a fun artistic outlook on what it means to be a creator, player, and hell, even yourself. i cant think of any other game this personal and emotional metacontexually that reflects its creator’s ambitions, struggles, and views. it’s a game about games but unlike nmh1, it travels deeper into the workings of what games represent and the process of making them, rather than embracing itself as a video game and the tropes that go along with that (not knocking nmh1 for this btw, big aspect of that game i love). each death drive game is bursting at the seams with creativity; remaining fresh yet faithful to its inspirations. they all contribute something meaningful to the overall plot and ideas. i love the one that straight up jukes you out, placing you in an unfinished unreal engine world where you can see vast floating terrain in the empty white skybox anticipating your eventual adventure, only to be thrown out of the game before you can even begin to ponder what awaits in the white void. sometimes shit just doesnt see the light of day. Fax received from K. travis strikes back got me sentimental when presented with shadowy figures of [kill] the past. here we’re cleaning up the mess of someone else’s past, forming our own future in the process. games as self expression, a hobby, past time, an inspiration, an escape.

some other things to note would include the gameplay which i honestly found to be pretty fun throughout, while not as integrated into the story as the previous games it’s some simple fun i can fuck with without a whole lot of thought. i adore the soundtrack, boasting popping hiphop and drumbeats that keep your head banging and thumbs wagging. welcome to hell being one of my favorites having sampled johnson’s japanese rap from sotd. the ktp/sudaverse references were also a pleasure as always. tho anyone who tells you “you need to be a true suda fan to like tsa!” is gatekeeping lol, this game is perfectly enjoyable to people who just like seeing travis touchdown get into his comedically serious lightsaber slashing adventures as usual.

theres things here i don’t completely vibe with but i really respect TSA in regards for what it does and its celebratory nature. the visual and sound design strike all the right cords with me. this marks the end of my kill the past journey (until october 11 at least) and it couldn’t have ended on a better note. a note whose sound will continue to play in my mind for years to come.

Let's get right into it: if you are a fan of Grasshopper and Suda51's work, this game is a must play.

TSA is a sort of tour that explores the entire career of GHM and Suda, so you should understand this game as a personal catharsis of them in that regard. It is a deep dive into their highs and lows, expressing their thoughts and feelings using the shape of an arcade videogame, and because of that TSA tackles game development itself while trying to find the most appropriate place for all their past games. This game includes plenty of comments and ideas that reflect on how this team sees game development as a whole, taking into account both their career and the current state of the industry as well.

But what's most important is that TSA is a fundamental game in Grasshopper's Kill the Past lore, as this entry acts as the nexus point that binds all the storylines together. If they are going to explore some kind of unified universe in the future with NMH3 and beyond, Travis Strikes Again is the first stop of that road, so you shouldn't miss this by any means, specially if you've played most of the previous Grasshopper and Suda's games.

It is also a love letter to independent game developers, most definitely due to the fact that Suda sees himself in them as a new generation of true creators, so to speak. And that's exactly what you should expect here: a small, somewhat risky indie game that tries to convey a lot of its creators' emotions while preparing the ground for bigger venues in the future.

You will find a very enjoyable experience here if you just come open-minded and looking for pure fun, as it is a game meant to be experienced not thinking too much about its depth or story but diving deep into the Death Drive Mk II alongside Travis and Badman to experiencie a wild ride through Grasshopper and Suda51's life.

Also, the music's a blast.

silent hill 4-2: apartment horror type

this one is actually my favorite in the series with godlike combat and unique level sequence

also the story is amazing and beautiful

the ending willl make you value your life a little bit more