Waggo
72 reviews liked by Waggo
I think while I was relatively unsure where I stood originally, I think that everything starting from the capture sequence is pretty much either stellar or pure sublime (the conclusion to the final boss fight) and that gameplay...it really can only be a masterpiece and nothing more
Silent Hill 3
2003
This review contains spoilers
Rewatched some scenes from the game and I think I’d be good to expound on some of my previous thoughts:
I was thinking about how there was a dissonance between SH3’s direct narrative with an extremely aggressive and blunt metaphor and the (overlooked) richness of the text and how the key is within the design and approach to Silent Hill as an entity.
I think what is vital and why it’s so important it comes after Silent Hill 2 is that it is a direct inversion of what Silent Hill means in its predecessor. In SH2, SH is more of a pure psychological liminal space that operates more on a Freudian dream symbolism/logic and is more concerned on the extent of the realness (and thus instability) of Jame’s environments. Silent Hill 3’s SH still operates as psychological liminal space but makes itself aware as pure malevolent entity that seeks to both give concrete form to fear and trauma and how it is something that is perpetuated through the shortcomings/evils of its inhabitants.
Thus what Heather sees is NOT her guilt and shame manifested but instead her own fears and reckonings with the transition to adulthood. The insane cancer for instance takes form as a greasy, deformed naked man that seems to be a play more on creeps than just some background monster. The level design is inherently labyrinth, filled with winding hallways with far too many locked doors, due to how it functions as a way to communicate Heather’s own in-world disorientation at being thrust into Silent Hill but also a psychological construct of her own confusion surrounding the changes of her body and pure loss of her own autonomy.
It is especially kind of surprising especially to see people comment that Harry’s death was mishandled if the abruptness and sudden nature of his death is the primary point of it. Silent Hill in this game is vindictive towards any innocent (and women as etc nurses in particular seem to be a particular subject of torture by Valtiel) and is pure oppression, what could be more cruel than killing Heather’s father before she has the chance to tell him how happy it made her feel?
But that’s the power of SH3, I think it’s through the pure assertiveness of its theme and its hybrid fusion of SH1 and the psychological horror of SH2 while finding completely separate ground!
I was thinking about how there was a dissonance between SH3’s direct narrative with an extremely aggressive and blunt metaphor and the (overlooked) richness of the text and how the key is within the design and approach to Silent Hill as an entity.
I think what is vital and why it’s so important it comes after Silent Hill 2 is that it is a direct inversion of what Silent Hill means in its predecessor. In SH2, SH is more of a pure psychological liminal space that operates more on a Freudian dream symbolism/logic and is more concerned on the extent of the realness (and thus instability) of Jame’s environments. Silent Hill 3’s SH still operates as psychological liminal space but makes itself aware as pure malevolent entity that seeks to both give concrete form to fear and trauma and how it is something that is perpetuated through the shortcomings/evils of its inhabitants.
Thus what Heather sees is NOT her guilt and shame manifested but instead her own fears and reckonings with the transition to adulthood. The insane cancer for instance takes form as a greasy, deformed naked man that seems to be a play more on creeps than just some background monster. The level design is inherently labyrinth, filled with winding hallways with far too many locked doors, due to how it functions as a way to communicate Heather’s own in-world disorientation at being thrust into Silent Hill but also a psychological construct of her own confusion surrounding the changes of her body and pure loss of her own autonomy.
It is especially kind of surprising especially to see people comment that Harry’s death was mishandled if the abruptness and sudden nature of his death is the primary point of it. Silent Hill in this game is vindictive towards any innocent (and women as etc nurses in particular seem to be a particular subject of torture by Valtiel) and is pure oppression, what could be more cruel than killing Heather’s father before she has the chance to tell him how happy it made her feel?
But that’s the power of SH3, I think it’s through the pure assertiveness of its theme and its hybrid fusion of SH1 and the psychological horror of SH2 while finding completely separate ground!
best metroidvania since Dread but nobody knows that because everyone got mad that a game set in Persia stars a black dude
Ico
2001
It’s true that Ico may not be the perfect game, I think the puzzle design is frankly infuriating at points (although the puzzles and mechanics are overall intuitive). Yet, I think it does reach a level of sublimity not a lot of games are able to reach due to how everything is stripped back to the point that it is all gestures that transcends spoken word. To me, that’s beautiful.
"I'm just an old killer...hired to do some wet work."
Inevitable that the game was polarising, it is divisive for the same reasons as MGS3 being a success: the games exist as reactions to one another. If MGS3 capitalises on James Bond pastiche and the thrill of the stealth, MGS4 is a tired old man existing in a world where the iconography prior is reduced to nothing. It is clearly such a late-period film the same way Scorsese operates in The Irishman or Eastwood's reflections in Unforgiven only without an absolutely condemnation of its protagonist. An immensely sad (yet ultimately hopeful) work about a bunch of old western men attempting to find a home and purpose in a world which is not only moving past them but ultimately also shedding the skin of valor and excitement of the nature of war.
Perhaps it all clicked when as opposed to do the heavy stealth and strategy required for MGS3, I enter the field regurgitating the same series of actions with ease in order to profit and buy...more bullets. There is no more libidinal quality to violence, just scrapping by to pull myself to the next day.
Inevitable that the game was polarising, it is divisive for the same reasons as MGS3 being a success: the games exist as reactions to one another. If MGS3 capitalises on James Bond pastiche and the thrill of the stealth, MGS4 is a tired old man existing in a world where the iconography prior is reduced to nothing. It is clearly such a late-period film the same way Scorsese operates in The Irishman or Eastwood's reflections in Unforgiven only without an absolutely condemnation of its protagonist. An immensely sad (yet ultimately hopeful) work about a bunch of old western men attempting to find a home and purpose in a world which is not only moving past them but ultimately also shedding the skin of valor and excitement of the nature of war.
Perhaps it all clicked when as opposed to do the heavy stealth and strategy required for MGS3, I enter the field regurgitating the same series of actions with ease in order to profit and buy...more bullets. There is no more libidinal quality to violence, just scrapping by to pull myself to the next day.
Will be playing the side ops but deeply shocking game even for Kojima, perhaps the most dread I’ve felt in an MGS game?
Onimusha: Warlords
2001
capcom used to be an IP generator man
Rabbit & Steel
2024
1 day after my first estrogen shot and im playing this with 3 other fgc tgirls wiping to the same boss repeatedly despite the mspaint raid diagrams one draws for us
these are my people
these are my people
Perhaps the artistic work that is the closest to being the spiritual successor to John Ford’s The Searchers. Instead of Wayne’s machismo and madness (the latter being given to Kaz), Venom (as deeply pathetic seeing that he’s a loser that vapes all day long) is a confused, misplaced cowboy who ambles around unsure of what the fuck he’s actually doing as he is left mute by the labyrinth of lies while also expanding his military empire and brainwashing people. Instead of miscegenation, you get the War On Terror and hegemonic languages. A deeply sad game of pathetic men who are attempting to convince themselves that they can get closure when in reality they are trapped in an eternal proxy war and are resigned to damnation. An absolute masterpiece.
Assassin's Creed II
2009
you can really tell this is one of the last games ubisoft made with some artistic intent, for better and for worse. it takes a lot of aspects from prince of persia and beyond good & evil and invents a bold new type of game: Sly Cooper for grownups. for a majority of the game the parkour carries it but the combat is pretty terrible throughout (no doubt from that PoP DNA) and the story loses sight of itself way too quickly. Ezio is cool but literally every other character gets introduced with their character trait and then forgotten about in the name of some conspiracy nobody cares about. however, that conspiracy let me jump around like a monkey, so i’d say it was worth it