hilbert
19 reviews liked by hilbert
Fantastic port/remake of an already fantastic game. The best JRPG I've ever played. Engaging and complex combat, open and fun to explore world, and a downright stellar story and cast of characters. Plus the added content in this version and QOL changes make it a must play over the original. I cannot stress enough how much I love this game.
Trauma-induced delusions are one of the least supported and understood areas of mental health that is represented in media/larger society in general. So I was incredibly skeptical discovering there was a sequel to the original "bag of Milk" game.
The first game kind of felt like it was trying to express how the player cannot ever understand the experiences of those that exist within fiction and telling a challenging story within that. It follows a protagonist who is attempting to go outside of her home for the first time since her father died with monsters and cruel thoughts following her every step. Along the way the player is interacting with her thoughts and representing a sort of "medication" for her. This first game doesn't necessarily succeed in its aims. However due to it's short amount of timespan and ambiguity in low fidelity it surprisingly doesn't feel exploitative. Instead it just feels like a short story that presents us with ideas and images for us to carry and think about.
By making a second game in relation to this, I have to wonder what the goals are. Why do the ideas and images from the first title need to be expanded upon? Unfortunately it feels like "Milk outside" doubles down on the moments from the previous title as a means of reveling in traumatic iconography. This sheds the sympathetic lens formed from the first game's lo-fi constrained ambitions, and reveals a voyeuristic kaleidoscope of torturistic pleasure with higher fidelity animation and visuals.
I have heard there is some pretty cool stuff the game does with narrative structures and I also think it looks nice. However, I just don't feel a desire to play through more of this game's depictions of delusions and trauma.
The first game kind of felt like it was trying to express how the player cannot ever understand the experiences of those that exist within fiction and telling a challenging story within that. It follows a protagonist who is attempting to go outside of her home for the first time since her father died with monsters and cruel thoughts following her every step. Along the way the player is interacting with her thoughts and representing a sort of "medication" for her. This first game doesn't necessarily succeed in its aims. However due to it's short amount of timespan and ambiguity in low fidelity it surprisingly doesn't feel exploitative. Instead it just feels like a short story that presents us with ideas and images for us to carry and think about.
By making a second game in relation to this, I have to wonder what the goals are. Why do the ideas and images from the first title need to be expanded upon? Unfortunately it feels like "Milk outside" doubles down on the moments from the previous title as a means of reveling in traumatic iconography. This sheds the sympathetic lens formed from the first game's lo-fi constrained ambitions, and reveals a voyeuristic kaleidoscope of torturistic pleasure with higher fidelity animation and visuals.
I have heard there is some pretty cool stuff the game does with narrative structures and I also think it looks nice. However, I just don't feel a desire to play through more of this game's depictions of delusions and trauma.
Pokémon Clover
2020
Hades
2020
It's good! Despite how chaotic things get, I didn't feel like the clutter got unfair even when I actually couldn't see anything. The mirror upgrades are a nice way to make progress even when you're not up there skill wise, and the different weapons all feel unique and viable. It gets a bit repetitive toward the endgame, but it's still a nice experience no matter how many runs you go.
Grow Home
2015
Grow Up
2016
Didn't really like this one as much as the first. Instead of going with the quest markers approach they could have used natural landmarks and the sort. Having more (and new) stuff to do is great, but somehow it doesn't feel as engaging as Grow Home. The plant system is a fun novelty but some plants are way more useful than others - and at the end of the day nothing beats the regular climbing.
Dark Souls III
2016
Astroneer
2019
I catch myself going back to it ever so often. The core gameplay is fun, but there's a point where you feel like you've done everything unique to be done and the rest is the same but in another color planet. Of course, the main game loop IS a lot of fun, so I got a ton of enjoyment out of it. The constant updates are nice even if it's nothing that dramatically increases the lifespan of the game.
Noita
2020
Fun roguelike with some unique mechanics, but the skill curve is a bit too high for my liking. The mid to late game is a lot of fun, but only if you've lucked out and got a decent enough build in the beginning. Huge amount of secrets and hidden lore, but with too few hints for someone to be able to find them all without a guide.