Gamer Profile: Ashly Burch

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I really like games that are deceptively complex and that don’t hold your hand at all. One of my favorite modern games is Spelunky, as a point of reference. Harvest Moon is actually incredibly nuanced and difficult (I failed miserably the first time I played it), but — potentially unlike Spelunky — it’s an absolute joy to play no matter how well or poorly you’re doing. It does an awesome job of creating a simplistic but deep world that feels real and is filled with secrets and possibilities that aren’t apparent on the surface. Also, I think competing in festivals and courting a potential wife is empirically fun no matter who you are. ~Ashly Burch

My favorite classic game: Harvest Moon 64

Boarderlands 2: Tiny Tina

On playing Tiny Tina in Boarderlands 2: As you might imagine, Tiny Tina is an incredibly fun character to play. I got the role because my brother — Anthony Burch — was brought on as the lead writer at Gearbox software and had me participate in a blind audition process. The team ended up picking me (hooray!) and the rest is history. Tina’s a really interesting character to play because, throughout the course of the main game and the DLCs, we’ve uncovered some pretty dark and sad aspects to her personality. Her insanity and energy is born out of trauma. She uses really elaborate coping mechanisms to deal with grief. But none of this detracts from how fun and absurd she is. I’ve got to explore a much broader emotional range than I anticipated with Tina. It’s been a really fun experience.

Ashly Burch Film Reel

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