Hayes Madsen

Freelance Journalist

United States

Freelance Journalist with over ten years of experience, focusing on entertainment and the video game industry.

Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Metropolitan State University of Denver. Current Video Game Trends Writer at Inverse. Former Senior Editor at Twinfinite, Technology Editor at Metrosphere Magazine, and co-host of Playing With Perspective podcast.

Currently Freelance Writer with words at Kotaku, Game Informer, IGN, and more Constantly looking for the most unique perspectives and stories of gaming.

Send inquiries to [email protected]

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Portfolio

Interviews

Fanbyte
10/06/2021
FFXIV Player Bands Are Bringing Concerts to Eorzea

Note: For privacy reasons, interviewees are referred to as either their FFXIV screen names or band names in this article. It's a perfectly normal day in Gridania as you stroll through the dappled trees and over to the Lancer's Guild, looking for the latest quest or just poking your head in.

PCGamesN
03/28/2021
Meet the fans localising lost Yakuza, Trails, and Final Fantasy games

Localising a game from Japanese to English isn't an easy job. It's even more difficult when you're trying to do it alongside a full-time job. Despite this, a multitude of fan groups have taken it upon themselves to do the work for fans in the West who have never had the chance to experience them.

Mymetmedia
09/01/2016
A Behind the Scenes Look at SeriesFest -

There are plenty of film festivals all around the country for members of the industry, aspiring writers, directors and actors to all mingle. There's even quite a few right here in Denver. However, there's a distinct lack of festivals and events for those invested in television and episodic storytelling.

Features

ScreenRant
04/26/2021
The Real History Behind Ace Attorney's Herlock Sholmes

The Great Ace Attorney's Herlock Sholmes is much more than just a strange name, as there's actually quite a bit of history behind Capcom's choice. After over five years of waiting, The Great Ace Attorney games are finally making their way west in a double-pack.

Retroware
03/12/2021
Class Warfare In Final Fantasy Tactics

Yasumi Matsuno is the definition of an auteur in gaming, a director with a unifying vision between all of his games. Starting out as the director of Ogre Battle, Matsuno joined Square in 1995 and was assigned as director on Final Fantasy Tactics.

Video Game Reviews

Podcasts

SoundCloud
09/07/2016
Season 5 Episode 20 - The Man Who Sold The World by Playing with Perspective

Sean, Hayes and Keenan do things a bit differently tonight, by taking a deep dive into one very specific game. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. It's a spoiler filled episode as the crew discusses the game's design in terms of story, structure, gameplay and everything else. Tune in!

SoundCloud
09/02/2016
Season 5 Episode 19 - It's a Golden Show by Playing with Perspective

Morality plays a funny role in video games a lot of the time. We always want more freedom and more choices in our games, but what does that really mean? Sean, Hayes and Keenan talk about morality in video games, and a 2011 classic that handled choice so well.

SoundCloud
01/29/2016
Season 4 Episode 2(1.28.16)- Someday the Dream Will End by Playing with Perspective

Sean, Hayes and Keenan take a day to discuss just what's happened to the Final Fantasy series. Why do so many people feel the series has gone downhill? How exactly has the series changed over its long history in video games? Classic Thursday focuses on a spinoff that's actually one of the greatest Final Fantasy games of all time.

News

ComingSoon.net
09/09/2021
The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting Anime Adaptation Announced

The Yakuza's Guide to Babysitting is officially getting an anime TV adaption, as announced by its creator Tsukiya on Twitter . Originally launched on the Comic Ride pixiv site, the manga series has hit a surge of popularity since its move to Comic Elmo.

ComingSoon.net
09/24/2021
One Piece Reveals Key Visual for Episode 1000 Milestone

One Piece is on the verge of an incredible milestone with its 1000th episode, and the series has revealed a new key visual in celebration of that. The image shows Monkey D. Luffy and Kaidou set to clash, with the image of Onigashima looming in the background.

Guides

Gameskinny
09/23/2021
FFXIV Ocean Fishing Bait Guide

Fishing is one of the easier aspects of to completely overlook. Since there aren't all that many uses for fish, even omnicrafters and those with Botanist and Miner at max level tend to just sort of skirt around Fisher.

TechRaptor
Tales of Arise Lord Balseph Boss Fight Guide

Tales of Arise features a wildly different combat system from past entries, and boss fights are where the combat really starts to shine. The Tales of Arise Lord Balseph boss fight is the first major boss you'll take on. It's a surprising difficulty spike that requires you to start thinking more tactically than in regular battles.

Gameskinny
08/31/2021
King's Bounty 2: How to Defeat the Tyrant in the Scryer's Trial

One of the longest questlines in King's Bounty 2 is The Scryer's Trial, which requires you to take on a series of pre-determined battles, one of which being against the Tyrant. The Tyrant is by far the hardest as you only have two units in your army, a Bone Dragon and a squad of Gargoyles.

Twinfinite
01/30/2019
Kingdom Hearts 3: All Lucky Emblems Locations in Every World (Mickey Symbols)

All Lucky Emblem Locations in Kingdom Hearts 3 Kingdom Hearts 3 is a game packed with things to do, even outside of its lengthy main story. As you explore various Disney worlds there's a few side quests and easter eggs to discover. Here's how to find all Lucky Emblem locations in Kingdom Hearts 3.