24 Reviews liked by Siev
Antichamber
2013
A trippy yet thought-provoking filled first-person puzzle game that in similar fashion to Portal manages to subvert player perception in its difficulty but leads itself to be beatable by not relying on cheap and cryptic solutions.
As a warning, if you look down, don't be scared... for too long.
As a warning, if you look down, don't be scared... for too long.
Dark Souls III
2016
The Road to Elden Ring #5: Dark Souls III
So here we are at the end! Didn’t have the time to get around to Sekiro before Elden Ring’s release, but I’d like to talk about it sometime in the future. For now, we end with Dark Souls III, the conclusion to the Souls IP that builds upon the groundwork set by Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls 1 and 2, and Bloodborne. While it’s far from perfect, I think DS3 surpasses its predecessors in more ways than one.
For starters, the combat takes inspiration from Bloodborne. While not as fast-paced and aggressive as that game, it still takes the combat from Demon’s Souls and DS1/2 and speed it up significantly. The game is less plodding and meticulous and instead requires the player to think on their feet and act quickly to aggressive enemies with faster attacks and deeper movepools. The player, while still sped up from previous games, still feels slower than all the new enemies, so the idea of “Dark Souls 1 Knight vs Bloodborne enemies” helps make Lothric feel even deadlier and more dangerous that previous worlds.
Although Dark Souls 3 is a lot more linear than DS1, it has arguably the best level design so far in the series. Similarly to Bloodborne, DS3 has massive zones that feel incredibly rewarding to explore and find hidden treasures. The size of these levels allow From to play around with verticality and put a large amount of varied set pieces across each area. The Cathedral of the Deep has you scaling the rafters of a massive church before you get inside and battle the imprisoned giants. The Catacombs of Carthus have you venturing deeper and deeper into the lair of a skeleton army and features traps and ambushes around every corner. DS3 is probably second only to the original Dark Souls when it comes to incredibly memorable level design.
Another area DS3 shines is its improved NPC questlines. Though side quests given by important NPCs have been a staple of the Souls series since Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls 3 takes these side stories and really fleshes them out. Four NPCs offer fun and engaging side quests that send you to some locations you’d never go otherwise, and tie into the game’s four main bosses in a really satisfying way.
The DLC is also fantastic. Ashes of Ariandel and the Ringed City offer incredibly cool set pieces, new enemy types, new weapons, and a pair of some of the greatest boss fights in the entire franchise. Sister Friede and Slave Knight Gael are a showcase of everything that makes the Souls games so great and special, with Gael himself (and the vanilla game’s final boss, the Soul of Cinder) being the perfect sendoff to the trilogy.
The only negative I really have to say about DS3 is that bits and pieces feel pretty derivative of the past games, which is only natural after five entries. I think too much of DS3 relies on knowing the thing from a previous game, like Aldritch puppeting around Gwnydolin’s corpse from DS1 in the ruins of Anor Londo, or the new hub area just being Firelink Shrine again. In some areas it works, like the beginning of the Ringed City being a mismash of Firelink Shrine from DS1 and Earthen Peak from DS2. Some of these callbacks are fun for veteran players, but I think contributes to Lothric not really feeling like it has its own identity. Demon’s Souls’ Boletaria, Dark Souls’ Lordran, Bloodborne’s Yharnam, and as much as I dislike it, DS2’s Drangleic, all felt distinct and unique from each other. Lothric on the other hand, just feels like we’re back in Lordran again, except for the inexplicit mini-Yharnam in the form of Irithyll.
At its worst, Dark Souls 3 is uninspired and derivative of past Souls games. At its best, Dark Souls 3 is a masterpiece with some of the tightest combat and level design of the series, memorable and lovable NPCs with engaging side stories, and intense, difficult bosses that represent everything that makes the franchise so beloved. An absolute killer final outing.
So here we are at the end! Didn’t have the time to get around to Sekiro before Elden Ring’s release, but I’d like to talk about it sometime in the future. For now, we end with Dark Souls III, the conclusion to the Souls IP that builds upon the groundwork set by Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls 1 and 2, and Bloodborne. While it’s far from perfect, I think DS3 surpasses its predecessors in more ways than one.
For starters, the combat takes inspiration from Bloodborne. While not as fast-paced and aggressive as that game, it still takes the combat from Demon’s Souls and DS1/2 and speed it up significantly. The game is less plodding and meticulous and instead requires the player to think on their feet and act quickly to aggressive enemies with faster attacks and deeper movepools. The player, while still sped up from previous games, still feels slower than all the new enemies, so the idea of “Dark Souls 1 Knight vs Bloodborne enemies” helps make Lothric feel even deadlier and more dangerous that previous worlds.
Although Dark Souls 3 is a lot more linear than DS1, it has arguably the best level design so far in the series. Similarly to Bloodborne, DS3 has massive zones that feel incredibly rewarding to explore and find hidden treasures. The size of these levels allow From to play around with verticality and put a large amount of varied set pieces across each area. The Cathedral of the Deep has you scaling the rafters of a massive church before you get inside and battle the imprisoned giants. The Catacombs of Carthus have you venturing deeper and deeper into the lair of a skeleton army and features traps and ambushes around every corner. DS3 is probably second only to the original Dark Souls when it comes to incredibly memorable level design.
Another area DS3 shines is its improved NPC questlines. Though side quests given by important NPCs have been a staple of the Souls series since Demon’s Souls, Dark Souls 3 takes these side stories and really fleshes them out. Four NPCs offer fun and engaging side quests that send you to some locations you’d never go otherwise, and tie into the game’s four main bosses in a really satisfying way.
The DLC is also fantastic. Ashes of Ariandel and the Ringed City offer incredibly cool set pieces, new enemy types, new weapons, and a pair of some of the greatest boss fights in the entire franchise. Sister Friede and Slave Knight Gael are a showcase of everything that makes the Souls games so great and special, with Gael himself (and the vanilla game’s final boss, the Soul of Cinder) being the perfect sendoff to the trilogy.
The only negative I really have to say about DS3 is that bits and pieces feel pretty derivative of the past games, which is only natural after five entries. I think too much of DS3 relies on knowing the thing from a previous game, like Aldritch puppeting around Gwnydolin’s corpse from DS1 in the ruins of Anor Londo, or the new hub area just being Firelink Shrine again. In some areas it works, like the beginning of the Ringed City being a mismash of Firelink Shrine from DS1 and Earthen Peak from DS2. Some of these callbacks are fun for veteran players, but I think contributes to Lothric not really feeling like it has its own identity. Demon’s Souls’ Boletaria, Dark Souls’ Lordran, Bloodborne’s Yharnam, and as much as I dislike it, DS2’s Drangleic, all felt distinct and unique from each other. Lothric on the other hand, just feels like we’re back in Lordran again, except for the inexplicit mini-Yharnam in the form of Irithyll.
At its worst, Dark Souls 3 is uninspired and derivative of past Souls games. At its best, Dark Souls 3 is a masterpiece with some of the tightest combat and level design of the series, memorable and lovable NPCs with engaging side stories, and intense, difficult bosses that represent everything that makes the franchise so beloved. An absolute killer final outing.
Echo
2021
This is a homosexual, furry game with psychological horror elements. None of this is targeted at me, and, on paper, I probably should not like this game. But It is really good, and I like it a lot. The writing of this game is tantalizing, eerie, gutwrenching, and breathtaking and holds the kind of symbolism you can get lost thinking about. However, nothing about the experience seemed above me in that way, in fact, it feels rather relatable at times despite the insanity of it all. These characters simultaneously represent the worst and best of humanity, and at some point or the other, I found all of them irredeemable while continuing to relate to their best and even their worst qualities. Chase’s character is a masterclass in this. I fucking hate Chase, and yet route after route, I also find myself loving Chase. He is incredibly dynamic for a character that is controlled by so many outside factors. That brings me to the town of Echo, a town that lives off of secrets in order to bring the worst out of whoever inhabits it. No one really knows how it got this bad, and no one really knows how to fix it. It’s a town of desperation, and mitigation is no longer an option. They can only really “accept, and move on.” A fitting line from Carl's route, the last one I played. Echo wears on you to the point that, like Chase, you start to feel powerless to stop it from ripping the lives of these characters apart.
Jenna’s Route
Jenna’s route was my first, and, in hindsight, probably the weakest. However, it really is hard to say because I felt the routes continued to get better as I went likely as a result of learning more about the world and characters. I decided to go with her because I felt she was the most reasonable and relatable for me. She by far has moved on the most since Sydney’s death. She goes to college, has friends outside the group, and has a clear plan for her future. She’s not perfect, but she probably thinks she is which is one of many factors that is preventing the echo reunion from being a fruitful one. Ironically, despite being in psychology, she has what feels like little to no empathy for anyone but TJ for most of the routes in this game. She is shrouded by her closeness to the events and fails to see things from a perspective outside of her own. Her route is kind of boring for the most part. You learn a lot more about the junkies of Echo and how the town has affected them. There is also a really nice scene about Jenna’s grandmother, and Jenna and Chase's banter is pretty fun. Outside of that though. It is sort of forgettable and I am not really a huge fan of the diverting endings of the route. Echo taking the forgiving god of the junkies was too far though these guys are LOST without my man.
Flynn’s Route
After playing Jenna’s route and having her talk and talk about how Flynn was the devil, I wanted a chance to see things from his perspective, and I am glad I did. In stark contrast to Jenna, he is hurting the most due to the loss of Sydney, and it is not in his nature to just let that be like it might be for Carl or TJ. He lost his best friend. He buried a man for Sydney. He wants the truth, but his friends repress it, and those that don’t know the truth support those that do. He is alone, and he has felt that way ever since he lost Sydney. This route explores that desperation and depravity with some of the most disturbing imagery Echo has to offer. This route also offers the most depressing ending of the game which has me feeling really bad for the lizard. I also like Daxton a lot in this route. Unapologetically and uncompromisingly a dweeb.
TJ’s Route
No route highlights the powerlessness of living in the Echo area code like TJ’s route. I hate everyone in this route. I hate Chase, I hate Janice, I kinda hate Julian but he really hasn’t done anything wrong, and I despise TJ. By the end of it, they are all consumed by the grief and guilt of Echo and its secrets, and to say you hate them is to basically say you hate what the town has brought out of them. With that being said though, I really did not like TJ beforehand, and being with him an entire route only made that more agonizing. I struggled alongside Chase as TJ refused to say no. He has a blatant disregard for his own well-being that is downright insane, and I am starting to understand why I decided to do Jenna as my first route. TJ is the opposite of Jenna despite their closeness. He literally agrees to dig a grave for an insane woman because he fears letting her down, and I have to just go along with that. And then he strings you along the most cursed scavenger hunt of all time only for Chase to pull the slimeball move of the century and gaslight the entire group into Flynn hate. Chase in this route is an absolute trainwreck that you have to watch unfold full well knowing this infatuation with TJ mixed with the underlying truth will not end well. It’s a really entertaining trainwreck though as the cycle of echo repeats.
Leo’s Route
This one is the best and I don’t think it's particularly close. The Leo and Chase relationship is the most fleshed out in the game and there is so much baggage with it that unpacking it would take me way too long. The line between a healthy productive relationship and an abusive harmful couple has been blurred and blotched. One thing is for sure though, Leo feels like he needs Chase and there is no way around that for him. When he lost him with the opposite of closure, he had to spawn an echo body double to cope with it that ends up terrorizing the entire town into thinking that Chase caused the mass hysteria which has huge repercussions on almost all the routes(and they’d be right) (but not because of the body double) (I find this funny but also sick). Suffice to say Leo is not over it, but Chase mostly is, but Chase also doesn’t know when to stop leading everyone in his life on which results in the worst possible thing for Leo: more of Chase. However, I can kind of understand it. These two really do love each other and their moments of connection were probably the happiest to watch early in the route. It feels so genuine and there's a lot to like about the couple despite how unhealthy it is for the two of them. The real hero of this route is Kudzu. This raccoon is an absolute chad and helps pull Chase away from Leo in a way slow, accepting, and unassuming way that allows both parties to move on in a healthy fashion. He also is a goddamn hero who doesn’t know how to use a gun which is a huge plus in the town of Echo. This route also has the best divergent endings of the game offering two endings that left me floored and on the verge of tears.
Carl’s Route
James versus John was pretty hype and watching Carl’s character develop was pretty rewarding. This route was really good in a way that diverges from the main problems of the other routes. Instead of focusing on the group’s trauma about the loss of Sydney, it focuses on Carl’s problems and the truth about what happened to John Begay. It works, and Carl letting go of James’ influences parallels his need to free himself of his reliance on others. The good ending was a nice and happy exclamation point to the Echo experience for me after all the shit that happens in these routes.
For fun, I'm going to rank the routes from worst to best here: Jenna, Carl, Flynn, TJ, Leo. Although Tj, Carl, and Flynn are really close so I don’t even know if I stand by this to be honest.
This is not a perfect game and there are a few flaws. It is not the most polished game ever, but that is to be sort of expected for an Itch.io download. I counted 4 or 5 typos and grammatical errors within the game. The artwork is great but used very sparingly which left me wanting a lot more. Also Raven was a large miss. He is pretty boring and kinda stupid. He serves a purpose but he is just kinda a buzzkill. I also am not a huge fan of all the psychological thriller/sleep paralysis elements. They can be hit or miss at times, but the fact that I like a lot of them is saying quite a bit for me.
Jenna’s Route
Jenna’s route was my first, and, in hindsight, probably the weakest. However, it really is hard to say because I felt the routes continued to get better as I went likely as a result of learning more about the world and characters. I decided to go with her because I felt she was the most reasonable and relatable for me. She by far has moved on the most since Sydney’s death. She goes to college, has friends outside the group, and has a clear plan for her future. She’s not perfect, but she probably thinks she is which is one of many factors that is preventing the echo reunion from being a fruitful one. Ironically, despite being in psychology, she has what feels like little to no empathy for anyone but TJ for most of the routes in this game. She is shrouded by her closeness to the events and fails to see things from a perspective outside of her own. Her route is kind of boring for the most part. You learn a lot more about the junkies of Echo and how the town has affected them. There is also a really nice scene about Jenna’s grandmother, and Jenna and Chase's banter is pretty fun. Outside of that though. It is sort of forgettable and I am not really a huge fan of the diverting endings of the route. Echo taking the forgiving god of the junkies was too far though these guys are LOST without my man.
Flynn’s Route
After playing Jenna’s route and having her talk and talk about how Flynn was the devil, I wanted a chance to see things from his perspective, and I am glad I did. In stark contrast to Jenna, he is hurting the most due to the loss of Sydney, and it is not in his nature to just let that be like it might be for Carl or TJ. He lost his best friend. He buried a man for Sydney. He wants the truth, but his friends repress it, and those that don’t know the truth support those that do. He is alone, and he has felt that way ever since he lost Sydney. This route explores that desperation and depravity with some of the most disturbing imagery Echo has to offer. This route also offers the most depressing ending of the game which has me feeling really bad for the lizard. I also like Daxton a lot in this route. Unapologetically and uncompromisingly a dweeb.
TJ’s Route
No route highlights the powerlessness of living in the Echo area code like TJ’s route. I hate everyone in this route. I hate Chase, I hate Janice, I kinda hate Julian but he really hasn’t done anything wrong, and I despise TJ. By the end of it, they are all consumed by the grief and guilt of Echo and its secrets, and to say you hate them is to basically say you hate what the town has brought out of them. With that being said though, I really did not like TJ beforehand, and being with him an entire route only made that more agonizing. I struggled alongside Chase as TJ refused to say no. He has a blatant disregard for his own well-being that is downright insane, and I am starting to understand why I decided to do Jenna as my first route. TJ is the opposite of Jenna despite their closeness. He literally agrees to dig a grave for an insane woman because he fears letting her down, and I have to just go along with that. And then he strings you along the most cursed scavenger hunt of all time only for Chase to pull the slimeball move of the century and gaslight the entire group into Flynn hate. Chase in this route is an absolute trainwreck that you have to watch unfold full well knowing this infatuation with TJ mixed with the underlying truth will not end well. It’s a really entertaining trainwreck though as the cycle of echo repeats.
Leo’s Route
This one is the best and I don’t think it's particularly close. The Leo and Chase relationship is the most fleshed out in the game and there is so much baggage with it that unpacking it would take me way too long. The line between a healthy productive relationship and an abusive harmful couple has been blurred and blotched. One thing is for sure though, Leo feels like he needs Chase and there is no way around that for him. When he lost him with the opposite of closure, he had to spawn an echo body double to cope with it that ends up terrorizing the entire town into thinking that Chase caused the mass hysteria which has huge repercussions on almost all the routes(and they’d be right) (but not because of the body double) (I find this funny but also sick). Suffice to say Leo is not over it, but Chase mostly is, but Chase also doesn’t know when to stop leading everyone in his life on which results in the worst possible thing for Leo: more of Chase. However, I can kind of understand it. These two really do love each other and their moments of connection were probably the happiest to watch early in the route. It feels so genuine and there's a lot to like about the couple despite how unhealthy it is for the two of them. The real hero of this route is Kudzu. This raccoon is an absolute chad and helps pull Chase away from Leo in a way slow, accepting, and unassuming way that allows both parties to move on in a healthy fashion. He also is a goddamn hero who doesn’t know how to use a gun which is a huge plus in the town of Echo. This route also has the best divergent endings of the game offering two endings that left me floored and on the verge of tears.
Carl’s Route
James versus John was pretty hype and watching Carl’s character develop was pretty rewarding. This route was really good in a way that diverges from the main problems of the other routes. Instead of focusing on the group’s trauma about the loss of Sydney, it focuses on Carl’s problems and the truth about what happened to John Begay. It works, and Carl letting go of James’ influences parallels his need to free himself of his reliance on others. The good ending was a nice and happy exclamation point to the Echo experience for me after all the shit that happens in these routes.
For fun, I'm going to rank the routes from worst to best here: Jenna, Carl, Flynn, TJ, Leo. Although Tj, Carl, and Flynn are really close so I don’t even know if I stand by this to be honest.
This is not a perfect game and there are a few flaws. It is not the most polished game ever, but that is to be sort of expected for an Itch.io download. I counted 4 or 5 typos and grammatical errors within the game. The artwork is great but used very sparingly which left me wanting a lot more. Also Raven was a large miss. He is pretty boring and kinda stupid. He serves a purpose but he is just kinda a buzzkill. I also am not a huge fan of all the psychological thriller/sleep paralysis elements. They can be hit or miss at times, but the fact that I like a lot of them is saying quite a bit for me.
Katana Zero
2019
KATANA HERO
The way the game fused its narrative and gameplay was uniquely mind-blowing. Played this in one sitting and the journey I took was worth it. It felt like a 'Final Destination' simulator. Oh, that Lewis segment broke my heart.
Hogwarts Legacy
2023
This game is unimaginably horrible and it's baffling it's the hill so many are willing to die on. There is no enemy variety, which is for sure a good idea for a modern open world game. There is no spell variety either (26), which again certainly was a great idea for a modern rpg based solely around it's magic set at a magic school, but hey Harry Potter has always had a terrible magic system so ¯\(ツ)/¯. For reference Final Fantasy (1987 NES) has triple as many spells (60), and Skyrim a more modern open world game for comparison has over 100 AND both those games have multiple combat classes besides magic. The game will let you use the "unforgivable curses" but it has no morality system to give any meaningful consequences to your actions because according to the devs it would be "too judgmental on the game maker's part". The world is empty, which is always a problem with open world games (not remotely a fan of the genre tbh) and every door is a loading screen. The game is also a buggy mess and anyone saying otherwise is just lying, the game literally has Denuvo lmao. But none of this is surprising, ignoring the original author for a moment, every trailer made it look lackluster and it's made by the developers infamous for Disney tie-in shovelware.
And now for the elephant in the room... The game doubles down on all the racism and antisemitism of its source material, anyone saying Terfling had nothing to do with this game is bending the truth. The official Q&A for the game on their site says they worked closely with her team so it perfectly fits her world, and that it does a little too perfectly. The main premise is squashing a goblin rebellion riddled with antisemitism. The goblin rebellions are not new to the franchise, they are a thing mentioned in the books and expanded material as something the students learn in history class. And what were all the rebellions about? The lack or basic rights like using wands, and checks notes wizards attempting to enslave them "as house elves" but we’re supposed to believe they’re still the villains throughout the franchise?
Which brings us to the next topic, the house elves... As in the source material Hogwarts is run by slave labor and the franchise doesn't want us to look deeper into what that means, waving it off with "well they like it". But if wizards can attempt to enslave goblins as “house elves” what does that actually mean, what exactly is a “house elf” and why doesn’t the series creator want us to examine it? The head house elf at Hogwarts becomes a companion, so you don't actually get to own a slave but you still get one by proxy. The game also lets you decorate the Room of Requirement with mounted house elf heads, with how controversial this aspect of the books has always been idk who on the dev team didn’t think “maybe we shouldn’t keep the mounted head of a sapient creature decoration item”. Again none of this is surprising given the source material where they decorate houses with elf heads and the kids put little hats on during christmas, oh isn’t it so cute and whimsical? And the fact that one of the lead devs was a gamer gate youtuber (them stepping down was never going to divorce the game from these elements). The game is also a prequel set in the 1800s so it can't actually effectively deconstruct the issues with the source material, the goblins are still the anti-semetic bankers, the house elves are still slaves, and the ("good") wizards are still the good guys that have every right to oppress them. Just like Terflings own politics and the politics of the source material the game's message is about preserving the status quo, nothing meaningful can change and it shouldn’t cause we have a continuity to uphold damnit!
The game also throws in the series "first trans character" who they named "Sirona Ryan", this is a name of a Celtic goddess (as many people will point out in an attempt to ignore criticism, despite the origin not being the issue with the name) but just like "Cho Chang", "Anthony Goldstein" and "Kingsley Shacklebolt" it's certainly a choice out of all the Irish names to deliberately use that one for your first trans women. Sirona was also very obviously thrown in last minute in an attempt to save face and say the game was divorced from Terflings and her raging transphobia, but as you can see the game is quite the opposite.
But you know despite all that 9/10 IGN-ostalgia am I right!
In conclusion this game is truly the “Legacy” of this franchise and I can see why fans say “this is everything I ever wanted in a Harry Potter game” because this is all the franchise really truly is. I certainly hope everyone who bought the deluxe edition for the sole reason to spite a minority the author is actively harming daily love their overpriced shovelware and fuck off. Remember yall were the same people in the 90s who hated and wanted to boycott the books for being “satanic” and "progressive". (spoiler alert they never were)
And for anyone who can’t let go of the franchise because of “childhood” and cause “it’s so magical”, let me recommend “Earthsea” by Ursula K. Le Guin, “Discworld” by Terry Pratchett, and “Percy Jackson” by Rick Riordian. None of those series are perfect and have their fair share of problems, but they were written by authors who actually cared, who actually took criticism and grew from it. You can let go and grow too.
And now for the elephant in the room... The game doubles down on all the racism and antisemitism of its source material, anyone saying Terfling had nothing to do with this game is bending the truth. The official Q&A for the game on their site says they worked closely with her team so it perfectly fits her world, and that it does a little too perfectly. The main premise is squashing a goblin rebellion riddled with antisemitism. The goblin rebellions are not new to the franchise, they are a thing mentioned in the books and expanded material as something the students learn in history class. And what were all the rebellions about? The lack or basic rights like using wands, and checks notes wizards attempting to enslave them "as house elves" but we’re supposed to believe they’re still the villains throughout the franchise?
Which brings us to the next topic, the house elves... As in the source material Hogwarts is run by slave labor and the franchise doesn't want us to look deeper into what that means, waving it off with "well they like it". But if wizards can attempt to enslave goblins as “house elves” what does that actually mean, what exactly is a “house elf” and why doesn’t the series creator want us to examine it? The head house elf at Hogwarts becomes a companion, so you don't actually get to own a slave but you still get one by proxy. The game also lets you decorate the Room of Requirement with mounted house elf heads, with how controversial this aspect of the books has always been idk who on the dev team didn’t think “maybe we shouldn’t keep the mounted head of a sapient creature decoration item”. Again none of this is surprising given the source material where they decorate houses with elf heads and the kids put little hats on during christmas, oh isn’t it so cute and whimsical? And the fact that one of the lead devs was a gamer gate youtuber (them stepping down was never going to divorce the game from these elements). The game is also a prequel set in the 1800s so it can't actually effectively deconstruct the issues with the source material, the goblins are still the anti-semetic bankers, the house elves are still slaves, and the ("good") wizards are still the good guys that have every right to oppress them. Just like Terflings own politics and the politics of the source material the game's message is about preserving the status quo, nothing meaningful can change and it shouldn’t cause we have a continuity to uphold damnit!
The game also throws in the series "first trans character" who they named "Sirona Ryan", this is a name of a Celtic goddess (as many people will point out in an attempt to ignore criticism, despite the origin not being the issue with the name) but just like "Cho Chang", "Anthony Goldstein" and "Kingsley Shacklebolt" it's certainly a choice out of all the Irish names to deliberately use that one for your first trans women. Sirona was also very obviously thrown in last minute in an attempt to save face and say the game was divorced from Terflings and her raging transphobia, but as you can see the game is quite the opposite.
But you know despite all that 9/10 IGN-ostalgia am I right!
In conclusion this game is truly the “Legacy” of this franchise and I can see why fans say “this is everything I ever wanted in a Harry Potter game” because this is all the franchise really truly is. I certainly hope everyone who bought the deluxe edition for the sole reason to spite a minority the author is actively harming daily love their overpriced shovelware and fuck off. Remember yall were the same people in the 90s who hated and wanted to boycott the books for being “satanic” and "progressive". (spoiler alert they never were)
And for anyone who can’t let go of the franchise because of “childhood” and cause “it’s so magical”, let me recommend “Earthsea” by Ursula K. Le Guin, “Discworld” by Terry Pratchett, and “Percy Jackson” by Rick Riordian. None of those series are perfect and have their fair share of problems, but they were written by authors who actually cared, who actually took criticism and grew from it. You can let go and grow too.
The last of us part II challenges its player to trust the storytelling even when it can seem frustrating, scary, or useless at times.
All things purposefully culminate in the most brutal, unflinching, and beautifully heartbreaking way… leaving you haunted by what you’ve experienced by the time it’s finished.
It’s hard to add new things to the conversation when it comes to this game. But it’s easy to confront some of the criticisms I’ve heard.
I’ve seen people talk about how Ellie is a completely different character with a different personality… and for that they’re upset. Yes, she was an easy going, optimistic, bright spirited kid who liked to make cheesy jokes in the first game. That’s gone here.
She’s so jaded by everything that’s happened since then that she’s less than half of the person she used to be… and that’s the point. It’s literally reflected in the song Joel sings to her. The same one she attempts to play at the very end of the game.
Of course there’s the argument of what happens to Joel in the game as well. I don’t see why this is an issue. They’ve been setting this story up in the first game… and it’s hilarious to think that there wouldn’t be consequences for Joel’s actions.
And of course… playing as Abby. Now this is the only criticism I’ve seen that I can understand on some level. It’s hard to pick up and play as a character that you initially loath. Especially when they’ve hurt another character that you love. With that said… I don’t think Neil Druckmann could have handled her story any better.
Though the initial disdain for Abby is set, it’s easier to connect to her journey as you continue playing. Thus building your own connection to her world of characters and goals. You’re supposed to dislike Abby at first. It was all written with extreme purpose and attention to detail. The dual stories colliding in the last few hours of the game is some of the most riveting storytelling I’ve ever experienced.
My only real issue with this behemoth of a game is it’s runtime. It can be… exhausting. I think if they trimmed a bit of fat off of both Ellie and Abby’s gameplay, it would be much more concise, and entertaining. Not to pretend that it isn’t already though.
This game is much more mean spirited than the first. It’s angrier. Its feral. It’s so ferocious it’s practically foaming at the mouth to bite you. Let it. The pain is worth enduring. You’ll be in for a real blood-soaked, bone shattering, metal-as-hell treat. With it’s ridiculously good game design, and one of a kind story telling… you’d be doing a disservice to yourself for passing it up.
All things purposefully culminate in the most brutal, unflinching, and beautifully heartbreaking way… leaving you haunted by what you’ve experienced by the time it’s finished.
It’s hard to add new things to the conversation when it comes to this game. But it’s easy to confront some of the criticisms I’ve heard.
I’ve seen people talk about how Ellie is a completely different character with a different personality… and for that they’re upset. Yes, she was an easy going, optimistic, bright spirited kid who liked to make cheesy jokes in the first game. That’s gone here.
She’s so jaded by everything that’s happened since then that she’s less than half of the person she used to be… and that’s the point. It’s literally reflected in the song Joel sings to her. The same one she attempts to play at the very end of the game.
Of course there’s the argument of what happens to Joel in the game as well. I don’t see why this is an issue. They’ve been setting this story up in the first game… and it’s hilarious to think that there wouldn’t be consequences for Joel’s actions.
And of course… playing as Abby. Now this is the only criticism I’ve seen that I can understand on some level. It’s hard to pick up and play as a character that you initially loath. Especially when they’ve hurt another character that you love. With that said… I don’t think Neil Druckmann could have handled her story any better.
Though the initial disdain for Abby is set, it’s easier to connect to her journey as you continue playing. Thus building your own connection to her world of characters and goals. You’re supposed to dislike Abby at first. It was all written with extreme purpose and attention to detail. The dual stories colliding in the last few hours of the game is some of the most riveting storytelling I’ve ever experienced.
My only real issue with this behemoth of a game is it’s runtime. It can be… exhausting. I think if they trimmed a bit of fat off of both Ellie and Abby’s gameplay, it would be much more concise, and entertaining. Not to pretend that it isn’t already though.
This game is much more mean spirited than the first. It’s angrier. Its feral. It’s so ferocious it’s practically foaming at the mouth to bite you. Let it. The pain is worth enduring. You’ll be in for a real blood-soaked, bone shattering, metal-as-hell treat. With it’s ridiculously good game design, and one of a kind story telling… you’d be doing a disservice to yourself for passing it up.
Words aren't enough to describe how fantastic this game is, I already went expecting it to have a really hard hitting story but god, this is so good
Katana Zero
2019
This review contains spoilers
Katana ZERO is a very inspired video game. It holds a bevy of readily apparent influences from other video games and wears them on its sleeves. Hotline Miami is the most evident of these influences, judging from the glowing neon-1980s aesthetic, gritty neo-noir atmosphere, and vaporwave soundtrack. There are also elements of other acclaimed indie games from the past decade that are sprinkled into the fabric of Katana ZERO. However, a heavy sense of inspiration does not imply that the developers of Katana ZERO should be tried in a court of law for plagiarism. The discernable influences of Katana ZERO only mean that the game borrows the best from the modern indie gaming landscape. In many ways, Katana ZERO is an indie game from the 2010s that could compete with its influences in terms of quality, but its peculiar flaws might keep it from being held in the same regard.
An admirable quality of Katana ZERO is its ambitious storytelling. Usually, the focal point of a 2010's indie game with sprite animation would be the gameplay, but Katan ZERO's premise and story have an impressive intrigue. The protagonist of Katana ZERO is a nameless assassin with amnesia who is referred to by the codename "Zero." Each level in the game is an assassination mission given to him in a classified dossier by his psychiatrist that he must burn upon reading the information. After each mission, he will reconvene with his psychiatrist to discuss the recurring nightmares he believes are real and administer more of the "Chronos" drug that gives him special abilities. Nights in his apartment spark a relationship with a wide-eyed little girl who lives next door while newscasts report Zero's daily massacres without knowing his identity. The newscasters refer to Zero as "The Dragon," a proud reputation that takes Zero further down the rabbit hole of disturbing corruption.
Besides all of the elements mentioned above, Katana ZERO takes more than enough inspiration from Hotline Miami's gameplay. The objective is to slaughter all men inside a building or facility and leave the mission unscathed. If the player is hit even slightly, the game restarts them at the beginning of the section, and all enemies respawn. If games like Celeste and Super Meat Boy are precision platformers, Hotline Miami and Katana ZERO are "precision action" games. Katana ZERO takes this principle from Hotline Miami and refines it to near perfection. The action in Katana ZERO is as smooth as the legs of a supermodel, giving the player a sense of fluidity with Zero's movement and abilities. Like any exceptional game that requires precision, dying in Katana ZERO feels like it's the player's fault and not the game's. The Chronos element of the game's narrative also takes place in the action as it's why Zero can rewind time and fix his mistakes. It's a clever thematic twist on the typical trope of restarting after dying in video games. Chrono's powers also include an ability to slow time, which can aid the player in situations with tons of foes and enemies with more firepower at their disposal. The enemies in Katana ZERO are a diverse bunch of baddies, so the player will need to alternate a strategy in dealing with them and not hack and slash to their heart's content all the time. The levels also give the player projectile weapons like lamps, busts, beer bottles, etc., and explosives like Molotov cocktails and sticky bombs to further diversify the methods of murder and to assist the physical limits of Zero.
Katana ZERO also has an interesting dialogue mechanic. Conversations with any of the NPCs in this game will give the player an option of at least two different responses that will garner different results. Before the NPC finishes talking, the player can interrupt with a forward but hostile response that will make the character upset or annoyed. These conversation tactics are used for every bit of text, ranging from Zero's therapy sessions to the bubbly hostess at the hotel who inquires about Zero's bathrobe. These segments are amusing and give the player more dynamic variety, but there is a standout segment that proves the validity of this feature. The drug kingpin "V" is a central antagonist in Katana ZERO. He eventually captures Zero and puts him in an interrogation scene with a gun pointed to his head and a towering brute on the other side. Through trial and error using the multiple conversation system, the player must select a series of perfect responses to free Zero from his captor and prevent getting shot in the head and dying. This scene is a highlight because it uses the Chronos mechanic and the dialogue options to their fullest extent. It amazed me that the negative, red dialogue options I had been avoiding were the key to freeing Zero, showing a depth in the system that was undiscovered beforehand.
The caveat to Katana ZERO's fluid gameplay and interesting mechanics is that the game is too short for its own good. Katana ZERO's development obviously wasn't rushed, but the game itself rushes too quickly to the finish line. I don't think shorter games are inherently less substantial than longer ones; otherwise, the JRPG genre would dominate the rankings of my favorite games. Something about the quick pacing of Katana ZERO leaves me feeling like the game is leaving me hanging. The main reason is that the levels are far too easy for a short game. It's no walk in the park, but it's far easier than its contemporaries. I enjoy the combat's leniency, but the price is that victory feels less satisfying than overcoming a section in a game like Celeste and Super Meat Boy. In those games, there is a quasi-puzzle element to level design in that the developers implemented a correct method of overcoming the level, which feels gratifying to solve. There are so many methods to dispose of the enemies in Katana ZERO that the puzzle aspect is lost on the player.
Katana ZERO's story is also too ambitious for the game's short length. The fourteen-day countdown is supposed to exude an apocalyptic feeling, but the short levels that compose the crux of these fourteen days burn too quickly through the two weeks. The developers attempted to implement a Kojima-like conspiracy plot into the mix after V dies by the blade of another assassin who is actually "The Dragon." Zero learns that he is a former NULL soldier, a group of soldiers in which experimental tests were conducted on them involving Chronos to help them win the war. Zero learns that all his assassination targets are directly involved with Chronos and that eliminating them would eliminate him by proxy. Zero then kills his therapist by bludgeoning him with a rock. He finds his house ransacked with no traces of the girl who lives next door. He learns that his nightmare is a vision of something excruciating he did during the war, and he and the Dragon were NULL comrades. The little girl is seen with two figures that represent comedy and tragedy. There is much to unpack here, and deciphering the full scope might take another playthrough. Is it a comment on the war figures never leaving behind their actions in battle? Every scene with the little girl in his apartment is comparatively sweet, contrasting with the violent bloodshed during the day, showing a more sensitive side to Zero. Perhaps his relationship with the little girl was a sign of redemption and to fix what atrocities he committed during the war, but the resolution is ultimately bleak. Like with any Hideo Kojima-developed plotline, there are too many components I've probably missed to come to this conclusion.
Katana ZERO uses its various inspirations to craft what is the culmination of all indie video game conventions commonly used throughout the 2010s. The elements from its primary source of inspiration, Hotline Miami, are so transparent that comparisons are made between the two before the player even starts the first few seconds of Katana ZERO. However, Katana ZERO takes the ethos of Hotline Miami. It blows that game out of the water with more fluid control, striking visuals, and unique mechanics that make for a better experience. It's like the apprentice besting their master using everything they've taught them. In some ways, Katana ZERO is a crowning achievement for 2010's indie games in that it studied the indie landscape and used its knowledge to come out on top. Still, the brief content of the game leaves me unsatisfied with the whole experience compared to some of its contemporaries. Maybe some DLC will fill in the cracks, but as of now, this is an unfulfilled pipe dream.
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Attribution: https://erockreviews.blogspot.com
An admirable quality of Katana ZERO is its ambitious storytelling. Usually, the focal point of a 2010's indie game with sprite animation would be the gameplay, but Katan ZERO's premise and story have an impressive intrigue. The protagonist of Katana ZERO is a nameless assassin with amnesia who is referred to by the codename "Zero." Each level in the game is an assassination mission given to him in a classified dossier by his psychiatrist that he must burn upon reading the information. After each mission, he will reconvene with his psychiatrist to discuss the recurring nightmares he believes are real and administer more of the "Chronos" drug that gives him special abilities. Nights in his apartment spark a relationship with a wide-eyed little girl who lives next door while newscasts report Zero's daily massacres without knowing his identity. The newscasters refer to Zero as "The Dragon," a proud reputation that takes Zero further down the rabbit hole of disturbing corruption.
Besides all of the elements mentioned above, Katana ZERO takes more than enough inspiration from Hotline Miami's gameplay. The objective is to slaughter all men inside a building or facility and leave the mission unscathed. If the player is hit even slightly, the game restarts them at the beginning of the section, and all enemies respawn. If games like Celeste and Super Meat Boy are precision platformers, Hotline Miami and Katana ZERO are "precision action" games. Katana ZERO takes this principle from Hotline Miami and refines it to near perfection. The action in Katana ZERO is as smooth as the legs of a supermodel, giving the player a sense of fluidity with Zero's movement and abilities. Like any exceptional game that requires precision, dying in Katana ZERO feels like it's the player's fault and not the game's. The Chronos element of the game's narrative also takes place in the action as it's why Zero can rewind time and fix his mistakes. It's a clever thematic twist on the typical trope of restarting after dying in video games. Chrono's powers also include an ability to slow time, which can aid the player in situations with tons of foes and enemies with more firepower at their disposal. The enemies in Katana ZERO are a diverse bunch of baddies, so the player will need to alternate a strategy in dealing with them and not hack and slash to their heart's content all the time. The levels also give the player projectile weapons like lamps, busts, beer bottles, etc., and explosives like Molotov cocktails and sticky bombs to further diversify the methods of murder and to assist the physical limits of Zero.
Katana ZERO also has an interesting dialogue mechanic. Conversations with any of the NPCs in this game will give the player an option of at least two different responses that will garner different results. Before the NPC finishes talking, the player can interrupt with a forward but hostile response that will make the character upset or annoyed. These conversation tactics are used for every bit of text, ranging from Zero's therapy sessions to the bubbly hostess at the hotel who inquires about Zero's bathrobe. These segments are amusing and give the player more dynamic variety, but there is a standout segment that proves the validity of this feature. The drug kingpin "V" is a central antagonist in Katana ZERO. He eventually captures Zero and puts him in an interrogation scene with a gun pointed to his head and a towering brute on the other side. Through trial and error using the multiple conversation system, the player must select a series of perfect responses to free Zero from his captor and prevent getting shot in the head and dying. This scene is a highlight because it uses the Chronos mechanic and the dialogue options to their fullest extent. It amazed me that the negative, red dialogue options I had been avoiding were the key to freeing Zero, showing a depth in the system that was undiscovered beforehand.
The caveat to Katana ZERO's fluid gameplay and interesting mechanics is that the game is too short for its own good. Katana ZERO's development obviously wasn't rushed, but the game itself rushes too quickly to the finish line. I don't think shorter games are inherently less substantial than longer ones; otherwise, the JRPG genre would dominate the rankings of my favorite games. Something about the quick pacing of Katana ZERO leaves me feeling like the game is leaving me hanging. The main reason is that the levels are far too easy for a short game. It's no walk in the park, but it's far easier than its contemporaries. I enjoy the combat's leniency, but the price is that victory feels less satisfying than overcoming a section in a game like Celeste and Super Meat Boy. In those games, there is a quasi-puzzle element to level design in that the developers implemented a correct method of overcoming the level, which feels gratifying to solve. There are so many methods to dispose of the enemies in Katana ZERO that the puzzle aspect is lost on the player.
Katana ZERO's story is also too ambitious for the game's short length. The fourteen-day countdown is supposed to exude an apocalyptic feeling, but the short levels that compose the crux of these fourteen days burn too quickly through the two weeks. The developers attempted to implement a Kojima-like conspiracy plot into the mix after V dies by the blade of another assassin who is actually "The Dragon." Zero learns that he is a former NULL soldier, a group of soldiers in which experimental tests were conducted on them involving Chronos to help them win the war. Zero learns that all his assassination targets are directly involved with Chronos and that eliminating them would eliminate him by proxy. Zero then kills his therapist by bludgeoning him with a rock. He finds his house ransacked with no traces of the girl who lives next door. He learns that his nightmare is a vision of something excruciating he did during the war, and he and the Dragon were NULL comrades. The little girl is seen with two figures that represent comedy and tragedy. There is much to unpack here, and deciphering the full scope might take another playthrough. Is it a comment on the war figures never leaving behind their actions in battle? Every scene with the little girl in his apartment is comparatively sweet, contrasting with the violent bloodshed during the day, showing a more sensitive side to Zero. Perhaps his relationship with the little girl was a sign of redemption and to fix what atrocities he committed during the war, but the resolution is ultimately bleak. Like with any Hideo Kojima-developed plotline, there are too many components I've probably missed to come to this conclusion.
Katana ZERO uses its various inspirations to craft what is the culmination of all indie video game conventions commonly used throughout the 2010s. The elements from its primary source of inspiration, Hotline Miami, are so transparent that comparisons are made between the two before the player even starts the first few seconds of Katana ZERO. However, Katana ZERO takes the ethos of Hotline Miami. It blows that game out of the water with more fluid control, striking visuals, and unique mechanics that make for a better experience. It's like the apprentice besting their master using everything they've taught them. In some ways, Katana ZERO is a crowning achievement for 2010's indie games in that it studied the indie landscape and used its knowledge to come out on top. Still, the brief content of the game leaves me unsatisfied with the whole experience compared to some of its contemporaries. Maybe some DLC will fill in the cracks, but as of now, this is an unfulfilled pipe dream.
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Attribution: https://erockreviews.blogspot.com