Greatest Hits
A top-five sample showcasing the best of the nerdy non-fiction I like to write.
If you’re interested in my work, contact me at thomas25well@gmail.com.
1) Enix Origins: The Story Behind Dragon Quest
6,100 words | Videogames | 1.8k views
My short, semi-dramatised history of the origins of Enix was a lengthy project with an endless Google doc full of research notes based on approximately 100 sources. Currently one of the top results on Google for “history of dragon quest”. Described by at least one videogame personality as “entrancing”.
2) Five Reasons Captain Marvel Fundamentally Sucks
3,300 words| Comics | 64.0k views
Criticising Captain Marvel might be popular now in certain circles, but I was doing it before it was cool (or at least before the movie). This article aims to be politically neutral, instead focusing on the question of what makes a superhero iconic and where Captain Marvel fits in to that equation. My most read, shared, and liked piece.
3) Looking Back at Jade Empire and The Bioware We Know
3,600 words| Videogames | 700 views
A retrospective-review in the traditional, comprehensive style, which looks at a curious and magical detour in the Bioware timeline set in a fantastical ancient China. The creative challenge I had to meet was the same as for any RPG review: taking a 30 hours of game and putting across my experience in a lucid, evocative manner that at once describes, critiques and entertains.
4) What Can Hollow Knight and Metroid Learn From Each Other?
7,800 words| Videogames| 1.4k views
It was easy to let my passion for the games involved run away with me in this comparative analysis. I wanted to go the extra mile to give this article a special kick, so created a series of mash-up images that imagine Samus in Hallownest and the Knight on SR388. It seemed to work: despite being a behemoth of 7,800 words with a niche appeal, this article become one of my most read.
5) Four Things That Made The Last Remnant Special
5,000 words| Videogames| 800 views
A list-based approach felt appropriate and compelling for a game like The Last Remnant, which is neither the most popular JRPG from Square Enix, nor the best, but does have a few incredibly interesting elements that all fans of the genre deserve to be introduced to.
