Thanos_Pagkidis
2 reviews liked by Thanos_Pagkidis
๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐.
There's a cheapness in the thrill of being on the verge of death. Risking something as valuable as life itself just to get a kick out of it is really the dumbest thing a human can do; then why is that an hour in I was feeling that exact same rush? In the cold comfort of it being fictional, having my heart pound with excitement as I put these people in harmโs way, thereโs nothing quite like it.
The thing about Your Turn To Die is that the premise in of itself isnโt really unique. Completely ignoring the obvious comparisons one could make to that one video game franchise with the talking bear, โdeath gameโ as a genre is something thatโs existed long before many of us were even alive. That is exactly how this game deceives you, making you think that what youโre about to experience is a by-the-numbers tale youโve experienced many times before; but to chalk up Your Turn to Die as that is to box it in a cage thatโs completely ignorant of the bigger picture. Because underneath this gameโs bleak atmosphere is a tale of the exploration of the human condition, as itโs seeking an answer for why we do the things we do by putting us on the cusp of death. In a way, it's exactly what you've come to expect from experiencing the contemporaries of this sub-genre yet that's why this game works as well as it does, why it's willing to go the extra mile.
The level of deception this game operates on isnโt just something that exists in regards to the way of how it presents itself to the player or the narrative in of itself, it extends to game mechanics themselves. Whereas one could see the way every choice in Chapter 1 being inconsequential as cheap, I view it as a mockery of your abilities. To fully make you realise just how out of your depth you are here, which only serves to make the later chapters hit as hard as they do due to the newfound resolve you earn at the end of Chapter 1 earns you the right to change the course of the game both narratively and mechanically. Itโs character development in the truest sense, where the effects are felt in also how you play the game, as second guessing becomes natural for you; it's not out of need to survive yet due to a want to protect those you hold closest to you, even if it means not having complete faith in them.
The character of Sara Chidouin in many ways feels combative against many other protagonists whoโve been placed in similar situations to her. Itโs the same old tale of heroism, morality and hope. Trying to be an example even in the roughest of times yet Chidouin is deeply human. โI donโt want to dieโ is understandable sure, but sprouting up the same old message about โtruthโ seems to feel redundant when itโs going to deeply hurt the ones you care for. This is why Keiji Shinogi works so well with her, easy to see him as this gameโs stand-in for a Maya Fey archetype, a policeman who canโt even hold a gun, but here the effectiveness of these two depends solely upon how much trust they place in each other. Their trust weaponizes itself, as it takes Sara being the finger and Keiji ironically being the gun in their dynamic to let them move past any difficulty they may face, and they may have faced, letting them grow with each passing argument. With the arguments themselves being mechanically comparable to the trial segments in Ace Attorney. While not as complex or difficult, it sets itself apart with itโs own mechanics, trying to bite further down into your mind as it makes every line thrilling. Itโs exactly what the character of Sara Chidouin would do, and thatโs what sets this apart from the rest. That every lie, misinformation, contradiction and even truth the itself is irrelevant; itโs completely irrelevant if she canโt even save one life.
Your Turn To Die breaks down those concepts of heroism, morality and hope I mentioned, but not out of cynicism. It goes to greats lengths to reconstruct them from the ground up; showing why such childishness and stubbornness is necessary for you to keep moving forward. Everyoneโs got a reason to live and with each passing trial you have to wonder if death would be preferable, if itโd be better if you died in their place to make sure your hands stay clean, but thoughts like that are irrelevant. You still live, you still breathe, you still eat, you still sleep, so whatโs the harm in living in another day?
Itโs not Your Turn To Die. Not yet.
There's a cheapness in the thrill of being on the verge of death. Risking something as valuable as life itself just to get a kick out of it is really the dumbest thing a human can do; then why is that an hour in I was feeling that exact same rush? In the cold comfort of it being fictional, having my heart pound with excitement as I put these people in harmโs way, thereโs nothing quite like it.
The thing about Your Turn To Die is that the premise in of itself isnโt really unique. Completely ignoring the obvious comparisons one could make to that one video game franchise with the talking bear, โdeath gameโ as a genre is something thatโs existed long before many of us were even alive. That is exactly how this game deceives you, making you think that what youโre about to experience is a by-the-numbers tale youโve experienced many times before; but to chalk up Your Turn to Die as that is to box it in a cage thatโs completely ignorant of the bigger picture. Because underneath this gameโs bleak atmosphere is a tale of the exploration of the human condition, as itโs seeking an answer for why we do the things we do by putting us on the cusp of death. In a way, it's exactly what you've come to expect from experiencing the contemporaries of this sub-genre yet that's why this game works as well as it does, why it's willing to go the extra mile.
The level of deception this game operates on isnโt just something that exists in regards to the way of how it presents itself to the player or the narrative in of itself, it extends to game mechanics themselves. Whereas one could see the way every choice in Chapter 1 being inconsequential as cheap, I view it as a mockery of your abilities. To fully make you realise just how out of your depth you are here, which only serves to make the later chapters hit as hard as they do due to the newfound resolve you earn at the end of Chapter 1 earns you the right to change the course of the game both narratively and mechanically. Itโs character development in the truest sense, where the effects are felt in also how you play the game, as second guessing becomes natural for you; it's not out of need to survive yet due to a want to protect those you hold closest to you, even if it means not having complete faith in them.
The character of Sara Chidouin in many ways feels combative against many other protagonists whoโve been placed in similar situations to her. Itโs the same old tale of heroism, morality and hope. Trying to be an example even in the roughest of times yet Chidouin is deeply human. โI donโt want to dieโ is understandable sure, but sprouting up the same old message about โtruthโ seems to feel redundant when itโs going to deeply hurt the ones you care for. This is why Keiji Shinogi works so well with her, easy to see him as this gameโs stand-in for a Maya Fey archetype, a policeman who canโt even hold a gun, but here the effectiveness of these two depends solely upon how much trust they place in each other. Their trust weaponizes itself, as it takes Sara being the finger and Keiji ironically being the gun in their dynamic to let them move past any difficulty they may face, and they may have faced, letting them grow with each passing argument. With the arguments themselves being mechanically comparable to the trial segments in Ace Attorney. While not as complex or difficult, it sets itself apart with itโs own mechanics, trying to bite further down into your mind as it makes every line thrilling. Itโs exactly what the character of Sara Chidouin would do, and thatโs what sets this apart from the rest. That every lie, misinformation, contradiction and even truth the itself is irrelevant; itโs completely irrelevant if she canโt even save one life.
Your Turn To Die breaks down those concepts of heroism, morality and hope I mentioned, but not out of cynicism. It goes to greats lengths to reconstruct them from the ground up; showing why such childishness and stubbornness is necessary for you to keep moving forward. Everyoneโs got a reason to live and with each passing trial you have to wonder if death would be preferable, if itโd be better if you died in their place to make sure your hands stay clean, but thoughts like that are irrelevant. You still live, you still breathe, you still eat, you still sleep, so whatโs the harm in living in another day?
Itโs not Your Turn To Die. Not yet.
Fallout
1997
One of the sadder things Iโve realised recently is that the original Fallout may not be as influential as much as itโs made it out to be, at least when it comes down to its mechanics. But Iโm no real historian, and it may very well have changed the world of RPGs forever. Still, I donโt think it really matters because at the end of the day this is still a damn good game.
Four years ago I played this game for the first time and finished it in one sitting, and recently I ventured out to the wasteland once again. Shining blue spandex, bright hot sun, searching for a water chip; it all feels too familiar. Ah, that control schemeโฆit feels clunky but once you get the hang of its fits this game like a glove. Fast and snappy, perfect for that retro-future aesthetic. Still, I canโt deny Iโve ever particularly liked how this gameโs combat is. Nothing horribly wrong with it, but often times it feels too static, like Iโm playing a board game with a computer thatโs determined to kill me. Probably what they were going for too.
Stopped by Shady Sands, and gave birth to a nation there. Went to Vault 15, and I saw ruins. Ran into the Khans, and slaughtered them all. Headed to Necropolis to give the mutants dirt naps, and saved my vault. Strolled into Junktown for the casino and killed the owner; I left as quietly as I came. Stopped by The Hub for the water, and stayed to help uncover the disgusting truth behind both the missing caravans and those delicious Iguana Bits. Ran into The Brotherhood of Steel; they told me to fuck off. I saved Los Angeles for last, and it was as much a shithole as I had expected.
After you get the water chip, the last half is really unsettling. You feel that thereโs an imminent evil heading into this world as you encounter these monsters more and more. As you spend hours upon hours searching for a man you assume to be the devil himself, you grow accustomed to the hell that is this world. Despite being coddled at birth, you make this wasteland yours. And by the time meet the creator of this madness, it really just does feel like a Wednesday in this irradiated world. This game is absurdly funny, not only with its writing and critiques of American culture but right down to the game design itself with the funniest bit being that the thing you spent the last half searching for is just straight left. Haha, all that work for something so simple.
I hated the Overseer four years ago. Really thought of him as nothing more than an ungrateful speck of a man. But today, as I blew up that evil lair and saw everything that my actions wrought and how I changed this world forever, I stood in front of that cold metal door wearing dark green combat armor and a rocket launcher in hand. There, I saw myself. I saw a man in shining blue spandex walking up to someone he just doesnโt recognize anymore. He is confused now as I was in the beginning, he just doesnโt understand and I now realize where heโs coming from. I could hear the fear in his voice, fear of this horrible world that just sucks.
What if we ARE the only safe place in the world? You just gave us back all these livesโฆI canโt take the chance of losing them.
Iโm sorry. Youโre a heroโฆand you have to leave.
You walk alone. Into this heartless, cruel, unforgiving world. Shining blue spandex, bright hot sun, searching for a purpose. You found it one day, but long after your death, another evil arose. Donโt worry, another hero just like you saved us again.
Four years ago I played this game for the first time and finished it in one sitting, and recently I ventured out to the wasteland once again. Shining blue spandex, bright hot sun, searching for a water chip; it all feels too familiar. Ah, that control schemeโฆit feels clunky but once you get the hang of its fits this game like a glove. Fast and snappy, perfect for that retro-future aesthetic. Still, I canโt deny Iโve ever particularly liked how this gameโs combat is. Nothing horribly wrong with it, but often times it feels too static, like Iโm playing a board game with a computer thatโs determined to kill me. Probably what they were going for too.
Stopped by Shady Sands, and gave birth to a nation there. Went to Vault 15, and I saw ruins. Ran into the Khans, and slaughtered them all. Headed to Necropolis to give the mutants dirt naps, and saved my vault. Strolled into Junktown for the casino and killed the owner; I left as quietly as I came. Stopped by The Hub for the water, and stayed to help uncover the disgusting truth behind both the missing caravans and those delicious Iguana Bits. Ran into The Brotherhood of Steel; they told me to fuck off. I saved Los Angeles for last, and it was as much a shithole as I had expected.
After you get the water chip, the last half is really unsettling. You feel that thereโs an imminent evil heading into this world as you encounter these monsters more and more. As you spend hours upon hours searching for a man you assume to be the devil himself, you grow accustomed to the hell that is this world. Despite being coddled at birth, you make this wasteland yours. And by the time meet the creator of this madness, it really just does feel like a Wednesday in this irradiated world. This game is absurdly funny, not only with its writing and critiques of American culture but right down to the game design itself with the funniest bit being that the thing you spent the last half searching for is just straight left. Haha, all that work for something so simple.
I hated the Overseer four years ago. Really thought of him as nothing more than an ungrateful speck of a man. But today, as I blew up that evil lair and saw everything that my actions wrought and how I changed this world forever, I stood in front of that cold metal door wearing dark green combat armor and a rocket launcher in hand. There, I saw myself. I saw a man in shining blue spandex walking up to someone he just doesnโt recognize anymore. He is confused now as I was in the beginning, he just doesnโt understand and I now realize where heโs coming from. I could hear the fear in his voice, fear of this horrible world that just sucks.
What if we ARE the only safe place in the world? You just gave us back all these livesโฆI canโt take the chance of losing them.
Iโm sorry. Youโre a heroโฆand you have to leave.
You walk alone. Into this heartless, cruel, unforgiving world. Shining blue spandex, bright hot sun, searching for a purpose. You found it one day, but long after your death, another evil arose. Donโt worry, another hero just like you saved us again.