Artistic triumph. The atmosphere surrounds you from the first moments of the game, and grow with every step of the way. The fear you feel is real, from the danger your put in, the subtle animations of your character, and the growing understanding of the stakes of the world. This is a game that tells a complex, compelling, and harrowing story without saying a word. Of course, that leads to some who say that none of what you're seeing truly means anything, since by the end it doesn't form a cohesive narrative or easy metaphor. But I feel like actual art requires work on the part of the audience to create their own meaning out of imagery, emotion, and symbolism.

This game contains heavy themes, and depictions of child death (in multiple visceral manners). While I'd recommend this game to anyone, please take warning.

God, what a game. As I call it among friends, "Three films, the video game." This game exists on multiple layers. First, you are piecing together the narrative of 3 films, each representing different styles and film movements. Then, you're tracking the behind the scenes, what went into each film and the dynamics of their production. Finally, you're following the actress, Marissa Marcel. Who she is, her role in each production, and the trajectory of her career. And then, as the game goes on, you find another layer to analyze on top of that. And then another. The game keeps you thinking, and makes you feel like a cross between an investigator and a film critic. People who say, "I don't like having to rewatch all these scenes to find the small things I missed," are psycopaths and are not to be trusted. Anyone who can so easily be pulled out of an experience is never going to enjoy art that requires you meet it on its own terms.

This game exists as a five star game at some lost point in time. It makes arguments that have been made better since. It comments on things that are no longer part of the zeitgeist. It evokes a feeling we don't feel anymore. The beauty of the game is not lost on me, and I don't think no one can feel what the game wants you to feel anymore, but I've read too many people mad at the fact that a game wants you to think about what it's telling you. "Ugh, why am I supposed to feel emotions in response to a narrative? Video games are about CHOICES and AUTONOMY! And I CHOOSE not to engage with art on any level that challenges me."

Watching the trailer for The Phantom Pain is what inspired me to get into the MGS series. Despite the fact that it was the narrative presented in the trailer for MGS V that got me interested, after having played through the rest of the series, the fact that MGS V ultimately had an incredibly subdued, and inconclusive, narrative was a breath of fresh air. This game is easily the most fun and dynamic game in the series, one where alternate playstyles are not only possible, but are accounted for and will evolve over the course of the game. It was a great catharsis that at the end of my journey, I was rewarded with a game that admitted the fact that it's hard to tell a good story when you don't have any writers on your team, and instead opted to just provide a playground of gameplay opportunities.

As someone who's been following the games of Daniel Mullens since the gamejam version of Pony Island, it has been incredibly rewarding to watch the evolution of his work. Inscryption is definitely his most "game-y" game, which was both exciting and worrying. But all my fears were quelled when I finally played it. The gameplay loop is smart, well-thought-out, and deeper than you'd imagine. While I sometimes worry about Daniel's propensity for ARG content required to fully understand the narrative (and how jarring it can be compared to what's presented in the game's direct narrative), I appreciate the effort that is put in to create a very real mystery surrounding his games.

Two stars. And it earned those stars. The art style of these classic films are maintained to the best of the technology's ability, the basic combat is simple but enjoyable, in its own way, and the music is great. Kingdom Hearts should be proud of any victory it can maintain under the weight of the awful writing, unlikeable characters, clunky mechanics, difficulty curve that spikes to disrespectful heights in the last section of the game, and the launch of Tetsuya Nomura's career, which ultimately killed Final Fantasy. I still believe this is the best Kingdom Hearts, though.