History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

The Non-Player Review of Video Games: Surprisingly Good at Tiger Woods Golf?

| May 21, 2025

Many years ago, I dated a guy who was one of four brothers. All of them played video games, though they had different game preferences. His two older brothers were mainly interested in sports games, so that’s what he played with the two of them. And one at least one occasion, they invited me to […]

The Non-Player Review of Video Games: Hey, I Know That Voice (Brutal Legend)

| April 23, 2025

Several years ago now, Jeremy picked up a copy of Brütal Legend, and as per the usual, he played it while I was doing other things. This game caught my attention in part because of the music, but my main focus was “hey, I know that voice!” I have an uncanny talent for recognizing actors across […]

The Non-Player Review of Video Games: Cyberpunk 2077

| March 19, 2025

Jeremy has been a cyberpunk fan for years, so of course he picked up Cyberpunk 2077 when it came out. I was excited, because Keanu Reeves voices one of the characters in the game. I was not prepared to hate a character voiced by Keanu Reeves. But man, Johnny Silverhand is a DICK! He’s grumpy […]

The Non-Player Review of Video Games: Katamari Damacy and the “No Flappy Things” Rule

| February 19, 2025

At some point around 2009 or 2010, my then-boyfriend (now husband) introduced me to Katamari Damacy. This seemed like a video game I could manage–all you had to do was roll a ball around the screen and let it collect random things. However. (There’s always a however.) Eventually, I got to a level where you’re rolling […]

The Non-Player Review of Video Games: Where are the Big Daddies?

| January 15, 2025

Jeremy curates lists of YouTube videos for me, which include trailers that he thinks I might be interested in. Which means that when the trailer for the Fallout TV series came out, he put that on the list. I watched it with some confusion, because I didn’t remember any wild west zombies, and the weapons didn’t […]

The Non-Player Review of Video Games: Saints Row Franchise Radio Stations

| December 18, 2024

One of my favorite parts about the Saints Row franchise is the variety of radio stations. My favorites of those are often based on them playing songs I know, though there are also songs I have come to know and love from Jeremy playing through the games multiple times. Of course, the radio stations change from […]

The Non-Player Review of Video Games: Mario Kart (maybe?)

| November 13, 2024

So there I am, chilling out, when I get a message from one of my friends. Their sitter is ill. Is there any chance I can come over and kid-sit for them that night? My schedule was clear, so off I went! The kids in question are three very smart, very nerdy kids. The eldest was […]

The Non-Player Review of Video Games: Ranking the NPCs in Baldur’s Gate 3

| October 16, 2024

Like many gamers, Jeremy picked up a copy of Baldur’s Gate 3 pretty much as soon as it came out. In fact, I think that game was the impetus for him getting a new laptop, with specs that could handle the game. Since it’s on his laptop, rather than on a console, I hear it more […]

The Non-Player Review of Video Games: An Ode to Kinzie (Saints Row 3+)

| September 18, 2024

One of my favorite things about most of the video games Jeremy plays is the characters. Like, I don’t really care that much about the plot or the gameplay, but I inevitably have a character (or three) who I really glom onto. In the case of Saints Row the Third and beyond, that character is Kinzie […]

The Non-Player Review of Video Games: Lego Star Wars

| July 24, 2024

(Yes, I’m aware that my title here is non-specific as to WHICH Lego Star Wars I’m talking about. This is primarily because I don’t know. Also, this is one of the rare times I’m talking about a game I DID play. Briefly.) All of my biological nieces and nephews were born in the twenty-first century. […]