a4datboi
2010
Peak comfy, I love it.
Shin Megami Tensei IV is one of the best games from this franchise, along with being my personal favorite, and I hate it.
"The possible worlds we showed you... They were born of man's true nature. Freedom and order, destruction and sustenance. Man is a pitiful creature who cannot escape that cycle. If you see possibility in such people, then you are truly blind..."
"The possible worlds we showed you... They were born of man's true nature. Freedom and order, destruction and sustenance. Man is a pitiful creature who cannot escape that cycle. If you see possibility in such people, then you are truly blind..."
2016
This review contains spoilers
An okay remake with great atmosphere. Although the new ending, while understandable, completely changes the game's question of "At what point is violence in video games too far?" to the story of a mentally-ill man who deludes himself into believing about a government-made "hate plague" as justification for his actions and coming to terms with reality after witnessing the mourning of a deceased at a funeral, a concrete contradiction to his delusion.
2017
I remember I had this essay-type post on Gregg and why he's actually the best character thematically. I'll see if I can find it again and if so I'll remake this review. Anyway, Night in the Woods is the story of Mae, who has moved back to her rust-belt town of Possum Springs. Here she is constantly reminded why she left her boomer majority, dying shit-bucket of a town and finds solidarity with two childhood friends whom she has reconnected with. It is a story about being stuck in an environment that's a living corpse, knowing this, but struggling or being unable to leave it. Yeah the falling-action is mostly stupid yet the game is overall a solid piece of Mid-West Americana.
2014
Illusion: "Ples due nut pirate!"
Internet: "So can we get an official digital release?"
Illusion: "No lul, cry abt iit."
Internet: Pirates a game you can't buy, let alone at a reasonable price, to begin with.
Illusion: "NOOOO DAS ILLIGAL!!!!!!"
You can't talk about this game without mentioning the tedious process of downloading and making it playable. Also to mention is how weird the community is, one moment there's a place that everyone gathers to and then it disappears a week later. Suspicious if you ask me. As for the game itself... It's alright I guess, definitely one of those "the modding community carries it" games.
Internet: "So can we get an official digital release?"
Illusion: "No lul, cry abt iit."
Internet: Pirates a game you can't buy, let alone at a reasonable price, to begin with.
Illusion: "NOOOO DAS ILLIGAL!!!!!!"
You can't talk about this game without mentioning the tedious process of downloading and making it playable. Also to mention is how weird the community is, one moment there's a place that everyone gathers to and then it disappears a week later. Suspicious if you ask me. As for the game itself... It's alright I guess, definitely one of those "the modding community carries it" games.
2022
A fairly short and simple callback to Nintendo 64 platformers, it achieves what it sets out to do.
2016
My favorite soda is Shasta Tiki Punch.
2019
We Live in a Society
I've tried to write a proper statement on this game several times but am always left unsatisfied with whatever I've written, so instead I'll just spit out my scattered thoughts and leave it be.
Pros:
- Good on the game dev for having the will to create this. Game development is a pain and to say fuck you to everyone who would conventionally tell you to fuck off, even if the end-product is do-doo, is something I appreciate.
- I like low fantasy/sci-fi magic(?) urban settings with an interesting cast of characters. There's a weird influence of Persona that I don't know how to address, but it's there.
- I enjoy how unintentionally funny it is at times.
Cons:
- Characters are all over the place. They act in service to Haze and the more serious/grounded moments end up feeling strange with failure from the lack of effective writing.
- The apparently unnecessary loading screens.
- Edgy, very edgy. Middle school tier writing.
- A glitchy bug-infested experience.
All in all, I can't "fully" hate Anonymous Agony because there's a deep part of me that finds aspects of the game intriguing. But by itself it's an edgy broken mess whose fire is further fueled by its equally edgy, vanity filled and unaware developer. I guess it falls under my category of wasted potential.
I've tried to write a proper statement on this game several times but am always left unsatisfied with whatever I've written, so instead I'll just spit out my scattered thoughts and leave it be.
Pros:
- Good on the game dev for having the will to create this. Game development is a pain and to say fuck you to everyone who would conventionally tell you to fuck off, even if the end-product is do-doo, is something I appreciate.
- I like low fantasy/sci-fi magic(?) urban settings with an interesting cast of characters. There's a weird influence of Persona that I don't know how to address, but it's there.
- I enjoy how unintentionally funny it is at times.
Cons:
- Characters are all over the place. They act in service to Haze and the more serious/grounded moments end up feeling strange with failure from the lack of effective writing.
- The apparently unnecessary loading screens.
- Edgy, very edgy. Middle school tier writing.
- A glitchy bug-infested experience.
All in all, I can't "fully" hate Anonymous Agony because there's a deep part of me that finds aspects of the game intriguing. But by itself it's an edgy broken mess whose fire is further fueled by its equally edgy, vanity filled and unaware developer. I guess it falls under my category of wasted potential.
2015
Sweet Disposition
The appeal of Life is Strange is that it IS supposed to be a 2010's Tumblr drama. It succeeds at evoking this sense of young-adult awkwardness that (unfortunately) many can relate to, especially with regards to the characters. But, besides everything else, there is a flaw that contradicts this achievement and is always present when playing. Despite the developers intent on remaining realistic, Life is Strange is still idealized in the same way other teen/young adult dramas are.
The appeal of Life is Strange is that it IS supposed to be a 2010's Tumblr drama. It succeeds at evoking this sense of young-adult awkwardness that (unfortunately) many can relate to, especially with regards to the characters. But, besides everything else, there is a flaw that contradicts this achievement and is always present when playing. Despite the developers intent on remaining realistic, Life is Strange is still idealized in the same way other teen/young adult dramas are.
2006
Early into Illusion's founding: Makes cheap exploitation h-schlock.
Rest of the World: Gets called out for it, something which should've been, at least somewhat, expected.
Illusion: "BANNED, BANNED, BANNED, YOU'RE ALL BANNED!"
Rest of the World: Gets called out for it, something which should've been, at least somewhat, expected.
Illusion: "BANNED, BANNED, BANNED, YOU'RE ALL BANNED!"
2016
If I had a quarter for every time an ARG was created to promote the creators uninteresting work that they then pretend they "had no idea about this A-R-G thing" when people catch on then I would have 3, that's almost a dollar!
2019
There's wearing your influence on your sleeve and then there's straight up plagiarism.
2007
This review contains spoilers
No Gods or Kings, Only Strawman
I have mixed feelings on Bioshock. It's a terrible critique of objectivism, to the point that it can be read as a critique of those who are inconsistent with following their virtues and values. And that's the really weird thing about Bioshock, by pure accident it is implied that Rapture could've worked if only Andrew Ryan had been consistent with the philosophy of objectivism. Besides this, the art-deco aesthetic of Rapture is stunning.
I have mixed feelings on Bioshock. It's a terrible critique of objectivism, to the point that it can be read as a critique of those who are inconsistent with following their virtues and values. And that's the really weird thing about Bioshock, by pure accident it is implied that Rapture could've worked if only Andrew Ryan had been consistent with the philosophy of objectivism. Besides this, the art-deco aesthetic of Rapture is stunning.
1981
2spooky4me!
The comical endpoint of the mainline series, a sincere satire of itself.