Shayna Josi-Contributor

Staff Writer

Contributor

March, 2023
BA. Film, BA English Honours
Dragon Age, Baldur's Gate 3, The Elder Scrolls
  • 370
    articles
  • 559
    Features

Page 13

About Shayna Josi

Shayna Josi is a Features Writer from South Africa. Shayna has always been passionate about stories, and has dedicated her life to learning how to tell them. Aside from writing about her favorite video games on the digital publication The Best War Games, Shayna has taught English in Japan, is a ghostwriter, copywriter, and editor in the publishing industry. Shayna enjoys traveling, and spends most of her time between South Africa, the EU, and Japan. She believes the best of people come out in the stories they tell, and with stories comes the power to connect people across any divide - be it language, geography, culture, or time. To this end, Shayna’s research at university dealt with narrative worlds within video games, and how they use their environments to tell stories. Her hope is that the incredible stories told through video games will be recognized as literary, just as much as traditional storytelling mediums. 

Industry Focus

Shayna’s industry focus is primarily on RPGs and life sims, but she does venture into cozy games if they're set to the backdrop of LotR. RPGs encompass everything from Dragon Age to Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, with focus on commentary about character, storytelling, and game design. Life sims are also great vehicles for storytelling, with customizable environments allowing for imaginative sandbox gameplay. 

Favorite Games

Shayna’s favorite games are: The Mass Effect Legendary Edition, Hades, Baldur’s Gate 3, Dragon Age: Inquisition (with Trespasser), Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Journey. Hades and Hades 2 triggered a deep appreciation for the Classics, while KotOR and Oblivion formed the backdrop of her childhood.

Favorite Console

Shayna grew up playing games on her family’s desktop and fighting with her brother for her turn. Having her own PC to access whenever she wanted somewhere in her teens turned gaming from a habit into a full-blown obsession. She never got the chance to play console games and missed the Nintendo boat, but does admire it from afar and dreams of owning a Switch one day. She did once own a PlayStation 4 while living in Japan and enjoyed it immensely.

Latest

evanuris-dragon-age-the-veilguard
How Dragon Age: The Veilguard is Tackling the Blight

The Blight is one of the oldest foes in Thedas, but its origins are still largely a mystery that Dragon Age: The Veilguard needs to solve.

1:21
baldurs-gate-4-bg3-potential-differences-gameplay-2024-players-handbook
Baldur's Gate 4 Could Play Very Differently from BG3

The changes added in the 2024 D&D Player's Handbook may make BG4 very different from BG3.

tales-of-the-shire
Tales of the Shire's Home Customization Might Live or Die by One Crucial Feature

Customization is a key part of cozy sims, and Tales of the Shire needs to nail this one down if it wants players to keep coming back to it.

tales-of-the-shire
Tales of the Shire: How Cooking Could Be the Game's Biggest Test of Skill

All hobbits love to eat, and cooking as a test of skill could be one of the places Tales of the Shire may test the mettle of any hobbit.

1:21
baldurs-gate-3
Why Baldur's Gate 4 is Already Primed to Play Very Differently From BG3

Baldur's Gate 3's sequel has a difficult task ahead to forge a new identity from its successful predecessor, but it already has an advantage.

14
naruto-boruto-connections-baryon
The Unwritten Rules of Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections Explained

Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections is very similar to its predecessors but has some changes that players need to adapt to.

dragon-ball-goku
Every Character Confirmed for Dragon Ball Project: Multi So Far

Dragon Ball Project: Multi is likely to follow in the footsteps of its fellow Dragon Ball games with their diverse rosters of characters.

hades-3-fake-logo-game-rant
Hades 2 is Far From Done, But It Already Has a Clear Path For a Threequel

Hades 2 has the perfect opportunity for a sequel thanks to some stories from Greek mythology that continues Zagreus' and Melinoe's legacy.

2
dragon-age-trespasser
Why Inquisition's Trespasser DLC is Essential to Play Before Dragon Age: The Veilguard

Dragon Age: Inquisition players may be tempted to skip Trespasser, but it's an essential chapter to experience before Dragon Age: The Veilguard.

1
the-elder-scrolls-apotheosis-6
What to Expect From The Elder Scrolls: Apotheosis

Skyrim fans have another immersive expansion to look forward to with The Elder Scrolls: Apotheosis, a mod that concludes the Dragonborn's story.

3
the-sims-4-lovestruck
Everything Included in The Sims 4's Lovestruck Expansion

The Sims 4: Lovestruck brings a much needed refresh to love and romance in The Sims 4, with changes to dating, attraction, and new activities.

naruto-boruto-connections
Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections Being The Last of Its Kind is a Double-Edged Sword

Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections may be the last game for the Ultimate Ninja Storm franchise but it still has more to offer.

5e-dnd-cleric
Every Dungeons and Dragons 2024 Cleric Change Explained

DnD's 2024 Player's Handbook comes with some quality of life updates for the Cleric that adds versatility and a range of gameplay options.

bard-5e-dnd
Every Dungeons and Dragons 2024 Bard Change Explained

The 2024 Dungeons and Dragons' Player's Handbook comes with a lot of changes to the Bard that will streamline gameplay and add versatility.

dungeons-and-dragons-wizard-phb-2024
Every Dungeons and Dragons 2024 Wizard Change Explained

The 2024 Player's Handbook brings a lot of changes to the Wizard that improve many areas and streamline others by cutting out beloved features.

Neva Ori Two Sides Same Coin
Neva and Ori are Two Sides of the Same Coin

Neva, a new game from the studio that made Gris, was announced this summer and seems similar to Ori in all the right ways.

the-dark-urge-baldurs-gate-3
Baldur's Gate 3 Missed an Opportunity For the Dark Urge's Family Connections

One Baldur's Gate 3 character would have stood out all the more if some extra attention had been given to the Dark Urge storyline in Act 3.

dnd-tashas-cauldron
One Dungeons and Dragons Feature is a Blessing and a Curse For Spellcasting

Spellcasters are some of the most powerful classes in Dungeons and Dragons, but one mechanic can make or break playing them in a campaign.

crunchyroll-game-vault
Crunchyroll's New Deal is a Gold Mine For Video Game Fans

The worlds of anime and games collide with the Crunchyroll Game Vault's new rollout of games, straight from Japan, to play all summer long.

hades-2-family-portrait
Hades 2's Familial Relations Need a Big Payoff

Family relations have always been at the heart of Hades, and Melinoe's fight to rescue her family needs to succeed to make Hades 2 work.