's dungeon crawlers splitting off from the original King's Field:
One is: KF, KF2, KF3, Eternal Ring, KF4, DaS2, Elden Ring
The other is: KF, Shadow Tower, ST: Abyss, Demon's, DaS, Bloodborne, DaS3
4
7
53
Okay, one of my last times posting about this for a bit, but—Dang. Almost 17k views in the first two weeks. That’s huge for a small channel like mine. Thank you all once again 🙏🏻
Thank you so, so much to everyone for the overwhelming support for How Metroid Saved The Galaxy!
It means a lot to see so many people enjoying the documentary—it makes all the hard work worth it. 🙏🏻🖤
Here’s the link if you haven’t seen it yet:
5
27
100
9
2
54
Ok, since folks have asked:
-This isn't a mod/hack/game project.
-Not 3D models, just good ol' fashioned photoshop + procreate.
-I like FF16 and FF8! This is just fun fan art, not commentary on either game.
-Yes, I will post a couple more FF16 demake screenshots soon😃
2
3
52
Friends, it’s simple:
AAA game is when fancy 3D graphics and mostly kill thing
Indie is when vibes and pixel art or maybe low-poly 3D and only maybe kill thing, or maybe be nice or feel sad
3
9
52
Someone go tell AAA devs it’s okay if their video games are video games. Most of us really don’t mind.
9
4
51
So last night I dreamed Nintendo had a Nintendo Direct and announced:
-A paper mario-like Earthbound sequel starring Ness in his late 40s.
-A new Zelda that looked a lot like Death Stranding
-Metroid reboot called METROIDIAN BIRTH that was essentially a 3D, third-person Signalis.
2
2
52
Okay the CD-I part is a joke but seriously—the ideal Zelda movie is an 80s fantasy adventure with practical effects, sets build on soundstages and miniatures, and a synth soundtrack.
I changed my mind:
A live action Zelda could be awesome if it uses Muppet/Henson-like practical puppets for all the creatures and non-human characters. And it’s based on the CD-I games.
2
1
15
1
3
50
@antdude92
*deep inhale*
Lunacid
Crystal Project
Advent Crossroads
Delta Gal
Devil Spire
Ringlorn Saga
Drawngeon
Star Crawlers
One Step From Eden
CrossCode
Knight’s Try
20XX
30XX
Star Renegades
Gato Roboto
Cosmic Star Heroine
Dread Delusion
Prodeus
Project Warlock 1 & 2
Jack Move
4
1
49
Most of my freelance gigs suddenly dried up this week, so I'm adding my voice to the choir of folks looking for work. 📰🖊️💻
I have 10+ yrs editorial experience covering video games, tech, and music, plus A/V production experience. I'll post examples in the following tweets.
2
29
48
Y’all remember the part in Final Fantasy VIII where you fight Seifer, and Odin shows up to do his insta-kill move
But then Seifer just BISECTS the dude and destroys your summon.
And then they tease Gilgamesh catching Odin’s sword!??
Final Fantasy VIII is so cool.
10
5
48
I know tons of indie shooters, platformers, action RPGs, and survival horror with the PS1-era retro3D look...
But I'd love to see more new, turn-based RPGs in the PS1 Squaresoft-style--3D models, static backgrounds, fixed camera angles, etc.
4
3
47
I have now beaten two Resident Evil games in my life:
-Resident Evil 4 (2005)
-Resident Evil 4 (2023)
I should probably play more of these.
9
0
44
Quick update/reminder for gaming and tech PR folks:
As of today, I'm now full-time at GameSpot, which means I have a new press email where you can reach me with pitches/codes/etc: bhesse[at]fandom[dot]com.
(I'll still check my personal account, too, ofc).
9
4
46
I finally beat Chained Echoes and can safely say it's my favorite game from 2022.
Come hear me talk about it and the rest of my favorites from 2022, in my GotY video I just published!
(Link in next tweet)
4
6
45
*Clears throat*
Anyway, Final Fantasy I still holds up really well, and there are several awesome ports you can play on various platforms! It's a fun, chill, exploration-focused adventure with all that old-school charm.
4
9
44
Just wanna point out that folks in my replies and DMs arguing that "JRPG" is a useful descriptor are almost exclusively arguing for it because they "don't like JRPGs/anime/etc," and want to "avoid them."
Sure sounds like a pejorative to me!
Once again taking a moment to humbly suggest the "split" was never between "western RPGs" vs "Japanese RPGs," but rather "console RPGs" and "computer RPGs," driven by the differences in hardware and input schemes that necessitated the latter's comparatively streamlined design.
10
34
319
7
3
44
My kingdom for a horse*.
*widespread awareness that Kazushige Nojima wrote and is responsible for many of the narrative elements in Kingdom Hearts, FFVII, and many other FF games normally ascribed solely to Nomura.
2
9
44
First one I want to shout out: RASKOPNIK The Trench Warrior. A DRPG set in the WWII Eastern Front with VATS-like combat. If you miss Wolfenstein RPG and Doom RPG, or like Grimrock/Eye of the Beholder, definitely try this demo.
1
13
43
I recently started exploring a side of gaming that's totally new to me: Solo TTRPGs.
Turns out they rule?
Here's my latest for Lifehacker on how to get into Solo TTRPGs if you're curious.
3
11
44
Today is my and
@MFMitchellPhoto
's third wedding anniversary. We're broke, so we're keeping it low-key and just playing Mario Kart, baking a pie, and maybe ordering a pizza--in other words, it's been a perfect day.
8
0
41
The cool folks at
@PSTPodcast
interviewed me about games journalism for their new video game-focused show. It was a fun time, go check it out!
The boys talk AI in gaming, chat with
@Brendan_LH
about the games journalism landscape, and discuss Disco Elysium!
1
18
103
0
6
40
I wrote about playing Xenoblade Chronicles 3 almost entirely in first-person so far. It's surprisingly doable if you make the right settings changes!
2
8
40
Been thinking about what I should cover after the Metroid documentary is wrapped… 🤫
3
0
37
Spent today writing up a script on 2023's dungeon crawlers.
I know 2023 had a bunch of great releases in general, but *holy shit* it was a banger year for dungeon sickos.
2
1
40