KARVENTIS
2016
Hopefully soon I can properly delve back in?!?!
2022
A brief sojourn.
In life, I have become a stray cat. I don't have a home right now. I'm hoping that may change soon.
In life, I have become a stray cat. I don't have a home right now. I'm hoping that may change soon.
2008
a brief stroll down memory lane. booted up the ps3 before my Mum's wedding celebrations. I built a strange diorama. it broke and sated my gaming fast.
2009
I escaped the Machinarium! almost certain I'm tone deaf because I couldn't do that last puzzle to save my life.
PS3 emulation
moving away and not taking my PC with me has meant my partner and I will have to leave this game unfinished for now.
took a little while to get into but we've been really enjoying this one. as the first game's atmosphere was so unique and unstable under the confines of old computer game mechanics and graphical limitations, this one takes a more linear approach which, although streamlining the experience, took away from the unpredictability of the original. I like how the mini games are fun and collecting teeth is pleasing despite the distressing deterioration of Alice's psyche which manifests itself in some in interesting if trite ways. how the events in reality shape her own world for each chapter is effective with an incentive to find the collectibles to piece together the truth of events is refreshing with each find being little more than an esoteric quote that prevents any spoon fed conclusions. you also have to take this game as something other than Carrol's Alice. it's a reactionary re-interpretation of that world, an example of taking a work, and one well established in literary culture and making it something new via a modern medium that arguably debases it. these games do not do this out of disrespect but to challenge these notions and imagine a parallel world in which all art is built upon ideas exchanged by each other.
moving away and not taking my PC with me has meant my partner and I will have to leave this game unfinished for now.
took a little while to get into but we've been really enjoying this one. as the first game's atmosphere was so unique and unstable under the confines of old computer game mechanics and graphical limitations, this one takes a more linear approach which, although streamlining the experience, took away from the unpredictability of the original. I like how the mini games are fun and collecting teeth is pleasing despite the distressing deterioration of Alice's psyche which manifests itself in some in interesting if trite ways. how the events in reality shape her own world for each chapter is effective with an incentive to find the collectibles to piece together the truth of events is refreshing with each find being little more than an esoteric quote that prevents any spoon fed conclusions. you also have to take this game as something other than Carrol's Alice. it's a reactionary re-interpretation of that world, an example of taking a work, and one well established in literary culture and making it something new via a modern medium that arguably debases it. these games do not do this out of disrespect but to challenge these notions and imagine a parallel world in which all art is built upon ideas exchanged by each other.
after a long hiatus, I forced myself to finish the story. despite a drawn out end with Chapter 7 and on the whole, it reminded me why I loved playing this game. it's a magic world. however, it did also highlight my problems with it. its a huge game, and thats both it's blessing and it's curse. the game does it's job and gets me addicted and hooked on completing side quests and capturing familiars. but as I went on, I got increasingly more overwhelmed by this size and yearned for a more streamlined experience. furthermore, the avatar/character I play as in a game makes a huge impression on how I play and think about it. Oliver was weak and made me yearn for the archetype of the grizzled old wizard. maybe one day I will return to defeat the secret boss, and skim through the Wizard's Compendium but for now my time in this world is over!