Hardcore Gamer

Don Parsons-Contributor

Don Parsons

Contributor Since February, 2024
Qualifications Almost 10 years covering gaming for digital publications.
Expertise
RPG, Turn-Based Strategy, Retro
  • 27
    articles
  • 23
    News
  • 1
    Guides
  • 3
    Reviews
Hardcore Gamer logo Profile

About Don Parsons

Don Parsons has almost 10 years experience covering video games with different outlets, with a strong knowledge of the history of video and tabletop games. He plays a wide variety of titles, and explores what makes them distinct and special, and shares that with readers, while providing expert help on the games.

Favorite Games

Favorite game is always a tough question but here are a few of the games that I've enjoyed the most, and have been inspired by.

Shining Force 2: A SRPG Sega Genesis Classic I grew up with, that melds exploration, with recruiting, and good combat.
Planescape: Torment: Perhaps the best CRPG of all time with a fantastic atmosphere, and writing.
Fallout 2: One of the other contenders for that throne.  (Feel free to toss New Vegas and Fallout 1 in here too!)
Arcanum of Steamworks and Magica Obscura: An overlooked gem by Troika, that has an unique world, with tons of choices, and fresh ideas.
Primordia: A great classic styled point and click adventure that feels modern in how it provides players with support and avoiding dead paths.
Civilization 4: My favorite of the Civ series though I play many of them.
I Was a Teenage Exocolonist: A recent addition to the list but a game I absolutely adored playing through repeatedly. It has a fantastic cast of characters, a compelling world, a strong narrative, and even good mechanics.
The Witcher 3: Still I think the big budget RPG throne holder and a great game in almost every way.

Favorite Console

Can I say my PC? No? That's not a console huh? Alright then, there are a few tough choices here but it comes down to for me the Sega Genesis and the PlayStation 2.

The former has a lot of childhood memories tied to it and some truly excellent games, while the latter has an almost unmatched variety of mid-level games and a creativity level matched with ambition and budget that is, and was rarely seen. If you cornered me, and made me choose, I'd lean to the PlayStation 2, especially with the module that could play PS One games.

Industry Focus

There are a lot of fascinating things going on in video games, the field where technology and arts intersect in otherwise unseen ways. It's tough to say what the focus is but a few areas I like to focus on:
- RPGs
- History of Video Games
- News, and highlighting interesting things going on
- Bringing attention to underknown games

Latest

The Alters Jan Dolski looking out over a cliff edge into mountainous terrain with lava running
11 Bit Studios Delays The Alters to Early 2025
11 Bit Studios

11 Bit Studios has announced a delay to their upcoming science fiction adventure The Alters meaning it won't release this year.

Astro Bot leaves the start of one of the five new Speed Run levels in the upcoming Astro Bot update on a wooden path, leaving behind penguins on a snowy island as he goes to a course that is hovering over water which has other bots and ice flow in it and flying off to the right is the bird he is racing
First Astro Bot Update Brings Speedrun Levels, Helldivers 2 Bots
Astro Bot

The first Astro Bot update is coming this fall and it brings with it Helldivers 2 characters, and new levels for everyone to enjoy

Masters of Albion town building and god hand moving things
Peter Molyneux Announces Masters of Albion
Fable

Industry Icon Peter Molyneux announced a new game at Gamescom Opening Night Light in Masters of Albion

Path of Exile 2 logo
Path of Exile 2 Release Date Announced At Gamescom Opening Night Live
path of exile

Path of Exile 2's release date was announced during Geoff Keighley's Gamescom Opening Night Live, telling players when they can play it

Avowed Story Trailer
Obsidian's Avowed Shows Off Story, Companion at Xbox Showcase
Obsidian Entertainment

Obsidian's big RPG Avowed showed off its story today in a new trailer showing off the driving force of the story and some of the factions.

Dragon Age the Veilguard Dragon roaring enormously ahead of the much smaller cast of characters
Dragon Age: The Veilguard Releasing This Year
Dragon Age

Bioware showcased Dragon Age: The Veilguard with a cinematic trailer showing some characters and a release window for the next game in the RPG series

Civilization 7
Sid Meier's Civilization VII Coming Next Year
Sid Meier's Civilization

2k Games announced Sid Meier's Civilization 7 at Summer Game Fest today, revealing we can expect the next entry in the celebrated 4x series next year.

Eiyuden Chronicle Shop
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Outsells Expectations Helping 505 Games' Finances
Eiyuden chronicle Hundred Heroes

Suikoden spiritual successor Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is selling well according to publisher 505 Games in their financial report

Palworld Summer Update Header depicts 4 new unknown pals, vertically sliced in this image
Palworld Update Teased in ID@Xbox Event WIth new Pals and More
Palworld

Pocket Pair teased new details about the summer Palworld update, including showing four new pals for the first time

Screen Shot 2024-04-21 at 4.03.04 PM
Review: Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes
Eiyuden chronicle Hundred Heroes

The long-awaited Suikoden spiritual successor is here and our Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes review takes a look into this JRPG.

Darkest Dungeon 2 Party of four embarking to go to the Sluice
Darkest Dungeon II Coming to PlayStation 4, 5 This Summer
Gaming News

Red Hook Studios has announced the Darkest Dungeons II PlayStation release as it rolls onto consoles this summer

Steamworld Heist 2 image showing three characters above the logo that is riding on a missile sailing across the sea
Steamworld Heist 2 Announced, Coming August 8
SteamWorld

Steamworld Heist 2 was announced today, along with a release date for this summer, showcasing an ambitious sequel to the turnbased strategy game

Eiyuden Chronicle Hundred Heroes characters standing in a runebarrow as the device lights up
Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes: The Suikoden-like You Were Promised
505 Games

Our Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes preview takes an early look at the JRPG and ponders if it can live up to the legacy of its inspiration

Palworld Arena Header
Palworld Arena PVP Showcased at Triple I Initiative
Palworld

The Palworld Arena was showcased at the Triple I Initiative, showing us a brief glimpse into Palworld PVP play coming this year

Slay the Spire 2 Header
Slay the Spire 2 Announced at Triple I Initiative
slay the spire

A Slay The Spire 2 Announcement headlined the Triple I initiative today, as Mega Crit Games announced a sequel to the acclaimed roguelite deckbuilder

Broken Roads loading screen art featuring characters who make up your party walking on a road with camels
Review: Broken Roads
Reviews

Our Broken Roads review takes a look at the ambitious post-apocalyptic RPG to figure out if it's worth tangling with the dropbears of Australia

Millennia image showing a British mapped empire centered around Zhuxian
Review: Millenia
Reviews

Millennia is a new 4x strategy game published by Paradox Interactive and we ponder if it can measure up to the famed Civilization series

Shine Megami Tensei V Vegeance new demon Glasya-Labolas
Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Release Date Moved Up
Shin Megami Tensei V

Atlus dropped a surprise on everyone tonight announcing the Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance release date has been moved up.

Alpha Protocol's Michael Thorton looking at a variety of computer screens
Alpha Protocol Reappears After 5 Years in Delisted Purgatory
gog

After being delisted 5 years ago, Alpha Protocol returns on GOG after they teamed up with Sega and Obsidian to resurrect the game

Stardew Valley Meadowlands Farm
Stardew Valley 1.6 Released on PC
Stardew Valley

The long awaited Stardew Valley 1.6 Update has released on PC, bringing with it a wealth of new features and ideas for its many fans

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