HunterMask
1309 Reviews liked by HunterMask
More like Book of Mammaries, Konami can suck my Teets for this abomination.
Elden Ring
2022
“Knowing you
You might hurt someone
Or yourself
You would tear
Everything apart
If you found out
Everyone you loved, loved someone else”
- God is a Circle, Yves Tumor
.
Another graceless morning in Leyndell.
Queen Marika was driven to the brink. The great golden tree is her address and she will never open those eyes again.
"God is a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere." - Saint Augustine
A sun of tar leaks onto my surface. When whispers spread of the existence of a third and final Dark Souls - and months later when that game finally lodged in memory - one image stayed with me. In it, an unnamed knight stands on the end of the world, all kingdom from ages past converging against the bleeding of a dark sun, pressed-in on themselves, moved to collapse as if by collective consciousness, subtext springing forth like rattle-snake, a vision so terminal it verged on self-parody which nevertheless remains the most pregnant piece of iconography produced by that opus alone. Many places demand such reverence, few attain it, and in the recesses of Londor only this Kiln of the First Flame moved me so.
With both feet firmly planted on the ashen sand and hands cusped in penitence to the eclipse, I lay in this space of merciful entropy. Yet further ahead a withered egg is cradled in the arms of Princess Filianore. Inside is the truth - that the cycle has run its course, that come the epilogue all that could possibly remain was you and Uncle Gael, two dogs fighting each other to feed on the blood of their ancestors. C’est la vie. A promise to “paint a new vision." Without it we would drown within these rote confines - still, there's something to extract from those games. Many a poisoned swamp have seen my fucked-up little guy drown at the bottom, deprived of ore and oxygen. Grey skies. A spear danced through my innards in Caelid again. Places that are cruel like that have made me patient, made me into a resentful hater - hood over my head to block out any hint of personhood within my avatar in wait of the good and gentle precipice. My time will come.
A Shattering, in so many ways, differs from a fading fire, yet is all the same for it. Much has been made of Elden Ring's affiliation to Dark Souls II's episode in experiments (for good reason, it is a game that contains multitude and seeks to go beyond its own scope at times) and while I tend to err on the side of historicity - recognize that Aldia offers a clear red-herring for understanding where things have come and gone both from a gameplay standpoint and in the aesthetical evolution of the franchise - the beating heart of Elden Ring remains this primeval blur of time and space made manifest through the Lands Between, its world of atomized particulars spread about a now-open vault, the lone melancholy island, the freedom plateau with a blackened being called player-character at its center, eyeing us at last, to say :
«Hello, other you.»
We were always compromised, morally bankrupt and torn between notions of ideal/optimization that see us scurry about the wet rubbles of Limgrave like the rats that we are, like the butchers that we will inevitably become in search of supremacy over the fragmented mythos; out of all the knaves and backstabbers engendered by FromSoftware's ravenous ethos us players might be the worst of the lot. We’d swallow the whole world if left to it, such is the nature of our curse, but these Lands are redacted, belong to no one, and will never give themselves wholly to the records of history. Ambiguous scriptures give way to conflicting accounts of events that morph entirely outside the delimitations of game narrative and into full-on theological approaches of the source material - death and rebirth become matters of philosophical debates between factions, heresy or sainthood redeemed, reversed, let loose in the hands of folklore - sometimes discounting the fact that losing yourself in the labyrinthine districts of Yharnam was often an act of evocation and evocation alone. Against this fog of war, Elden Ring posits a twin motion: Inside us are two wolves, the rushing, hypercompetent pillager borne out of a decade of iteration over the same design ideas – a body of work accumulated through bloody chess-pieces, us, the sole moving power in a series of stagnant vistas – and the vibes guy, who likes his decrepit kingdoms and bad knights just like so, oozing out of form and meaning one power structure over the corpse of the other ad vitam æternam.
Where we choose to position ourselves in this mess has always underlined the fact that the dramatic tension at the heart of Miyazaki’s works is often a moot point; the forces stirring us into conflict overshadow our efforts by untold eons of conspiracies whose ramifications will remain shrouded beyond any meaningful change the player might be tempted to enact upon the Lands Between. We're nothing but specks of dust on the grand 'ol clock and so the only rational act of affirmation for us is to seek power and power alone - in Marika’s own lying words: “The Erdtree governs all. The choice is thine. Become one with the Order. Or divest thyself of it. To wallow at the fringes; a powerless upstart."
Are you ready to limp yet?
It all starts with a man. Shabriri, most reviled in history and whatnot. I meet Shabriri way high up the Mountaintop of the Giants. At first nothing much happens amidst these snow-strewn ruins. Through us the dead wander, old foes grow monstrous, new ones die just as quickly anyway and disseminate more loot, more power, more of Elden Ring than any of us could stomach in a lifetime. Nothing happens here in terms of play production, nothing except Shabiri. This lived-in blizzard tires, yet burgeons in the loops and strings, the little touches etched in the caves and corners of this world like a spirit reunion, like two sisters afforded a common resting place among the cobblestone, the kind of moment that’s both sweet and grotesque and in truth the mark of storytelling artists soaring in their ability to shape a grand tapestry out of pixelated dots on the cosmic scale, the macro being fluidly defined by the micro in a way that distills a feeling over storied delineations - and gone is some of the tightness, along with authorial intent, the intersected-branching of physical space, and in goes the anime energy, the fatigue and frenzy, in goes a man like Shabriri, talking to us, being - here and now - an other, even frightening a power creep such as myself to the core with the simplest of prayers. “May chaos take the world.”
To follow his path is to embrace the logical endgame of our own post-modernities. Gouge our eyes out at gold’s mere view, and slouch towards Bethlehem to be born anew. Shabriri’s duality lays bare the FromSoftware player-project as a fundamentally meaningless endeavour in which hero meets edgelord and aloneness - all it entails, and every interaction such a state also curtails - becomes the defining characteristic of our embodiment. Therefore cynicism is a natural attitude towards this fast-approaching point of no-return. We are chasing after nowness - this idea that computers will save us - yet there is, essentially, very little left to tell through the framework Demon's Souls established fifteen years ago. Every journey hence both ripped and ruined the language of its predecessors, be it through lure or paleblood, by pulling on a hand that always had too many fingers - lost in this need to embed cycles within systems and vice-versa, a rich sense of interconnectedness slowly diluted in increasingly complex canvases that seemed to exist only for their own sake - until finally each of these thread would coalesce at the foot of the Erdtree to form the Tarnished who, likewise, looks inward and wrestles - really - with an image of self, physically substantiated in one of Elden Ring's funniest sleight of hand by the creation of the Mimic Tears.
Mimic tears, I think, are telling hints of what's at stake here. Their use and abuse as body doubles by the community reflects what we've turned into; apocalypse consumers, yes, but also deeply reflective digital beings who know exactly what they want every time they come back to the club craving for a particular fragrance of realm. The Mimic Tear, for all the ways it facilitates and trivializes many of the game's encounters, isn't just a cracked-out design accident (or mere concession to wider audiences) put in place to solve this escalating boss-rush caused by our devotion to the golden tricorn of dodge-rolls, parries and stabs, it's a telling hint at Elden Ring's attempt to resolve a live-occurrence of identity crisis, something that here manifests at every echelon of play. To look in the mirror and see nothing else than oneself - what a horrible thing to ponder. For so long now FromSoftware games have danced on lost songs - a colourful palette of adjectives whose familiarity we've come to cherish like an old friend - such that the actual journey makes us detached participants in our own tale. We've been here before. Killing gods, killing time. Going through soulslike motions for memory's sake.
All across the Lands Between a fair maiden spawns from thin air to dispense knowledge and strength like the good waifu that she is in opposition to her radiant, all-encompassing mother who we come to know through cause and effect, tracing her body alongside the bends and ridges of lore prose, within each fold of this world-enveloping cloth called ambition. Elden Ring knows this, better yet runs on - and away with - it because in the process of scattering the archetypes of its anthology in the four corners of the map - of becoming its own sparse cliché - the game produces an earnest vulgarization of the prototypal FromSoftware fashion in which we’re both nowhere and everywhere at the same time, driven to carve the depths of this content circle - to see and taste every variation - much like Marika was before us and come away from it with a violent catharsis as the sole legible conclusion. Lineage in service of posterity; the more we know of this precious opened-world, the more urgent its destruction. There is beauty in that, is there not? So many flames in this game that I can’t help but giggle. I can’t help but to have fondness for Elden Ring, for what it uses space in order to say to the player. Distance becomes desire. Sorry honey but I really had to burn that shit down. I’m Frenzied. But I’ll get to fixing it soon, I promise, and maybe one day we can live in our house together again. And if not, let my hand rest upon you, for but a moment.
Maybe Marika was Radagon after all or maybe it was really just us.
Hence Elden Ring's seminal image:
An auburn-haired god letting the hammer fall onto the world. A magnificent beast, doomed to ruin.
Elden stars. When you slay Radagon the beast emerges from his corpse. Hallowed wings from down under. The living embodiment of Order - a Moonlight Butterfly draped in gold. I was always struck by the comparison. For all their scarlet maladies the stories of these worlds have always acted in the name of precisely such a creature. Not the arrogance of Man, or the folly of the Cosmos, or all the Devil's bastard children, but a lone being destined to be put to the sword because no ones knows any better. Not Ranni’s blood-soaked quest for self-determination, not Fia and her Manhattan monster, not even Goldmask in his gilded silence. We all tried and our perambulations have led us back where we started, back to her address - back to her. This needs not be final. By putting the monster front and center as Elden Ring's final showpiece, to suggest that the Moonlight Butterfly could essentially be a metaphor for the series taken as a whole, FromSoftware formulate what I think is a beautiful admission of defeat.
The work has reached its limit - at least until Miquella's imminent return - at entropy's base, where two become one.
And in me, a constellation. The many freaks and the many stories. A stronger, loving world.
You might hurt someone
Or yourself
You would tear
Everything apart
If you found out
Everyone you loved, loved someone else”
- God is a Circle, Yves Tumor
.
Another graceless morning in Leyndell.
Queen Marika was driven to the brink. The great golden tree is her address and she will never open those eyes again.
"God is a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere." - Saint Augustine
A sun of tar leaks onto my surface. When whispers spread of the existence of a third and final Dark Souls - and months later when that game finally lodged in memory - one image stayed with me. In it, an unnamed knight stands on the end of the world, all kingdom from ages past converging against the bleeding of a dark sun, pressed-in on themselves, moved to collapse as if by collective consciousness, subtext springing forth like rattle-snake, a vision so terminal it verged on self-parody which nevertheless remains the most pregnant piece of iconography produced by that opus alone. Many places demand such reverence, few attain it, and in the recesses of Londor only this Kiln of the First Flame moved me so.
With both feet firmly planted on the ashen sand and hands cusped in penitence to the eclipse, I lay in this space of merciful entropy. Yet further ahead a withered egg is cradled in the arms of Princess Filianore. Inside is the truth - that the cycle has run its course, that come the epilogue all that could possibly remain was you and Uncle Gael, two dogs fighting each other to feed on the blood of their ancestors. C’est la vie. A promise to “paint a new vision." Without it we would drown within these rote confines - still, there's something to extract from those games. Many a poisoned swamp have seen my fucked-up little guy drown at the bottom, deprived of ore and oxygen. Grey skies. A spear danced through my innards in Caelid again. Places that are cruel like that have made me patient, made me into a resentful hater - hood over my head to block out any hint of personhood within my avatar in wait of the good and gentle precipice. My time will come.
A Shattering, in so many ways, differs from a fading fire, yet is all the same for it. Much has been made of Elden Ring's affiliation to Dark Souls II's episode in experiments (for good reason, it is a game that contains multitude and seeks to go beyond its own scope at times) and while I tend to err on the side of historicity - recognize that Aldia offers a clear red-herring for understanding where things have come and gone both from a gameplay standpoint and in the aesthetical evolution of the franchise - the beating heart of Elden Ring remains this primeval blur of time and space made manifest through the Lands Between, its world of atomized particulars spread about a now-open vault, the lone melancholy island, the freedom plateau with a blackened being called player-character at its center, eyeing us at last, to say :
«Hello, other you.»
We were always compromised, morally bankrupt and torn between notions of ideal/optimization that see us scurry about the wet rubbles of Limgrave like the rats that we are, like the butchers that we will inevitably become in search of supremacy over the fragmented mythos; out of all the knaves and backstabbers engendered by FromSoftware's ravenous ethos us players might be the worst of the lot. We’d swallow the whole world if left to it, such is the nature of our curse, but these Lands are redacted, belong to no one, and will never give themselves wholly to the records of history. Ambiguous scriptures give way to conflicting accounts of events that morph entirely outside the delimitations of game narrative and into full-on theological approaches of the source material - death and rebirth become matters of philosophical debates between factions, heresy or sainthood redeemed, reversed, let loose in the hands of folklore - sometimes discounting the fact that losing yourself in the labyrinthine districts of Yharnam was often an act of evocation and evocation alone. Against this fog of war, Elden Ring posits a twin motion: Inside us are two wolves, the rushing, hypercompetent pillager borne out of a decade of iteration over the same design ideas – a body of work accumulated through bloody chess-pieces, us, the sole moving power in a series of stagnant vistas – and the vibes guy, who likes his decrepit kingdoms and bad knights just like so, oozing out of form and meaning one power structure over the corpse of the other ad vitam æternam.
Where we choose to position ourselves in this mess has always underlined the fact that the dramatic tension at the heart of Miyazaki’s works is often a moot point; the forces stirring us into conflict overshadow our efforts by untold eons of conspiracies whose ramifications will remain shrouded beyond any meaningful change the player might be tempted to enact upon the Lands Between. We're nothing but specks of dust on the grand 'ol clock and so the only rational act of affirmation for us is to seek power and power alone - in Marika’s own lying words: “The Erdtree governs all. The choice is thine. Become one with the Order. Or divest thyself of it. To wallow at the fringes; a powerless upstart."
Are you ready to limp yet?
It all starts with a man. Shabriri, most reviled in history and whatnot. I meet Shabriri way high up the Mountaintop of the Giants. At first nothing much happens amidst these snow-strewn ruins. Through us the dead wander, old foes grow monstrous, new ones die just as quickly anyway and disseminate more loot, more power, more of Elden Ring than any of us could stomach in a lifetime. Nothing happens here in terms of play production, nothing except Shabiri. This lived-in blizzard tires, yet burgeons in the loops and strings, the little touches etched in the caves and corners of this world like a spirit reunion, like two sisters afforded a common resting place among the cobblestone, the kind of moment that’s both sweet and grotesque and in truth the mark of storytelling artists soaring in their ability to shape a grand tapestry out of pixelated dots on the cosmic scale, the macro being fluidly defined by the micro in a way that distills a feeling over storied delineations - and gone is some of the tightness, along with authorial intent, the intersected-branching of physical space, and in goes the anime energy, the fatigue and frenzy, in goes a man like Shabriri, talking to us, being - here and now - an other, even frightening a power creep such as myself to the core with the simplest of prayers. “May chaos take the world.”
To follow his path is to embrace the logical endgame of our own post-modernities. Gouge our eyes out at gold’s mere view, and slouch towards Bethlehem to be born anew. Shabriri’s duality lays bare the FromSoftware player-project as a fundamentally meaningless endeavour in which hero meets edgelord and aloneness - all it entails, and every interaction such a state also curtails - becomes the defining characteristic of our embodiment. Therefore cynicism is a natural attitude towards this fast-approaching point of no-return. We are chasing after nowness - this idea that computers will save us - yet there is, essentially, very little left to tell through the framework Demon's Souls established fifteen years ago. Every journey hence both ripped and ruined the language of its predecessors, be it through lure or paleblood, by pulling on a hand that always had too many fingers - lost in this need to embed cycles within systems and vice-versa, a rich sense of interconnectedness slowly diluted in increasingly complex canvases that seemed to exist only for their own sake - until finally each of these thread would coalesce at the foot of the Erdtree to form the Tarnished who, likewise, looks inward and wrestles - really - with an image of self, physically substantiated in one of Elden Ring's funniest sleight of hand by the creation of the Mimic Tears.
Mimic tears, I think, are telling hints of what's at stake here. Their use and abuse as body doubles by the community reflects what we've turned into; apocalypse consumers, yes, but also deeply reflective digital beings who know exactly what they want every time they come back to the club craving for a particular fragrance of realm. The Mimic Tear, for all the ways it facilitates and trivializes many of the game's encounters, isn't just a cracked-out design accident (or mere concession to wider audiences) put in place to solve this escalating boss-rush caused by our devotion to the golden tricorn of dodge-rolls, parries and stabs, it's a telling hint at Elden Ring's attempt to resolve a live-occurrence of identity crisis, something that here manifests at every echelon of play. To look in the mirror and see nothing else than oneself - what a horrible thing to ponder. For so long now FromSoftware games have danced on lost songs - a colourful palette of adjectives whose familiarity we've come to cherish like an old friend - such that the actual journey makes us detached participants in our own tale. We've been here before. Killing gods, killing time. Going through soulslike motions for memory's sake.
All across the Lands Between a fair maiden spawns from thin air to dispense knowledge and strength like the good waifu that she is in opposition to her radiant, all-encompassing mother who we come to know through cause and effect, tracing her body alongside the bends and ridges of lore prose, within each fold of this world-enveloping cloth called ambition. Elden Ring knows this, better yet runs on - and away with - it because in the process of scattering the archetypes of its anthology in the four corners of the map - of becoming its own sparse cliché - the game produces an earnest vulgarization of the prototypal FromSoftware fashion in which we’re both nowhere and everywhere at the same time, driven to carve the depths of this content circle - to see and taste every variation - much like Marika was before us and come away from it with a violent catharsis as the sole legible conclusion. Lineage in service of posterity; the more we know of this precious opened-world, the more urgent its destruction. There is beauty in that, is there not? So many flames in this game that I can’t help but giggle. I can’t help but to have fondness for Elden Ring, for what it uses space in order to say to the player. Distance becomes desire. Sorry honey but I really had to burn that shit down. I’m Frenzied. But I’ll get to fixing it soon, I promise, and maybe one day we can live in our house together again. And if not, let my hand rest upon you, for but a moment.
Maybe Marika was Radagon after all or maybe it was really just us.
Hence Elden Ring's seminal image:
An auburn-haired god letting the hammer fall onto the world. A magnificent beast, doomed to ruin.
Elden stars. When you slay Radagon the beast emerges from his corpse. Hallowed wings from down under. The living embodiment of Order - a Moonlight Butterfly draped in gold. I was always struck by the comparison. For all their scarlet maladies the stories of these worlds have always acted in the name of precisely such a creature. Not the arrogance of Man, or the folly of the Cosmos, or all the Devil's bastard children, but a lone being destined to be put to the sword because no ones knows any better. Not Ranni’s blood-soaked quest for self-determination, not Fia and her Manhattan monster, not even Goldmask in his gilded silence. We all tried and our perambulations have led us back where we started, back to her address - back to her. This needs not be final. By putting the monster front and center as Elden Ring's final showpiece, to suggest that the Moonlight Butterfly could essentially be a metaphor for the series taken as a whole, FromSoftware formulate what I think is a beautiful admission of defeat.
The work has reached its limit - at least until Miquella's imminent return - at entropy's base, where two become one.
And in me, a constellation. The many freaks and the many stories. A stronger, loving world.
And so the journey begins...
What makes a good MMO? That was a rhetorical question. Quite frankly, I have no clue. When it comes to these things, my only real experience prior to FFXIV was Toontown and Club Penguin, with only the former having RPG elements. It was a simple game, and I sank hundreds of hours into it as a kid. Since then, the concept of MMORPGs fascinated me, but rarely did I ever feel the motivation to actually get into one because I knew the time investment would be great, and I lacked the proper motivation to try.
FFXIV has become bigger than anyone could have really imagined back in 2010. A game that was plagued with technical issues, terrible UI, and just plain boring gameplay. I wasn't there for it, but I've heard the horror stories and watched analysis videos. Those were dark times. It amazes me how Yoshi P quickly turned things around. A Realm Reborn was, as the name suggests, a new beginning for this game; a rebirth that kickstarted one of the most interesting and successful comeback stories in gaming. Despite the hype, what ultimately convinced me to try it is my love for the franchise, and, as a new player who jumped on the free trial bandwagon, I have some thoughts so share.
First of all, it took me a long time to finish A Realm Reborn. Not because the story is actually that long, but because I kept taking really long breaks. As someone who's pretty much a MMORPG noob, a lot of XIV's systems and its UI felt very overwhelming from the start. I had to consult Google on multiple occasions just to figure out menial things like how to change my hotbar size. It admittedly turned me off, initially, but as I kept trudging through the main story quests and started getting used to things, I found myself getting into a cathartic rhythm. I was genuinely enjoying my somewhat relaxing newbie experience at first, but, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it... it's true what veteran players say: ARR is a slog. This is something that I didn't really come to terms with until I got about halfway through the MSQs, and this is where those multiple long breaks come in. I would be playing this game for an hour or two at a time and then just forget about it for a few months.
ARR focuses on worldbuilding, and this is what it excels at. You're definitely not going to get a top-tier FF story here (at least, not yet, as I have been told). It all feels like set-up for bigger things to come, and this is definitely exemplified with some pretty foreboding foreshadowing in its ending. By that point, I was fully on board. I would say that in terms of story, ARR took a solid 35-40 hours to "get interesting," and even then, it's still not as balls to the wall as one would expect or would probably hope for. But the small taste I got of Eorzea's vibrant world and its political struggles was enough to satisfy my curiosity for what's to come.
You know, I really didn't think that I'd ever get invested in another MMO quite like I did with Toontown. While these are two very big contrasts, there were times while I was playing this game that I felt that same sense of childlike wonder and intrigue I experienced with TT. There's just something that hits quite different with these massive online worlds that you just don't feel with other games. It's this sense of community; a sense of belonging. You feel like you're there and like you're a part of this world; moreover, you feel appreciated, especially with how welcoming this community is. I'm still not sure what makes a great MMO, but perhaps this is a start. I truly look forward to where this journey through Eorzea's bustling world will take me next and beyond.
My thoughts on the post-game patches:
Patch 2.1 - A Realm Awoken
Patch 2.2 - Through the Maelstrom
Patch 2.3 - Defenders of Eorzea
Patch 2.4 - Dreams of Ice
Patch 2.5 - Before the Fall
Without Post-Game Patches: Light 7/10
With Post-Game Patches: Decent 7/10
What makes a good MMO? That was a rhetorical question. Quite frankly, I have no clue. When it comes to these things, my only real experience prior to FFXIV was Toontown and Club Penguin, with only the former having RPG elements. It was a simple game, and I sank hundreds of hours into it as a kid. Since then, the concept of MMORPGs fascinated me, but rarely did I ever feel the motivation to actually get into one because I knew the time investment would be great, and I lacked the proper motivation to try.
FFXIV has become bigger than anyone could have really imagined back in 2010. A game that was plagued with technical issues, terrible UI, and just plain boring gameplay. I wasn't there for it, but I've heard the horror stories and watched analysis videos. Those were dark times. It amazes me how Yoshi P quickly turned things around. A Realm Reborn was, as the name suggests, a new beginning for this game; a rebirth that kickstarted one of the most interesting and successful comeback stories in gaming. Despite the hype, what ultimately convinced me to try it is my love for the franchise, and, as a new player who jumped on the free trial bandwagon, I have some thoughts so share.
First of all, it took me a long time to finish A Realm Reborn. Not because the story is actually that long, but because I kept taking really long breaks. As someone who's pretty much a MMORPG noob, a lot of XIV's systems and its UI felt very overwhelming from the start. I had to consult Google on multiple occasions just to figure out menial things like how to change my hotbar size. It admittedly turned me off, initially, but as I kept trudging through the main story quests and started getting used to things, I found myself getting into a cathartic rhythm. I was genuinely enjoying my somewhat relaxing newbie experience at first, but, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it... it's true what veteran players say: ARR is a slog. This is something that I didn't really come to terms with until I got about halfway through the MSQs, and this is where those multiple long breaks come in. I would be playing this game for an hour or two at a time and then just forget about it for a few months.
ARR focuses on worldbuilding, and this is what it excels at. You're definitely not going to get a top-tier FF story here (at least, not yet, as I have been told). It all feels like set-up for bigger things to come, and this is definitely exemplified with some pretty foreboding foreshadowing in its ending. By that point, I was fully on board. I would say that in terms of story, ARR took a solid 35-40 hours to "get interesting," and even then, it's still not as balls to the wall as one would expect or would probably hope for. But the small taste I got of Eorzea's vibrant world and its political struggles was enough to satisfy my curiosity for what's to come.
You know, I really didn't think that I'd ever get invested in another MMO quite like I did with Toontown. While these are two very big contrasts, there were times while I was playing this game that I felt that same sense of childlike wonder and intrigue I experienced with TT. There's just something that hits quite different with these massive online worlds that you just don't feel with other games. It's this sense of community; a sense of belonging. You feel like you're there and like you're a part of this world; moreover, you feel appreciated, especially with how welcoming this community is. I'm still not sure what makes a great MMO, but perhaps this is a start. I truly look forward to where this journey through Eorzea's bustling world will take me next and beyond.
My thoughts on the post-game patches:
Patch 2.1 - A Realm Awoken
Patch 2.2 - Through the Maelstrom
Patch 2.3 - Defenders of Eorzea
Patch 2.4 - Dreams of Ice
Patch 2.5 - Before the Fall
Without Post-Game Patches: Light 7/10
With Post-Game Patches: Decent 7/10
MultiVersus
2022
my opinion had already lowered a decent bit as the beta went on but now with the full release they kind of just made a worse game in my opinion. i really do want to see it succeed and there's clearly a lot of love from the team that worked on it, but I just don't see a world where I would want to play this over a NASB2/Rivals of Aether (aside from an actual lively community for the time being I guess lol)
It’s so easy to forget just how much sauce a Mario game can have when these motherfuckers try
MultiVersus
2022
You know how we call it Project M because it makes Brawl play like Melee? We should start calling this game Project B because good fucking god.
Playing this game, there's a constant question which chips away at your mind. That question being: "What was the dev team doing for a year?" I'm not even trying to be mean, genuinely, what the hell happened? Everything is worse now. If 2022 MVS felt like being underwater, it now feels like you're in outer fucking space. Not to mention the insane balance changes made where the rich get richer, and support characters now have no reason to exist (except if you're Steven Universe and you can loop your down air into itself a billion times).
Well, I have the answer to that question, and that is because the allure of the shiny new UE5 was just to powerful, so they remade the entire game in said engine, meaning that any iota of a chance the game had of running on a low end computer, or the PS4, or ANY XBOX AT ALL was thoroughly dashed. The game barely worked on my laptop, which makes sense, as it's not the most powerful piece of equipment out there, but when I decided to infect my poor roommate's Xbone with the virus that is Multiversus, the game had severe input delay and ran at a jittery 20-30 fps in singles. Don't even get me started on 2v2's, it felt like I was trying to march in sand in an already sluggish game. All this for a game which looks less impressive than your average Wii U game, and it probably could've, but the need for "innovation" (and to bump up console/pc part sales) leaves everyone else in the dirt.
Relatively, that flaw is more forgiveable, but what really makes me angry is all the scummy monetization, and grinding that's present. If I had to give Multiversus any praise, it would be for letting use any character in training mode, whether you bought them or not. Unironically this is a really good feature, and should be implemented in every fighting game ever made, which makes it all the more infuriating that they just completely removed it in the relaunch. Yep. All gone. Only thing that's left of it is a gutted training mode on par with Smash 64. Say goodbye to knowing what a character does before you spend your hard earned fighter coins on them. Fighter coins which you can no longer get from completing a match. Gold is also out of the picture, instead being split up into 2 currencies, so you don't have to use fighter money for perks. This would be a cool addition, if fighter currency wasn't as rare as it was. Daily quests are extremely finite, so the one of the two real ways to get them is to deal with the monotonous single player mode which will often throw you a curve ball in the form of missions which require you to bring a friend, and once was bad enough, I'm not making a fellow human being play Multiversus ever again. The other comes from the Battle Pass and character levels, both of which take forever to progress. For reference I played this game for 5 hours too long, basically only playing as Jason (the only good part about this game now) and I only got him to level 5, and the Battle Pass to level 6. This accounting for the fact that not every reward is fighter coins, and is mostly just dump rewards like emojis, badges, and more battle pass exp. The new only character I was able to buy was Superman which I mostly attribute to the veteran bonus. Anybody with a brain can see that this is just a ploy to get people to shell out even more cash for the premium currency (able to buy basically anything). Turning a game that already had shaky business practices into an even greedier, even grindier, and even less playable mess is absolutely infuriating. I don't care if the game was free, the precious seconds I burnt away in both the beta and this newer worse beta is too much for a fighting game that doesn't even have local play!
Playing this game, there's a constant question which chips away at your mind. That question being: "What was the dev team doing for a year?" I'm not even trying to be mean, genuinely, what the hell happened? Everything is worse now. If 2022 MVS felt like being underwater, it now feels like you're in outer fucking space. Not to mention the insane balance changes made where the rich get richer, and support characters now have no reason to exist (except if you're Steven Universe and you can loop your down air into itself a billion times).
Well, I have the answer to that question, and that is because the allure of the shiny new UE5 was just to powerful, so they remade the entire game in said engine, meaning that any iota of a chance the game had of running on a low end computer, or the PS4, or ANY XBOX AT ALL was thoroughly dashed. The game barely worked on my laptop, which makes sense, as it's not the most powerful piece of equipment out there, but when I decided to infect my poor roommate's Xbone with the virus that is Multiversus, the game had severe input delay and ran at a jittery 20-30 fps in singles. Don't even get me started on 2v2's, it felt like I was trying to march in sand in an already sluggish game. All this for a game which looks less impressive than your average Wii U game, and it probably could've, but the need for "innovation" (and to bump up console/pc part sales) leaves everyone else in the dirt.
Relatively, that flaw is more forgiveable, but what really makes me angry is all the scummy monetization, and grinding that's present. If I had to give Multiversus any praise, it would be for letting use any character in training mode, whether you bought them or not. Unironically this is a really good feature, and should be implemented in every fighting game ever made, which makes it all the more infuriating that they just completely removed it in the relaunch. Yep. All gone. Only thing that's left of it is a gutted training mode on par with Smash 64. Say goodbye to knowing what a character does before you spend your hard earned fighter coins on them. Fighter coins which you can no longer get from completing a match. Gold is also out of the picture, instead being split up into 2 currencies, so you don't have to use fighter money for perks. This would be a cool addition, if fighter currency wasn't as rare as it was. Daily quests are extremely finite, so the one of the two real ways to get them is to deal with the monotonous single player mode which will often throw you a curve ball in the form of missions which require you to bring a friend, and once was bad enough, I'm not making a fellow human being play Multiversus ever again. The other comes from the Battle Pass and character levels, both of which take forever to progress. For reference I played this game for 5 hours too long, basically only playing as Jason (the only good part about this game now) and I only got him to level 5, and the Battle Pass to level 6. This accounting for the fact that not every reward is fighter coins, and is mostly just dump rewards like emojis, badges, and more battle pass exp. The new only character I was able to buy was Superman which I mostly attribute to the veteran bonus. Anybody with a brain can see that this is just a ploy to get people to shell out even more cash for the premium currency (able to buy basically anything). Turning a game that already had shaky business practices into an even greedier, even grindier, and even less playable mess is absolutely infuriating. I don't care if the game was free, the precious seconds I burnt away in both the beta and this newer worse beta is too much for a fighting game that doesn't even have local play!
é mais ou menos como a DLC anterior, mas com menos setpieces interessantes de combate e com talvez um pouquinho mais de história? eu gosto de como a narrativa faz o máximo para amplificar as ambiguidades, mas acaba sendo só mais um gancho para um Alan Wake II, que na época parecia que nunca iria ocorrer. o chefe final é bem bobo. muito bobo.
Outer Wilds
2019
“...We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win, and the others, too.”
- United States President John F. Kennedy's "We choose to go to the Moon", 1962 speech.
"Magnificent Speech. Ain't it? But how is it relevant?"
“Uhh well sir. Kinda evokes a similar ideology about our mission. Ya know in Outer Wilds(OW). Plus our newest astronaut for the program has some interesting logs to see. I think you should see them.”
“Hmmm. Reports are only forwarded to me urgently for outstanding experiences. And you say he has one?”
“Without a doubt sir, I think it may shed some light on why the speech is given among other things. Though do mind his first day. The results were… not pretty on initial impressions. He also tends to label our project as a game/simulation at times while referencing relative sci-fi films… Which is odd, but not harmful.”
“Hmph, I’ll be the judge of that. He better not write anything concrete. Due to the secretive nature, it’s imperative to keep things close to the chest so to speak. If I find SPOILERS in the above mediums. I’ll expel him post-haste and zero remorse.”
Log 1 - An extremely short slow, boring beginning to a grand adventure
Initially I thought learning about space and whatnot boring. Yet decades later on I couldn't help but amusingly remember those naive days. Here I am weeks after joining the program. And I must say The Outer Wilds is odd. I signed what felt like books of NDAs, and the only thing I can definitively concerning this secretive game is that it evokes a whirlwind of cathartic emotions. Steadily rising higher despite its demure appearance. Steam succinctly describes; “open world mystery about a solar system trapped in an %^&(%^& loop.” With bolded phrases such as: “Welcome to the Space Program! Mysteries of the Solar System… A World that changes over time and lastly grab your intergalactic gear!" Statements sound interesting at a glance, but nothing to entice everyone except those with an interest going farther than our little globe in real life. Pointing at the biggest question of 'how,' 'what' & 'why' during your stay here are primary motivators to unearth the beautiful diamond. And I must whisper after trying for a small amount of occasions…
My first impressions weren’t positive. I love getting to the action real quick. So when I'm delegated to walking and reading early on. Doesn’t excite me to move on especially since I already want to progress past the atmosphere. And usually, there’s a clear prerogative of what to do. Here there’s not a hand-holding overarching narrative to follow consistently. You have to build your own goals and discover what lies in the vastness of the universe a bit. A central 'plot' does exist though, so don't worry if you think this is purely a sandbox. Moreover, upon finishing the basic tutorials on thrusters, scouters, signalscope and finally getting the launch codes. Took 30 minutes flat and I was ready to sleep. However, once I entered my ship and said goodbye to my friends. Activating thrusters and Yahoo! We're in space! Didn’t have difficulty navigating the solar system… Until I ventured to a distant foreboding sphere. Where my breath was taken away and silenced. And my previous hurdles are eradicated. Wish I could march back in a hot instant to slap my past self silly for thinking ridiculous nitpicks. Because I’m so glad to be wrong.
“If it wasn’t for the last sentence. I would’ve ordered you to flag him for disposal.”
“B-b-boss?”
“Nevermind. The 2nd record better impress. Or else…”
Log 2 - Appreciating the fear of the unknown
I’ll try to describe my emotions on the first planet. Any interstellar film or game worth its salt needs to evoke the presence of horror, hopelessness, anxiety, and tension. We can use examples from earlier works like Alien(1979) by Ridley Scott or Mass Effect(2007) series. The former needs no introduction where we see struggling survivors encountering a deadly alien threat. Managing to keep our suspense intact and the ‘surprise’ of what occurs in the future moving. Among other elements of horror such as fear. The latter presents a decent spread of hostile and friendly species to converse. Yet the traits differ. You never know what to expect despite talking to them. The element of ‘surprise,’ is inherent in the above aspects. Thus I am treated to a host of emotions I find unsettling. But not off-putting. The closest example I think is during a segment of Independence Day(1996). Where the protagonist must venture off on a final mission. Not a spoiler, most films have this action during the last act. A final hurrah. I felt a sense of uncertainty despite cautiously maneuvering my small vessel in an unknown place. Feeling lost and embracing the zero-g is a sense I felt intimately. The sentiment is further connected to a growing climb of wonder and excitement. Upon discovering something I found incredible and increased my resolve to learn further.
“Boss, you’re smiling.”
“What?! Nonono bits of food stuck in my mouth, had to move my teeth a bit.”
A cough is heard.
“A-anyway let’s move onto the 3rd report please.”
Log 3 - Fleeting wonder and magically enraptured from beginning, middle, and end
One of the main pillars is Wonder and magic is everywhere. The sensation of actually embarking on a solo declaration is fulfilling. Discovering new facets you seldom knew before is equally as powerful. Encountering and struggling against different varied biomes is a treat both planet-wise and in astral territory. Mirrors our lived life in making goals and acting upon them in a unfamiliar environment. Ya know the first moment you see snow? And you wanna build a snowman immediately? Remember those memories. The awe and jaw drops are plentiful. I’m reminded of the second when I first became enchanted by Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace(1999). Not because of the cool action sequences as a kid, but the big ol question mark on my face witness Tatooine. A harsh desert with a cornucopia of species living around. Beyond the nearly unlivable conditions, my eyes were glued to the racers speeding along the canyon highways in a deadly race. Different from NASCAR, the Olympics, horse racing and plenty vehicular competitions out there. The phenomenon never escaped as I climbed higher in age brackets. Games and films both share a wonderful quality to capture something different, and unique. We gaze and transport ourselves into a fictional world to our liking, dislike and nuances in between. Exploring, discovering, being lost, trails connecting pieces of lore. And starting anew, reborn with the knowledge gained. A gratifying cycle emerges. I can’t escape. But do I need to? Hmmm…
Capturing the immediate and prolonged interest of any individual varies. The dullness I experienced initially reversed course upon investing additional time. Helped by a strong point. Every 22 minutes a [censored] occurs. [Re%^&*ing] my character with intact launch codes. And crucial wisdom gained previously. Ready to start another venture. I wasn’t enthused on the mechanic early on. But after hours passed by unnoticed, I realized it's an innovative narrative helper. Demonstrating the consequences of our historical actions and what methods we can induce next. Not adhering to strictly player-centric design. The state of everything continues with or without our actions and causes self-reflection. The last point is significant. I’ll touch on it later as I dive into the process of elimination and frustration. On the opposite side, I calmly steered my cruiser to another location since the previous place scared me enough to not travel back there till I scrounged up extra courage. I traveled to a decently fast-moving object which I didn’t think was possible. Landed surprisingly safely. I was riding high on the accomplishment. Until I came upon an old recording. Turns out an ancient civilization left their findings! I learned a clue and after checking what I could, which isn’t a whole lot. I return to my vessel. Only to witness it’s not there! I recall what my translator deciphered revealing the cause. I facepalmed not registering the different data prior to later. I promptly yeeted myself into the sun to restart. What a horrible 2nd try. On my third attempt, I traveled to a fresh site.
You know the idiomatic expression the third time's the charm? Well let me tell you how it's true. I can’t dive into specifics of what I saw. In terms of relatability and vibes, I found it breathtaking. An animated film I still love today is called Treasure Planet(2002). A story about a young lad coming across stories of a cool wandering pirate with the ability to disappear with nary a trace. To the point he has amassed a great treasure. Enchanted by his tales, he resolves to follow in similar footsteps. I won’t discuss anymore, but if you splice the movie with Interstellar(2014)’s planetary discovery, with displayed awe in both protagonist's facial expressions. Then you can figure out what my face turned into. The sentiment is unsurpassed and instantly hooked me to delve deeper into the cosmos and what mysteries to unearth, understand, and utilize to the fullest extent. The magic of discovering other passages connecting to clues and answering my questions left me satisfied to a greater degree I would equate to circumspect. A notion I love to bits when connecting wonderful lorebuilding.
“Hmmm. I don't appreciate disclosing the exact minutes, but I'm happy he at least censored the important bits. To leave fresh greenies their own imagination.”
Gently smiling. The assistant silently passes the 4th transcript. Wondering if it was a trick of their eye, but they swear a slight smirk instantly emerged before vanishing. A blink if you miss it event.
Log 4 - For now a little step. Later, a giant leaps for lorebuilding
The fourth spot I journeyed to I would equate to a familiar segment from Interstellar(2014) except mixed with an animated film called Titan A.E(2000). Both deal in matters of heavy topics I won’t spoil. But it is deep and conjures mature themes. Enhancing OW’s careful lore building. Mirrors similar human fascination with space and what can we glean from minute information given to us using advanced technology. Using a suit and gadgets helps us to create a better picture. Although it can be hypothetical we can at least infer with evidence and prove claims. Therefore, I can’t help but smile whilst I'm reading texts of dialogue again where previously I thought was boring.
The genius of worldbuilding worth its salt is the ability to strongly capture an individual’s attention and let the user form their conclusions based on information given from religion, culture, laws, physics, and other info. There's merit in connecting. In video games, we discern this through dialogue given by NPCs and books we can read. Two elements work in tandem to enrich the player beyond the main plot. For better or worse, we identify an excess and perhaps too little in some cases. Here, a careful methodology concerning the non-handholding story and vital lore texts emerges. Maximized to the fullest effect I'm astounded to witness from a non-RPG. And I’ve played a decent amount removing the RPG element. What blows my mind further is the placement of lore exercised to the fullest limit. Knowledge is extremely instrumental in conducting further actions. Thereby the primary strengths result in the varied text. Ancients in humorous stories and hobbies full of quirks yet it doesn’t detract from their passion in their craft. Goals, missions, incentives, and purpose all become linked and shared. Far from piling an ever-stuffing pinata or treated to a plate made by a five-star restaurant. Rather familiar... a certain fella I watched growing up from Discovery channel. Dr. Michio Kaku who can break complex terms into explanations like I'm five format. With a dash of compelling interest. Then cooked to an extent I'm savoring the taste. With the power of my handy ship reports, I can connect lore automatically. Arrows lead me to my next destination based on evidence previously. And data entries compiling alternative bits to complete an informational packet. Categorized, neatly in concise portions of longer post-it notes. It is a miniature, but effective companion twisting the noggins in my brain not too hard unlike the Talos Principle. Disregard thinking it could be a chore. Quite the opposite.
Throwing out conventional design. From coding to world-building- constructing a trail that is rich, emotive helped by sound design, and purposeful. Yet it does not retain the intrinsic building blocks we usually associate with storytelling; the character ‘A,’ will detail information to us to character ‘B.’ We read text records instead. Some may see this as boring as hell as did I, early on. But stick with it, and you will see the splendor of their capabilities. The genius and creativity of the writings revolve back to the narrative, the curiosity. Then the question arises. What is the underlying incentive that moves the participant so much to continue? I’ll answer that by pointing to the sky beyond our planet and asking “What lies beyond outer space? And what else can we derive from there?” The incentives look plain, but usher in a tug-of-war gently luring me into the mystery and eating the delicious carrot. And it's funny because my philosophy teacher posited multiple questions to extrapolate from anything similar to the pursuit of education, and the limits of our current understanding of science. He used a pencil as an example. Why is it sharp? Why is the material wood? Can it be broken? What is the eraser made of? How long does it take to create a single pencil? What’s the cost? Why am I using a pencil instead of a pen? These questions can be applied coming across each concept or tangible stuff during a sweep in OW. Yet it doesn’t become a chore to look underneath every nook and cranny. Purpose and clues which lead to further clues and discoveries in a cyclical manner rewarding the patient and observer. Listening and understanding are key component blocks in understanding things greater than we initially perceive. Lean into the minimalistic design without being overbearing. There is enough to ride the fine line of not extracting over-complicated to the point of excess. And I 100% believe 99% of everything here is gold. Loan Verneau(Other designer) emphasizes the characteristics from a 2020 Noclip documentary.. “Minimalism is actually advantageous.”
“Boss, here’s some grub. You should eat ya know.”
“Yeah yeah don’t worry, I'll eat when I finish chronicle 5. Don’t worry.”
The assistant turns around, rolls his eyeballs around, and cheekily smirks as he watches his employer avidly reading more entries. He nonetheless hands him the fifth log.
Log 5 - Secrets, have secrets. And the critical usage of tools
Much in a minuscule vein of the Marvel Cinematic Universe(MCU) Avenger films, there’s always a layer behind a character or plot and usually you can apply the concept to films and videogames in reading behind the scenes or underneath the underneath. Underlying messages, themes, and possibly commentary on a variety of issues without implicitly being said. OW operates similarly. I follow breadcrumbs, I learn additional details, shifting the layers of my comprehension from literal, non-literal, lateral, etc. A delicate move that eases youngins and removes the over-complicated. Toeing the very fine edge of a black hole. Not descending entirely, but enough to make me struggle. My thinking process was in overdrive to determine various possible links. Frustration and impatience emanated from my head. Almost to the point I wanted to put this as a negative. But taking a deep breath, re-evaluating my options, the process of elimination, and a cool head kept my logical process running smoothly and not overheating such as a PC.
I hesitate to call this a 'puzzle' cause it's not. In the vein of Portal & Talos Principle. Where it is clear and linear of what you have to do. Definitely puzzle inspired. Elements through the environment in a non-intrusive manner. Designed in a way to be beginner-friendly yet as you gradually hit the end credits slowly ramp up. Not too cryptic and not too direct. Easy to connect the dots in my opinion. Forgive me for not enclosing the exact method or describing further, once again spoiler territory. But if you enjoy those ‘puzzles’ I mentioned earlier, then probably the process is favorable of how the developers implemented here. Tying to the lore and narrative. Enriching my overall experience, akin to pursuing an oasis in the desert after days of not eating or drinking. I was hungry, thirsty, and ravenous to continue. Here’s a hint, use the rumor and ship records to help you pinpoint possible solutions. It may not matter much early on but try to make it a habit to check. The results will surely surprise you.
Moreover, the tools gained are used to the fullest effect. You can attain most of them by equipping your suit. But also don’t forget about them! I can’t track the countless occasions I died forgetting to equip my gear. Don’t be a silly fool like me. Remember! It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this! A special craft, jetpack, scouter, translator, signalscope, A reliable suit equipped with an oxygen tank and fuel for the jets! You’ll need these essential tools before descending on new ground. Lest you die of lack of oxygen heh. The tools are a nice fusion mixing into the raw fun immediately. In expected and unexpected ways. I lost sight of my liner. Heh easy peasy, I use my jetpack to jettison slightly into the atmosphere where I can behold an overview of the planet I'm currently on. And it's fun wrestling with different forces of gravity. A past memory allowed me to soar freely, enjoying the freedom of zero-g. And testing the effects of denser gravity life. Is a super struggle to jump a mere foot. Such careful implementation, where physics and movement are acted upon deserves special praise. Always fun to test out various gravitational fields and actively maneuvering my ship based on my momentum is satisfying by demonstrating you can’t easily become a master with enough tools and tricks at your disposal. Revolves back to always something fresh to learn and discover and using that knowledge is priceless.
Navigation I found to my pleasant surprise isn’t tough. To me, I found the experience easy to get a sense of orientation to decide your ensuing travel destination. Helped by the fact you have your globe compass. Thankfully entire locations are not absurdly complex. Plenty of locations are developed with care. Distinct enough to stand on its own. Standing in the middle of nowhere, you undoubtedly easily find themselves lost on where to forge next! Well, my friend the signalscope is a radar, compass, and a handy sound detector. Simply following the source can lead to incredible discoveries! A reliable suit can protect you from various hazards so keep an eye on your health! It’s not just the vastness of the unknown that can be scary. I’m reminded of the warning Stephen Hawking once said regarding alien civilization. Maybe that will help or not. Who knows… Anyway! You should use the scouter. While it seems useless in the beginning to throw a pocket-size machine out in the distance rendering images such as mobile Mars rovers. Invaluable in checking out what’s in the distance. You rarely know what kind of matter you’ll come across. If safe to land, dangerous terrain to traverse, hell the additional light source emanating is vital in scouting too! In the darkest of moments, I determine solace in the illumination. Lastly, a handy translator to decipher old texts. Minus this little guy, I probably would’ve quit entirely! A tool to transcribe what was said long ago. Man. Wish we had this for our main cast back in Arrival(2016).
“Arrival is a damn fantastic film! A must watch along with the other sci-fi films touched on.”
“I agree, boss. Weird they haven’t watched Kubrick’s famous space film. Think he could’ve had substance to articulate about him.”
“True, perhaps they have not watched the film yet… Shame.
“Best of the best… Ah, here's the latest text.”
Log 6 - It's okay to make mistakes. History is full of them
I believe one of the hardest and maybe underappreciated qualities is to capture the attention of an individual for a prolonged period depending on the fun factor. Overcoming obstacles, finding new treasures, discovering secrets, winning against an opponent completing an objective, and my favorite is learning supplementary erudition that can be used retroactively to encounter alternate paths and solutions to obstacles. A slice different from metroidvanias with required items/abilities to progress. Similar, but different from how a rogue-lite conducts after failure. Operates by handing you enough necessary devices, not ability-gating, but sending them off at their own pace is an immensely enjoyable endeavor. 'If you can go there, you can reach it.'
But also exhibit a manageable learning curve. Thereby allowing astronauts and astralfarers to continue unabated without major insurmountable hurdles. A phenomenal example is akin to Mario falling into the abyss and we restart immediately is a simple and earliest example. Here the presence of failure and not giving up is palpable. Embracing mistakes can often lead to interesting outcomes. Making the most of what you can do within a limited ordeal reminded me heavily of my recent trip to Japan. Where I tried to do the most of what I could physically do while staying within ‘x’ amount of days. You have to embrace the logistics and persevere to rise above average motions to do as much as possible. Granted you don’t have to follow the ideology to a T. I love doing whatever you want at your leisure.
My experience in Japan was a proverbial light-bulb in parallel history of what I conducted. I didn’t come to this realization til dozens of attempts of failing, dying, and befuddlement. Concerning the failed attempts. I stand and try again. It is why I appreciate the [blank] loop occurring within 22 minutes clever. Sure a restart is feasible, but considering the full breadth is not player-centric. Enough distinct events occur within a small time frame. I won’t bring out anything explicit. But this core facet is a robust pillar holding up what makes OW remarkable. I’m reminded of the Apollo program to reach the moon after a world superpower equivalent entered the race by sending Yuri Gagarin as the first person to fly in past our blue home. Countless citizens of the Liberty Nation felt fear of being left behind. I was never born during that era, but the texts in history books detail the significance greatly of landing on the moon. The sensation of rivalry, anxiety, feasibility, capability, and what if’s are borne fruit within the OW project. How many adventures will my tiny craft be able to exert? Before I redo the whole start again? What untouched goals can I scrounge aside from virtually landing on my moon? Can I fulfill my mission parameters? And most importantly why am I doing this myself?
As a student and lover of world history: encompassing socio, technological, cultural, and countless others. Fascinating to grasp, but also our experiments to blast outside our atmosphere. The simulator has an alluring way of increasing my curiosity constantly. By approaching early interstellar travel through a museum. You don’t need to understand everything inside, but I find what’s displayed enchanting. Unseen creatures cute but terrifying. Text writing given in an untraditional manner. Artifacts changing senses of physical orientation and the mysterious Nomai talked in reverent tones leave me intrigued for new material. Teasing me, luring me to learn extra. It's lovely, the devs managed to send me into a similar fascination I had long ago as a young lad. I was enthused on entire interstellar matters and reliving the experience now. In a distinguishable manner by actively transforming a viewer's perspective into that of an active participant. “I read tales of cosmos history” takes on a whole new meaning when I traveled to the “moon and beyond.”
Despite my slight struggle in the beginning. The journey is bloody significant it in my honest opinion. It's up to you to decide the methodology a journey will advance. They say ignorance is bliss. And knowledge is power. Blah blah blah. Entertain the two notions and subsequently witness a slow, but gripping plot of pioneers embarking on treacherous expeditions and meritwhile voyages. Embracing the unknown like a partner steadily balancing their fear on a tightrope. To what end? Up to you! For what awaits fellow travelers mainly a wonderful trek to the stars.
Log 7 - My Mixed Feelings is Zero, as I Expected
I’ll be frank. I have zero mixed feelings. No negative nitpicks, and frustrations were due to the fact of my inability to jump the gun and Rambo my way to the credits. A shameful bad habit I still have trouble deterring myself from. Although, I’m glad I played until I finished the final act. The lesson I gently reminded is exercising a lesson in patience. Breathing deeply and re-focusing on my priorities whilst undergoing a process of elimination. Determining what I haven’t explored and what I couldn’t pass before, but with extra information gained. Surely I can do what I was unable to before. The backtracking wasn’t a sore spot. And sure the beginning can be slow, but I believe it's worth delving into to understand fully the tutorials. Gently nudging the player through the do’s and don’ts of star travel and the dangers that come in your travels. I’m at a sheer loss to add anything concrete regarding suggestions and I cannot for the life of me conjure meaningful examples. Everything is self-contained and at your disposal to succeed. Mayhap a gentle reminder that self-reflection is key and organizing your next list of priorities transitions into an easier task to undergo were vital to remember. Here’s a tip reviewing what you already accomplished might bring a different insight. Keep notes my friends!
“Kid already left huh? Damn. My is stomach hungry. But that can wait. I have naught urge to eat nor sleep right now.”
“Funny, I too experienced the same feelings after I entered the organization.”
Log 8 - Stories & mysteries. A positive appraisal
I always love heavy stories. It's the primary reason I look for within the medium. Everything else 2nd. So I'm extremely shocked to play a title where the plot is [redacted] in a way I didn’t expect. I’m no stranger to storytelling methods of unreliable narrators, ludo narrative dissonance, and connecting essential literary elements to craft a compelling plot. A climax full of importance and gawking. Supposedly with a loveable cast as well. I received none of these yet achieved an indescribable experience using a non-traditional progression. Which I find enormously challenging to describe in minute details. Within the confines of the simulator, I encountered many memories I don’t believe I'll forget. A stack I reminisce fondly. An aspect, so moving is a solid top quality. Ever seen any seven wonders on Earth? Or presumably some iconic nature-made landscape to leave you breathless? Same energy! In my struggle, all that's left are the sensations conjured during the moment and everlasting memories. Usually, players detail the conclusion as the ultimate moment. Others, the journey. And for a certain side the beginning. As I take my final steps into the end credits I can chiefly remark that everything is priceless, precious, and potent passion resonating to my very heart.
“Yes, I do agree the overarching story has incredible value striving towards. It's enormously challenging to display in a raw form. But I sincerely and wholeheartedly agree with their assessment.”
“Oh man, two left. Nights getting late… I have work in the morning... Meh I'll keep reading.”
Log 9 - Tips, hints, and a single weird outlier- A confession and the choice
Despite what I said early on with having zero mixed feelings I will confess to using a FAQ and hint guide near the very last stretch of my playthrough. I won’t say specifics. I primarily missed two things but I already knew beforehand and the execution. I simply missed the diminutive connection. This isn’t advocating to check FAQ or a guide. Merely suggesting if you need help. Or contacting a close friend. A blind playthrough is still highly recommended. However, this doesn’t deter me from gently conveying if you’re struggling to be careful of spoiling yourself on YouTube or a harmful thumbnail blatantly showing what to expect. It is extremely rare I would resort to such a tactic considering 99%, I found everything by myself and I suspect if I hadn't checked I would’ve eventually found the answer. I don't think there’s harm in searching for hints/tips since its impossible for every person to be on the same wavelength in understanding and processing logical thinking. It's why we don’t notice universal praise 100% of the time and barely to none flaws in every single product made. There’s always something to remark.
“Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I’ll give their assessment a valid shake. It's honestly impossible to make a program and run to the finish line. Hitting the mark consistently. Playing blind to successfully reaching the ending every instances without help. The ultimate undertaking is still not within our capability. But by fine-tuning it we can achieve a close number to the triple digits. I believe Noclip demonstrates the history and the multiple developmental iteration stages in getting there. Seems the work was very challenging, but worth it. Cool guys. Was nice watching behind the scenes.”
“Oh. The last texts…”
Log 10 - The Final Log
I think the testament to a magnificent quality is the ability to grab anyone from any reasonable age and outside of searching for auxiliaries fully explore and in their understanding comprehend what is given. To an extent where the player deeply appreciates what is conveyed through memorable experiences, deep themes and reigniting a blazing heart of what makes videogames so moving. In neither too complex nor too simple aspects. Rather it strives to hit every range in the spectrum to capture the essence of what I feel is the zenith of pure discovery, supreme wonder, and incredible satisfaction through the act of accomplishment. At the very core, the devs toe the fine line to the point of frustration. Excelling in qualities I look for. And punches its weight limit beyond the super heavyweight class. Heck, shooting for 100% isn’t required either! You don’t need to worry on performance achievements. They're akin to extra credit points. A relief in my eyes. Thereby lodging a wonderfully thoughtful fun loop that keeps me coming back frequently until the final track is conveyed. Danny O'Dwyer, from Noclip puts it in the best way possible.
“...Outer Wilds is more than the sum of its parts. It's the type of game that leaves you with a feeling that can’t be explained. It has to be experienced.”
I echo the same sentiment. The herculean effort the developers at Mobius Digital created is truly one of a kind. Infrequently have I played a science fiction type hitting utterly the things I love and fear from the cosmos yet contained in a moving revolving door of themes tiny and grand. I found the grand finish line of my expeditions. Sure there were bumps on the road to get there. But OW travelers experiences hardship differently and manages to resolve them in a method to their satisfaction. For me. The venture was arduous yet left me with a marvelous sense of immense satisfaction. A sensation anyone knows intimately. Whether it's to defeat the most difficult boss, triumph over the hardest puzzle, climb the tallest pillar, or journey a thousand miles whilst completing many mini-challenges. The same feeling never escapes. The moment of victory, the HUZZAH always reigns supreme. A phenomenal caliber reverberates in spades beyond my imagination. Always surprised me to the nth degree yet ne'er blew my suspension of disbelief into a catastrophic supernova. Elevating by not prescribing to conventional designs. Connecting the sweet Chekov’s gun beautifully comparable to an intricate web. Whereupon I was helplessly comprehending every morsel of lore and thus achieved a peak Everest of worldbuilding. Through gaining knowledge. And harnessed to the maximum effect. Removing egregious copy paste areas. This wasn’t the largest universe I’ve explored, nor the prettiest graphically nor does it contain a tour de force soundtrack and an always gripping plot to unearth coupled with a loveable cast. Doesn’t hit the limit of fun gameplay. Outer Wilds is none of these. Yet the sum of its parts as Danny eloquently said earlier along with playing as blind as possible are the hallmarks benefiting an increased multiplier to the X degree. Tying the above to excellent points by a duct tape machine and launching my ship to uncharted territory is an unparalleled impression.
I implore any curious souls looking for an excellent sci-fi space adventure such as this as a one hell of a wake up palette cleanser to try between games, game pass, or even if they had an experience a stark contrast to mine then that’s entirely fair and valid. What matters is how your journey started, during, and ended. What you find at the closing of the day is the sincerest conclusion you reached with both hands and mind. Literally and figuratively. For better or worse. The cosmos exists, but so do we. And thus we venture forth to the stars. Undeterred, unbowed, and unflinchingly in the face of its daunting expanse, striving past our normal means. Similar in some respects to a tiny excerpt from a famous speech proposed decades ago.
.
.
.
"Oh by the way Boss. I have something to report-"
The assistant gradually opens the door to the office. There he spies his superior sleeping soundly in the chair snoring softly. Peering closer he witnesses the final log close to his chest.
He sighs softly and gathers a jacket nearby to drape over him. But in doing so, a light object falls to the ground.
A piece of paper.
“Oh for me?”
The assistant reads the confines slowly. Eyes growing wider as paragraphs fly by until...
A single final line…
10/10 - Get me their number. We need to talk.
References and additional material:
1962 - JFK Moon speech
2020 - The Making of Outer Wilds - Documentary by Noclip
Before I play: Outer Wilds - Useful tips!
Spoiler safe FAQ - literally saved my bacon. No joke
My spoiler thoughts of Outer Wilds
Special thanks to Hotpoppah, _YALP & Phantasm for recommending OW to me.
- United States President John F. Kennedy's "We choose to go to the Moon", 1962 speech.
"Magnificent Speech. Ain't it? But how is it relevant?"
“Uhh well sir. Kinda evokes a similar ideology about our mission. Ya know in Outer Wilds(OW). Plus our newest astronaut for the program has some interesting logs to see. I think you should see them.”
“Hmmm. Reports are only forwarded to me urgently for outstanding experiences. And you say he has one?”
“Without a doubt sir, I think it may shed some light on why the speech is given among other things. Though do mind his first day. The results were… not pretty on initial impressions. He also tends to label our project as a game/simulation at times while referencing relative sci-fi films… Which is odd, but not harmful.”
“Hmph, I’ll be the judge of that. He better not write anything concrete. Due to the secretive nature, it’s imperative to keep things close to the chest so to speak. If I find SPOILERS in the above mediums. I’ll expel him post-haste and zero remorse.”
Log 1 - An extremely short slow, boring beginning to a grand adventure
Initially I thought learning about space and whatnot boring. Yet decades later on I couldn't help but amusingly remember those naive days. Here I am weeks after joining the program. And I must say The Outer Wilds is odd. I signed what felt like books of NDAs, and the only thing I can definitively concerning this secretive game is that it evokes a whirlwind of cathartic emotions. Steadily rising higher despite its demure appearance. Steam succinctly describes; “open world mystery about a solar system trapped in an %^&(%^& loop.” With bolded phrases such as: “Welcome to the Space Program! Mysteries of the Solar System… A World that changes over time and lastly grab your intergalactic gear!" Statements sound interesting at a glance, but nothing to entice everyone except those with an interest going farther than our little globe in real life. Pointing at the biggest question of 'how,' 'what' & 'why' during your stay here are primary motivators to unearth the beautiful diamond. And I must whisper after trying for a small amount of occasions…
My first impressions weren’t positive. I love getting to the action real quick. So when I'm delegated to walking and reading early on. Doesn’t excite me to move on especially since I already want to progress past the atmosphere. And usually, there’s a clear prerogative of what to do. Here there’s not a hand-holding overarching narrative to follow consistently. You have to build your own goals and discover what lies in the vastness of the universe a bit. A central 'plot' does exist though, so don't worry if you think this is purely a sandbox. Moreover, upon finishing the basic tutorials on thrusters, scouters, signalscope and finally getting the launch codes. Took 30 minutes flat and I was ready to sleep. However, once I entered my ship and said goodbye to my friends. Activating thrusters and Yahoo! We're in space! Didn’t have difficulty navigating the solar system… Until I ventured to a distant foreboding sphere. Where my breath was taken away and silenced. And my previous hurdles are eradicated. Wish I could march back in a hot instant to slap my past self silly for thinking ridiculous nitpicks. Because I’m so glad to be wrong.
“If it wasn’t for the last sentence. I would’ve ordered you to flag him for disposal.”
“B-b-boss?”
“Nevermind. The 2nd record better impress. Or else…”
Log 2 - Appreciating the fear of the unknown
I’ll try to describe my emotions on the first planet. Any interstellar film or game worth its salt needs to evoke the presence of horror, hopelessness, anxiety, and tension. We can use examples from earlier works like Alien(1979) by Ridley Scott or Mass Effect(2007) series. The former needs no introduction where we see struggling survivors encountering a deadly alien threat. Managing to keep our suspense intact and the ‘surprise’ of what occurs in the future moving. Among other elements of horror such as fear. The latter presents a decent spread of hostile and friendly species to converse. Yet the traits differ. You never know what to expect despite talking to them. The element of ‘surprise,’ is inherent in the above aspects. Thus I am treated to a host of emotions I find unsettling. But not off-putting. The closest example I think is during a segment of Independence Day(1996). Where the protagonist must venture off on a final mission. Not a spoiler, most films have this action during the last act. A final hurrah. I felt a sense of uncertainty despite cautiously maneuvering my small vessel in an unknown place. Feeling lost and embracing the zero-g is a sense I felt intimately. The sentiment is further connected to a growing climb of wonder and excitement. Upon discovering something I found incredible and increased my resolve to learn further.
“Boss, you’re smiling.”
“What?! Nonono bits of food stuck in my mouth, had to move my teeth a bit.”
A cough is heard.
“A-anyway let’s move onto the 3rd report please.”
Log 3 - Fleeting wonder and magically enraptured from beginning, middle, and end
One of the main pillars is Wonder and magic is everywhere. The sensation of actually embarking on a solo declaration is fulfilling. Discovering new facets you seldom knew before is equally as powerful. Encountering and struggling against different varied biomes is a treat both planet-wise and in astral territory. Mirrors our lived life in making goals and acting upon them in a unfamiliar environment. Ya know the first moment you see snow? And you wanna build a snowman immediately? Remember those memories. The awe and jaw drops are plentiful. I’m reminded of the second when I first became enchanted by Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace(1999). Not because of the cool action sequences as a kid, but the big ol question mark on my face witness Tatooine. A harsh desert with a cornucopia of species living around. Beyond the nearly unlivable conditions, my eyes were glued to the racers speeding along the canyon highways in a deadly race. Different from NASCAR, the Olympics, horse racing and plenty vehicular competitions out there. The phenomenon never escaped as I climbed higher in age brackets. Games and films both share a wonderful quality to capture something different, and unique. We gaze and transport ourselves into a fictional world to our liking, dislike and nuances in between. Exploring, discovering, being lost, trails connecting pieces of lore. And starting anew, reborn with the knowledge gained. A gratifying cycle emerges. I can’t escape. But do I need to? Hmmm…
Capturing the immediate and prolonged interest of any individual varies. The dullness I experienced initially reversed course upon investing additional time. Helped by a strong point. Every 22 minutes a [censored] occurs. [Re%^&*ing] my character with intact launch codes. And crucial wisdom gained previously. Ready to start another venture. I wasn’t enthused on the mechanic early on. But after hours passed by unnoticed, I realized it's an innovative narrative helper. Demonstrating the consequences of our historical actions and what methods we can induce next. Not adhering to strictly player-centric design. The state of everything continues with or without our actions and causes self-reflection. The last point is significant. I’ll touch on it later as I dive into the process of elimination and frustration. On the opposite side, I calmly steered my cruiser to another location since the previous place scared me enough to not travel back there till I scrounged up extra courage. I traveled to a decently fast-moving object which I didn’t think was possible. Landed surprisingly safely. I was riding high on the accomplishment. Until I came upon an old recording. Turns out an ancient civilization left their findings! I learned a clue and after checking what I could, which isn’t a whole lot. I return to my vessel. Only to witness it’s not there! I recall what my translator deciphered revealing the cause. I facepalmed not registering the different data prior to later. I promptly yeeted myself into the sun to restart. What a horrible 2nd try. On my third attempt, I traveled to a fresh site.
You know the idiomatic expression the third time's the charm? Well let me tell you how it's true. I can’t dive into specifics of what I saw. In terms of relatability and vibes, I found it breathtaking. An animated film I still love today is called Treasure Planet(2002). A story about a young lad coming across stories of a cool wandering pirate with the ability to disappear with nary a trace. To the point he has amassed a great treasure. Enchanted by his tales, he resolves to follow in similar footsteps. I won’t discuss anymore, but if you splice the movie with Interstellar(2014)’s planetary discovery, with displayed awe in both protagonist's facial expressions. Then you can figure out what my face turned into. The sentiment is unsurpassed and instantly hooked me to delve deeper into the cosmos and what mysteries to unearth, understand, and utilize to the fullest extent. The magic of discovering other passages connecting to clues and answering my questions left me satisfied to a greater degree I would equate to circumspect. A notion I love to bits when connecting wonderful lorebuilding.
“Hmmm. I don't appreciate disclosing the exact minutes, but I'm happy he at least censored the important bits. To leave fresh greenies their own imagination.”
Gently smiling. The assistant silently passes the 4th transcript. Wondering if it was a trick of their eye, but they swear a slight smirk instantly emerged before vanishing. A blink if you miss it event.
Log 4 - For now a little step. Later, a giant leaps for lorebuilding
The fourth spot I journeyed to I would equate to a familiar segment from Interstellar(2014) except mixed with an animated film called Titan A.E(2000). Both deal in matters of heavy topics I won’t spoil. But it is deep and conjures mature themes. Enhancing OW’s careful lore building. Mirrors similar human fascination with space and what can we glean from minute information given to us using advanced technology. Using a suit and gadgets helps us to create a better picture. Although it can be hypothetical we can at least infer with evidence and prove claims. Therefore, I can’t help but smile whilst I'm reading texts of dialogue again where previously I thought was boring.
The genius of worldbuilding worth its salt is the ability to strongly capture an individual’s attention and let the user form their conclusions based on information given from religion, culture, laws, physics, and other info. There's merit in connecting. In video games, we discern this through dialogue given by NPCs and books we can read. Two elements work in tandem to enrich the player beyond the main plot. For better or worse, we identify an excess and perhaps too little in some cases. Here, a careful methodology concerning the non-handholding story and vital lore texts emerges. Maximized to the fullest effect I'm astounded to witness from a non-RPG. And I’ve played a decent amount removing the RPG element. What blows my mind further is the placement of lore exercised to the fullest limit. Knowledge is extremely instrumental in conducting further actions. Thereby the primary strengths result in the varied text. Ancients in humorous stories and hobbies full of quirks yet it doesn’t detract from their passion in their craft. Goals, missions, incentives, and purpose all become linked and shared. Far from piling an ever-stuffing pinata or treated to a plate made by a five-star restaurant. Rather familiar... a certain fella I watched growing up from Discovery channel. Dr. Michio Kaku who can break complex terms into explanations like I'm five format. With a dash of compelling interest. Then cooked to an extent I'm savoring the taste. With the power of my handy ship reports, I can connect lore automatically. Arrows lead me to my next destination based on evidence previously. And data entries compiling alternative bits to complete an informational packet. Categorized, neatly in concise portions of longer post-it notes. It is a miniature, but effective companion twisting the noggins in my brain not too hard unlike the Talos Principle. Disregard thinking it could be a chore. Quite the opposite.
Throwing out conventional design. From coding to world-building- constructing a trail that is rich, emotive helped by sound design, and purposeful. Yet it does not retain the intrinsic building blocks we usually associate with storytelling; the character ‘A,’ will detail information to us to character ‘B.’ We read text records instead. Some may see this as boring as hell as did I, early on. But stick with it, and you will see the splendor of their capabilities. The genius and creativity of the writings revolve back to the narrative, the curiosity. Then the question arises. What is the underlying incentive that moves the participant so much to continue? I’ll answer that by pointing to the sky beyond our planet and asking “What lies beyond outer space? And what else can we derive from there?” The incentives look plain, but usher in a tug-of-war gently luring me into the mystery and eating the delicious carrot. And it's funny because my philosophy teacher posited multiple questions to extrapolate from anything similar to the pursuit of education, and the limits of our current understanding of science. He used a pencil as an example. Why is it sharp? Why is the material wood? Can it be broken? What is the eraser made of? How long does it take to create a single pencil? What’s the cost? Why am I using a pencil instead of a pen? These questions can be applied coming across each concept or tangible stuff during a sweep in OW. Yet it doesn’t become a chore to look underneath every nook and cranny. Purpose and clues which lead to further clues and discoveries in a cyclical manner rewarding the patient and observer. Listening and understanding are key component blocks in understanding things greater than we initially perceive. Lean into the minimalistic design without being overbearing. There is enough to ride the fine line of not extracting over-complicated to the point of excess. And I 100% believe 99% of everything here is gold. Loan Verneau(Other designer) emphasizes the characteristics from a 2020 Noclip documentary.. “Minimalism is actually advantageous.”
“Boss, here’s some grub. You should eat ya know.”
“Yeah yeah don’t worry, I'll eat when I finish chronicle 5. Don’t worry.”
The assistant turns around, rolls his eyeballs around, and cheekily smirks as he watches his employer avidly reading more entries. He nonetheless hands him the fifth log.
Log 5 - Secrets, have secrets. And the critical usage of tools
Much in a minuscule vein of the Marvel Cinematic Universe(MCU) Avenger films, there’s always a layer behind a character or plot and usually you can apply the concept to films and videogames in reading behind the scenes or underneath the underneath. Underlying messages, themes, and possibly commentary on a variety of issues without implicitly being said. OW operates similarly. I follow breadcrumbs, I learn additional details, shifting the layers of my comprehension from literal, non-literal, lateral, etc. A delicate move that eases youngins and removes the over-complicated. Toeing the very fine edge of a black hole. Not descending entirely, but enough to make me struggle. My thinking process was in overdrive to determine various possible links. Frustration and impatience emanated from my head. Almost to the point I wanted to put this as a negative. But taking a deep breath, re-evaluating my options, the process of elimination, and a cool head kept my logical process running smoothly and not overheating such as a PC.
I hesitate to call this a 'puzzle' cause it's not. In the vein of Portal & Talos Principle. Where it is clear and linear of what you have to do. Definitely puzzle inspired. Elements through the environment in a non-intrusive manner. Designed in a way to be beginner-friendly yet as you gradually hit the end credits slowly ramp up. Not too cryptic and not too direct. Easy to connect the dots in my opinion. Forgive me for not enclosing the exact method or describing further, once again spoiler territory. But if you enjoy those ‘puzzles’ I mentioned earlier, then probably the process is favorable of how the developers implemented here. Tying to the lore and narrative. Enriching my overall experience, akin to pursuing an oasis in the desert after days of not eating or drinking. I was hungry, thirsty, and ravenous to continue. Here’s a hint, use the rumor and ship records to help you pinpoint possible solutions. It may not matter much early on but try to make it a habit to check. The results will surely surprise you.
Moreover, the tools gained are used to the fullest effect. You can attain most of them by equipping your suit. But also don’t forget about them! I can’t track the countless occasions I died forgetting to equip my gear. Don’t be a silly fool like me. Remember! It’s dangerous to go alone! Take this! A special craft, jetpack, scouter, translator, signalscope, A reliable suit equipped with an oxygen tank and fuel for the jets! You’ll need these essential tools before descending on new ground. Lest you die of lack of oxygen heh. The tools are a nice fusion mixing into the raw fun immediately. In expected and unexpected ways. I lost sight of my liner. Heh easy peasy, I use my jetpack to jettison slightly into the atmosphere where I can behold an overview of the planet I'm currently on. And it's fun wrestling with different forces of gravity. A past memory allowed me to soar freely, enjoying the freedom of zero-g. And testing the effects of denser gravity life. Is a super struggle to jump a mere foot. Such careful implementation, where physics and movement are acted upon deserves special praise. Always fun to test out various gravitational fields and actively maneuvering my ship based on my momentum is satisfying by demonstrating you can’t easily become a master with enough tools and tricks at your disposal. Revolves back to always something fresh to learn and discover and using that knowledge is priceless.
Navigation I found to my pleasant surprise isn’t tough. To me, I found the experience easy to get a sense of orientation to decide your ensuing travel destination. Helped by the fact you have your globe compass. Thankfully entire locations are not absurdly complex. Plenty of locations are developed with care. Distinct enough to stand on its own. Standing in the middle of nowhere, you undoubtedly easily find themselves lost on where to forge next! Well, my friend the signalscope is a radar, compass, and a handy sound detector. Simply following the source can lead to incredible discoveries! A reliable suit can protect you from various hazards so keep an eye on your health! It’s not just the vastness of the unknown that can be scary. I’m reminded of the warning Stephen Hawking once said regarding alien civilization. Maybe that will help or not. Who knows… Anyway! You should use the scouter. While it seems useless in the beginning to throw a pocket-size machine out in the distance rendering images such as mobile Mars rovers. Invaluable in checking out what’s in the distance. You rarely know what kind of matter you’ll come across. If safe to land, dangerous terrain to traverse, hell the additional light source emanating is vital in scouting too! In the darkest of moments, I determine solace in the illumination. Lastly, a handy translator to decipher old texts. Minus this little guy, I probably would’ve quit entirely! A tool to transcribe what was said long ago. Man. Wish we had this for our main cast back in Arrival(2016).
“Arrival is a damn fantastic film! A must watch along with the other sci-fi films touched on.”
“I agree, boss. Weird they haven’t watched Kubrick’s famous space film. Think he could’ve had substance to articulate about him.”
“True, perhaps they have not watched the film yet… Shame.
“Best of the best… Ah, here's the latest text.”
Log 6 - It's okay to make mistakes. History is full of them
I believe one of the hardest and maybe underappreciated qualities is to capture the attention of an individual for a prolonged period depending on the fun factor. Overcoming obstacles, finding new treasures, discovering secrets, winning against an opponent completing an objective, and my favorite is learning supplementary erudition that can be used retroactively to encounter alternate paths and solutions to obstacles. A slice different from metroidvanias with required items/abilities to progress. Similar, but different from how a rogue-lite conducts after failure. Operates by handing you enough necessary devices, not ability-gating, but sending them off at their own pace is an immensely enjoyable endeavor. 'If you can go there, you can reach it.'
But also exhibit a manageable learning curve. Thereby allowing astronauts and astralfarers to continue unabated without major insurmountable hurdles. A phenomenal example is akin to Mario falling into the abyss and we restart immediately is a simple and earliest example. Here the presence of failure and not giving up is palpable. Embracing mistakes can often lead to interesting outcomes. Making the most of what you can do within a limited ordeal reminded me heavily of my recent trip to Japan. Where I tried to do the most of what I could physically do while staying within ‘x’ amount of days. You have to embrace the logistics and persevere to rise above average motions to do as much as possible. Granted you don’t have to follow the ideology to a T. I love doing whatever you want at your leisure.
My experience in Japan was a proverbial light-bulb in parallel history of what I conducted. I didn’t come to this realization til dozens of attempts of failing, dying, and befuddlement. Concerning the failed attempts. I stand and try again. It is why I appreciate the [blank] loop occurring within 22 minutes clever. Sure a restart is feasible, but considering the full breadth is not player-centric. Enough distinct events occur within a small time frame. I won’t bring out anything explicit. But this core facet is a robust pillar holding up what makes OW remarkable. I’m reminded of the Apollo program to reach the moon after a world superpower equivalent entered the race by sending Yuri Gagarin as the first person to fly in past our blue home. Countless citizens of the Liberty Nation felt fear of being left behind. I was never born during that era, but the texts in history books detail the significance greatly of landing on the moon. The sensation of rivalry, anxiety, feasibility, capability, and what if’s are borne fruit within the OW project. How many adventures will my tiny craft be able to exert? Before I redo the whole start again? What untouched goals can I scrounge aside from virtually landing on my moon? Can I fulfill my mission parameters? And most importantly why am I doing this myself?
As a student and lover of world history: encompassing socio, technological, cultural, and countless others. Fascinating to grasp, but also our experiments to blast outside our atmosphere. The simulator has an alluring way of increasing my curiosity constantly. By approaching early interstellar travel through a museum. You don’t need to understand everything inside, but I find what’s displayed enchanting. Unseen creatures cute but terrifying. Text writing given in an untraditional manner. Artifacts changing senses of physical orientation and the mysterious Nomai talked in reverent tones leave me intrigued for new material. Teasing me, luring me to learn extra. It's lovely, the devs managed to send me into a similar fascination I had long ago as a young lad. I was enthused on entire interstellar matters and reliving the experience now. In a distinguishable manner by actively transforming a viewer's perspective into that of an active participant. “I read tales of cosmos history” takes on a whole new meaning when I traveled to the “moon and beyond.”
Despite my slight struggle in the beginning. The journey is bloody significant it in my honest opinion. It's up to you to decide the methodology a journey will advance. They say ignorance is bliss. And knowledge is power. Blah blah blah. Entertain the two notions and subsequently witness a slow, but gripping plot of pioneers embarking on treacherous expeditions and meritwhile voyages. Embracing the unknown like a partner steadily balancing their fear on a tightrope. To what end? Up to you! For what awaits fellow travelers mainly a wonderful trek to the stars.
Log 7 - My Mixed Feelings is Zero, as I Expected
I’ll be frank. I have zero mixed feelings. No negative nitpicks, and frustrations were due to the fact of my inability to jump the gun and Rambo my way to the credits. A shameful bad habit I still have trouble deterring myself from. Although, I’m glad I played until I finished the final act. The lesson I gently reminded is exercising a lesson in patience. Breathing deeply and re-focusing on my priorities whilst undergoing a process of elimination. Determining what I haven’t explored and what I couldn’t pass before, but with extra information gained. Surely I can do what I was unable to before. The backtracking wasn’t a sore spot. And sure the beginning can be slow, but I believe it's worth delving into to understand fully the tutorials. Gently nudging the player through the do’s and don’ts of star travel and the dangers that come in your travels. I’m at a sheer loss to add anything concrete regarding suggestions and I cannot for the life of me conjure meaningful examples. Everything is self-contained and at your disposal to succeed. Mayhap a gentle reminder that self-reflection is key and organizing your next list of priorities transitions into an easier task to undergo were vital to remember. Here’s a tip reviewing what you already accomplished might bring a different insight. Keep notes my friends!
“Kid already left huh? Damn. My is stomach hungry. But that can wait. I have naught urge to eat nor sleep right now.”
“Funny, I too experienced the same feelings after I entered the organization.”
Log 8 - Stories & mysteries. A positive appraisal
I always love heavy stories. It's the primary reason I look for within the medium. Everything else 2nd. So I'm extremely shocked to play a title where the plot is [redacted] in a way I didn’t expect. I’m no stranger to storytelling methods of unreliable narrators, ludo narrative dissonance, and connecting essential literary elements to craft a compelling plot. A climax full of importance and gawking. Supposedly with a loveable cast as well. I received none of these yet achieved an indescribable experience using a non-traditional progression. Which I find enormously challenging to describe in minute details. Within the confines of the simulator, I encountered many memories I don’t believe I'll forget. A stack I reminisce fondly. An aspect, so moving is a solid top quality. Ever seen any seven wonders on Earth? Or presumably some iconic nature-made landscape to leave you breathless? Same energy! In my struggle, all that's left are the sensations conjured during the moment and everlasting memories. Usually, players detail the conclusion as the ultimate moment. Others, the journey. And for a certain side the beginning. As I take my final steps into the end credits I can chiefly remark that everything is priceless, precious, and potent passion resonating to my very heart.
“Yes, I do agree the overarching story has incredible value striving towards. It's enormously challenging to display in a raw form. But I sincerely and wholeheartedly agree with their assessment.”
“Oh man, two left. Nights getting late… I have work in the morning... Meh I'll keep reading.”
Log 9 - Tips, hints, and a single weird outlier- A confession and the choice
Despite what I said early on with having zero mixed feelings I will confess to using a FAQ and hint guide near the very last stretch of my playthrough. I won’t say specifics. I primarily missed two things but I already knew beforehand and the execution. I simply missed the diminutive connection. This isn’t advocating to check FAQ or a guide. Merely suggesting if you need help. Or contacting a close friend. A blind playthrough is still highly recommended. However, this doesn’t deter me from gently conveying if you’re struggling to be careful of spoiling yourself on YouTube or a harmful thumbnail blatantly showing what to expect. It is extremely rare I would resort to such a tactic considering 99%, I found everything by myself and I suspect if I hadn't checked I would’ve eventually found the answer. I don't think there’s harm in searching for hints/tips since its impossible for every person to be on the same wavelength in understanding and processing logical thinking. It's why we don’t notice universal praise 100% of the time and barely to none flaws in every single product made. There’s always something to remark.
“Ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I’ll give their assessment a valid shake. It's honestly impossible to make a program and run to the finish line. Hitting the mark consistently. Playing blind to successfully reaching the ending every instances without help. The ultimate undertaking is still not within our capability. But by fine-tuning it we can achieve a close number to the triple digits. I believe Noclip demonstrates the history and the multiple developmental iteration stages in getting there. Seems the work was very challenging, but worth it. Cool guys. Was nice watching behind the scenes.”
“Oh. The last texts…”
Log 10 - The Final Log
I think the testament to a magnificent quality is the ability to grab anyone from any reasonable age and outside of searching for auxiliaries fully explore and in their understanding comprehend what is given. To an extent where the player deeply appreciates what is conveyed through memorable experiences, deep themes and reigniting a blazing heart of what makes videogames so moving. In neither too complex nor too simple aspects. Rather it strives to hit every range in the spectrum to capture the essence of what I feel is the zenith of pure discovery, supreme wonder, and incredible satisfaction through the act of accomplishment. At the very core, the devs toe the fine line to the point of frustration. Excelling in qualities I look for. And punches its weight limit beyond the super heavyweight class. Heck, shooting for 100% isn’t required either! You don’t need to worry on performance achievements. They're akin to extra credit points. A relief in my eyes. Thereby lodging a wonderfully thoughtful fun loop that keeps me coming back frequently until the final track is conveyed. Danny O'Dwyer, from Noclip puts it in the best way possible.
“...Outer Wilds is more than the sum of its parts. It's the type of game that leaves you with a feeling that can’t be explained. It has to be experienced.”
I echo the same sentiment. The herculean effort the developers at Mobius Digital created is truly one of a kind. Infrequently have I played a science fiction type hitting utterly the things I love and fear from the cosmos yet contained in a moving revolving door of themes tiny and grand. I found the grand finish line of my expeditions. Sure there were bumps on the road to get there. But OW travelers experiences hardship differently and manages to resolve them in a method to their satisfaction. For me. The venture was arduous yet left me with a marvelous sense of immense satisfaction. A sensation anyone knows intimately. Whether it's to defeat the most difficult boss, triumph over the hardest puzzle, climb the tallest pillar, or journey a thousand miles whilst completing many mini-challenges. The same feeling never escapes. The moment of victory, the HUZZAH always reigns supreme. A phenomenal caliber reverberates in spades beyond my imagination. Always surprised me to the nth degree yet ne'er blew my suspension of disbelief into a catastrophic supernova. Elevating by not prescribing to conventional designs. Connecting the sweet Chekov’s gun beautifully comparable to an intricate web. Whereupon I was helplessly comprehending every morsel of lore and thus achieved a peak Everest of worldbuilding. Through gaining knowledge. And harnessed to the maximum effect. Removing egregious copy paste areas. This wasn’t the largest universe I’ve explored, nor the prettiest graphically nor does it contain a tour de force soundtrack and an always gripping plot to unearth coupled with a loveable cast. Doesn’t hit the limit of fun gameplay. Outer Wilds is none of these. Yet the sum of its parts as Danny eloquently said earlier along with playing as blind as possible are the hallmarks benefiting an increased multiplier to the X degree. Tying the above to excellent points by a duct tape machine and launching my ship to uncharted territory is an unparalleled impression.
I implore any curious souls looking for an excellent sci-fi space adventure such as this as a one hell of a wake up palette cleanser to try between games, game pass, or even if they had an experience a stark contrast to mine then that’s entirely fair and valid. What matters is how your journey started, during, and ended. What you find at the closing of the day is the sincerest conclusion you reached with both hands and mind. Literally and figuratively. For better or worse. The cosmos exists, but so do we. And thus we venture forth to the stars. Undeterred, unbowed, and unflinchingly in the face of its daunting expanse, striving past our normal means. Similar in some respects to a tiny excerpt from a famous speech proposed decades ago.
.
.
.
"Oh by the way Boss. I have something to report-"
The assistant gradually opens the door to the office. There he spies his superior sleeping soundly in the chair snoring softly. Peering closer he witnesses the final log close to his chest.
He sighs softly and gathers a jacket nearby to drape over him. But in doing so, a light object falls to the ground.
A piece of paper.
“Oh for me?”
The assistant reads the confines slowly. Eyes growing wider as paragraphs fly by until...
A single final line…
10/10 - Get me their number. We need to talk.
References and additional material:
1962 - JFK Moon speech
2020 - The Making of Outer Wilds - Documentary by Noclip
Before I play: Outer Wilds - Useful tips!
Spoiler safe FAQ - literally saved my bacon. No joke
My spoiler thoughts of Outer Wilds
Special thanks to Hotpoppah, _YALP & Phantasm for recommending OW to me.
MultiVersus
2022
The fact that a game can release from a beta yet be more egregious abhorrent is quite the feat. The fact there are so many backwards decisions is quite insane. Like generally how the hell does this get through. The worst part is the lack of any substance whatsoever. Everything you liked is way worse, locking characters in the battle pass, making characters more expensive, locking characters out of training and local(fucking hell). Making the game slower and buggy as all hell. Getting killed at 20% cause this game does not understand smash at all. Well they also added this pve mode with requires amounts of grinding with boring ass minigames and difficulties that could be a bullshit. Also requiring characters or cosmetics that u don't own to play some(thanks game...) Also real telling when ur game crashes every 5 minutes or a game disconnects. Didn't have this issue last time, so why now. But hey we added free glemnuim in the pass, please forgive us. I refuse to believe this game was playtested at all, this game feels more like a mobile game than an actual game to put on the market for consoles/pc. It's truly baffling; how did warner think people were gonna react to his. I don't know how this game is gonna approve, if it does then good, but at this point of time. If the game failed me twice, I'm not hoping for a third times the charm.
Final Fantasy VII
1997
What can you say about Final Fantasy VII that hasn't been said already? This was my introduction to the series (as it was for many millennials), and everything about it seemed like the coolest shit in the world. The character designs, the world, the monsters, the turn-based combat, the materia and equipment system, the bosses, and of course that sweet sweet music. After going back and discovering the early games in the series I think VI slightly edged this out for me, but it's a close call. Like VI and Chrono Trigger, I couldn't count how many times I've played this game, but I always keep coming back. The amount of content to discover across the game still feels staggering for the time, and I understand why they're choosing to remake it across 3 full size games. Absolutely deserves it reputation, a terrific game.
As a self proclaimed Metroidvania fan, it should be a cardinal sin to call myself that without having played Symphony of the Night, or any of the GBA/NDS Castlevania games for that matter. Being the type of gamer I am though, I've never just wanted to jump into SotN without having played the series leading up to this game. Having beaten all the Classicvania's during the course of the last few weeks, it's finally time to play the game I was anticipating all this time.
What can I say? I did not expect anything less than a 10/10, and a 10/10 video game is what I got. Yes, Super Metroid would be the game to put Metroidvanias on the map, but SotN definitely solidified it as a genre by showing you that you can add even more depth to the search action platforming genre Metroid created, which we now abbreviate as Metroidvanias.
First of all, I am so glad I did play all the prior games leading up to SotN. There are so many callbacks, references, enemies, bosses that were all in previous games given new beautiful PS1 pixel art graphics, and some of the returning characters such Death even give additional context to the Castlevania lore and how they fit in the world next to Dracula.
Of course, playing the game as Alucard gave me a nice happy feeling, as he was my favorite character to play in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curese. This game is also a direct sequel to Rondo of Blood so I was so hyped when the prologue of the game is the ending to Rondo. Running into Rondo characters such as Maria had me whistling, pointing to the screen like Leonardo Decaprio from Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. So if you ever do plan to play SotN, do yourself a favor and play the previous games in the series first, or at the very least play Rondo of Blood before jumping in to SotN.
From the get go when you first start as Alucard, you instantly notice that the iconic whip you've been using as you main weapon in every single Castlevania game up until this one is gone. It makes sense, you are not a Belmont after all. This change of main weapon signifies that this is not your typical Castlevania that you've known and loved, this is going to be something else.
SoTN takes that search action gameplay that Metroid is famous for and dials it to 11. Everything you know about Metroidvanias is here. You get a giant map with a lot of block off paths that you can come back to once you find the ability to get you passed the blocked off point. Some of the blocked off points are locked story progression, while others are optional areas where you can find upgrades, items and even more abilities to help make your character more powerful. This constant loop of going back to previous areas to find new things is like cocaine to me. It's probably my favorite type of gameplay loop in video games, other than Monster Hunter.
What makes SoTN so good compared to the typical Metroidvania is the way that it's structed. The game is kind of split into 2 halves. The first half of the game being the familiar Metroidvania type of game that we all know, as in it's all about exploration and finding new abilities to unlock previously locked paths. Basically what Super Metroid mastered at the time.
The 2nd half of the game being unique to SotN changes things up, causing the entire map you will know and memorize by this to point to flip on it's head. Although this time the game is not about exploring to find ways to open paths, but it becomes a straight up action game, kind of like the Classicvanias. You aren't really exploring the castle anymore, but rather you are revisiting every room in it's upside-down form to find new optional bosses to kill, in order to power up Alucard to prepare yourself for the final boss. You have the choice to go straight to the final boss from this point, you or can explore the upside-down version of the castle to the fullest to find the best weapons, items and upgrades by killing some of the now challenging bosses. If you do choose to explore the castle's 2nd form in it's entirety, you will be an unstoppable behemoth that is capable of taking anything down in a blink. And that's what makes SotN so rewarding, and one of the best gameplay loops of all time.
To put it in a broader scope, the first half of the game to help bring you back on your feet, while the second half of the game is to flex all the new powers you have and bring yourself back to the powerhouse that Alucard always was.
On top of the excellent gameplay, the music is fantastic as is the usual with Castelvania. The graphics are some of the best pixel art in the franchise, and it melds the 2D art with some 3D low poly models for some enemies and objects which is the GOAT type of art direction that you will see in other PS1 games such as Tomba of Klonoa. The designs of the characters and enemies are my so so good. And the story is the best so far for Castlevania, giving refined arcs for Alucard as well as Richter and Maria.
I am so happy that I have this bucket list game finally checked off, and it was everything I anticipated. Now I can officially consider myself a Castlevania fan, and of course a Metroidvania fan who HAS played SotN. And it just makes me look even more forward to the SIX metroidvania sequels on the GBA and NDS.
What can I say? I did not expect anything less than a 10/10, and a 10/10 video game is what I got. Yes, Super Metroid would be the game to put Metroidvanias on the map, but SotN definitely solidified it as a genre by showing you that you can add even more depth to the search action platforming genre Metroid created, which we now abbreviate as Metroidvanias.
First of all, I am so glad I did play all the prior games leading up to SotN. There are so many callbacks, references, enemies, bosses that were all in previous games given new beautiful PS1 pixel art graphics, and some of the returning characters such Death even give additional context to the Castlevania lore and how they fit in the world next to Dracula.
Of course, playing the game as Alucard gave me a nice happy feeling, as he was my favorite character to play in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curese. This game is also a direct sequel to Rondo of Blood so I was so hyped when the prologue of the game is the ending to Rondo. Running into Rondo characters such as Maria had me whistling, pointing to the screen like Leonardo Decaprio from Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. So if you ever do plan to play SotN, do yourself a favor and play the previous games in the series first, or at the very least play Rondo of Blood before jumping in to SotN.
From the get go when you first start as Alucard, you instantly notice that the iconic whip you've been using as you main weapon in every single Castlevania game up until this one is gone. It makes sense, you are not a Belmont after all. This change of main weapon signifies that this is not your typical Castlevania that you've known and loved, this is going to be something else.
SoTN takes that search action gameplay that Metroid is famous for and dials it to 11. Everything you know about Metroidvanias is here. You get a giant map with a lot of block off paths that you can come back to once you find the ability to get you passed the blocked off point. Some of the blocked off points are locked story progression, while others are optional areas where you can find upgrades, items and even more abilities to help make your character more powerful. This constant loop of going back to previous areas to find new things is like cocaine to me. It's probably my favorite type of gameplay loop in video games, other than Monster Hunter.
What makes SoTN so good compared to the typical Metroidvania is the way that it's structed. The game is kind of split into 2 halves. The first half of the game being the familiar Metroidvania type of game that we all know, as in it's all about exploration and finding new abilities to unlock previously locked paths. Basically what Super Metroid mastered at the time.
The 2nd half of the game being unique to SotN changes things up, causing the entire map you will know and memorize by this to point to flip on it's head. Although this time the game is not about exploring to find ways to open paths, but it becomes a straight up action game, kind of like the Classicvanias. You aren't really exploring the castle anymore, but rather you are revisiting every room in it's upside-down form to find new optional bosses to kill, in order to power up Alucard to prepare yourself for the final boss. You have the choice to go straight to the final boss from this point, you or can explore the upside-down version of the castle to the fullest to find the best weapons, items and upgrades by killing some of the now challenging bosses. If you do choose to explore the castle's 2nd form in it's entirety, you will be an unstoppable behemoth that is capable of taking anything down in a blink. And that's what makes SotN so rewarding, and one of the best gameplay loops of all time.
To put it in a broader scope, the first half of the game to help bring you back on your feet, while the second half of the game is to flex all the new powers you have and bring yourself back to the powerhouse that Alucard always was.
On top of the excellent gameplay, the music is fantastic as is the usual with Castelvania. The graphics are some of the best pixel art in the franchise, and it melds the 2D art with some 3D low poly models for some enemies and objects which is the GOAT type of art direction that you will see in other PS1 games such as Tomba of Klonoa. The designs of the characters and enemies are my so so good. And the story is the best so far for Castlevania, giving refined arcs for Alucard as well as Richter and Maria.
I am so happy that I have this bucket list game finally checked off, and it was everything I anticipated. Now I can officially consider myself a Castlevania fan, and of course a Metroidvania fan who HAS played SotN. And it just makes me look even more forward to the SIX metroidvania sequels on the GBA and NDS.
Street Fighter IV
2008
Street Fighter IV is really fantastic! It seems to have innovated the Street Fighter formula on nearly every level, and remains a blast to play today.
First off, the upgrade to 3D graphics from Street Fighter III was pulled off masterfully, and the game looks gorgeous. There is definitely a little bit of age showing in it, but all of the characters really do look like the game’s hand drawn artwork came to life. Also, the stages this game offers might just be the best in the entire Street Fighter series. Each one is full of life and atmosphere (Something that is aided by this game's wonderful music), and beautifully textured with a bit of a watercolor look. Add in the many moves and actions with paintbrush stroke effects applied to them and you get a really perfect artstyle that has aged amazingly well.
Now the number of improvements to the actual street fighting gameplay is simply waaaay too high to count. Everything just feels very fluid and fun. There is an excellent character roster that quite possibly could meet the needs of every single different playstyle on the planet, and the newly introduced Focus attack (This game's version of drive impact) can be a pretty significant game changer once you know how to use it. On top of this there are now 2 super bars; one that charges primarily from you attacking, and one that charges solely by you getting hit. This really helps out players that might struggle a bit with defence, while also being great at rewarding those who want to push themselves to be more aggressive. It’s all a really superb evolution of the games that came before it.
As is essential to every Street Fighter game, Street Fighter IV comes with a pretty awful barebones story with the worst dialogue you've ever heard, and they've even thrown in some really low budget anime cutscenes this time! Despite their poorly told stories each character (aside from abel, I hate u abel) is bursting with personality and charm on top of their already diverse movesets. There are even a select few characters (Gouken) that are actually interesting story-wise. Like I said it's basically a street fighter requirement to have a terrible story so it really doesn't bother me in the slightest here. I should also mention that outside of the story there are a few pre-rendered traditional intro cutscenes, and they all look quite spectacular and have great music to go along with them, despite them being completely inconsequential to the main story.
I want to say that the main problem with this game is a lack of content, as when you enter the main menu, the gameplay options you have consist of Multiplayer, Arcade, and a very barebones challenge mode. But the more I think about it, the less I think it's that major of a problem. The game already has a huge character roster so there are a good few arcade routes to go through. Saying that however, I did blow through the entire arcade mode in about a day or two so I guess it really depends on the person. Like I said before, I don't mind bad stories in fighting games, but I just wish the game put in more effort in other areas if it insists on having such a bad story. Kind of like how Street Fighter 6 has world tour mode. All in all however it's a very small hiccup in a very great game.
So TLDR: Go play Street Fighter IV right now if you like fighting games, it's pretty Fun. With lots of personality, excellent gameplay, and all the classic quirks of the Street Fighter franchise, you’re missing out if you don’t play this one.
First off, the upgrade to 3D graphics from Street Fighter III was pulled off masterfully, and the game looks gorgeous. There is definitely a little bit of age showing in it, but all of the characters really do look like the game’s hand drawn artwork came to life. Also, the stages this game offers might just be the best in the entire Street Fighter series. Each one is full of life and atmosphere (Something that is aided by this game's wonderful music), and beautifully textured with a bit of a watercolor look. Add in the many moves and actions with paintbrush stroke effects applied to them and you get a really perfect artstyle that has aged amazingly well.
Now the number of improvements to the actual street fighting gameplay is simply waaaay too high to count. Everything just feels very fluid and fun. There is an excellent character roster that quite possibly could meet the needs of every single different playstyle on the planet, and the newly introduced Focus attack (This game's version of drive impact) can be a pretty significant game changer once you know how to use it. On top of this there are now 2 super bars; one that charges primarily from you attacking, and one that charges solely by you getting hit. This really helps out players that might struggle a bit with defence, while also being great at rewarding those who want to push themselves to be more aggressive. It’s all a really superb evolution of the games that came before it.
As is essential to every Street Fighter game, Street Fighter IV comes with a pretty awful barebones story with the worst dialogue you've ever heard, and they've even thrown in some really low budget anime cutscenes this time! Despite their poorly told stories each character (aside from abel, I hate u abel) is bursting with personality and charm on top of their already diverse movesets. There are even a select few characters (Gouken) that are actually interesting story-wise. Like I said it's basically a street fighter requirement to have a terrible story so it really doesn't bother me in the slightest here. I should also mention that outside of the story there are a few pre-rendered traditional intro cutscenes, and they all look quite spectacular and have great music to go along with them, despite them being completely inconsequential to the main story.
I want to say that the main problem with this game is a lack of content, as when you enter the main menu, the gameplay options you have consist of Multiplayer, Arcade, and a very barebones challenge mode. But the more I think about it, the less I think it's that major of a problem. The game already has a huge character roster so there are a good few arcade routes to go through. Saying that however, I did blow through the entire arcade mode in about a day or two so I guess it really depends on the person. Like I said before, I don't mind bad stories in fighting games, but I just wish the game put in more effort in other areas if it insists on having such a bad story. Kind of like how Street Fighter 6 has world tour mode. All in all however it's a very small hiccup in a very great game.
So TLDR: Go play Street Fighter IV right now if you like fighting games, it's pretty Fun. With lots of personality, excellent gameplay, and all the classic quirks of the Street Fighter franchise, you’re missing out if you don’t play this one.
MultiVersus
2022
It's genuinely insane how the development team had some pretty good ideas going forward, but then completely went backwards on it. I get that the game is free and all that, but it reminds me of the Injustice mobile games a lot, especially the menus. The menus are a mess to navigate through, especially with all the in-game currencies there are all of a sudden. I feel like the beta had a way better idea on how to be a game than this did, which is a shame. This is far from the worst free game I've played, I've become a sort of expert in that department so I'm able to tell, but we'll have to wait and see with updates if it can and will improve on this full launch. Unless the Samurai Jack leaks are true, in which case the game is actually a 10/10 and this review is mute.
Hades II
2024
The weapons need a complete rework but its amazing in every other aspect
No creative naming with this one, they just said “no bullshit” Cats and Dogs. Damn, they were right. I cannot seem to recreate my own dog though, so this shit sucks actually!!
I find it so funny that as soon as something involves pets, game developers lock the fuck in. Take the dog escort missions in FF7 Rebirth for example, just a straight up renaissance of craft for such a miniscule event in that 100 hours of game. Petting a dog is now seen as a mandatory mechanic right next to photo mode and fishing, vaporizing the psychos on r/petfree into ashes. Cats & Dogs is no different here as it adds in so much extra content just for the sake of celebrating pets. New artwork, decorations, furniture, the paintings that your Sims can make, food recipes, and even introducing an entire Sims Instagram feature just for taking dumbass photos of your cat. They knew what they were doing and the pets are integrated pretty well. They genuinely add to the life of your Sims by being their friends, instead of being their props.
Not met without controversy of course, since The Sims 3 Pets included horses. A lot of horse girls dunked on this one for only including what’s listed on the label. Personally, horses were nice for the open-world setting of The Sims 3 but that game came at the cost of your PC using your entire town’s electricity grid. So, I can see why they were left out initially. They’ve been added after the fact now so I guess it doesn’t matter anymore. (I don’t have this one yet though.)
Even without horses, there is still a lot here to enjoy. Personally, the ability to craft whatever abomination you want using the CAS Editor is funny enough. They come with their own traits that range from beautiful baby boy to dubious asshole. And of course, they can breed and create their own generational legacies depending on how crazy you want to get with it. I have seen some randomized Eldritch beings walking about, baiting me into adopting them. If I had less self control I would put them out of their misery THE FUN WAY, but it's gonna take more than a purple, sweater wearing dog named Goober to sway me into this responsibility. I think that’s why a lot of the stray animals are sick to be honest, they’re pulling on your heart strings. Do not fall for their manipulation!!
As for how they actually play and function with the rest of the gameplay, it’s overall rather smooth. However, you can’t play as them which I find to be a bit of a bummer personally. Thankfully, mods exist and I need to use them because I am an impatient person. I don’t really need to create a whole life story for each pet I make, but it’s just nice to manually cancel out when a pet is being annoying instead of waiting for your Sim to yap at them about it. You can level up a Pet Training skill to make it a bit easier to deal with the annoying parts of owning a pet though. There’s also the Friend of the Animals Aspiration which rewards you with befriending random pets a lot easier, so that is just itching a scratch I know some people have. You can also collect feathers by sending a cat to destroy the local wildlife. Ummm, don’t do that in real life.
Lastly, in a similar vein to the Dine Out expansion, you can buy and run your own Veterinarian office. If you don’t mind watching animals vomit and pee everywhere, sure. I would say that it runs a lot better than owning a restaurant, although it still comes with it’s own chaos. Managing employees who sit around and do fuck all can be a bit of a chore, but you’ll be doing most of the work anyways. Figuring out what is causing an animal’s illness is like solving a little puzzle, which is neat for a time but it’ll eventually come down to memorization at the end of the day. Since you build skills for healing animals, I found it really nice to use it on my own pets so that I wouldn’t have to travel to the vet office every time they fell ill. The only way that pets can die though is through old age, so don’t worry about seeing some doggy dog death that you won’t expect. However, it's all fun and games until Grim shows up on their birthday and then I want to beat his ass. Definitely not a pack that you need if you obviously don't care about having animals in your game, but it's a fun one nonetheless.
And that vet office? There’s one automatically placed in Brindleton Bay, which is based off of New England. I got my Dunkies watching my dog tear my couch apart. This shit is awesome actually!!
I find it so funny that as soon as something involves pets, game developers lock the fuck in. Take the dog escort missions in FF7 Rebirth for example, just a straight up renaissance of craft for such a miniscule event in that 100 hours of game. Petting a dog is now seen as a mandatory mechanic right next to photo mode and fishing, vaporizing the psychos on r/petfree into ashes. Cats & Dogs is no different here as it adds in so much extra content just for the sake of celebrating pets. New artwork, decorations, furniture, the paintings that your Sims can make, food recipes, and even introducing an entire Sims Instagram feature just for taking dumbass photos of your cat. They knew what they were doing and the pets are integrated pretty well. They genuinely add to the life of your Sims by being their friends, instead of being their props.
Not met without controversy of course, since The Sims 3 Pets included horses. A lot of horse girls dunked on this one for only including what’s listed on the label. Personally, horses were nice for the open-world setting of The Sims 3 but that game came at the cost of your PC using your entire town’s electricity grid. So, I can see why they were left out initially. They’ve been added after the fact now so I guess it doesn’t matter anymore. (I don’t have this one yet though.)
Even without horses, there is still a lot here to enjoy. Personally, the ability to craft whatever abomination you want using the CAS Editor is funny enough. They come with their own traits that range from beautiful baby boy to dubious asshole. And of course, they can breed and create their own generational legacies depending on how crazy you want to get with it. I have seen some randomized Eldritch beings walking about, baiting me into adopting them. If I had less self control I would put them out of their misery THE FUN WAY, but it's gonna take more than a purple, sweater wearing dog named Goober to sway me into this responsibility. I think that’s why a lot of the stray animals are sick to be honest, they’re pulling on your heart strings. Do not fall for their manipulation!!
As for how they actually play and function with the rest of the gameplay, it’s overall rather smooth. However, you can’t play as them which I find to be a bit of a bummer personally. Thankfully, mods exist and I need to use them because I am an impatient person. I don’t really need to create a whole life story for each pet I make, but it’s just nice to manually cancel out when a pet is being annoying instead of waiting for your Sim to yap at them about it. You can level up a Pet Training skill to make it a bit easier to deal with the annoying parts of owning a pet though. There’s also the Friend of the Animals Aspiration which rewards you with befriending random pets a lot easier, so that is just itching a scratch I know some people have. You can also collect feathers by sending a cat to destroy the local wildlife. Ummm, don’t do that in real life.
Lastly, in a similar vein to the Dine Out expansion, you can buy and run your own Veterinarian office. If you don’t mind watching animals vomit and pee everywhere, sure. I would say that it runs a lot better than owning a restaurant, although it still comes with it’s own chaos. Managing employees who sit around and do fuck all can be a bit of a chore, but you’ll be doing most of the work anyways. Figuring out what is causing an animal’s illness is like solving a little puzzle, which is neat for a time but it’ll eventually come down to memorization at the end of the day. Since you build skills for healing animals, I found it really nice to use it on my own pets so that I wouldn’t have to travel to the vet office every time they fell ill. The only way that pets can die though is through old age, so don’t worry about seeing some doggy dog death that you won’t expect. However, it's all fun and games until Grim shows up on their birthday and then I want to beat his ass. Definitely not a pack that you need if you obviously don't care about having animals in your game, but it's a fun one nonetheless.
And that vet office? There’s one automatically placed in Brindleton Bay, which is based off of New England. I got my Dunkies watching my dog tear my couch apart. This shit is awesome actually!!