Mortismal Gaming Interview
RPGWatch: Before we start, please tell us a little bit about yourself. It would also be of interest to understand what brought you to gaming and RPGs in particular?
My name is Jesse, I go by Mortym online, and I review and cover games for a living. I'm a sucker for all things cRPG, especially when they adapt tabletop systems. What brought me to gaming and RPGs is truth to be told, a life of poverty. I grew up exceptionally poor, and was even homeless as a teenager. Games and tech always seemed so out of reach to me, and the ones I did get to play were always an escape from my situation. It's a passion that never left from there.
RPGWatch: Now that the introduction is out of the way, how would you describe your YouTube channel to those who don't know anything about it?
These days I primarily review games, especially RPGs, but I also do things like guides, lists, and opinion videos about various game mechanics.
RPGWatch: Having watched some of your videos, you seem to be quite thorough in your reviews. Do you consider it important to finish games before reviewing them and do you ever review games you have not completed?
I think at a minimum you should finish a game before you review it. Even if it's a bad time, you're informing more of your own opinion and giving yourself the ability to say I finished the game and I don't think it was worth it. There is good bit of skepticism about reviewers these days, and if it's something you plan on doing seriously, you need to give people a reason to take you seriously. To that end I haven't reviewed any games I haven't actually finished.
RPGWatch: You seem to cover a wide range of RPGs - both real-time and turn-based and anything from action-RPGs to slower-paced games such as Disco Elysium. How do you decide which games you will review and when you do so?
It's a variety of factors really. The most important probably being timing. Focusing on new game releases is generally the right move, but beyond that it usually boils down to personal interest. I review a lot of older games as well which can be taken at my own pace. I also don't like playing similar games back-to-back, so I'll usually go from something like an isometric turn-based game to a 3rd person action game etc.
RPGWatch: What are your most-anticipated games - which will realistically be released by the end of 2023?
In terms of what we should see by 2023, I'd say the full launch of Baldur's Gate 3, and Starfield.
RPGWatch: Do you review all RPGs you play or are there some you leave out and why?
I play a lot of ARPGs (diablo likes) in my down time and I don't usually bother to review them. I think it helps to have a game or two you play just to relax and not have to worry about making work out of it.
RPGWatch: Assuming you tend to review major releases anyway, do you take any requests to review e.g. older/indie titles? How would someone go about contacting you to do so?
Yeah, all the time, I think it's good experience if your job is reviewing games. It really expands what you know in terms of games and can kind of show you patterns of game development you might not notice otherwise. In terms of requesting them, the YouTube comments are usually the best place. While I can't respond to every comment, I do read all of them.
RPGWatch: For anyone interested in starting their own YouTube channel, what would be your top advice?
Don't expect overnight success and try to find your voice. While sticking to what other people are already doing can help you learn the basics, at the end of the day people are less likely to subscribe to you if they already watch someone else for that type of content. You need to find what makes your content unique and that takes time.
RPGWatch: Can you list your personal top 5 RPGs?
Sure, it changes with the weather a bit, but generally
- Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous
- Divinity Original Sin 2
- Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines
- Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
- Final Fantasy 12
RPGWatch: For the final question, what's your favourite pizza?
Oh I'm a supreme guy for sure. Honorable mention for BBQ chicken though.
