About the Author — Alton Fox — Gamer's Heart at Viaches Media

Video games have been a central part of my life since childhood. My first console was the Wii, given to me by my parents when I was very young. I was always fascinated with, and perhaps addicted to, the pure engagement and entertainment that such an incredible medium offers. This fascination would only grow after I'd gotten old enough to begin playing more mature and serious games. However, my fascination slowly molded into awe and perhaps ambition as I played more detailed and darker games. The tipping point for such a shift just so happened to be what was, at the time, one of the hardest games I'd played: Dark Souls. The level of detail, challenge, and passion in that game's world recontextualized everything that I thought games could do. That game made me realize the sheer potential for crafting an interactive world, and funnily enough, its quality of world-building led me to be far more critical of the past games I'd played.

Since then, I have become a student at Michigan State University, double-majoring in Games and Interactive Media with a focus on Game Design, and Journalism with a focus on Writing, Reporting, and Editing, along with a minor in Creative Writing with a focus on Fiction. My initial ambitions when entering college were to become a game designer in the industry, with a special passion for Narrative Design. However, as I became more familiar with the design process, I came to a profound realization: making games is hard! Unfortunately for me, the craft of game design was not scratching the itch I was trying to reach. I still knew that my destiny lay in video games, however, so instead of "putting my foolish ambitions to rest" as Margit from Elden Ring would say, I shifted gears and began reviewing the games I played for fun, eventually leading me to my second major in Journalism.

Presently, I have committed to bettering this medium we love through fair and well-written critique in the hub of Gamer's Heart. I hope to use my education in writing, design, and storytelling to offer the most informed and fair opinions I can. If I can encourage studios or even individuals to keep making games better, I'll know I've made the impact I want.