In the build up to our new issue, Fantasy, we get to know our latest group of writers, their wider work and what games they love, and of course their experiences of writing for Five out of Ten. Pledge to support our Patreon and get the new issue as soon as it’s released!
In our upcoming issue, Brian Crimmins writes about Burnout Paradise, Phantasy Star IV, and Nietzsche. We spoke to him about his wider writing and what he enjoys about Five out of Ten.
What inspired you to write your features for Five out of Ten?
I’ve been writing the kind of analysis that Five out of Ten does for a while, and they seemed like a pretty good place to pitch my writing. Plus I generally prefer to write for smaller, more focused publications like this one. (The next question goes into a little more detail on this.)
What is your favourite part of your Five out of Ten features?
It’s part of this larger trend of games writing that holds up really exhaustive looks at video games, and many of them are games that might not get attention otherwise. This is a guaranteed way to get my attention.
What are you going to write for us next time?
I have an idea about looking at JRPGs (Japanesee role-playing games) as game systems, given how often they’re criticized for the gameplay not being important. I’ve other ideas, but that’s the most solid one that came to mind.
What are you playing right now?
A lot of the games I play are really short, so this can change at any given time. I was playing VA-11 HALL-A during the editing process, but that might have changed by the time you’re reading this. I’m probably still playing games like Fire Emblem Fates: Revelations, Stella Glow, and Time and Eternity, though.
Where can we find more of your work?
You can usually find me writing for Playboy and Hardcore Gaming 101, but I’ve written for other sites like The Ontological Geek, Unwinnable, Sufficiently Human, and Kill Screen. You can find a fuller listing of my work here, but it’s basically just a portfolio.
