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grimmywrites · 10 months

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10 Things About Me

I was tagged by the talented @patiently-burning. I’m happy to welcome you to the Ghostsoap brainrot, especially with @valiants amazing art. My favorite Ghostsoap artist! Their work makes me feral; I’d kill for them -- or at least write for them. Below for random facts about me!

1.) I double majored in Archaeology and Creative Writing in college. I idolized Lara Croft and Indiana Jones and then, luckily, fell in love with the *actual* science of archaeology and Roman history so I’ve managed to stick with it. 2.) I’ve lived on and off in Italy (semesters where I taught abroad) since 2017; and a couple times before that for my own study abroad program and archaeological digs/dives. 3.) I’m a runner! I usually run an hour, but sometimes I run up to 9 miles a morning not only to stay in shape but as meditation. I listen to audiobooks while I do it!

4.) I worked as a dog bather for a couple years to get money to go to grad school and then in a dog ‘boutique’ because I love dogs so much. I love all animals, dogs just happen to be my favorite.

5.) I’m a huge Resident Evil fan. I’ve been playing the games since they first came out (I was a little kid and had no clue what I was doing lol). I can literally rant on and on about the lore and timeline; og re4 and re2 are the best but I love the remakes and all the new fans!

6.) I’ve been published for scholarly writing, but it’s my dream to write fiction, primarily historical fiction.

7.) I’m an oddball who likes nerdy things *and* sports - I played varsity softball in high school and I’m still on an adult co rec team!

8.) I stopped writing fanfiction for a couple years while working on my thesis for grad school. I started writing again for Nellis because I reread some of my old stuff and wondered why I ever stopped with these characters. Writing them feels like slipping on my most comfortable shoes or a favorite shirt. After I read that stuff I got metaphorically slapped upside the head with the idea for Retread (the ending in particular)... and let’s just say it’s grown a lot from what I had envisioned; but I’m a gardener writer, so that makes sense.

9.) Besides RE, my favorite game in the world is an obscure RPG called Shadow Hearts. It’s a Lovecraftian horror game set in China and Europe just before WW1 breaks out - it deals with horror, the occult, and some zany characters. I cry every time I play it and its sequel (Shadow Hearts: Covenant). Most people like the second game better, but I find the first one to be creepier, have better music, and the characters are more interesting. The sequel IS a good game, though.

10.) I secretly wish I had more time! I often feel guilty because I’m more of a writer in fandom than a reader because I’m so busy with life smacking me every which way. I also wish I could output more, but alas, we can only do our best, right?

Thanks so much for tagging me! I’m not apologizing for the love of Soap or Ghost. That was a well written campaign! I’m going to tag more than one person: @peculiarreality-main and @ohlookapan!

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kumarseo · 11 months

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We came up against Virat Kohli at his best: Brian Lara | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Already out of the tournament, Sunrisers Hyderabad, who won the title way back in 2016, posted a decent total of 186, riding on Heinrich Klaasen’s brilliant hundred. But Klaasen’s valiant effort was overshadowed by run-machine Virat Kohli‘s 63-ball-100. Apart from a whirlwind century, Virat stitched a blistering 172-run opening stand with captain Faf du Plessis (71) to hand RCB a…

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todaynowreport · 11 months

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We came up against Virat Kohli at his best: Brian Lara | Cricket News

NEW DELHI: Already out of the tournament, Sunrisers Hyderabad, who won the title way back in 2016, posted a decent total of 186, riding on Heinrich Klaasen’s brilliant hundred. But Klaasen’s valiant effort was overshadowed by run-machine Virat Kohli’s 63-ball-100. Apart from a whirlwind century, Virat stitched a blistering 172-run opening stand with captain Faf du Plessis (71) to hand RCB a…

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colossalgluttons · 2 years

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How does Lara climb heights with a rope

She’d sweat egregiously, in a valiant effort to heave up 650 pounds of blubber. It's no use, she'd fall down to the ground, belly wobbling from the sheer impact.

#muse: lara croft #Anonymous

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sabrinaacarpenters · 3 years

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defending my favorite female characters that have a bitchy personality, but only to hide that deep down they are incredibly vulnerable and feel unlovable and half the fandom hates them for it online isn’t enough. i need a gun

#nesta archeron #zoya nazyalensky #tory vega #aelin galathynius #lara valiant #acotar #shadow and bone #zodiac academy #throne of glass #the bridge kingdom #bea.txt #books #reading #booklr

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timeladyjamie · 3 years

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Women’s History Month → Women in Robin Hood (3/5): Isabella of Gisborne (BBC Robin Hood)

“The only thing I ever wanted to hear from him was a plea for forgiveness. Some admission of guilt that it was his fault that I was so unhappy. He sold his own sister to a man who made my life a misery.”

#isabella of gisborne #isabella thornton #lara pulver #bbc robin hood #Robin Hood bbc #Jamiewomenshistorymonth2021edits #mygifs #bbcrobinhoodedit #Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to Be Silenced #jamieedits

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jadegretz · 2 months

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Radiant Rouge: The Jessica Rabbit Mystique by Jade Gretz

Neon lights bled into the inky Los Angeles night, reflecting off Jessica Rabbit's ruby lips as she sipped her carrot cocktail. The Ink & Paint Club buzzed with the usual post-show energy, yet an unease gnawed at the cartoon bombshell. Lately, life felt… scripted. Lines she wouldn't utter seemed to flow effortlessly, emotions flickered on cue, a disquieting sense of control veiled behind the usual chaos.

"You look glum, doll," purred Roger, his floppy ears drooping. "Got you under the weather?"

Jessica forced a smile, the gesture feeling alien. "Just thinking, puddin'. Maybe it's time for a change."

The very thought sent shivers down her spine. Change? In Toontown, where reality flickered on animator's whims, even dreams were pre-drawn. Yet, the unease persisted, fueled by unsettling dreams of puppeteers pulling invisible strings, laughter echoing from unseen heights.

Sleep offered no refuge. The dreams intensified, revealing a vast, cosmic stage where Roger and she were mere marionettes manipulated by shadowy figures. Panic clawed at her. Was she merely a character, her life a scripted performance for unknown audiences?

Driven by a desperation she couldn't suppress, Jessica confided in Eddie Valiant, the cynical detective whose world straddled cartoon chaos and human reality. His gruff demeanor softened at her distress. "Toons ain't supposed to question the script, Doll," he cautioned, "but some things ain't right."

He revealed whispers of a forgotten cult, the Ink Weavers, who dabbled in forbidden animation arts, seeking to control Toontown through invisible strings of destiny. Armed with this knowledge, Jessica and Eddie embarked on a clandestine investigation, navigating a world where painted smiles hid unsettling truths.

The deeper they delved, the more bizarre the truth became. Whispering murals depicted an ancient pact between the Weavers and the forgotten "Hand," an unseen entity controlling the strings of reality. They discovered abandoned workshops filled with twisted animation tools, instruments designed to manipulate perception and free …(see the rest of the story at deviantart.com/jadegretzAI). For more supergirl, chun li, batgirl, tifa, lara croft, wonder woman, rogue and much more, please visit my page at www.deviantart.com/jadegretzai - Thanks for your support :)

#ai #aiart #digitalart #jadegretz #fantasyart #fanart #beautifulgirl #aiartwork #aiartcommunity #jessica #jessicarabbit #rogerrabbit

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whgmasterofceremonies · 2 years

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WHG 17 - Day 3

It’s getting easier to see everyone’s names all in one picture!

Despite the valiant effort of several hunters and chasers, no one kills anyone else today, strictly speaking, though Fernando does find a meal to die for Julian has a blast with experimental wiring! Clearly, someone never heard “don’t try this at home.”

Apparently, Mica’s spear was for purposes of reach. Jack spends a lovely day in nature after last night’s...revelry, and actually, I just went back and it turns out Amara (the person Jack set on fire last night with a molotov) got a bottle of alcohol and a rag from the Cornucopia at the start, so it was her own molotov. Brutal! Enjoy those flowers, I guess!

As usual, in the evening, we take a moment to remember the fallen.

Then a clear and cold night descends on the remaining 18 tributes.

...This is when I realize there have been two Jacks this whole time and I have zero idea which one of them has been doing what. Seriously. Uh. Hm. Well, one of them dies of hunger while Safia dies of anti-thirst! Too bad she fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book! And Chess, did you do that manually or are you getting your magic under control? Excited for you either way!

16 now--20 gone! Who will be next? Wait for tomorrow to find out!

District 1

Deputy Buzzkill (she/her), @ratracechronicler

Danica Vesrani (she/her), @alannaofroses

Meilan Liu (she/her), @starryeve88

District 2

Adrestia/“Drest” (she/her), @concealeddarkness13

Oliver Rook (they/them), @pen-of-roses

Kito Faraji (he/him), @starryeve88

District 3

Neuron (he/him), @knmartinshouldbewriting

Ad Lib (she/her), @knmartinshouldbewriting

Safia Sauda (she/her), @starryeve88

District 4

Avanda Alistairion (she/her), @scribbles-to-feed-the-void

Evander Moore (he/him), @pen-of-roses

Jack (she/her), @onthetipofmyquill

District 5

Aidan Fletcher (he/him), @alannaofroses

Bastian Smyth (he/him), @alannaofroses

Vonnie Stone (she/her), @sparkles-and-hens

District 6

Charlie (he/him), @very-bi-giraffe

Jack (he/him), @very-bi-giraffe

Carsen (he/him), @onthetipofmyquill

District 7

Caelum Chen (he/him), @scribbles-to-feed-the-void

Mica (he/him), @maple-writes

Julian (he/him), @onthetipofmyquill

District 8

Fernando (he/him), @written-in-gold

Finn (he/him), @crazy-like-us

Deacon Noble (she/her), @childrenoflight-darkness-nothing

District 9

Amara (she/her), @written-in-gold

Lara Aigua (she/her), @crazy-like-us

Tyde Westbrook (he/him), @childrenoflight-darkness-nothing

District 10

Chrissy (he/him), @written-in-gold

Jasper Perle (he/him), @crazy-like-us

Evelyne Haskell (she/her), @childrenoflight-darkness-nothing

District 11

Nico Talent (she/her), @spacebrick3

Orville Violet-Verduzco (she/her), @spacebrick3

Anton Ward (he/him), @spacebrick3

District 12

Chess (she/her), @concealeddarkness13

Zazu Hodkins (he/him), @vermontwrites

Ferret O’Connor (he/him), @scribbles-to-feed-the-void

#day 3 #round 17 #DEEPLY sorry about the Jack thing

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gavehopes · 2 years

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( lee pace. forty two. he/him. cis man. ) are you a HERO ? something tells me that bronze rye fields, tainted gold of renaissance paintings, the sound of a camera shutter make you who you are, CLARK KENT. with the powers of KRYPTONIAN PHYSIOLOGY, you’re sure to have a valiant, stubborn personality — and you definitely belong to UNAFFILIATED. were you listening to FATHER & SON by CAT STEVENS on your way to the subway ? it suits you. we can’t wait to see what you do next ! ( kuromi. 20. she/her. pacific. )

CHARACTER NAME. KENT, CLARK JOESPH ( KAL-EL )

AGE. FORTY TWO.

FACECLAIM. LEE PACE.

VOICE CLAIM. LEE PACE.

SKILL SET. KRYPTONIAN PHYSIOLOGY.

AFFLIATIONS: THE JUSTICE LEAGUE.

FAMILY. JOR-EL & LARA LOR-VAN ( BIRTH PARENTS ) JONATHAN & MARTHA KENT ( ADOPTIVE PARENTS ) LOIS LANE ( WIFE ) JONATHAN & CONNOR KENT ( CHILDREN )

ZODIAC: GEMINI

WIKI LINK: VISIT LINK.

Q. WHAT WERE THEY DOING WHEN THEY PASSED THROUGH THE PORTAL ?

following the ��heartbeats of his wife and children like the true chad he is. prior to the portal clark was balancing life as clark and superman.

Q. WHERE ARE THEY LIVING ? ARE THEY LIVING WITH ANYONE ?

clark is cheesy type to say “home is where the family is” he’s residing in a hotel with louis while currently searching for a forever home for himself and his kids.

Q. WHY IS YOUR CHARACTER AFFLIATED WITH WHO THEYRE AFFLIATED WITH ?

with no affiliation to any major government or military , superman refuses to be manufactured as a weapon to use as leverage during times of crisis. he aligns himself with the justice league because they share the same value as him.

Q. WHO ARE THEIR MAJOR FRIENDS, ALLIES, AND FOES ?

childhood friends lana lang, peter ross, and clark kent were inseparable as children. he maintains the relationship he has with them even after moving out of smallville. he later helped lana adopt her reputation as superwoman.

co-worker, best friend, wife lois lane. his first love and best friend. clark wouldn’t be the man he is without louis.

the trinity. batman and wonder woman. his relationship with batman is tumultuous but he adores him, considers him a good friend and ally. wonder woman is his bestie because she’s the only one capable of withstanding his bear hugs.

his foes. lex luthor & jl’s rouges.

Q. WHOSE HANDS DO THEY BELIEVE THE COUNTRY SHOULD BE IN ?

clark does not pay attention to politics. just tell him to go pew pew with his eyes, he’ll do it.

Q. WHAT’S THEIR CURRENT MENTAL STATE AT ? THEIR PHYSICAL STATE ?

clark’s physical state is in wonderful condition as it’s always been. his mental state varies. he has a lot of weight to carry but confides in his wife and friends to keep balance in his life.

#reshielded:intro #okaaaay lesssgooo

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krinsbez · 3 years

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Pulptober 2021, Themes Elaborated, Part Five

So, I was gonna not do this tonight, figured I’d draw it out a bit more...but I need a pick me up for reasons I’m not gonna go into, so here goes.

21-The Green Lama/Secrets of the East

This is another relatively straightforward one. Pulp Heroes who are able to be Pulp Heroes via studying in East Asia. This, sadly, was (and even still is) often varying degrees of creepy and/or racist, but nonetheless, it is a major part of the genre that I feel must be acknowledged. Anyways, I’ve used a bunch of the good ones from the relevant era already, so I’m gonna go a tad more modern with my alternate examples, namely Iron Fist and The Destroyer*

22-The Executioner/Lethal Justice

Another straightforward one. Pulp Heroes who not only have precisely zero problems killing people, they’re all about killing the bad guys. Annoyingly, I’ve once again already used many of the good ones from the golden, so I’m gonna go with two more recent ones, namely The Punisher and Wild Dog*.

23-Indiana Jones/Adventurer-Archeologist

Again, obvious; a Pulp Hero who’s supposedly an archeologist, but their work tends more towards punching baddies and avoiding booby traps than doing research and carefully cleaning dirt off of old household goods. There’s a TV Tropes page, even! For alternate examples, I present Lara Croft* and the O’Connell family from The Mummy Trilogy of the late ‘90s-early ‘00s.

24-Phantom Rider/Frontier Justice

Cowboys! Need I say more? No, no I do not. Let’s go with Jonah Hex and Django (take your pick which, AIUI they both count, though I’ve only consumed media with the Jamie Foxx version) as out alternate examples.

25-Conan/Pulp In the Past

This seems a day where they’re all straightforward; Pulp Heroes who’s adventures take place in what was already the past when the character was created (surprisingly, not every character in the above category fits in this one, BTW), even if, as in the case of our primary example, that past never actually existed. As for alternate examples, how about Prince Valiant* and Dark Agnes

*I’ve not consumed the source material

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cucullas · 4 years

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Mudarra González: a mixed medieval hero

I’m apparently doing a series on Spanish Romances (Spain medieval and renaissance anonymous folk ballads), usually my favorites ones are about love, family or everyday life. I’m not very much into the epics of killing infidels, El Cid and The Song of Roland got it covered. That’s why I initially was not attracted to the Song of the Seven Princes of Lara.

I was so so SO wrong. This story has it all, petty family squabbles, completly disproportinionate reaction and my mixed bastard main boy: Mudarra Gonzalez. On the realm of medieval fiction where the main concern is how many infidels The Heroic Christian Knight can kill, Mudarra is a Moor, he is the Heroe That Was Promised and he is out for revenge.

The petty story: family drama and no Mudarra yet

Before I start a little bit of story, as you might know the Iberian Peninsula, was partially controlled by Arab and Berber Muslims rulers. From mighty cultured caliphates to dying city-kingdoms, this period called Al-Andalus went from 700 to 1492. During this time Christian kingdoms of Spain had to live with their Muslim neighbours and very often enemies.

In these context our story starts, a Christian Knight, Gonzalo Gustios is the ruler of Salas, he is vasall of the Count Garcia Fernandes and is marries to Doña Sancha. He had a good life and is a not getting any younger but that’s ok cause he got 7 valiant sons to suceed him. They all have names of prowesses... but that’s not that important cause they all die.

Yeah, because you see they had a fight with their aunt Doña Lambra (wife of their mom’s brother Rodrigo de Lara): honor was insulted... A pepper filled with blood was trown and someone menaced to cut a skirt above the knee and those are clearly irreparables offenses so Gonzalo Gonzalez the younger Prince killed a man over the pepper and Doña Lambra promised to revenge.

Rodrigo, Doña Lambra husband them betrayed his nephews giving the enemy information about their battle plans. They all die. His father is captured but pardoned by Almanzor. While in captivity Gonzalo is asked to recognize the heads of some important Christian the Moor army just killed... its of course his 7 kids and he mad with grief. Long story short he sleeps with Almanzor sister, she gets pregnant, he is later release and goes back to his wife.

All the Spanish medieval gore we deserve

Saddly he is too old for revenge and Doña Lambra is a close family member to the ruling Count. In many version Gonzalo is later disable and very weak by pain or captivity/war. Who could save us now?

Mudarra, bastard extraordinaire

Now let’s talk about Mudarra the first time we see him he is showed playing chess a stereotypical oriental game and talking with the also Muslim king of Segura. He has a great position in court but when he is insulted as “hijo de nadie/ Nobody son” he decides to go search for his father.

Antonio Tempesta, a Renaissance Italian illsutrator doing his best to represent a Moor medieval armyhe went from pseudo-Turkish clearly (Mudarra taking leave of his mother)

From Mudarra POV it’s like leaving idk Camelot/King’s Landing/a US middle class family to go and meet your dad a disable owner of a rundown farm in a backwards land. But that’s ok, Mudarra does his best is like

“Nice to met you Sir Gonzales, I’m your son”

“I’ve literally never seen this kid. No way it’s mine”

And this fools no one specially not his wife Doña Sancha because A) Mudarra looks exactly like Gonzalo Gonzalez his late bro and B) In some version Gonzalo Gustios actually gave Mudarra mother a ring.

Gustios is afraid his wife will be mad but Doña Sancha is no mad at all. Specially when Mudarra promise to avenge his late older brothers. She acts as the coolest step-mom and they even do a ceremony so Mudarra becomes his father legitimate heir.

Personally I like Mudarra a lot, he is much more measured that his brothers: he takes time to explain he is without getting mad, ask for justice to the Count (in some version) and is even courteous to his enemy. I bet he wouldn’t kill an unharmed servant over a pepper but that’s speculation on my part.

Yes, he also has a manly revenge speech at the end:

“Tú los vendistes, traidor, en el val de Araviana / mas, si Dios a mí me ayuda, aquí dejarás el alma / vengare a mis hermanos, los siete infantes de Lara [...] Morirás aquí traidor / a las maños de Mudarra”

“You sold them you traitor, in the Araviana valley / with God’s help here you will lay your soul / I will avenge my brothers, the Seven Princes of Lara. [...] You die here traitor, at the hands of Mudarra”

Then of he goes to kill Rodrigo de Lara. He suceeds, because he is our hero but also because Rodrigo won’t be able to pact with the Moors like he did the 1st time because they won’t risk getting into Mudarra and Almanzor bad side. Doña Lambra in some version is burnt but in most “her punishement was left to God” because as we said she was family with the count.

After the revenge we don’t know a lot about Mudarra which is a shame. He is said to have been an excellent knight though.

A place said to be the tomb of Mudarra with 0 reasons, it’s pretty too

Mudarra, raised as a Moor is our triumphant here, and it was not done only for the exoticism value, him being a Royal Moor is a big deal. Here is why.

A Royal Bastard

Gonzalo Gustias leaving to go back to his land is not seem as an offense to Almanzor sister (called Aisha sometimes, she is a fictional character). She doesn’t seem to have problems with it and Mudarra growns up on King Almanzor court as his heir, he knights him and give his squires to serve him.

But you might ask who is Almanzor? Is he fictional? Well, no, he is no King but he absolutely existed.

Bust of Almanzor in the Castillan city of Catalañazor were Spanish say he suffer a great defeat by Christian troops... it’s probably not true.

He is The big deal. His name is Abu Amir Muhammad but the is nicknames Al Mansur, the Victorious. You see at the time from 950 to 1000 the main kingdom of the are is the Caliphate of Cordoba, the King is Hisam II but his minister and de facto ruler is Almanzor. An incredible capable military leader and politician.

Almanzor embodies the mighty caliphate of Cordoba. Almanzor with an inteligent politic of alliances and a lot of Berber mercenaries he kept the peace and prosterity of the caliphate of Cordoba. Almanzor will have two son, after their rule the Caliphate desintegrate in taifas, he is also the embodiement of the a glorious period. A high king.

A king more important than Count Garcia Fernandes, the Christian ruler of this story. In other countries Roland is the nephew of Charlemagne. The French lineage of Lusignan descend from a fae and everyone descends from Alexander the Great. But in this Castille the best thing we have is Almanzor, descending from a King gives Mudarra the power of an army his father doesnt have and also a symbolic power to change stablishment.

Roof of the former mosque now Catedral of Cordoba

Oh and also I have this theory that Almanzor life could have also inspired the story, mostly his second son who was also the de facto ruler: Abd al-Raḥmān called ibn Sanchul or Sanchuelo this nickname came because he apparently really looked like his granpa...the King of Plamplona Sancho Garces II. Almanzor attacked his kingdom and as the Christian king could not possibly win he came himself as an ambassador asking for protection and bringing incredible gifts. Almanzor accepted and even took Urraca Garces, Sancho daughter as wife.

In Burgos they take their legend seriously

While romances, written later in time show a black and white version of the Al-Andalus and Reconquista that was in truth extremely complexe.Mudarra story is an exception. Authors like the great Irene Zaderenko have even called his romance “maurophilo”. I agree, I love the Moors I love Mudarra and I love this soap opera of a Romance. that has tragically the name of the Princes and is not called “El Romance de Mudarra” as it should.

If i convinced me with my Mudarra propaganda you can: Read the first incomplete version of the story (ESP) the romance of the Complaint of Doña Lambra (ESP) and the song of The Revenge of Mudarra (ESP).. thanks for your attention

#romancero viejo #los siete infantes de lara #spanish literature #spanish music #medieval romances #mudarra gonzalez

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eljackinton · 3 years

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Jack's End of Year Video Game Round-up.

There were many things I couldn't do this year, being in lockdown and all, which in turn meant I played a hell of a lot more video games than I normally do. Here's a quick rundown of what I thought of them.

Hitman 2

IO have sort of perfected the Hitman formula now, so future entries in the series simply have to ask the question of what new directions you can take that formula. In that regard Hitman 2 is a resounding success, setting sneaking and assassination in scenarios around the world from race tracks to holiday resorts, and thus making it the best entry yet. It's possible one day the Hitman conceit will wear thin, but today is not that day.

Thronebreaker

Most people will go into Thronebreaker just wanting a stand-alone version of the Gwent we played during Witcher 3. Thronebreaker is not that. Indeed, even beyond the changes to the mechanics brought in by the online version, Thronebreaker is more of a puzzle game which uses the mechanics of Gwent to concoct unique scenarios. Still, the story is pretty good and it is fun overall, even if it didn't end up scratching the itch left by Gwent.

Black Mesa (Xen)

I returned to Black Mesa after Xen was finally added, eager to see what the team had come up with. My feelings are complicated. The Xen portions of the game are really well designed, great to play and visually beautiful. However the levels hew so far from the Half-Life originals that it kind of stops feeling like Half-Life. I would have like to have seen a more faithful recreation to be honest.

Neon Struct

If you've been wanting a spiritual sequel to Thief that actually used the mechanics of Thief, here you go. Though low budget, and therefore having somewhat uninspiring visuals based on reused assets, it's still a really impressive game from what the team had to work with, and it's short enough that it doesn't outstay it's welcome.

Acid Spy

I'm generally usually okay at stealth games but this one was well beyond my skill level. Got through the tutorial but just got frustrated and quit on the first mission.

Salting the Earth

A wonderfully put together visual novel about the legacy of war and the nature of national identities. Also you date buff orc women. One of the best VNs I've played, but it does have some pretty bleak potential endings that clash somewhat with the rest of the story's tone.

Hedon

Speaking of buff orc women, Hedon is a vivid, perfectly designed retro-shooter that really uses the most of it's engine to bring it's world to life, with shades of Thief and Strife thrown in there. Wears its hornieness on it's sleeve, but if you can roll with that you'll have nothing but a good time.

The Painscreek Killings

I really really loved this immersive narrative game, where you explore an abandoned town to piece together a series of suspicious deaths. My only gripes are the town looks very British despite being set in the US, and the final confrontation adding a chase scene felt a little over dramatic.

Deus Ex Mankind Divided

There are many problems with Mankind Divided. Trying to find another story to do with Adam Jensen. Making the game more of an open world by taking away the usual Deus Ex globe-trotting. The clumsy use of racial metaphor being applied to cyborgs. All in all the game just didn't really come together, which is a shame, because the DLC showed such promise, and hinted at the real Deus Ex game we could have had.

Warhammer Armageddon DLC

I managed to complete the Salamanders DLC and got stuck near the end of the Blood Angels one. All in all it's simply 'more' of what the base game offered, and I'm not sure it really needed it.

Unavowed

Easily one of the most interesting games I played this year. So good It inspired me to write a cheesy fanfic. Sure the mechanics of applying squad mechanics to a point and click are interesting, but it's the world, the art and the characters themselves that really make this game. Highly recommended.

Devil Daggers

The ultimate distillation of classic shooter mechanics. One platform, one weapon, endless enemies. I didn't get all that far into it and I think most people won't, but I'm not going to complain for the price. Overdue a revisit.

Dream Daddy

A fun and fluffy dating game that actually does a good job of putting you into the mindset of a recently bereaved bisexual dad. Come for the hunks, stay for the really affecting story of a strained relationship between father and daughter.

Greedfall

Greedfall falls short of the mark in most aspects, but I have to give it credit for being one of the few games to give us a Bioware companion-centric adventure during this drought of Bioware games. It lacks the zing of something like Dragon Age, and handles the subject of colonialism really problematically, but if you can get past those issues, it's a fun ride, and a world I'd like to revisit.

Endless Legend

I've been wanting a game to scratch the Alpha Centauri itch for decades now and Endless Legend finally did it. There is a risk of being overwhelmed by the sheer number of unique factions to play, and I know I still haven't really scratched the surface even after 4 full campaigns. Is that a criticism? I suppose it depends if you think you can have too much of a good thing.

Space Hulk Deathwing Enhanced Edition

A valiant effort was put in to make a faithful FPS of the Space Hulk experience, but ultimately it falls far too short. The visuals look great and the game-feel of stomping around as a Space Marine really works, but the game lacks charm and character. Up against Vermintide, there's no comparison.

Sunless Sea

This is a game that feels like a bottomless abyss of secrets and mysteries tied up in a very brutal one-life-only system. I really enjoyed my time with Sunless Seas, with the music calling me like a wailing siren every now and again, yet in many ways I did find it a bit too unforgiving, and it could have benefited from having a bit more of a progression between lives than the almost solid reset it leaves you with.

Age of Empires / 2 / 3 Definitive Editions

The first Age of Empires has an important place in history, but is borderline unplayable by today's standards. Almost every aspect was improved in 2 and going back now feels like trading a car for a horse and cart. It's clear that the game was intending your slow crawl out of the stone age through hunting and gathering to be part of the game in its own right, but today it's just tedious, and the rest of the game is just so slow.

There isn't much to say about Age of Empire 2 that I haven't already said, but I will point out that multiplayer AOE2 has kept me sane over the course of the lockdown, and I'm glad the Definitive Edition enhanced that experience.

Age of Empire 3 tried too hard to reinvent the wheel. Instead of taking 2 and building on it, it instead contorted it around a colonisation theme, and it didn't really work. On top of that, the mechanics really felt they were built more for single-player story missions. The maps are too small, and the expansion factions clash with the rules badly. Still, there is fun to be had, and I'll be checking out the campaigns next year.

Hand of Fate 2

This game takes the original Hand of Fate and adds way, way too much into it. While I appreciate the addition of companions, a longer story mode, and optional side missions, the game is far too experimental with it's formula, and leaves me struggling with complex missions around being lost in a desert or evading barbarian hordes, when all I wanted was a straight forward dungeon crawl. I tapped out two thirds of the way through the campaign.

Wild Guns Reloaded

I love the style and aesthetic, but I just don't have the reflexes (or the gamepad) for these fast paced arcade games.

Vermintide 2 Drakenfels

Fatshark gave us an entire Vermintide campaign for free this year, at the cost of having to be subjected to obnoxious cosmetic micro-tranactions. Hard to say it was worth the price, but Fatshark really do continue to improve, bringing new scope and ideas to every new mission. As good as it gets.

Pendula Swing

A fun little game that apes the visuals of a Baldur's Gate style RPG but the mechanics of a point and click adventure game set in a fantasy version of the roaring twenties. A strong introduction to it's setting but definitely needs building on if we're to see a continuation. A lot of the world-building feels too simple and half-baked at times, and the gameplay feels like too much is going on too fast. Still, a charming story though.

The Shiva / The Blackwell Series

At first I had no idea that Unavowed was connected to a host of other Wadget Eye adventure games, so naturally I had to check them out. I'd known about The Shiva and the Blackwell games for years, but never actually thought about picking them up. Playing them all back to back was a great experience, and almost felt like a prototype to the episodic storytelling many games do today.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light/Temple of Osiris

Guardian of Light is a fun, inventive co-op game for killing some time with a friend. The puzzles are often unique and interesting and get you thinking, and the story, while nothing fantastic, is fun enough to keep you interested and have a laugh about with your co-op partner in a B-Movie kind of way. Temple of Osiris adds way too much to the formula, with more characters, mechanics and more open exploration and it absolutely loses the charm of the first game, and even then it's buggy as hell. Skip the second one.

Command and Conquer Remastered

Big chunks of my childhood are taken up with memories of playing Command and Conquer and Red Alert, so it's difficult to really gauge my thoughts on the remaster. On the one hand the art direction looks great and preserves the feel of the original, and the quality of life improvements to the gameplay help make it more playable. The nostalgia hit is also palpable. That being said, the mechanics have not aged all that well, with much of the game being far, far too hard. Probably the best way to experience the genesis of the RTS genre but just know what you're getting in for.

Superhot Mind Control Delete

I wrote a lot at length about how unsure I was about Mind Control Delete at the time, and that's because it does feel a little unsure about itself. Is it a continuation of the first game? A fun bonus mode? A mediation on the nature of addiction? A critique of video game content? A joke on the player? I don't know, but I do know one thing, and that is that Superhot is still as addictive as hell.

Opus Magnum

Zachtronic's steampunk alchemy game requires far too much maths brain than I am capable of , and so I had to rely on guides a lot of the time, but that being said, it's still amazingly put together and vividly presented. Really feels like a game that could be used in schools.

Necromunda Underhive Wars (Story Mode)

I'll be checking out Underhive's Campaign mode in the new year, but for now I just want to talk about the story mode. Much like Mordheim, this is a game that's not going to work for everyone, but I really dug it and like it's unique take on a squad based TBS. However, in many respects the game does feel like a missed opportunity. The storyline is fun enough, and the arsenal robust, but much of the character of the tabletop game, the weird, chaotic, and sometimes comical things that can happen over the course of a battle seems to have been lost in translation, as has the quirky character to a lot of the gangs.

Outer Wilds

There is little I can say about Outer Wilds that hasn't already been said by others, particularly that one should go into the game as blind as possible. A beautiful piece of interactive art, words would fail me in describing it anyway.

Life is Strange 2

Fantastically written, amazingly animated, wonderfully acted, and grim and depressing as all hell. I really love Life is Strange 2, but it it a tough game to bare witness to, especially in 2020. It treats it's subject matter with great maturity, but is so dark it's hard to motivate yourself to continue each gruelling episode. Also, I really think it would have fared better if it had not named itself Life is Strange 2, as not following Max and Chloe turned a lot of people away from a game I think they'd have otherwise enjoyed if they'd named it Wolf Brothers or something.

Half Life 2 / Episodes / Portal / 2/ Mel

After playing Black Mesa earlier this year I decided to revisit the entire Half Life 2 and Portal series. What I concluded is that Half Life 2 is not really all that good. A well told story wrapped around weak combat and average encounter design. This much improves across the episodes of course, but in the end I rather feel Half Life 2 is pretty overrated.

Portal, on the other hand, still feels fresh, though I was surprised I'd forgotten just how much was added in Portal 2, to the point Portal feels more like a game demo. That being said, I think the slowly growing mystery and menace of Portal has aged a lot better than the gagfest the series became with 2. Mel, a stand-alone mod that feels like could be a Portal 3 in it's own right, returns to a more serious tone, and feels all the stronger because of it.

Control

Control has gone from a game I didn't really care about all that much to one of my favourites of the year, if not the decade. Sure there are criticisms I could make, but the world has so much depth, the characters so much potential, and the gameplay such perfectly designed chaos, that it wouldn't really matter. A great time was had.

Icewind Dale 2

Finishing Icewind Dale 2 was the final banishing of the old ghosts of Infinity Engine games I never finished as a kid. Sure there was the nostalgia, but Icewind Dale 2 also feels prefect for the Baldurs Gate era's swan song. Beautiful environments, a well written story and great interface and design, only pulled down due to some overly long busywork at various points and the plot being dragged on a little too long. Still, sad to know I have no further Infinity Engine games left to conquer.

Elsinore

The first half of Elsinore is an absolutely great time-loop mystery, which seems to be an interesting interrogation of Shakespearian tropes and asks the question of how much of a Shakespearian tragedy remains the more you change it. The second half, however, quickly devolves into a cosmic horror story that feels a poor fit for the genre and far too grim for the art style, and that's even before it basically devolves into trying to do the same thing Undertale did but worse. A well put together game whose ending did not sit well with me.

Gwent: The Witcher Card Game

Since Thronebreaker didn't sate my appetite I started playing competitive Gwent. It is a wholly different game than the one that appears in The Wither 3, but is certainly fascinating in it's own right. After 200 hours I am officially addicted, somebody please send help.

And that's that. Not doing a top 5 games of the year because I played too many this year and I've spent too much time thinking about them already. Here's hoping I play less in 2021 and can get back to a more normal life.

#video games

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