#Love Uncharted 4 seriously a great game | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

vole-mon-amour · 6 days

Text

(i'm watching the show under the cut. in short, i didn't like it.)

1x01.

gay. also, lieees.

well, this episode couldn't be more boring and look more fake. the only interesting part was about the ghoul.

I think less people need to make video games adaptations and more people need to play the actual video games the adaptation was made for. mark my words, just like with Uncharted, Borderlands movie is going to be one hell of a shitshow.

also, 8.2 on imdb? were we watching the same episode? the fights and the killing looked fake af. the scenery is staged, but that's understandable, they're inside a vault. i wanted to skip forward the entire thing (which i kinda did, because it's tedious). i'm glad i've waited until the end, though.

i don't know why they went with this because, for example, the base for fallout 4 was way more logical and faster than this. i couldn't play new vegas because it was dragging itself for so long & i was bored.

rating for me: 1 out of 10.

1x02.

malinois are gorgeous dogs.

why. does it look. so bad. so blurry. so fake.

now that's my kind of energy. (not him fucking chickens though.)

have you looked around? do you know where you are and what situation other people are in?

rating for me: 5 out of 10. wasn't as bad as the first one.

1x03.

Hey, Maximus, you're being an asshole.

hey, get fucked, maybe? the dog is fucking everything.

rating: 3 out of 10. boring af.

1x04: rating? maybe 4/10. some interesting moments were shown, but the ghoul? my goodness, dude. who fucking hurt you. is that the fandom's fav? he better have some seriously tragic backstory.

1x05: you know what? we don't have enough of the doggo. i want to see more of the doggo.

what I don't understand is why they were getting ready for the shelters and creating the entire program when the America seemed to do fine? like, what the hell happened? and why WERE they in those vaults when people still live in this radiation? it's just like that woman say, how ARE you going to save America?

and why are they electing a new Overseer when the old one disappeared, but they don't know if he died? can they even do that?

so you just leave all their stuff there? should've looted and sell. what a waste. that's not how video games work.

I like him. He and Lucy have good hearts.

rating: 4 out of 10 maybe? 5 out of 10 at best. i liked how they explored Vault 31. so far I think I'm the most curious about that.

1x06:

and humans eat EVERYTHING? what are you on about? we can be cannibals and not grow veggies and feed dogs with that logic.

say it!!

SAY IT!!!

though I'm not sure if a black female being a villain is a good or a bad thing for media?

in all her rant, she still hasn't answered who decides on all of that. because it's probably her. :)

btw, that thing Lucy said about the sun feeling so real and its warmth on her skin? foreshadowing it being real. her mother bringing her to the surface until she gets killed and buried by her husband aka Lucy's dad. if he IS his dad. i'm doubting everything here.

i'm watching all of this and thinking how much money is wasted on something completely unnecessary. all those human sized dolls. all this show.

this was a way decent episode than all the previous ones.

rating: 6 our 10 maybe? in this case, it's a good rating. 6.5-7 at best though.

1x07:

wet cat with big eyes.

oh, he's great.

yes dogs in the vault!!

Listen, I know the show starts with Lucy wanting "a real deal", but was the romance really necessary?

Rating: 5 out of 10. At best.

1x08:

so what they're trying to create is basically the matrix? and reinvent capitalism.

i feel like the ending (and the entire show) is trying to be Arcane. ohhh, this technology, we can use it. ehhh.

if Lucy's mom is a ghoul, how did she not attack everyone? no way she's still conscious, right? also, is there a hint that Lucy's mom and this Cult Leader were in love? (upd: ah yes. kill your gays trope.)

and in s2 Max wakes up like nothing happened. :))

also, where's is Ghoul's daughter?

s1 is such a waste of time, barely anything happened. no charismatic villains (aside maybe from The Wife), no charismatic protagonists (Ghoul? idk. he's not the good guy, either). just... what IS it and why are people so head over heels this show?

also. why do people ship Ghoul and Lucy? because of one or two parallels? no chemistry, not canon, like?

"my echo, my shadow, and me" as in the dog, Ghoul, and her?

rating: dunno, 3/10?

i'm gonna go ahead and give the entire show a 3/4 out of 10. bad. very bad. watch Arcane instead lol.

#fallout tv #natiswatching

0 notes

fandomwritingbit · 4 months

Text

For my 1k milestone...

First of all, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Wtf, I can't believe this has happened, but I'm certainly not complaining, I hope I can continue to make stuff that yous get along with.

Below I'm going to share a little of my interests by which I mean other blokes I mentally whore myself for, think of it like a watchmojo top nine of some of my shameful lustings. That and also me humanising this blog a little lmao.

no.1 Michael De Santa - GTA V

Like I'm not even lowkey obsessed with Michael it's and 24/7 365 full-time job at this point. I don't know if it's because he's a crook, or mid-life crisis age, or married, or violent, probably a mixture of all that, but yeah I'm addicted. I only recently got back into Gta V, I was a kid when it came out but used to sneakily play it on my mate's stepdad's xbox. We'd have to dig out the disk under empty boxes of L&B Blue lmao.

Reminiscing aside, Michael De Santa has been a fixation of mine for a long time and the lust is out of hibernation. I'd sell my soul, or whatever is left, to be his little bit on the side. If he was uh yk... real.

no.2 Rafe Adler - Uncharted 4

Oh my god, Rafe. Like they knew exactly what they were doing with his design and characterisation, he's just lush. A spoiled, rich boy with something to prove? With fucking bangs? Who FENCES?! What's not to like? I think he's got a little short man syndrome and I'm crazy for that shit lmao.

And bro, the climax fight scene where he's all sweaty and bloody is just otherworldly hot.

no.3 Capt. Boomerang/ George Harkness - (The) Suicide Squad.

Another crook, huh? He's just very nice, especially in the first(?) Suicide Squad (the one with Will Smith), bros got his biceps out and he's hairy and rough as a dog's arse. I mean Jai Courteney is just gajhdoifljkwjouhjlj. Also uh GOLD TEETH. He's so much fun too, the shafting of Slipknot just to see if the implants are real? The constant larger drinking? Gold. They should call me boomerang the way I bounce back to this guy all the time.

no.4 Johnny Cage - Mortal Kombat franchise

I'm always at a toss up between Johnny and Kano, I like both a lot but Johnny takes the cake. He's fun to play as, his lines are great. And he looks like that. The tattoo of his name on his chest, I just love men who are in love with themselves, ego for the win.

I've always been a Street Fighter lass but I'd turn coat for Johnny boy any day.

no.5 Mile Edgeworth - Ace Attorney

Ik I'm sorry, I just love the trilogy and he's so flamboyant and silly I just can't cope. I swear I'm not the kind of person who pashes on a bloke who unironically wears a cravat, but Edgeworth hits different. Also the reoccurrence of Ms. Oldbag makes me laugh too much. Ergo, Edgy-boy is making the list.

no.6 King Dice - Cuphead

The style, the pizazz, the showmanship; I LIVE. I just love him, the obvious nod to Cab Calloway is much appreciated, my nana used to listen to his old records all the time.

That wholesome bit out of the way, I'm a sucker for the era Cuphead is set in, all the fashion and music and early animation, it's still brilliant. And KD being the kind of guy who takes his coat off before he kicks the shit out of you with a designer shoe is just wow. Oh and moustaches are just fucking great, aren't they?

no.7 Tanner Grayson - Scrutinized

I love Tanner and his silly little jumpscare where he pops up in front of the camera. His character is the right mix of goofy and seriously menacing, just the lengths he goes to in the game are scary. Fuck syringes in general are scary. When he peeps around the corner before hiding in the cupboard- the first time that happened to me I was bricking it BIG time. But then he jumped on top of me/Luna and all was forgiven.

no.8 Frankie Donovan - Empire of Sin

Okay this might be an obscure one, ever played Empire of Sin? I found it on game pass a while back and was hooked, I tell you. 1920s prohibition gang life in Chicago, the history nerd in me vibrates with excitement. The characters are just smashing (literally sometimes), not just the bosses but the mobsters too. Frankie is by far the funniest boss to play as, he takes the piss out of everyone, swears like a sailor the whole time, he's just a ten out of ten experience. And the fact that he's always got scuffed knuckles and a bloody nose, just gets me going ngl. I wish I could be 'ina chara beag aige'.

no.9 Sammy Lawrence - Bendy and the Ink Machine

I sense an early 20th century theme here. Look, Ik nothing abut the game lore, I never played it, only watched Jacksepticeye and the like play the first game when it came out. But I do know a pathetic, screw-loose maniac when I see one, and I do here. The scene where he nabs the player and they wake to him monologuing about Bendy like he's some sort of god is brilliant and highkey turns me on.

All these are "gents" I've thought about writing for, but idk if it'd be any good lmao.

#1k followers #thank you so much #i've never done anything like this before i hope it reads okay

0 notes

guidedbynors · 1 year

Text

The Journal of a Paid GM: 1, an introduction

Hello traveler and welcome to this new line of posts I've been considering. This is the journal of a paid GM. Or, that is, this is my journal of the process as I set out to try to make a few bucks here and there playing games that I love.

If you've never heard of paid GMs (paid game masters), then you might be asking yourself, why would people pay a GM? If you don't know what a game master is, then you can google it. That's not supposed to be dismissive. It's just not what this line of posts is for and there are lots of places where you can find out what a Game Master is if you don't already know.

--0--

So now that you know what a Game Master is (or perhaps you already knew), you may be asking yourself, "Why would someone, let alone 4-6 people pay a GM when they could just play with their friends?"

Well, for anyone who has ever played D&D or some other TTRPG, they will know that getting a consistent game started and going and maintained can be frustrating. People call out sick, people skip for family events, people forget to show up, people have to leave early, etc etc. I have a friend who never brings his character sheet to sessions and when he rolls he just makes up what his stats are. Its fine, but it also feels like he's not taking the game seriously and that doesn't feel good to me, as a GM. I put a lot of time and effort into planning the session, thinking about plot and scenes and NPCs and fantastical places, etc etc. Then to have a friend show up and not bring the most basic requirement feels like a slap in the face. So, this being said, players pay GMs for stability. They want commitment from the GM which they get, since they are paying. They want consistency from other players, which they get, as other players are paying to play also--and when you pay to play you take it a bit more seriously. You show up on time and engage in the story.

Of course, paying players also have their own set of expectations for the GM. Having not yet run a single session that I get paid for (as of this writing: Session 0 in two days), I certainly feel some apprehension in my ability to live up to expectations. That being, I have planned a ton for this. I have run lots of different systems, and I know I am good at GMing.

You may be wondering how much a paid GM costs. Well, the truth is, not that much. The common price is $15-$20 per session per player. This may sound like a lot if you attend weekly game sessions, but when you compare it to going to a movie or out for dinner, or even a six pack of beer, it's comparable (depending on the six pack of beer, that is). For a GM this means they can make about $45 (3 player minimum) to somewhere around $90 per session (with a party of 6). A session usually lasts between 3-4 hours. That's not a great hourly rate. At least, not compared to my day job of Hight School Teacher. Then if you count the hours planning and the expenses of game services like DnDBeyond and Roll20, or whatever other VTT you invest in, then $90 per session -10% from the brokerage service, its suddenly a difficult way to make a living. Nevertheless, some people do. But lets add up my own expenses for being a paid GM:

DnDBeyond: $50 per year

Roll20: $50 per year

Cze & Peku Map/Scene Patreon: $8 per month

Game Supplements:

Uncharted Journeys: $30 one time purchse.

Exploring Eberron: $25 one time purchase

Yep: So, without ever being paid a penny I'm out nearly $200.

Sure, I might have bought some of these things anyway, but I went out and found Uncharted Journeys and Exploring Eberron specifically for the D&D campaign I am running as a paid game. Similarly, I wouldn't have DnDBeyond or Roll20 accounts if I wasn't running paid games. So it's an investment.

So what is this investment for? Or what is the end goal? Well, the goal is to get established in the community. Which community? You may have noticed that I said the brokerage takes 10% of anything a paid GM makes. That brokerage is called StartPlaying.games. It is a site where players go to find games in which they pay to play in. There are some difficulties in getting started though. There are plenty of great GMs out there and many of them have more "hosted games" which means game sessions they have run, and reviews from players than a a new GM on SPG can ever dream of. These "hosted games" and reviews draw players in. Also, the goal is to find returning players. Players who stick with you through different campaigns because they know what you can do as a GM and like your style. This is a long game move. Not because I want to make a living as GM, but I do want to have a creative financial game to play that lets me do something I love for a little money.

It's an interesting and exciting adventure to go on. I love planning my game, a D&D campaign in the Demon Wastes of Eberron, a rather unappreciated campaign setting for D&D.

That's all for now, though if you fancy playing in my game, I'm still looking for 1 more player. Just click here for Eberron: Demon Wastes Rising to sign up

#ttrpg #D&D #5e #Dungeons and Dragons #Eberron #Keith Baker #adventure #rpg #tabletop roleplaying

1 note · View note

thenoseofdeath · 2 years

Text

This is a blog of my replay of the Uncharted series. I'll give my thoughts for each game as I go through them.

Apart from Uncharted 1 which I played a few years ago. I haven't replayed the others since they first came out so this'll be interesting

This entry gets a lot of hate and I can see why. The story is simple but decent and the game has good dialogue and solid Voice acting. The gameplay and controls however are a problem.

Aiming can be a pain, movement isn't as tight as you would want and climbing can be finicky. Now these weren't too much of a problem back in 2007 but they stick out like a sore thumb in 2022. Adding to those problems is the insane amount of combat encounters and you're left with a game that is very frustrating and annoying to play.

That being said. Combat was somehow still fun so it's not too bad I guess but I think I have a higher tolerance for these things.

Music was great, the game has nice sound design, the old PS3 era vibe is still there (I miss that) and the visuals are still really nice.

So even though the game annoyed me to a degree. I still enjoyed myself and I definitely wouldn't consider this a bad game. It's just old and dated.

This honestly should've gotten a remake instead of TLOU. It would've seriously benefited from it.

What can I say? Huh? What can I say?

This game is among my top 10 greatest video games of all time for a reason!

Top to bottom, from beginning to end. This game was insane all the way through. A god damn roller coaster ride!

My only complaint that this game is SO good that 13 years later, I STILL remember most of it. So the chance of re-experiencing those epic moments for the first time again just couldn't happen unfortunately.

Also had play on easy for final boss coz it was annoying but IDGAF

Regardless. This game is just as amazing as I remember and 60fps just elevates it further. Felt like it never left, man.

Story, characters, dialogue, voice acting, gameplay, level design, visuals, combat and set pieces.

I don't care if it has flaws. I love it all!

So I was never a big fan of this entry but this time is a bit different.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I did back on PS3. The first half didn't leave a great impression but it got better once you reach Yemmen and then it was fantastic from the Shipyard onwards. I absolutely loved the 2nd half and it pretty much saved the game for me.

That being said. I do have some problems with it. Particularly in the first half though some of those do show up in the 2nd half. It just isn't as noticeable.

-The way the levels are laid out

-Enemy placement

-How the guns feel

-Stealth feels very restrictive

-Hate the crosshair

-The A.I.

-The vibe

-Unfair Difficulty

It all just felt off and I wasn't feeling a lot of it.

Even things like Drakes animations which aren't always accurate to the present situation.

For example. Drakes running animation during combat or chase sequences are too relaxed and slow looking or during stealth he isn't exactly moving as stealthy. He's almost walking casually. Its like he does some of his actions half assed.

The other big problem was the difficulty. Look I'm all for a game wanting to challenge me and even make me feel overwhelmed as that can heighten the tension and make things more exciting which UC3 does but man do they go overboard with it.

Uncharted 1 & 2 had a system. The enemies were in front of you, others would creep on the side trying to flank you and then a new wave would come from behind. You were always behind cover and were able to defend yourself while they tried different tactics to lure you out. It was simple and effective.

Uncharted 3 said fuck all that. Lets have everyone come at you from all sides, then ramp up the difficulty to artificial levels by throwing 3 snipers, 3-4 armoured shotgunners, 2 unarmoured shotgunners, an rpg guy, a missle projectile guy, 3 fucking tanks and barely any cover. Call it a skill issue, I don't care. That shit is straight up unfair. A lot of times I felt like I got through that shit from just pure luck.

If they had just cut it down a LITTLE bit and gave me a bit of breathing room then I wouldn't be complaining as much.

With all that in mind though. I kinda liked it. Managing to take out huge waves of powerful enemies while being put in such an unfair situation is quite satisfying. It really makes you feel like a badass.

It works for the plot too. Drake being way in over his head is shown through gameplay and adds to the narrative so thats pretty cool.

Now onto the positives.

-Visuals are beautiful

-Set pieces are awesome

-Hand to hand combat is great

-Dialogue is still great

-Funniest entry so far

-Charlie is a great edition though you don't see him after the first quarter and he only appears in this entry so thats a bummer

-Music is good

-Puzzles were really good

Another thing I loved was all the subtle details to make the world feel more alive.

Drake put his hand on the wall while walking, parts of the environment would react to Drake's touch and that shit would vary in many ways. Granted they only happen once but it's still cool.

That 2nd half was just amazing and it really made me think more positively about this entry. I think when I first played it back on PS3, I was just so gutted by the negatives that I couldn't see the positives.

Is it UC2 level? No but its kinda close.

Good game!

I gotta admit. I really enjoyed this one. I wasn't a big fan of this entry back when it first came out. Had a lot of problems with it like the vibe, aspects of the story, no Chloe or Charlie and even things like gunplay and difficulty. Now Im not so sure why I wasn't feeling it.

The game is great. Controls are fantastic, and responsive, guns feel really good, level design is brilliant and parkour (as basic as it is) is really fun. Oh and the stealth is great. I'm so happy they fixed it. Uncharted 3 was so restrictive. Its like they looked at Uncharted 2 and thought "lets do this but better". Now you can actually stealth through many sections and not be forced into a gunfight. The areas are so well designed too so you have a ton of options to take em out.

Love it!

Now for the story. I really like the darker and more mature vibe they went with. Drake's decisions have actual consequences so its not your typical action hero story this time around and thats good. I personally wouldn't mind it if it was but its good that its different.

They put a bigger focus on the characters too and provided them with more depth than in past entries. Made them feel more down to earth rather than movie action heroes and I like that. It's good stuff.

I really like Sam too and I think he's a great edition to the cast. Rafe is also a really good villain and the best written out of the bunch. I still prefer Lazarevic from Uncharted 2 by miles.

Now as for problems? I don't have much tbh. I wish Chloe was in this but I can't see how they could've included her in so I get it.

I miss the supernatural aspect but I guess that would've worked against the more grounded take they went for here so it's fine I guess

I also hate that I couldn't get at least one hit on Nadine. I just wanted one good satisfying punch but nope. She walks away unscathed. I mean dude. You can't just have her kick me about like that and not give me the opportunity to enact some revenge. I want some payback god damnit!

Small spoiler but I wasn't really liking the whole destiny thing they were going for during one of the flashbacks. The whole "it runs in the family" thing kinda bothers me

It's not a big deal of course and it does make sense why Drake and Sam are so into history but still.

Anyway. That's about it with the negatives. There really isn't anything to complain about. Naughty Dog provided a solid and nicely paced ride that delivers on (almost) all fronts.

It's a fun action packed adventure with good puzzles, fantastic set pieces, gorgeous visuals and a really good story accompanied by some of the best performances in the gaming industry. Its the perfect send off for Nathan Drake and I had an absolute blast replaying it.

#Uncharted2 #Uncharted3 #Uncharted4 #UnchartedLostLegacy #Playstation #Playstation3 #Playatation4 #Playstation5 #PS3 #PS4 #PS5 #Gaming #Games #Video Games

0 notes

welovekpopscenarios · 6 years

Text

Someone: Stop writing game au’s, you’re trash

Me: No, I’m doing the Lord’s work

12 notes · View notes

datashuun · 3 years

Text

i'm sure most of y'all have already seen the new uncharted movie trailer, i am personally disappointed in a lot of things so to cope here's who i would have casted based off of appearance and vibe™️ (specifically the cast of uncharted 4 since they wanted to go w the whole pirate thing)

jeremy renner as nathan drake

i know y'all saw this coming i've been preaching this for years. its the face and the attitude and y'all KNOW renner could pull off the action. no hate to tom holland, i love him as an actor but like... nate isn't that young. HOWEVER! tom holland could probably pass as young nate in columbia imo

jeffrey dean morgan as samuel drake

i saw a few comments on the trailer that said jdm could pull off sully way more but tbh?? i def see him as sam once his hair is grown out. that neck tattoo would look sick on him

jeff bridges as victor sullivan

the face. the expressions. the age. it all works out perfectly. no hate to mark wahlberg, but sully without his stache?? is it even sully??

theresa frostad eggesbø as elena fisher

i was watching ragnarok earlier this year and the second saxa came on screen i went "oh wow that's just elena" and my parent looked at me funny bc they thought i meant from the vampire diaries. but like, seriously. u can't tell me she wouldn't be perfect.

simone ashley as chloe frazer

at first i didn't know who i would cast as chloe bc sophia taylor ali seemed to fit it pretty well from the trailer, but then i remembered simone from seeing the cast list for bridgerton season 2 and it all went down from there

jake gyllanhaal as rafe adler

since i played the games i've always thought that jake would make a great rafe for some reason, that's just how i saw it and i'll stick to it even now

renee elise goldsberry as nadine ross

DOWN TO THE MOLE ABOVE HER LIP!!!! (i know they're on opposite sides leave me alone) renee would be amazing as nadine and u know she could pull it off after watching her in altered carbon ok

90 notes · View notes

astrologanize · 3 years

Photo

*this is about your next mutual romantic connection - it could be that you both like each other but nothing may come of it, it could be someone you choose to date casually or not, or it could be someone that you go on to enter a serious relationship with. it’s a ‘connection’ for a reason! what you make of this connection is your choice, this is just the next mutual romantic connection that is coming towards you (yay for free will)

please take a moment to take a deep breath, ask yourself the above topic, and select the icon you are most drawn towards

pile 1: this person is not the most forthcoming with their emotions and i wouldn’t say that they’re cold but they are emotionally constipated. you’re showing up as closed off though so both of you are hesitant when it comes to romance, or at least for this romance in particular. it could be possible that when this connection comes around you’re still not entirely over someone else which is why you’re not as quick to get attached to this person. you’re going to need to decide whether you are going to move on from the previous person and pursue this new connection wholeheartedly or, if that doesn’t apply, then you’re going to have to work through the emotions of discomfort with this person by sharing your worries and concerns and make a more conscious effort to bring that sense of togetherness. to be fair this person reaaally needs to learn how to be bolder with you anyhow because they aren’t very expressive about their feelings for you so you’re both needing to learn how to open up in different ways. as your icon, the north star, suggests - it’s a time to figure out where you’re going! will you move on? will you make the trek towards opening up? something has to bring brightness!

pile 2: this person has been through some things but they’re overcoming those issues or have already overcome those issues so this person doesn’t want to allow for anything to knock them down again Or this person has not properly dealt with past woes so they struggle with having healthy connections. for the former it will seem at times this person can shrug things off or have the mentality of “like water off a duck’s back” and it’s not from a lack of caring but because they’re trying to avoid pitfalls. for the the latter, this person shrugs things off because they genuinely don’t have the will to deal with it. this seems like a connection where neither of you expected to like the other because they aren’t your usual type at all and you’re not what they were looking for but somehow a romantic connection formed. i don’t see this as being a long-term connection because neither of you are heavily invested but if you both wanted to invest in it then the expectations would have to change (lol aka there would have to be some) and there would need to be quite a bit of effort put into this. honestly i think you both kind of like the freedom that the connection grants so idk how well the transition to a relationship would go with the workload it would require. your icon is the plum and a plum is great for keeping things in motion; it’s important that in this connection you remember to keep things regulated and adaptable because the best thing you can do in this connection is remember that this is uncharted territory so do your best to stay nimble without losing yourself

pile 3: this person is spacey and they’re not what you think they are (which doesn’t always have to be a bad thing), its a tip of iceberg kind of person where there’s an internal jumbling under the surface so it may take awhile to feel close to them. this could be a connection that becomes a serious relationship because it seems that you’re both rather committed towards the long haul and there is a good level of reciprocation happening in the connection. kind of not surprisingly enough though, you do need to work on intimacy issues when it comes to this connection because it seems like you have some emotional distress due to past attachment issues and you could be the type that gets uneasy when things are too settled. this person’s biggest enemy is themselves and they easily feel like they did something wrong and get caught up in negative mental patterns so they have to learn to inject more positivity. your icon is the cupcake so when it comes to this connection you need to take a bite and enjoy the sweetness; like the “cupcake phase” of a relationship you have to make sure you continue to keep that lighthearted, saccharine quality so that the relationship doesn’t become stale or make you feel trapped. embrace this connection in spite of fear because love will always be a gamble and there will be rough patches but if it’s worth it, it’s worth it

pile 4: this person radiates youthful energy so they may seem immature or naive but they’re a joy to be around. you will feel like the mature one between the two of you and i am seeing that the connection is more in your hands than theirs so you’re the one who is initiating most of it. this person takes on a c’est la vie attitude so i wouldn’t count on this person being the best at serious conversations or being the type to face things head on. this connection will take both of you out of your comfort zones - you’re going to have to work on your tendency to play things too safe and this person is going to have to be more willing to demonstrate substantial effort instead of flying by the seat of their pants all the time. with your icon being (blue) crystals i feel that this connection is an important experience for you in teaching you how to find relief because there’s both a liberation and an acceptance that’s needing to take place. there is emphasis on this being a connection to experience above all, i’m not seeing any definition so i doubt this will become anything serious but it’s a connection that could alleviate something that has gone repressed for a long time

pile 5: this person is all over the place. the icon of the car is showing through right from the get-go i guess lol. you’re not in the clear though either because you’re seeming like you’re trying to control the connection out of fear and there is a concerning lack of accountability on your part. neither of you have a clue what to make of this connection, there is emotion and attachment to each other but too many mind games are taking place and intentions are obscured. this person is going to feel iced out by you with the way you’re behaving, like they’re way in over their head because they aren’t feeling that support from you - it’s mostly just you asserting harsh boundaries that make them feel like they don’t have a say. it’s okay for you to take the lead in this connection because this person does have problems with focus but it’s not okay for you to be so heavy handed. when it comes to this connection you’re going to need to keep things light and open and the car icon may also suggest that this connection could benefit from some adventuring/traveling (covid safe pls). this is not a connection that fits into a box so don’t try to force it to

pile 6: this person tends to fight the tide in life and it seems like they attract hardships because of it - they may seem like they can never catch a break almost. they might be older than you or more experienced because you’re showing up in this connection as being juvenile and using this connection as a way to bide time. this person has fixed energy though so despite the fact that they are the committed type, it’s also them having issues with taking things too seriously and not wanting to change their expectations. as your icon suggests, there is cyclic behavior happening from both parties and within this connection and both of you are needing to learn responsibility in different ways; you’re needing to learn to be more practical and heedful while they’re needing to learn to not take things so seriously and be more responsible in the sense that their expectations are unrealistic and unfair. you should let this person care for you, i gotta be honest and say that i’m not seeing this connection as necessarily equal but it does very much seem like this person is wanting to give and it can be a lesson of you learning how important it is to have someone that does ground you. this connection is specifically beneficial for you, not exactly a symbiotic connection, so if you’re wanting to learn about priorities and follow through then this person/connection will provide the opportunity to do so. since this person is pretty set in their ways i’m not seeing a loss or a gain on their part, it’s like you have a tree (them) in front of you and whatever is growing on it you can choose to take it or leave it. this one was interesting because i was like ??? is this manipulative??? but since this person is lowkey trying to have the upper hand and does prefer being the provider i don’t see the problem in you accepting what they offer - do still be aware though and don’t let this become a dependency or about power plays

#pick a card #q

115 notes · View notes

unabashedrebel · 4 years

Text

Top 10 Characters

In no particular order

1) Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) Can I just say that I love how the reboots, both the movie and the new trilogy of games were phenomenal as a long time fan of this character? They did her right. They focused on her origins, how she came to be this mythic Tomb Raider who delves into the greatest mysteries of the world while fighting against an evil Illuminati type organization.

But she always has tenacity. She always has grit. She’s not always sure of herself, or her abilities, but still continues to do it anyways because it’s the right thing to do. Not to mention I love the whole cultured rich girl who gets her hands dirty literally all the time. I’ve loved everything about her characterization in the last few years.

2) Really the entire FF7 cast but; Tifa Lockhart (FF7) Is anyone actually surprised by this one? Look at my blog. It’s pretty Tifa-rific lately. Honestly I have no good excuse for this, I can’t actually trace back what the reason was that started me on really liking her character. Basically because she’s been my video game wife since I was about 10 years old.

I guess, if I really thought about it, I enjoy her realness. She’s an optimist but not fully in your face about it, she promotes kindness, she’s the mom friend. Always looking out for everyone else at the expense of herself. They’re traits that I really admire in people, and you know what? It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that maybe those feelings were in part brought on by a video game character from my childhood. Not only that but I’ve always loved the story thread with her about the conflict she faces in doing what she believes is the right thing, and the fallout that ensues.

Not only that but she’s a fucking badass.

3) Spider-Man (Peter Parker, Marvel) Shout to to the most relatable super-hero ever created. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that Spider-man is a staple of New York, even if he’s fictional. He’s just... boiled down to that essence of a Queens kid. It’s amazing as someone from around this area.

But seriously, I think I like Peter the most because he really is relatable. He really does worry about the same things I find myself worrying about. He really does shoot out quips like that’s his super power. He really does try and do whats right regardless of what others think. He’s conflicted, he’s unsure of himself, he’s been granted this great power and feels the need to go out and help people with it, and again at great personal expense. He’s, to me? What a hero should be.

I guess I like him so much because I see a lot of myself in him. I can relate and put myself in those shoes. I can relate my experiences to his, and i’m not talking about getting bit by a radioactive spider. I’m talking about the human side to Peter Parker. His stresses when he’s out of the tights.

4) Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher, and again I love all the characters Geralts just tops. Ciri was a close second.) Yeah, yeah call me out and say ‘someone just binged’. YOU KNOW WHAT MAYBE I DID FOR THE SECOND TIME YOU CANT STOP ME.

Seriously though. For a character who does not like being social? Geralt is so beautifully written for. Fun fact, I haven’t actually played the games save for the half way through 2 and the intro to 3. But I read the first novel and I’m working my way through the second, and Geralt? He’s a man of few words. But when he does speak? Everybody fucking listens.

5) Kassandra (AC: Odyssey) Uhhhh, first women to win the wrestling Olympics? How could I not.

As a long time fan of Assassins Creed and the wonderfully written characters that I have been lucky enough to get to know as protagonists? Kassandra takes the cake. She was blunt, sassy, smart, and took nobodies shit. Forever has she branded the word Misthios in my head with that Greek twang. To the point where I get excited when I hear it.

Maybe it was a mix of being in the Ancient Greek world with her, another one of my favorites. But there was just something about her character that stuck out to me. Something I haven’t seen in their writing since Ezio.

6) Joel (The Last of Us) How the fuck could I not love the gruff and sad dad?

Dude the characters in this game were so insanely well done. Like you could literally tell that, besides the fact that it was an amazingly fun game? The dev team TRULY cared about the story, the reception, and the buildup.

Lets be real. That first scene with him when everything starts is about as heartbreaking as it comes. It sets you up to really accept that this man has lost everything, that he no longer cares about anything but survival, because he’s already learned that when you care? Those things can be easily taken away.

He’s cold. He’s quick. He’s capable. He’s ignorant to everyone else. Right up until he meets Ellie and that little girl begins to peel back the layers and show that Joel, under it all, is actually a pretty good guy who has been dealing with his trauma by building up walls.

All and all? I would recommend anyone playing this game just to see the transition of Joel. Ellie, as well, by no small measure. But Joel’s growth was one of my favorite things to ever watch unfold in a game.

7) Revan (Star Wars) Okay so I know this ones a bit obscure. He was actually featured as a protagonist of one of Star War, in my opinion, best roleplaying games.

Basically I love this character because I think he actually GETS the whole thing. The cults. He doesn’t really subscribe to either of them, rather he’s used them to further his own goals. Which you know, as an RPG you get to chose, usually I like to chose he did what he did for the right reasons. Because the Jedi were failing the people they had to protect. Because he couldn’t stand by and watch a war be fought while they deliberated what to do. He never fully reasoned with the Sith, and as far as I knew didn’t quite care to share their extremist values. Frankly, he’s by far been the best representation to what I feel is a very opinionated debate in Star Wars: Why chose either side? They both suck in their own ways.

He saw passed all that, started a movement, started a war of ideologies when the universe was still young enough to hear those kinds of debates play out.

His story will forever be one of my absolute favorites in Star Wars.

8) Ahsoka Tano (Star Wars) If you haven’t watched the Clone Wars animated series and you’re a fan of Star Wars? What the fuck are you doing. This character alone is enough to justify the 7 season watch.

The Padawan of Anakin Skywalker. How can that go wrong, right? Actually, Ahsoka is one of the reasons I began to like Anakin in the first place. The whole series shows a different side to characters we love, honestly, you got to see Anakin be the best Jedi general anyone had ever seen. You got to see him train this young woman into an incredible Jedi, and honestly? The younger sister relationship that Ahsoka has with Anakin is just so well done.

But beyond that there’s so much to love about Ahsoka. If you haven’t caught the theme, I really do love strong characters who still have flaws. Who still have a lot to learn. Who make mistakes. But even after she had, never once did Ahsoka give up on what she believed in. Her values, in the end, proving to be stronger to her then the values instilled by the Jedi, even if they aligned.

My favorite thing is that you got to see her journey, literally from a learning padawan to a fully fledged Jedi badass.

If we don’t get an Ahsoka series on Disney+ I’m gonna be pissed.

9) Nathan Drake (Uncharted) Cheeky rogue with a heart of gold that often gets by on sheer luck alone.

Need I say more?

10) Tanjiro Kamado (Demon Slayer) Okay, so don’t really expect many people to know this one.This character is the main protagonist in an anime that has literally taken all my attention. From the animation, to the story, to the undeniable ways in inspires me to write Sori.

Tanjiro, perhaps, is the driving force behind this. I just love this kid okay? He started out as NOTHING. Literally, nothing. He fought against overwhelming odds, knowing full well he would die, to save his sister. And in that moment? The person he was fighting let him go. He then sent him down the path of becoming a demon slayer.

This kid, who as far as I know was part of a large family of commoners gave everything he had to training his body to fight demons. Every time he stumbled, he found the strength to continue. He never gives up. He learns, he thinks, he’s a smart kid with this absolute bottomless well of determination.

I don’t want to ruin the plot of the anime too much because honestly this has been my favorite thing since Dragonball Super. You should go watch it. I promise you will understand right off the bat why I love this character so much.

I was tagged by: @serelia-evensong @safrona-shadowsun

Gonna tag: @draenei-tales @wildname @zeehva @ravensteel @fair-fae @monster-of-master @palaceofthedeadmemes @zariasilverleaf @starforger @asharinhun

I’m also not sorry this is a long post. How dare you ask me to talk about shit I love.

21 notes · View notes

not-iscariot · 3 years

Photo

This was really hard but if you’re interested in my reasoning then scroll below...

Favorite game of all time: Dragon Age Inquisition

For a lot of the answers I wanted to give Big Brain Answers, but thinking through all the games I’ve ever played... I don’t have the hours on any other game like I do this one. I have my own issues with the franchise and some of the decisions that get made but hot damn does a good RPG Fantasy series do it for me. I’ve never played another game that genuinely feels different and unique every playthrough, the world is so big and the ability to feel like a bunch of different versions of the Inquisitor are some of the reasons I find the game so fun to replay. I’ve played 3 games through to completion, 2 with the Trespasser DLC, and 1 where I played every DLC available. I’m currently on another playthrough right now... so based on my attachment and hour log I would say this is my favorite game of all time.

Best Story: Mass Effect 3

This was also really hard because there are a lot of games where I loved the story. I think it’s really hard to end a series and I honestly liked the ending of Mass Effect although not everyone is a fan. The choice-consequence ramifications in this game are pretty brutal and it’s rewarding to see the conclusion of so many of the companions’ arcs. The first time I finished this game I was sobbing which showed how much investment I had in the story and the characters, especially Shepard. I think there are a lot of interesting larger ideas explored in the series like collective consciousness through the Geth as well as the tension between synthetic and organic, which I found myself thinking about a lot when reading Emergent Strategy.

Favorite Art Style: The Wolf Among Us

RIP Telltale. I liked a lot of their games, but WAU is where I feel the style really hit it’s stride. It worked super well with the fantasy/detective story. I’m sad they never got to finish the game.

“I’ll finish it some day”: Zelda: Breath of the Wild

BotW is a really amazing game but I have never in my life finished a Zelda game. I want to finish it bad but I sucked literal ass at the boss fights. I also struggle hard with games that have huge open worlds when there isn’t a story really driving me through objectives and missions. Some people love the freedom, I tend to get bored quickly. I dropped the game because I didn’t have time to play it so when I feel up to it again I’m starting from the beginning.

Big Personal Impact: Dragon Age 2

This game made me realize I was bi and helped me come out. That’s pretty much all there is to it. By far my favorite companion set, I hope for future games they take more cross impact between companion characters because that was seriously lacking in Inquisition.

Best Combat: Spider-man

Super fun combat that you personalize to your fighting style. When I was hitting my best in terms of combos it felt super cool. Just a really strong game gameplay-wise.

You like, but everyone else hates: Beyond: Two Souls

I don’t know if everyone hates it but when I talk about it I hear a lot of groans... this is definitely one of my favorite games to play with someone else and I think it’s super engaging to play with people who aren’t really into video games. It’s easy enough for them to get into with a decent story and decent twist reveals.

You hate, but everyone likes: Fallout Franchise

I’ve tried so hard to get into these games. I own most of them but I have never been able to finish one. Fallout 4 was super buggy and I couldn’t get through some of the critical fights. I wanted to be into it but it just didn’t do it for me.

Underrated: Jedi Fallen Order

I don’t think it’s that underrated but I had a friend tell me it was “just Dark Souls with lightsabers” and I thought that was an unfair assessment. The Jedi gameplay is really fun and the boss fights are hard but so worth it to keep trying until you get through them. Also, as a Star Wars nerd, I liked this offshoot exploration of the Jedi.

Overrated: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

OK I bought this game having never played a Witcher game or engaged with really any Witcher content and I thought, based off the amazing reviews, that wouldn’t be a problem but I could not get through it. I just didn’t understand what the heck was going on or get attached to any of the characters. I went back and bought the first two games on sale, although the first is so frustrating because you have to obsessively save so that you don’t lose progress. I’m open to changing my mind down the road but I just didn’t get into it.

“Why do I like this?”: Grand Theft Auto V

I bought this at the beginning of quarantine last year as a long game to have that would take me ages to complete so I wouldn’t lose my mind. It’s the only GTA game I’ve ever played and I got super into it even though it’s like... GTA. Truly just THAT video game stereotype, you know?

Game you always go back to: Borderlands 2

I’ve played the other Borderlands games but this is definitely my favorite. Just a decent game to playthrough either on your own or with other people. I like the drop-in, drop-out story play through you can do with people.

That atmosphere...: Stardew Valley

Pretty self-explanatory. I wish I lived there. I want what they have...

Bad Day Cure: The Uncharted Franchise

Decent story and story arcs. Good gameplay to zone out to. I like the characters. This was the first set of games I played on my PS4 and it was during a blizzard. Super replayable.

Favorite Protagonist: Hades (Zagreus)

I almost said Dragon Age 2 for Hawke but because Hawke’s personality really depends on the player (I exclusively do humorous) I didn’t feel that counted for strong protag writing. Zagreus rocks. Bi king. He’s sensitive and caring and tough and funny. His arc is so wholesome... my childhood trauma definitely projected heavy onto this game.

After Work Game: Left 4 Dead 2

This was the first game I ever bought on Steam back in 2012 to play with my online friends from deviantArt... that’s how old this game is for me. I’ve clocked almost 400 hours and it’s definitely my go-to comfort/tune out game. I literally play this game to self soothe when I have anxiety... I’m so used to it and familiar with the gameplay that it doesn’t stress me out at all.

Biggest Letdown: Mass Effect Andromeda

After ME series I was honestly fine where Shepard’s story ended and I was down for another protag and offshoot story but... the game sucked. The combat was fun and it wasn’t unplayable but ME was so good that this game just didn’t live up to the standard. The companions are just not as interesting or engaging, it was buggy and animated weird as hell, and I couldn’t give a fuck about Ryder honestly...

“Back in the day” game: Pokémon Ruby/Sapphire

Curling up on the couch or in my room on my Gameboy Advanced SP in red collecting pokémon... these were the DAYS.

“Not the best but having fun”: Fire Emblem Franchise

Three Houses is definitely my favorite and the only other that I liked out of the few I’ve played was Awakening. I think the games are decent and fun, Three Houses was definitely the strongest in terms of side characters and story, but there are still issues like... how romancing works. Claude is so bisexual it’s actually alarming...

Criminally Overlooked: Mirror’s Edge

This series had potential to become such a cool franchise but it stopped after Catalyst. I was so invested in the world they created and it was just very... whatever Watchdogs was trying to do but I didn’t like as much. Some really awesome gameplay, just a lot of parkour and running.

Depressing Game: The Walking Dead

This game and the subsequent ones I just feel so bad for Clementine, this poor girl cannot win. I never finished the last season because I lost track of what Telltale ended up doing, but now I know they finished it so I gotta get back in there. Yeah I cried at the end of this first game.

Favorite ACTIVE Franchise: Dragon Age

So many issues with the series but... it’s likely if they’ve announced a new one I’ve already pre-ordered. I’m very invested and hope Dragon Age 4 is as good if not better than Inquisition...

Not usually my thing but...: Red Dead Redemption 2

Not at all a game I would usually get based of how it was advertised and explained to me as well as the usual crowd who’s into it but... I really loved it. I said this before that I’m not great with super large maps and free reign but RDR2 is one of the few exceptions. I would spend hours just running around and hunting. I started playing it in quarantine and lord... it was so nice to just roam around this huge, beautiful map and feel like I was hanging out outdoors. It also made it shitty to be stuck outdoors because all I wanted to do after I finished was go on a cross-country road trip. Still very much a like... manly man game. But I don’t mind that.

Anyways that’s my two cents. Here’s the blank:

#video games #me #long post

1 note · View note

kitcat992 · 4 years

Note

Ok, about U4. What did you think of Cassie at the end? It irked me, imo. It has never really come up that they wanted children... I’d rathrr they have left her out imo, maybe hinted at it or something.

Ohhhhhh boy. Where my “kids aren’t the endgame” peeps at? @mrs-n-uzumaki? @dragonnan? Ya’ll there for me? 😅

So, I have very odd feelings about Uncharted 4 from the very start. I played it through with a good friend of mine at the time, and we always joked that Uncharted 4 is the GOOD fanfiction of the world 😆 Like, you know how some sequels/installments just seemed so off and wrong that it feels like a bad fanfiction? Like some weird, overly obsessed fan with no writing skills wrote some daydream of theirs and it got published? We always joked that was Uncharted. Great fanfiction, but fanfiction nonetheless.

Because seriously, after 3 games, suddenly Drake has a brother? C’mon. Don’t look me in the eye and say that doesn’t feel like a fanfiction. 😂

But at the end of the game, I still loved it. Granted, it was different, especially without Amy in charge, and that also played a part in the different feel. I just sorta see it separately from the other games. Which PROBABLY made the ending easier to swallow. ‘Cause otherwise...

Yikes.

Really?

Did we need that?

If you know me, you know I’m very anti-Morgan Stark and very anti-”couples need to have kids to be complete” Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, for example, showed NO desire to have children (the opposite, in fact) and then suddenly BAM mamma and daddy Stark raising little Stark off on the waters.

Drake and Elena having a kid felt the same way. It just didn’t...fit them. It shouldn’t have been their ending. They seemed like the perfect couple to go retire somewhere and enjoy each others companies, with Sully coming by on Sundays to cook up some steaks, and our-newly-discovered-fanfic-bro Sam dropping in to stir up some trouble. The whole “settled down with kids” thing felt forced. Like it was the ONLY way Drake would give up treasure hunting.

I don’t have a problem with Cassie, I liked how they showed her taking after her dad and mom and whatnot. But it just felt shoehorned. Like they couldn’t complete the series without ending on those two having kids, because....they’re married? So to show they’re happy, they need to have offspring? Blergh. I don’t dig it.

But show me a fictional couple that doesn’t end up with kids and I’ll show you my bank account cushy with money.

Spoilers. Neither exists. 🙄

#uncharted #uncharted 4 #Nathan drake #Elena Fisher #uncharted video game #video games #naughty dog #Amy Henning deserved better

5 notes · View notes

vroenis · 4 years

Text

Uncharted 4: An Era’s End

It’s recently come to light that game developer Naughty Dog has been subjecting its employees to crunch; the practice of overworking and underpaying staff in order to meet deadlines. This is not unique to Naughty Dog, nor to their current project pending release later this year, The Last Of US 2. Reports suggest that crunch has been endemic in the working culture of Naughty Dog for some time and this is now no surprise to us as such reports continue to surface about studio after studio, most in the corporately structured, premium funded and managed space we call “triple A” or AAA, but many smaller studios and independent spaces also. Several senior and long-tenured creatives have left Naughty Dog quite recently, and some may have been leaving earlier than those that have been reported during what’s turning out to be a turbulent development cycle for The Last Of Us 2.

Each month, as part of the paid subscription to the Playstation Plus online service, Sony offers a small selection of games. For April, one of them was Naughty Dog’s Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, from which I derived my title. Not only am I here to suggest the studio’s troubles may have begun during the development of this game, first released back in 2016, but the title may have been one of the first significant indications that the book was closing on AAA development as we know it. I appreciate there have been many good voices shouting from the rooftops about the how unsustainable it’s been from before then, but the Naughty Dog for a long time seemed like a light in the dark, signalling that a big studio could still produce good product under strong leadership.

I feel that Uncharted 4 rather than The Last Of Us 2 is the real light, and instead of a light-house, it turned out to be a signal-fire warning that even then the composure of Naughty Dog was an illusion.

This piece is going to contain significant spoilers for Uncharted 4. It’s also not investigative - I just played it for the first time, completed it and I have some thoughts about it; these are my thoughts.

I didn’t like the third game at all. I took nothing away from it. I’ll never play it again as there’s nothing I want to relive from it, so I’d better look up the wiki on what happened in it... well that didn’t help at all as I don’t remember playing any of that, it was so unmemorable. I remember the wandering around in the desert bit and then some shooting in the desert which was all pointless. There were also some puzzles with shadow puppets that were almost good but so short and pointless, those two things sum up my feelings about the third game entirely.

What a way to start.

I’ve replayed the first and second games once each, so I’ve played those each twice thru and have decided that the first game is overlong and poorly paced, and the second game is the best and probably two-thirds good. Honestly, Elena should drop the Drakes in the ocean, run-off with Chloe and keep in touch with Sully because those are the only three characters with any depth and meaning. Let’s roll-back a bit.

I get that Nathan’s supposed to be a charming, happy-go-lucky character and for the most part, it works. Maybe I’m just getting too old for it or it’s wearing too thin. I really think the third game was completely unnecessary. When I review my notes on the fourth game, I think about the emotional quandary it attempts to set up i.e., ultimately that Nathan should be more honest with Elena - spoiler; he isn’t, but don’t worry it all works out *SPIT* - this was already a problem I was ready to face at the end of the second game. Given my feelings on the third game, I’d have much preferred a simple trilogy and conclusion that faced that emotional brunt to wrap things up. Naturally of-course, that’s not how money-spinners work.

If Uncharted 4 doesn’t spend time on Elena, who does it spend time on? Nathan has a brother! To be fair, I love Troy Baker as a voice actor and if there’s one thing that is consistent in Naughty Dog games, it’s excellent voice acting. I don’t know if I’m now biased after seeing so much of Nolan North and Troy Baker on YouTube outside of their VO talent work, but they’re wonderful people and their professional work is always great. The supporting cast is always great, too - so too the villains even if the narrative arcs are always completely absurd. I know these are always a bit of a lark, you can’t take them too seriously so I can’t hold Uncharted up to Kentucky Route Zero (got my mention in) and shake them comparatively, that’s not fair. It’s OK to have an excuse for a romp even if it does wear on a bit over time.

The problems I have with Uncharted 4 specifically are things like the level and environmental design. I’ve never gotten lost in this franchise up until now when it happened in almost every level... several times. I simply didn’t know where to go. There would be absolutely no clear indication of where to go and no assists, no subtle environmental guide and no camera nudges to help. There is a timer that eventually tells the player where to go and at times, this is tied to deaths so at one point I just threw Nathan off cliffs repeatedly to respawn until the hint appeared. This is unquestionably stupid design. I began to wonder if this was due to criticism that previous games had too much hand-holding, but when the UI assist was finally given and I made my way to the next check-point, I would *never* have found it under normal exploratory gameplay.

This remained true during several moments of scripted action sequences, some including during combat which brings up something else I now remember about the third game. I still couldn’t tell you when it was other than I didn’t know where to go and it was stupid, so there you have it. Maybe the third game was the real signal fire in my metaphor, who knows. In any case, constantly reverting to check-points and having to repeat, not understanding why you’re failing when the game isn’t telegraphing what you need for a success state in a scripted sequence is an exercise in frustration I’m not willing to ever repeat. While I’m not a souls-like player, I completely appreciate the admiration and respect for those games because they have rules that are clear to parse. Video games are *all about* providing feedback to the player. I’m not saying it’s easy, it is an incredibly difficult thing to achieve but it is literally the job you set out to do, it is the only vehicle you have to convey the lofty emotions you want to communicate to your audience.

And then there’s the driving. Naughty Dog. Do not put driving in your games. This is something you’re not able to do.

I don’t want to bash the driving so hard because at this point I feel like it may have been bolted on without time to make it stick correctly. This is the first game in the title where the hot-zones for interactions weren’t quite right. Where I bugged out of animations and had check-points or re-spawns instanced or loaded. Where I glitched out and fell off things, where I had to walk back and forth in-front of things to make buttons appear. The edges of that Naughty Dog polish were fraying. I’d attempt to do a thing and it just wouldn’t work, I’d fall to my death. I’d attempt to do the same thing the same way and it would work. Again this is dredging up more nondescript memories of the third game so I’m beginning to have my suspicions about the working environment there and when in the timeline things started getting bad - but cameras and jumping distances got really difficult to judge. One gap at one time would be fine to jump, then another would have you plunge to your death, and they’d be inconsistent to read or judge. These were not frequent, as with the third game, almost as if the artists and level designers were given time to adjust lighting and camera geometry tracking and control mapping as much as possible but just couldn’t get to them all. But throughout the games, it creeps in more and more.

I’d talk about combat - it’s functional, but it’s not interesting. These games don’t add anything interesting to the genre or video games in general. I play the games on easy because I don’t need to prolong the experience, I don’t actually have the physical time - if I could play the games without combat, I would. There are other games to play if I want dexterity challenges which I do engage in, Uncharted isn’t one of them. Even in 2016 I’m not entirely sure this would have turned heads. I realise I’m playing this a full four years later, but it’s hard to think of the sum-total of this game’s parts and see it as relevant...

But you know what? Uncharted 4 visually looks immaculate. Outside of the voice-acting and sound design, without question, the highest priority has been given to the visual fidelity of this game inclusive of the animations. So much has been invested in how the tech works, to the abandonment of everything else, I’d say the for example, the driving suffered the most, level design next, then interaction scripting. The attention to detail in the environments is stupendous...

...yet it’s all hollow. You know what? I don’t care about pirates and adventures anymore. Whatever. By the fourth game, I don’t care. I totally get that the game’s not for me but I played it and I’m writing how I feel about it. You’re telling me a story about a guy who met the person of his dreams and marries, then his brother turns up and he can’t be honest to his wife? Meow meow meow it’s all for the sake of drama so we skip over all the details but the contrivance is too much. You want me to accept these things on face value, then on face value, I say Nathan and his brother can go get fucked.

I took particular issue with the comically brief relationship discussion Elena and Nathan have after she saves him and they set off together in which she concludes she’s with him “for better or for worse”, which from memory the game chapter is titled after. Now either the character genuinely believes she owes him under the sanctity of nuptial obligation or she’s using it as a justification of such. This is a wholly unsatisfying discussion for me was when I finally checked out of this game - sure I should have done so hours before but this was the last straw and the indication that I am definitely too old for this shit - but this is a horrifying and stupid message to be spouting. Elena don’t owe anyone shit. Married or not, she’s free to save Nathan if she wants to, for any reason, but she’s certainly not obliged to. I despise this massive chunk of traditionalist patriarchy smashed into her character and the narrative, even if it is “well it’s just about her character” yea great, so that just re-enforces her as a loyal dog-trophy for the main character in the on-going male power-fantasy shenanigans shit-train. Nathan’s behaviour isn’t exactly selfish but it’s certainly not adult or considerate. He behaves like a child not taking on an appropriate level of responsibility. Others around him, being Elena and Sully, continuously bail him out - literally saving his life while endangering their own, and he continues to behave like a manchild that neither acknowledges their physical and emotional labour nor does he grow and evolve as an individual. What a fucker. Does he ever sort his shit out, ask Elena what she wants to do for a career and support whatever the fuck she wants to do with her life? Of-course the fuck he doesn’t. Know why? Because he’s a literal man-baby. And his brother is too. But that’s OK cos he’s a fucken jock-hero and a funny guy so as long as we can all laugh about it and the narrative says-so and it all works out in the end and he gets the girl and she ends-up supporting his career anyway, it’s aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall fine.

Nathan should have died and Elena shouldn’t have given a fuck.

I know I know, it’s not that serious. Look I’ve been thru some shit, alright? I can see it both ways. Sometimes you don’t think about stupid shit that deep and sometimes you do. Most of the time, I do, and most of the time, I take it to the nth degree, so yea, shit like that gets to me. I call it bad writing, so no, I don’t like the story. At all. Nathan’s supposed to be flawed but nothing ever costs him. When people make mistakes in life, those mistakes cost. The unfortunately thing is the cost is most often paid by the others around them, and sometimes they themselves never realise it. I don’t like stories where there’s a fuckhead at the centre but everyone still stays happy. Nathan seems to have been given a lesson, but I don’t think he earned it. This is why y’all watch Game of Thrones and are surprised when characters die because you keep consuming narratives with no stakes, and GoT is *still* only middling stuff.

Anyway.

How could Elena’s character have been given more attention? Uncharted 4 isn’t all bad. The most valuable thing Naughty Dog achieved was the recreation of real domestic spaces; the Drake households. Twice, we’re given time and space and encouraged to explore them without being funnelled by level design, events, NPC shepherding or audio cues. Rooms and the objects that fill them are meticulously and beautifully created, and they're given life and purpose in a way that has meaning far beyond all the pirate nonsense that while almost as equally beautiful, is completely vacuous.

Putting on Elena’s vinyl record as her daughter Cassie was the only time I enjoyed the music in the game, and it was a great call-back to Nathan having done the same thing in their house much earlier. Sure, there’s the Drake theme that repeats ad nauseam throughout the series but otherwise the soundtrack is bland and unremarkable adventuring fare. It contributes more to the feeling of this game being out of touch, contrasted to something like Control which certainly has a completely different setting, sure - but that’s part of it, so that affords the creative team room for more modular synths and drones and to have a distinct sound.

Walking thru those houses, first as Nathan but really as the player repositioning themselves from adventurer to ordinary life-living person in a domestic setting, and then as Cassie - daughter of these two amazing characters in an equalling urbane setting yet filled with wonderful objects, made up the most fascinating and enjoyable moments of the game for me. The mess of each room gave the houses the perfect lived-in feel to a degree that most other games struggle to achieve, probably due to how much effort it takes to get that much geometry mapped in - Giant Sparrow’s What Became of Edith Finch is probably one of the few games that has come close. The difference between the tropical islands, decaying pirate mansions and the domestic Drake residences is that the houses felt like everything in there felt like it meant something and was in there for a reason, like it had been part of something. I don’t mean that just for the objects that were intrinsically tied to implicit narrative beats like collectables or even items from countries where Uncharted 4 or prior games are set, but also things like towels, washing baskets, plates and dishes, books and picture frames, shampoo bottles, food - the detail in the fridges! That you can feed Cassie’s dog, Vicky is the most meaningful interaction of the game - by the way, the second most meaningful set of interactions is buying an apple in the market in Madagascar then playing with lemur and letting it take the apple.

Back to the houses, I’m disappointed we never got to walk through one of them as Elena. Now that the core of the franchise is wrapped, I’m left with the impression that she’s the most important character in the series and she’s left woefully under-served. This is a very me thing, and unsurprising. I doubt anyone else cares enough about writing and character to have thoughts like this. They’re into Uncharted for the adventuring and the shooting, but as soon as you present me the opportunity for character drama and you want to have a red-hot go at it, I’m here to set aside the rest of that guff and go for it. The running and jumping and shooting never changes, and I’m here to say that the puzzling could have stepped up orders of magnitude that Naughty Dog never committed to - Crystal Dynamics did far better with Rise Of The Romb Raider, and while the puzzling was never really difficult, the way I described it to a friend was to liken the puzzles to desk toys; not intended to be too challenging, but more satisfying in their tactile nature. I feel Fireproof’s The Room series for iOS and Android are great examples of providing similar sensations.

I don’t mind a game mostly about shenanigans, I just don’t want it centred around a character that won’t learn, or who gets off cheaply. Elena is infinitely more interesting to me - her concerns, her desires - Chloe too, for that matter, and I absolutely am not above making the joke about shipping them as I’m sure thousands have before me (no I won’t write a fanfic about them, I’m sure there are plenty around).

I didn’t play the first The Last of Us. There was a horrifically jarring moment when the game felt it was over-playing its sense of cinema to me, then had a sudden camera zoom transition onto I think the first combat gameplay and I checked out. The tone of that game is trying to telegraph TAKE ME SERIOUSLY and I feel all I’m going to do is read tonally similar things to what I have here but far worse. Also post-apocalypse is easy pickings for bad writing, especially by video games narrative writers, I just don’t have the patience. I’m pleased that there’s lesbian representation in the second game but I’m not sure it’ll be handled with sensitivity. While I’m in no way invested in the game as a product, I continue to be concerned for the welfare of the employees at Naughty Dog, and all game developers everywhere, as always. It is a hugely unregulated industry that is in the process of slow collapse, and now more than ever do we need reform and cultural change.

And in the midst of that, one day we’ll get a decent game that’s about domestic partnerships and wonderful emotional relationships with stunning visual fidelity; maybe it’ll have running and jumping and shooting and maybe it won’t. Maybe it’ll end sadly and maybe it’ll end happily but hopefully it’ll be well-written.

Here’s to Elena.

#Video Games #Crunch #Work Practices #Employment Ethics #Work Ethics #Naughty Dog #The Last Of Us #The Last Of Us 2 #Uncharted #Uncharted 4 #chrono #2020 #rant #games writing #writing about games #video games narrative

12 notes · View notes

curewhimsy · 4 years

Text

I’m gonna start writing my fanfic about my Animal Crossing island 🤔

Here’s the summary I have

———

—PREMISE AND PLOT—

Moondrop Island is a tiny uncharted island somewhere in the northern Caribbean Sea, originally inhabited by only furries—two-legged talking animal creatures! Furries are not found anywhere else on Earth, aside from tiny uncharted islands. A long time ago, furries and humans coexisted. But furries eventually were mistreated. An elder furry with magical powers erased all humans’ memory of them, and they all fled to small uncharted islands, hidden by mystic forces. There were no humans who knew of the existence of these furries, or of these seemingly mystical islands, until a small boat sailing from an island in the Bahamas in got into a shipwreck during what was supposed to be a three-hour whale-watching tour. Everyone on the boat survived, and miraculously washed up on the gently moonlit shores of Moondrop Island 2:00 that morning. Tom Nook takes in the castaways, gives them homes on the island, and lets them pay with a spontaneous form of currency he comes up with—Nook Miles. He offers the Nook Miles as a reward for improving the island. In the meantime, he and everyone else are putting together all their knowledge and trying to build a GPS that can track the island’s location in the world to lead the castaways back home. However, since the furries cannot go back to the human world and show themselves to people, that would mean... they’d have to say goodbye forever...

—CHARACTERS—

Pastell Sugar (Original character (self-insert) Age- 22 Birthday- February 4 Favorite song- My Place Very naive and expressive, animated, eccentric. Can be quite moody. Some may say Pastell is annoying. Pastell’s moods can come in as many “colors” as the rainbow. Pastell is creative and likes to make the mundane things exciting. She also likes to exaggerate things. Pastell likes to create things such as art or decorations, and pretend she’s doing magic in the process. Pastell gets along well with Haku, and Pekoe. Rodeo is her snack buddy. Haku Yowane (Vocaloid) Age- 24 Birthday- November 21 Favorite song- Stale Cupcakes Haku is wistful and emotional, and at times dreary. A bit of a crybaby. Likes music, but is too shy to perform in front of others. She has a plush cat named Snowbell that she carries around everywhere. She gets along quite well with Pastell and Goldie. Haku is a very caring person who likes to help with her friends’ problems. However, she can be hard on herself a lot. She also likes writing stories and poems. Before ending up on Moondrop, Haku’s friends back at home were Miku, Neru, Luka, Kaito, Akaito, and her older brother Dell. Rhona Aequor (Original character) Age- 24 Birthday- March 10 Favorite song- K.K. Bossa Stoic and mysterious. Appears strict, but is misunderstood. Actually a very kind person. A lover of all things related to water and the ocean. A marine biologist. Loves fish and marine creatures. She is very fascinated with Flo and Sly, who are both marine creatures... but as furries. Rhona loves to swim, and is a free-diver. Rhona is calm and collected... usually. She can go nuts about fish and can spend hours at the museum, either looking at fish exhibits, or chattering with Blathers. Back at home, she has a girlfriend, Nagisa. Rhona often thinks and worries about Nagisa, longing to see her again and to let her know she’s safe. Nico Yazawa (Love Live!) Age- 22 Birthday- July 22 Favorite song- K.K. Bubblegum Nico is a dweeb. But she still thinks she’s better than you. Nico is quite self-centered and troublesome. She’s usually the one causing the most drama out of the group. She especially doesn’t get along with Luana... at first, anyway. Nico wants to be the biggest pop-star on the island! (Sorry, Audie.) And soon, the world! But Nico has very bad luck and things keep on getting in her way! Such as tarantulas! Nico actually gets along well with Vladimir, because they’re both too short to be taken seriously. She ends up keeping a talking pet tarantula in her house named Terry. Back at home, Nico’s friends are Maki, Eli, and Nozomi. Rin Hoshizora (Love Live!) Age- 20 Birthday- November 1 Favorite song- Rockin’ K.K. Rin is cheerful, energetic, and the life of the party. She is spontaneous and likes animals a lot. She even has her own catchphrase, much like a furry... it’s “nya!” When Rin discovers furries, and the fact humans mistreated them, she feels angry at humanity. Rin gets along great with Audie. Rin is usually the one throwing all the parties on the island, and organizing the fun sport and game events. She is usually filled with energy. But deep inside, she can be quite emotional. Back at home, Rin’s best friend is Hanayo. Her other friends are Kotori, Umi, and Honoka. Luana Kai (Original character) Age- 23 Birthday- July 7 Favorite song- K.K. Adventure Luana is a fearless, impulsive daredevil. She leaps before she looks, and she’s brave to a fault. She can be obnoxiously brash. She’s also the one who got everyone into this mess... Luana was the captain of the small boat, When the storm came, she refused to turn the boat back. Luana is a huge tomboy and has always dreamed of being a pirate. She likes the ocean as well, and has a intriguing fascination with geography and geology. She doesn’t know a thing about technology, but her knowledge goes to good use with making the GPS. Nico and Luana are rivals. Back at home, her friends she left behind are Umiko, and her older sister Oliana. Teto Kasane (Vocaloid) Age- 21 Birthday- April 1 Favorite song- K.K. Stroll Teto comes off as weird and hyperactive. She likes memes and uses them a lot in conversation. She is often called annoying. However, Teto is an awkward and modest girl who just isn’t that good at making friends. She is often cheerful and likes to help people. She can be clumsy and sometimes doesn’t know what to say and is awkward. Teto has a big appetite and likes to bake and cook, especially sweets. Teto gets along well with Bettina, who understands her well. Back at home, her friends were Gumi, Gakupo, Meiko, Rin, and Len. Octavia Scherzando (Original character) Age- 25 Birthday- October 30 Favorite song- K.K. Fusion Outgoing and charismatic, yet sentimental. The most mature one of the human group. Also the responsible one. The fun “mom friend.” Her hobby is music. She plays the electric bass and piano. She also dances. Rumor has it that she once was a school idol back in high school, but she won’t talk about it. Apparently she also used to sing. But something must have happened, because nobody has really heard her sing either. Can her mysterious past ever be revealed? Octavia gets along well with Shep. She keeps a talking black bass in her house. The fish, not the instrument. Back at home, she leaves behind her close friend Aria, and friends from high school, Hibiki, Ursula, Santana, and Ruya. Animal Residents Furries have the same lifespans as humans, meaning they age the same in years. 18 in human years is 18 in furry years, regardless of the species of the furry. Flo the penguin Age- 23 Birthday- September 2 Flo is a mostly laid-back penguin, though she can have quite a temper when it comes to people being unfair. Her hobby is music, and her style is mostly punk. Pekoe the cub Age- 19 Birthday- May 18 Pekoe is a very kind and sweet bear. She can be a bit timid, and sometimes worries she isn’t that interesting. She is a great listener and sometimes can be quirky. Audie the wolf Age- 26 Birthday- August 31 Audie is a very outgoing and expressive wolf. She can be excitable, and uses a lot of language like “fabulous.” She is unexpectedly very tough and can be a “mama bear,” fiercely protecting her friends in need. Shep the sheepdog Age- 24 Birthday- November 24 Shep is a fashionista, and a bit of a hipster. He’s always on top of what’s cool and unique. He talks in a way that’s almost hard to decipher for people who are unfamiliar to his “brand” of “lingo.” Portia the dalmatian Age- 25 Birthday- October 25 Portia is a glamorous and stylish young lady who loves fashion, and may seem a little self-absorbed at times. She doesn’t judge other people based on looks, however, Sly the alligator Age- 20 Birthday- November 15 Sly is an alligator who loves to play and work out. His favorite sport is football (the kind where you throw the ball and tackle.) He also likes to swim. He is always enthusiastic and raring to go, but is very patient and understanding towards those who can’t keep up with him. Vladimir the cub Age- 28 Birthday- August 2 Vladimir is a grumpy little bubblegum pink bear who is never taken seriously because he is small and cute. He is therefore always angry and annoyed with people. He gets along with Nico because of similar problems. He can be kind when not angered... just don’t call him adorable. Goldie the golden retriever Age- 21 Birthday- December 27 Goldie loves flowers and nature, and loves to be outdoors. She is calm, humble, and polite, but can be angered easily by people who think they’re better than others. She doesn’t really get along well with Shep... Rodeo the bull Age- 22 Birthday- October 29 Rodeo is a laid-back, gentle bull who loves things like flowers, snacks, watching the clouds drift by, and taking naps. He gets along well with Pastell for these reasons. He is very relaxed, but sometimes he likes to work out, at the prompt of Audie. Bettina the mouse Age- 20 Birthday- June 12 Bettina is a chipper, kind mouse who likes cooking. Her favorite foods are pasta dishes with cheese in them. She likes to read books, and her favorites are usually mystery novels or classic children’s literature.

—CHAPTERS AND SUMMARIES— (so far)

Pilot Episode- Luana, working part time as a resort in the Bahamas, was the captain of a small tour boat. Rhona was the assistant captain and tour guide for what was supposed to only be a three-hour whale-watching tour... When they headed for a storm out in the open sea, Luana was reckless and refused to turn back, even though Rhona warily advised her to retreat. All the passengers had a bad feeling about it. Pastell was sitting next to Haku, whom she had just met, and had been having a conversation with her. Nico and Rin had just met, and were sitting next to each other as well. Teto was meanwhile trying to make friends with Octavia, the “mysterious pretty lady” sitting in the shade. Her bouncy and hyper personality repelled most people, but Octavia found it endearing... Now everyone was panicking. The intense storm grew stronger, and eventually flipped over and wrecked the boat once it was out in the open sea. The strong current swept away the parts and passengers to a nearby mysterious island… Looking for Snowbell Shortly after everyone is conscious and brought to safety, there is relief that everyone on the boat had survived. However, thoughts in Haku’s mind are racing, and she’s too ashamed to tell the others why. Haku’s plush cat, Snowbell, which she took everywhere, is missing. When Haku came to, Snowbell was nowhere to be found. Snowbell is extremely precious to Haku, and she cannot be without her. Haku breaks down and tells everyone that she is missing her plush cat, and surprisingly, the she is responded to nicely and is offered help. However, Luana thinks Haku is being a crybaby. At one point Haku is about to give up, crying as she imagines Snowbell floating all alone in the ocean, lost forever. But Luana, who initially said Haku was overreacting, spots Snowbell behind some rocks on the beach. Just then, the tide begins to carry Snowbell away. Luana jumps straight into the rough tide and retrieves Snowbell for Haku, even getting scraped knees in the process. Haku concludes that Luana isn’t so harsh after all. Island Improvement and Nook Miles Tom Nook feels there is a predicament, there are 8 new members of the island ad they have nowhere to go, and they need housing, at least temporarily. They have no money to offer, so as leader of the island, he decides to make up a brand-new system of currency on the spot—Nook Miles. They will be rewarded for decorating and improving the island. In the meanwhile, Nook and everyone have to work hard building houses for the castaways. Meeting Everyone An episode where everyone interacts with each other, and everyone gets to know each other. The story of Furries An episode that tells the backstory of the furries, and lore of the furries. Pastell and Haku’s Mystery Island Tour Pastell and Haku win a Tour on a Mystery Island, and meet Audie, a stray wolf furry alone on an island. Pastell and Haku decide to invite Audie to Moondrop Island. Blathers and the Museum Blathers opens up his museum. Rhona’s marine life account of the island The chapter is told by Rhona’s point of view, as she converses with Blathers, dives in the ocean, fishes, is curious about Sly and Flo (an alligator and penguin furry respectively), and observes the rest of the characters going about their day. Luana’s chaotic account of the island Luana and Rhona decide to hang out. Rhona is down-to-earth and calm and collected. Luana is chaotic, wild, and a loose cannon. Luana always runs and scares the fish when Rhona is trying to catch it. Every. Single. Time. The Mysterious Mia Okuda Nico is a fan of Mia Okuda, the mysterious retired school idol with a frilly-gothic image, long black hair, and a deep, velvety voice. When Octavia first comes into Nico’s room, she sees a poster of Mia Okuda hanging on the wall. (Don’t ask why that was being sold in Nook’s Cranny. I know it makes no sense.) “This is one of my favorite idols.” Nico says. “She’s pretty obscure. You probably don’t know of her.” But what Nico doesn’t know that Mia Okuda is actually Octavia back in high school! Nico and drama Nico causes some drama. Teto thinks Octavia is a vampire Self-explanatory title. Bettina and Rodeo’s cooking show Bettina tries to put on a cooking show. Rodeo eats the ingredients. Shooting Stars There is a meteor shower one night. Everyone meets Celeste and watches shooting stars with her. The next morning, mysterious star fragments wash up on the beach. One fragment starts glowing and goes inside of Snowbell, Haku’s plush cat. Snowbell then comes to life, as a real cat. This is because Haku had wished that Snowbell could come alive. From then on, Snowbell is Haku’s pet. Teto’s birthday Teto celebrates her birthday on the island. The Tarantula Incident Nico is terrified of tarantulas. However, tarantulas unfortunately love her. Nico Yazawa has a huge cult following of tarantulas, as she is the most popular school idol in tarantula society... Nico and Luana also don’t get along at all at first. Nico is a total diva, and Luana is a total slob. Nico uses her Nook Mikes ticket at the same time as Luana, and they have to go to the same island. The island is infested with tarantulas everywhere. (Also, please don’t ask how they can do mystery island tours without a GPS, lol) Nico is terrified. The tarantulas however, adore Nico and want to get her autograph, so they climb on her. Nico screams for Luana to help her. Luana fearlessly pulls out her net and attempts to rescue Nico from the tarantulas by just catching all of them. However, the tarantulas see Luana as a threat and run up to her, biting her simultaneously and knocking her out with their poison. Nico faints from the shock (again), leaving her terrrifying tarantula fans to climb over her and steal her belongings as souvenirs. Nico and Luana are rescued and they go back home. Nico apologizes to Luana and thanks her for trying to save her, and they form a friendship from them on. However, Nico accidentally takes one tarantula back with her. She eventually ends up keeping him as a pet. His name is Terry and he can talk. He becomes like Nico’s sidekick and partner in crime. Nico looks to Terry for advice. Bunny Day Madness Zipper T. Bunny comes to the island and hides eggs everywhere. Madness ensues. Grumpy Vladimir Vladimir is grumpy because he’s small, cute, and pink, and nobody takes him seriously. Dreams of home Everyone becomes wistful and starts dreaming and reminiscing of home during a slow, rainy day. A somber, psychological episode to break the pace. Also we get to see Rhona cry. But not Luana, because she (allegedly) never cries. Octavia goes fishing Octavia is taken fishing by Rhona. Octavia only catches bass. (Gee, wonder why.) Wisp the ghost Everyone is doing a test of courage, when they stumble across a real ghost! However, the ghost is much more afraid of them than they are of it... The town tune panic Everyone fights over what the town tune should be. To compromise, everyone puts two notes of their favorite song and make a brand new song out of all their songs altogether. The end result song ends up sounding like a disaster. It gets stuck in the heads of everyone on the island and drives the population crazy. Bonus: Octavia’s backstory The first of the Bonus backstory chapters. We get to see Octavia in high school as Mia Okuda, and finally find out what event made her stop singing... (SPOILERS: It was because she was publically criticized and humiliated because “her voice was too deep for a teen idol’s.” Then she saw all the memes people made about her voice and became too ashamed to sing, or even listen to herself again for a long time.) Finding my voice again The black bass Octavia keeps in her house begins to talk one morning. It tells Octavia that it’s time. With a little help and guidance, the fish is determined to help Octavia find her voice and start singing again. Octavia is a mess at first, and at one point she becomes even more discouraged than before she started, convinced she lost the ability to sing forever, and now there’s even proof. She runs out of her house and sits on a bench, distraught. Flo comes up to her, in a good mood, offering half of her corn dog. Octavia can no longer hide her emotions and starts sobbing. When Flo asks what’s wrong, Octavia tells her everything. Flo ends up giving Octavia sage advice. “Each song is kinda like a journey. When you sing, just pretend you’re the heroine.” Octavia returns to her house, with a new determination inside her. She starts singing again, for the first time in eight years. Nico is walking outside. She’s feeling glum because her ice cream dropped in the pond, when she hears a powerful singing voice that’s undeniably the voice of one of her favorite idols... She runs straight into Octavia’s nearby house to tell her, “Oh my gosh! Mia Okuda is on the island! I hear her singing!” When Nico realizes Octavia was singing, the pieces finally click... Octavia was Mia Okuda all along! Nico faints dramatically and theatrically. Idol Madness With Nico realizing one of her favorite idols was on the island, she feels so tingly, but also overshadowed. Audie also wants to be an idol, so Nico already has competition. Not only that, but Haku is aiming to be some sort of musician of some kind. But she’s so shy that she doesn’t show her face much anyway. But with all the talent on the island, Tom Nook suggests everyone should share their talents in an upcoming talent show and dance party night! The Island’s Talent Show Dance Party Night! All day, everyone is getting ready and looking forward to the island’s big shiny event. Haku’s stage fright Haku has stage fright about performing her music. What is Pastell’s talent? Everyone on the island has such talent. Everyone has their music, Bettina can cook, and Sly can lift weights. Even Rodeo can eat five ice cream cones in under a minute... without getting brain freeze! It seems everyone on the island has some sort of talent... except for Pastell. Just what is Pastell’s hidden talent? Moondrop Fame With all the talent and recent development on Moondrop, word got out to K.K. Slider that the island was one to look out for... to the point where he called, scheduling an appearance! K.K. Slider’s Grand Appearance! K.K. Slider finally appears and gives a performance. Goodbye, Pekoe? Pekoe plans to move away from the island, back to her home with her old family...

4 notes · View notes

laughingpinecone · 4 years

Text

Yuletide recs!

Belated but heartfelt. My wonderful gifts (Dark Souls, Ghost Trick, Pyre) + 20 more enthusiastic recs for Twin Peaks, Final Fantasy VI, Untitled Goose Game, Mushishi, A Study in Emerald, Russian Doll, Omar Rayyan, The Sandman, Tacoma, Dinotopia, Cowboy Bebop, Earthsea, 4′33′‘ (roughly in reverse reading order, ie pretty much random).

rise in perfect light (Dark Souls, Solaire & ensemble) honors Solaire’s death and goes back to look at his life, from his time in Astora, the journey to Lordran and several meetings with various other NPCs, prominently featuring my darling onions!

A Matter of Trust (Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, Alma/Jowd/Cabanela) is a fantastic exploration of what comes after the much-headcanoned moment when Jowd spills the beans about the other timeline to Alma and Cabanela. Braving uncharted territories with a lot of warmth and eye for character.

The Long History (Pyre, Volfred&/Tariq) has Volfred ask Tariq about the Scribes in a perfectly indirect way and builds a great atmosphere in the Moonlit Alcove. They talk around each other like the pros they are and it’s beautiful.

The Ghost of a Ghost (Twin Peaks, Albert & blue rose & co) Reading outside of one’s echo chamber, it’s hard to pass 500w of TP fic without stumbling across diverging theories/headcanons and this fic is a solid 16k. By which I mean it’s 16k and also really, really solid: there’s lots and lots to love in here regardless of where one is coming from and I ended up sold on a few additional readings. Tammy stands out for me and so does Gordon.

Four Drinks (Twin Peaks, Harry&Frank) broke my heart with these Trumans. Four moments throughout the brothers’ lives, just brimming with intensity and nuance and echoes and wow.

Poisons (Final Fantasy VI, Sabin & ensemble) A collection of drabbles, every single one of them stellar, built around the discarded possibility for Sabin to die at Tzen. They’re all fantastic and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

The Path They Travel (Final Fantasy VI, Cyan&Sabin&Gau) The Serpent Trench has an atmosphere of its own and this fic works it into a great character moment mostly focused on Cyan&Sabin, their mirrored losses, Sabin’s kindness, but with stellar moments for Gau as well

Mantra (Final Fantasy VI, Sabin&Terra&Gau&Mobliz crew) A brilliant character study for everyone involved, built upon the question of what the threshold for magic is, what has disappeared from the world and what has not.

Untitled Romance Story (Featuring A Goose) (Untitled Goose Game, Tidy Neighbour/Messy Neighbour) fun village slice of life with great dialogue! It makes the whole village feel lived-in and it’s real snappy and fun!

The Adventure of the Horrible Goose (Untitled Goose Game+Sherlock Holmes) exactly the kind of crack-treated-seriously prose I was hoping for in this canon, with the added seriousness of a Holmes pastiche. Delightful.

The Parched Tendrils (Mushishi, Ginko&OCs) Mushishi ‘casefic’ for the soul :’) as chill and evocative as one would expect, great concept for the mushi du jour.

The Assam Adventure (A Study in Emerald, Holmes/Watson) exciting casefic with deductions, disguises and wild hopes!

beneath closed eyelids I do not cease to guard this (A Study in Emerald, Holmes/Watson) Watson character study with several great moments and a killer ending.

Commence! (Russian Doll, Nadia&/Alan&ensemble) absolutely fantastic postcanon victory lap, or at least that’s how it felt to me, in all the best ways. The energy, the nuance, the dialogue!

Tea and Tempests (Tea in the Tempest - Omar Rayyan) this feels like a Rayyan painting! A fantastic little original story in its own right and one that really feels like it comes from the same paintbrush as its canon! Not a whole lot of art Yuletide this year but I’m so happy for this one.

An Explorer of Delirium (Sandman, Delirium&OC) Delirium short story! Tiny and imaginative and perfect!

Wings to the Weak, Grace to the Strong (Tacoma, ensemble) the perfect postcanon ‘please take my feelings about where this story left these characters and put them into words’ fic I needed when I finished the game! Instead I found it this Yuletide. I’m so glad.

Dinosaur Dentistry: The Tooth Hurts (Dinotopia, OCs) dinosaur dentistry worldbuilding. What it says on the tin. It’s a great tin and a great fic, intensely Dinotopian and with lovable characters and cameos.

Blue in Green (Cowboy Bebop, Spike&Jet) jazzy and canon-like in tone, a cool take on their first meeting.

The Colors of Lorbanery (Earthsea, the Dyer of Lorbanery) I don’t remember canon’s details enough to comment but I do remember canon’s tone and this fic nails it. Great read.

273 Moments of Silence. (4′33′’) For lovers of microfiction and/or evocative descriptions. I was simply stunned by the imagery and how it kept going and going. Coming up with 273 distinct ideas for Yuletide is a tall order, and yet this fic delivers like a champ.

The Moment Echos (4′33′’) A different take on ‘let’s write down the silence’, more structured, in a way that really worked for me. Amazing structure, amazing... idk, texture of the whole thing.

4'33" (4′33′‘) aleatoric fic, which is a very cool thing to learn about (the process is explained in the reply to the first comment). I keep thinking about this one when I think about the great 4′33′‘ output, I love how it relates to the work.

#yuletide #yuletide 2019 #fanfic recs #yuletide recs #what a haul!

12 notes · View notes

samdrakeftw · 5 years

Text

yay tag games

Tagged by: @kiselleee

You have to re-post these rules: Each person has to share 13 things about them. Answer the 13 questions asked to you and then invent 13 questions that the people you’ll tag have to answer.

Choose 6 people to tag, if you can. You can re-tag me if you want ;)

13 FACTS ABOUT ME:

1.) As well as video games, my other hobby is cross stitch/embroidery.

2.) I’m from England.

3.) I studied Television Production at university but now I don't want to work in TV. Press F to pay respects

4.) I work at one of Queen Victoria’s old homes and it’s the best job I’ve ever had.

5.) I prefer Pepsi over Coke - but I only like Diet Pepsi

6.) I have a kitten called Merlin

7.) I have no tattoos but I’m saving up for a Sic Parvis Magna one (or Sam’s birds)

8.) I am 22 years old.

9.) Favourite TV show is probably Supernatural

10.) I’m addicted to scented candles

11.) I enjoy watching gaming on youtube/twitch.

12.) I sleep with a fan on cause I need white noise

13.) The first video game I remember playing is the original Rollercoaster Tycoon (ngl I still play it)

QUESTIONS YOU I HAVE TO ANSWER: (SOME OF THEM ARE PERSONAL, IF YOU DON’T WANT TO ANSWER I UNDERSTAND!)

1.) I’m the only one that when was a kid wanted to become an adventurer or something similar? What do you wanted to become as a child?

Nooo me too! Indiana Jones was my favourite series of movies so all I wanted was to go on adventures!

2.) Have you ever tried a new hobby? Something that you have never thought of?

About a year ago I started cross stitch and it’s actually something I’ve managed to stick to!

3.) What would you die for?

My family. Touch wood I don’t have to :p

4.) What’s your favorite videogame or movie?

Uncharted for video game and Indiana Jones for movie.

5.) Do you believe in true love?

I think so.

6.) Have you ever travelled abroad? Where and did you liked it?

I’m from England and have been to France, Germany, Austria and Poland. I think I liked Germany the most, Austria was beautiful though.

7.) What is the most stupid thing that you have ever done?

Hahahaa who knows. Nothing with serious consequences, but I’m great at doing stupid things lol

8.) What is your weakness? And your strength?

In different situations it could be seen as a weakness or a strength, but I tend to try and see the best in people. Sometimes it’s worked out, sometimes it’s left me in a worse place.

9.) Have you ever done something illegal? (Let’s see how psychopathic you are HAHA)

No ahah

10.) What do you think about climate change?

I think its down to the younger generations to actually make a difference, but I worry that by the time we manage to do anything it will be too late.

11.) Do you have a hidden talent?

I can play the tuba?

12.) Have you ever tasted dog or cat nuggets?

No but once I dared my friend to and the results were not good :p

13.) Have you ever been abducted by aliens? No seriously, but do you believe in aliens?

Not that I'm aware ;) But I think the universe is so big that Earth can’t possibly be the only planet to have life. Whether we’ll actually discover life though is unlikely I think.

QUESTIONS YOU HAVE TO ANSWER: (SOME OF THEM ARE PERSONAL, IF YOU DON’T WANT TO ANSWER I UNDERSTAND!)

1.) What country do you live in?

2.) Favourite video game?

3.) Favourite book?

4.) Age?

5.) How long have you been on Tumblr?

6.) Any hobbies?

7.) Dream job?

8.) Early bird or night owl?

9.) Who is your dream dinner guest?

10.) What was/is your favourite subject at school?

11.) What is your pet peeve?

12.) Favourite animal?

13.) What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?

I Tag: @kiselleee @samsassinparvismagna @random-aya @missdictatorme @bechobbi @misslongcep

#tag games #answered #about me #amys thoughts

5 notes · View notes

wwwps4 · 4 years

Text

Just Cause 4

For me, Just Cause 4 was in the top ten expected games of 2018. Since the release of the first game on the PlayStation 2, I have loved this series for the freedom and dynamics of the gameplay, with each new part increased thanks to innovations, mainly tied to the hook-cat of Rico Rodriguez, the main character of the series. From the third part of the franchise began to change noticeably, adding serious notes to the previously crazy action, often devoid of meaning, logic and laws of physics. Actually, for which the series was loved by fans. But the degree of seriousness in Just Cause 3 was kept within the bounds of decency and did not destroy the cool atmosphere of madness — we had a charismatic dictator, not devoid of a sense of humor, a huge world and a wide Arsenal of tools of destruction.

From the fourth game it was quite logical to expect only the development of an established formula, and we got it. Partially. With the evolution of some game variables, unfortunately, others have noticeably degraded.

Looking back at the past, on the review of Just Cause 3, today's I wants to meet myself from the past and hit the head with a poker. Because the estimate is too high. But today's I also understand why this happened: against the background of the second part of the previous game looked and played much better, even despite performance problems. The new mechanics looked great and encouraged the player to use them. In Just Cause 4, the situation is different: new mechanics are curious, but experiments with them get boring after an hour or two, and you only return to balloons with boosters when you perform numerous and monotonous tests that make your eyes ripple. Finally, the game itself does not encourage the use of innovations.

Yes, the developers have tried to add some variety to the tasks that are set for the player, and now the mission to weaken the influence of the enemy in the region is not to destroy their bases, but to systematically capture them. On some bases, you need to disable and hack guns, on others-to steal drawings or weaken the protection, opening important rooms for passing with the help of specific models of cars, tanks and boats. But this is where all the diversity ends, because the mechanics of performing different tasks are still the same: find the switch — break the switch, find the generator-destroy the generator.

Story tasks and side activities in the game are tied to completely similar tasks, the variety of which is even more than in the previous parts of the series, but does not save you from the routine. Disabling switches and blowing up generators would be much more interesting if the developers had improved the artificial intelligence of their opponents, because in their current state, only some types of enemies pose a threat. And even then, not the biggest. A much more dangerous enemy of the player in Just Cause 4 is crazy physics, which can suddenly give out some stupid feint, turning the car over on an even spot or blowing up the helicopter from touching a tree branch with the rotor.

Helicopters in Just Cause 4 are your best friends, even though the body kit and weapons available to the player often don't match (for example, we see two types of projectiles and a machine gun, but we can only use one type of NUR and a machine gun). With them, you can perform most speed tests, clean up almost all the necessary enemy bases, and even destroy an enemy General trying to get away on a jet fighter. Yes, you can catch up with him by helicopter and shoot him. Not ask...

But it is worth paying tribute: the shooting in the fourth part is several goals higher than all previous releases in the series. Finally, Rico has learned to fire from the shoulder, which makes it much easier to aim and makes the control more comfortable. You can only praise the work on weapons and opponents. The hero's Arsenal grows as you progress, and each barrel now feels unique: different rate of fire, accuracy, alternative fire mode, reload speed, and so on. Worthily. Types of enemies also pleased — "Ghosts" and "Titans" can not only spoil the nerves of the player due to its elusiveness and strength of armor, respectively, but also send the invulnerable Rico to the next world.

Transport management has also improved, and all at once. The weight of the cars seems large, although they continue to be cardboard boxes, judging by the impact of game physics on them. Even tanks and armored personnel carriers take off here, like Chinese cars made of chocolate foil. Examples are in the video below! More pleasant than in Just Cause 3, was the management of air technology, but this is more due to its ease. But water transport is frustrating clumsiness, although it is most likely just quite realistic. Other things amuse: boats and jet skis sometimes feel good even on land. See for yourself:

There are also outright deterioration compared to Just Cause 3! For example, the tone of the project changed from casually playful and jaunty on "complex SSI", which has a negative effect on the atmosphere. The share of humor in the narrative and side activities has decreased, and attempts by some minor characters to dive into the pool of jokes ends with a painful blow on a newspaper spread out on the water. Alas, in Just Cause 4, there is no charismatic dictator, no cool boss battles, and most of the potentially cool moments are closed under a video lock. Seriously, instead of creating spectacular battles with the elements, the developers have translated all the "victory over bosses" in the format of videos. It turned out even worse than the battle with the final boss in Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception. And there are few things worse than her.

The plot of the game... Yes, someone will now say that the game Just Cause has never been, and so on. True, but the developers themselves decided to change this and tried to take the "new height", which they did not submit. And since Avalanche Studios themselves decided to bring the story of Rico Rodriguez to the forefront, they gave carte Blanche for appropriate criticism. But it is not worth much to crucify and complain about this, either, it is more expensive for yourself. In General, the story has a good potential, but little attention from the authors, who are constantly confused about the details, dates and events of the past.

Moreover, some of the game dialogs simply do not correspond to the events that follow them. For example, in one of the videos, Tom Sheldon, who decided to make peace with Rico and help his precious student, says: "I will lead", which causes an entertaining skirmish with references to the past. But he gets behind the wheel of an armored car, and Rico climbs in after him. And what do you think? The car, of course, is controlled by the player. Either we were temporarily given power over Sheldon, or the developers and writers again forgot to sync the project's cloud.

When performing tests in Just Cause 4, remember that most of the necessary vehicles for "through the ring on a particular vehicle" tests are located near the test itself. From a few meters to a couple of blocks. For example, if the marker indicates that the test at the top of the mountain requires riding through the ring on a motorcycle, do not rush to look for the bike and attach the balls to it, as I did-climb the mountain using a winch and you will surely find a bike waiting for you there.

As for the technical part and scripto, they are a good source of high mood. However, not when you once again can not get the local "fultons" or jet mini-engines of the hook to work humanly, and they begin to turn the raised objects against any logic. Unfortunately, there will be most of these situations. The Avalanche team came up with interesting chips, but it did not work to implement them in a human way, as well as to encourage players to use them. The entire game, story - wise, you can go through, almost without using hook modifications. So what's the point?! The variety of the "set it yourself" level has always worked in Just Cause, but before that, the game mechanics did not go beyond the daily combat comforts.

Even for most of the tests where you need to deliver a car to an island or the roof of a high-rise, it is much easier to use a cargo helicopter with a magnetic grip than to play with balloons that behave as inadequately as possible most of the time they are used. After completing half of the tests, of which there are more than four hundred, I met only two where it was necessary to use balloons. Here just came to the rescue modification for them, allowing you to control the direction of flight crosshair sight.

The moment just got into the video below, which also says a lot about the technical part, artificial intelligence, stupefied since Just Cause 3, and the gameplay in General:

However, I repeat - fans of the franchise will be more satisfied with the new game, because the basic gameplay is thoroughly prettier. Another thing is that game innovations are mostly meaningless, and if they are simply thrown out, Just Cause 4 will not lose anything. The weather conditions that Avalanche was so proud of look great and even work, but have a strictly plot-based meaning. Without the technology developed by the local dictator, Solis seems to have no tornadoes, no winter blizzards, no sandstorms, no rain and thunderstorms. I just want to start packing my bags and looking for air tickets! After clearing objects that control weather conditions, we can turn them on and off with a single button. What for? To complicate your life, for example.

And there is no need for more. Storm and Blizzard limit the field of view, once in them, the enemies become absolutely stupid and blind. And since computer idiots and so ... idiots, send their intelligence to negative values once again do not want to, because the game becomes not interesting. Tornadoes destroy some objects, but only in specific areas. As well as the storm does not go beyond its limits. It turns out that we can again subject to spontaneous rape already cleared and captured areas. What's the point?! Oh, deja vu…

1 note · View note