blimpusfrump
2020
one time i went to school wearing a luma plush keychain on my backpack and the class stoner guy came up to me during gym and pointed at it and said "hey who is that? do you know what thats from?" and i said "mario?" and he said "no....thats the SUPER mario" and then he walked away and we never spoke again
undertale for boring people,
also knowing that this game (of which i already had a preexisting belief that both the gameplay was mediocre and the narrative was inconsistent) is based on Neil Druckman reacting to the news report of the death of two IDF soldiers in Ramallah (this was after a two week period in which 100 Palestinians were killed by the IDF including two dozen children) and him thinking of the ways he would torture the Palestinians responsible for the killing of the two soldiers before he came to his senses and said "actually both sides are kind of wrong, we should all learn the power of forgiveness" and this weird centrist "we both have good and bad people" when Neil is very much centered in and speaking kindly about one side in particular, makes the entire game from a fundamental baseline standpoint, extremely cynical.
The main message about the cycle of violence is itself extremely harmful when applied to anything outside of works of fiction, the WLF and the Seraphites are obviously meant to be our stand in for Israel and Palestine. In fact all of Seattle is very carefully crafted to evoke the imagery of Israel, more specifically the West Bank wall. Across the game the WLF and Seraphites (also known by the nicknames the Wolves and Scars respectively) are shown to be in an almost constant cycle of violence that is meant to parallel the very same "cycle" Abby and Ellie are going through throughout the main game using the "cycle of violence" that Neil believes Israel and Palestine to be a part of as inspiration. The main issue with "cycles of violence" as a concept is that they don't really exist outside of thought experiments, this worldview both wants us to examine both sides with nuance while also asking we don't condemn any specific side in question. Furthermore, the ability to just "walk away from the cycle" as the game is insinuating we should do instead of perpetuating it as Ellie and Abby, is not something that everyone has the option to do.
To apply this to the same conflict Neil was inspired by, in Gaza, a vast majority of the population do not have the ability to just "walk away" as they are surrounded by blockades enforced by Israel (the other major side of this conflict that has the backing of almost the entire international community on their side) im sure there are ways to leave the nation but those all involve having to brave the streets while dealing with constant bombing from Israel (again the other major side of this conflict) and for most who have families it would be extremely difficult to leave without leaving them behind. So what exactly is Neil saying with his stance here? I would have to assume he must be speaking from the side of Israel, so what gives? What does "walking away" entail from this standpoint? Does it mean completely removing yourself from the side you stand for? Is it seeking to break this cycle by helping those on the other side? In practice, I think it entails simply refusing to engage in the conflict anymore. But this IS the issue, walking away is a privilege, it isnt a choice, those in Gaza dont get the option to just ignore the conflict and take the centrist "were all human" argument.
Lastly, the game is EXTREMELY cynical as previously mentioned, even from the very foundations of which this games themes and narratives lie on. When we look at these two excerpts from the Washington Post article in which Druckman speaks on his inspirations:
"Oh, man, if I could just push a button and kill all these people that committed this horrible act, I would make them feel the same pain that they inflicted on these people.’"
“I landed on this emotional idea of, can we, over the course of the game, make you feel this intense hate that is universal in the same way that unconditional love is universal? This hate that people feel has the same kind of universality. You hate someone so much that you want them to suffer in the way they’ve made someone you love suffer.”
And I feel like that right there is the main issue, Druckman believes his own worldview to be universal, he doesnt question why exactly he feels this way beyond remarking that "afterward (he) felt gross and guilty" and assumed this experience to be a universal one. When looking at the inciting moment, that being Joels death, this was meant to push us into the same feeling of hate he felt that day. However, for me and many others my immediate response wasnt one of hate, but rather one of confusion and sadness. This is where a major point of the ludonarrative dissonance comes in: We all understand why Ellie is going on her quest for revenge but over time it just becomes far too cruel to put up with, all of her cruelty is inevitable and I genuinely believe this is because Druckman believed nobody would question it. From one bloodbath to the next, she goes torturing and maiming all she can without even a thought given to the victims or if the quest is even worth it at that point.
This is inarguably the most cynical piece of gaming media I think I have ever played, as it doesnt just assume the worst of its cast. But it also assumes the worst of every human being on Earth, instead of Neil trying to deconstruct why he felt such a sadistic fantasy about these people whom he would never meet who executed two people he doesnt know, he instead looks to an answer that absolves him of any introspection by believing that anyone would feel the same way "Universal Hate" is a very cynical answer to this problem and its just nonsensical when applied to the game. I feel like if this game wasn't leaked ahead of time and Joels death was more of a surprise I feel more people would feel this game to be mediocre "TLOU2 is a bad game" became a position people only had before release due to being upset about Joels death, and in this sense that unintentionally became a shield for the game guard itself with.
All that being said though, the graphics are pretty nice so 10/10 game of the year.
also knowing that this game (of which i already had a preexisting belief that both the gameplay was mediocre and the narrative was inconsistent) is based on Neil Druckman reacting to the news report of the death of two IDF soldiers in Ramallah (this was after a two week period in which 100 Palestinians were killed by the IDF including two dozen children) and him thinking of the ways he would torture the Palestinians responsible for the killing of the two soldiers before he came to his senses and said "actually both sides are kind of wrong, we should all learn the power of forgiveness" and this weird centrist "we both have good and bad people" when Neil is very much centered in and speaking kindly about one side in particular, makes the entire game from a fundamental baseline standpoint, extremely cynical.
The main message about the cycle of violence is itself extremely harmful when applied to anything outside of works of fiction, the WLF and the Seraphites are obviously meant to be our stand in for Israel and Palestine. In fact all of Seattle is very carefully crafted to evoke the imagery of Israel, more specifically the West Bank wall. Across the game the WLF and Seraphites (also known by the nicknames the Wolves and Scars respectively) are shown to be in an almost constant cycle of violence that is meant to parallel the very same "cycle" Abby and Ellie are going through throughout the main game using the "cycle of violence" that Neil believes Israel and Palestine to be a part of as inspiration. The main issue with "cycles of violence" as a concept is that they don't really exist outside of thought experiments, this worldview both wants us to examine both sides with nuance while also asking we don't condemn any specific side in question. Furthermore, the ability to just "walk away from the cycle" as the game is insinuating we should do instead of perpetuating it as Ellie and Abby, is not something that everyone has the option to do.
To apply this to the same conflict Neil was inspired by, in Gaza, a vast majority of the population do not have the ability to just "walk away" as they are surrounded by blockades enforced by Israel (the other major side of this conflict that has the backing of almost the entire international community on their side) im sure there are ways to leave the nation but those all involve having to brave the streets while dealing with constant bombing from Israel (again the other major side of this conflict) and for most who have families it would be extremely difficult to leave without leaving them behind. So what exactly is Neil saying with his stance here? I would have to assume he must be speaking from the side of Israel, so what gives? What does "walking away" entail from this standpoint? Does it mean completely removing yourself from the side you stand for? Is it seeking to break this cycle by helping those on the other side? In practice, I think it entails simply refusing to engage in the conflict anymore. But this IS the issue, walking away is a privilege, it isnt a choice, those in Gaza dont get the option to just ignore the conflict and take the centrist "were all human" argument.
Lastly, the game is EXTREMELY cynical as previously mentioned, even from the very foundations of which this games themes and narratives lie on. When we look at these two excerpts from the Washington Post article in which Druckman speaks on his inspirations:
"Oh, man, if I could just push a button and kill all these people that committed this horrible act, I would make them feel the same pain that they inflicted on these people.’"
“I landed on this emotional idea of, can we, over the course of the game, make you feel this intense hate that is universal in the same way that unconditional love is universal? This hate that people feel has the same kind of universality. You hate someone so much that you want them to suffer in the way they’ve made someone you love suffer.”
And I feel like that right there is the main issue, Druckman believes his own worldview to be universal, he doesnt question why exactly he feels this way beyond remarking that "afterward (he) felt gross and guilty" and assumed this experience to be a universal one. When looking at the inciting moment, that being Joels death, this was meant to push us into the same feeling of hate he felt that day. However, for me and many others my immediate response wasnt one of hate, but rather one of confusion and sadness. This is where a major point of the ludonarrative dissonance comes in: We all understand why Ellie is going on her quest for revenge but over time it just becomes far too cruel to put up with, all of her cruelty is inevitable and I genuinely believe this is because Druckman believed nobody would question it. From one bloodbath to the next, she goes torturing and maiming all she can without even a thought given to the victims or if the quest is even worth it at that point.
This is inarguably the most cynical piece of gaming media I think I have ever played, as it doesnt just assume the worst of its cast. But it also assumes the worst of every human being on Earth, instead of Neil trying to deconstruct why he felt such a sadistic fantasy about these people whom he would never meet who executed two people he doesnt know, he instead looks to an answer that absolves him of any introspection by believing that anyone would feel the same way "Universal Hate" is a very cynical answer to this problem and its just nonsensical when applied to the game. I feel like if this game wasn't leaked ahead of time and Joels death was more of a surprise I feel more people would feel this game to be mediocre "TLOU2 is a bad game" became a position people only had before release due to being upset about Joels death, and in this sense that unintentionally became a shield for the game guard itself with.
All that being said though, the graphics are pretty nice so 10/10 game of the year.
2013
This review contains spoilers
bullet list of things in no particular order cause i fucking hate this game. how the fuck do you fumble both elliot page ad willem dafoe?
TRIGGER WARNING (SA)
- The potential of this games main mechanic are poorly though out, confusingly depicted, and are completely wasted in terms of narrative potential. Jodies abilities seem to be able to do ANYTHING or NOTHING, whenever the plot demands it. Aiden is such a nonsensical entity in the sense that everything about him is inconsistent: Both he and Jodie have powers that seem to arise in a specific instance and then never again, Aiden seems to selectively help Jodie despite their fates being intertwined, I initially thought that Aiden was meant to be an allegory for the player and that was the reason for the lack of communication but throughout the game he communicates non-verbally effectively. Why is he so inconsistent about everything? This is a major part of this games narrative and it has no boundaries or rules, Aiden can solve everything thrown at him except for major plot beats because he lacks any meaningful agency or limits and this makes all the stakes of this game shallow.
- The threat of sexual violence is a reoccurring aspect of this and many other David Cage games, i think this is due to his idea that the constant fear of assault at any moment is in his mind "a womens issue" and it will somehow appeal to the wider fanbase he wishes gaming in general would have and establish some form of personality for women he doesnt know how to write. That's at best though, at worst hes just a fucking pervert, because these scenes are generally uncomfortable and serve virtually no purpose other than to superficially shock the viewer. It was the same way in Heavy Rain, and its the same way here, save for one later cutscene being slightly different this scene is never touched upon nor does it have any thematic meaning as far as I can tell. I think David Cage is just fascinated with the concept of violence against women in general, and that a core part of our lives revolve around dealing with this threat constantly, the fact that this chapter is also titled "Like Other Girls" also leaves a fucking HORRID taste in my mouth (also while its not in the final game in the scene in question the player initially had the option to let the assault continue should they, out of some sado-voyeuristic urge or morbid curiosity, simply not do anything, this was found in the audio files of the game and while its not in the final product keep in mind that the initial scene was made with this choice in mind)
-In fact while were on topic the entire game has this really strange tone with Jodies depiction once shes a teenager onwards. I don.t know, a lot of it is just inhumanely cruel, or melodramatic. For example, during The Party chapter a 13 year old Jodie can choose to slow dance with and kiss a 17 year old boy named Matt and display her powers for the rest of the teens attending. Regardless on if either happen or not she is labeled a "slut" and a "witch" by everyone for making the mistake of giving a shitty gift to a girl she has literally never met up until this point. Considering I made neither choice on my first playthrough I was genuinely shocked they were reacting to Jodie with such vitriol, to the point it took me out of the game. Remember the assault chapter? While there is a way out of it before it actually occurs you seem somewhat forced into it your first playthrough, I personally had no clue avoiding it entirely was even an option until the post-chapter "HERES WHAT OTHERS DID" breakdown. Also this chapter plays out when Jodie is fifteen because Cages mind works in mysterious ways. When Jodie is 17 she is cruelly ripped away from her sense of family by a man named Ryan, who is nothing but mean to her and is thirty. The only reason I mention that is because Ryan later becomes a forced love interest regardless of what the player wishes. This world is unnecessarily cruel in Jodies formative years, I should learn about the character at this time but theres just an overwhelming absence of humanity. I learn nothing about Jodie save for the cruelty she must experience, all I know is she has supernatural powers and wants to be normal, that's pretty much it.
Im honestly just exhausted to even continue listing points uhhh:
-suicide is okay if you want to see your loved ones again
-Ryan (who is both jodies boss and met her when she was
17) lies to and manipulates her constantly and regardless of the character and players actions Jodie still likes him for some reason.
- the navajo chapters are pointless and have no narrative purpose, the chapter in Somalia is needlessly contrived and just stupid i think cage just wanted a war scene in the game (ryan who is solely to blame for all events in this chapter is completely absolved of any wrongdoing by the endgame anyway)
-how do you weaponize the infraworld? can it like give people their own Two Souls like Jodie? who knows because the game certainly wont tell you
-HOW THE FUCK DO YOU BLUNDER THE SKILLSET OF BOTH ELLIOT PAGE AND WILLEM DAFOE??
god im exhausted, its a shitty fucking game made by a perverted manchild who can just string movie scenes he saw once and thought they were cool together with his own touch of pre-production sexual harassment and weird ass romances along the way
TRIGGER WARNING (SA)
- The potential of this games main mechanic are poorly though out, confusingly depicted, and are completely wasted in terms of narrative potential. Jodies abilities seem to be able to do ANYTHING or NOTHING, whenever the plot demands it. Aiden is such a nonsensical entity in the sense that everything about him is inconsistent: Both he and Jodie have powers that seem to arise in a specific instance and then never again, Aiden seems to selectively help Jodie despite their fates being intertwined, I initially thought that Aiden was meant to be an allegory for the player and that was the reason for the lack of communication but throughout the game he communicates non-verbally effectively. Why is he so inconsistent about everything? This is a major part of this games narrative and it has no boundaries or rules, Aiden can solve everything thrown at him except for major plot beats because he lacks any meaningful agency or limits and this makes all the stakes of this game shallow.
- The threat of sexual violence is a reoccurring aspect of this and many other David Cage games, i think this is due to his idea that the constant fear of assault at any moment is in his mind "a womens issue" and it will somehow appeal to the wider fanbase he wishes gaming in general would have and establish some form of personality for women he doesnt know how to write. That's at best though, at worst hes just a fucking pervert, because these scenes are generally uncomfortable and serve virtually no purpose other than to superficially shock the viewer. It was the same way in Heavy Rain, and its the same way here, save for one later cutscene being slightly different this scene is never touched upon nor does it have any thematic meaning as far as I can tell. I think David Cage is just fascinated with the concept of violence against women in general, and that a core part of our lives revolve around dealing with this threat constantly, the fact that this chapter is also titled "Like Other Girls" also leaves a fucking HORRID taste in my mouth (also while its not in the final game in the scene in question the player initially had the option to let the assault continue should they, out of some sado-voyeuristic urge or morbid curiosity, simply not do anything, this was found in the audio files of the game and while its not in the final product keep in mind that the initial scene was made with this choice in mind)
-In fact while were on topic the entire game has this really strange tone with Jodies depiction once shes a teenager onwards. I don.t know, a lot of it is just inhumanely cruel, or melodramatic. For example, during The Party chapter a 13 year old Jodie can choose to slow dance with and kiss a 17 year old boy named Matt and display her powers for the rest of the teens attending. Regardless on if either happen or not she is labeled a "slut" and a "witch" by everyone for making the mistake of giving a shitty gift to a girl she has literally never met up until this point. Considering I made neither choice on my first playthrough I was genuinely shocked they were reacting to Jodie with such vitriol, to the point it took me out of the game. Remember the assault chapter? While there is a way out of it before it actually occurs you seem somewhat forced into it your first playthrough, I personally had no clue avoiding it entirely was even an option until the post-chapter "HERES WHAT OTHERS DID" breakdown. Also this chapter plays out when Jodie is fifteen because Cages mind works in mysterious ways. When Jodie is 17 she is cruelly ripped away from her sense of family by a man named Ryan, who is nothing but mean to her and is thirty. The only reason I mention that is because Ryan later becomes a forced love interest regardless of what the player wishes. This world is unnecessarily cruel in Jodies formative years, I should learn about the character at this time but theres just an overwhelming absence of humanity. I learn nothing about Jodie save for the cruelty she must experience, all I know is she has supernatural powers and wants to be normal, that's pretty much it.
Im honestly just exhausted to even continue listing points uhhh:
-suicide is okay if you want to see your loved ones again
-Ryan (who is both jodies boss and met her when she was
17) lies to and manipulates her constantly and regardless of the character and players actions Jodie still likes him for some reason.
- the navajo chapters are pointless and have no narrative purpose, the chapter in Somalia is needlessly contrived and just stupid i think cage just wanted a war scene in the game (ryan who is solely to blame for all events in this chapter is completely absolved of any wrongdoing by the endgame anyway)
-how do you weaponize the infraworld? can it like give people their own Two Souls like Jodie? who knows because the game certainly wont tell you
-HOW THE FUCK DO YOU BLUNDER THE SKILLSET OF BOTH ELLIOT PAGE AND WILLEM DAFOE??
god im exhausted, its a shitty fucking game made by a perverted manchild who can just string movie scenes he saw once and thought they were cool together with his own touch of pre-production sexual harassment and weird ass romances along the way
2022
the creator of this game,,,,, yuri stern,,,,,,,,,, YURI stern,,,,,, yuri,,,,,,, girls making out,,,,,yuri ,,,,,yuri ,,,,robot girl yuri...
2003
While SH2 is my personal favorite mainly due to the time and point in my life I was at when I first played it. SH3 is in my opinion the absolute peak of the series when it comes to horror, themes, and gameplay.
One time I was speaking to this pathetic loser about the original No More Heroes, he said that he only played the first game, he loved it due to how "badass" he thought the idea of an otaku assassin was, but how disappointing it was that he didn't get the girl in the end. This game was made for people like him, so take that as you will.
i replayed this game for my girlfriend knowing every plot detail that happens and i still cried for like 5 minutes after beating it
2005
PsychoNauts' narrative includes various depictions of mental illness, childhood trauma, and has a comedic tone throughout. Yet somehow it never once feels like its punching down, the focus on healing and accepting these flaws of yourself is something the game maintains throughout the entire experience. It really is inspiring
2023
oh my god
"I wish I was irresistible to lesbians!"
the monkeys paw curls as your features slowly and horrifically shift to resemble kaname date
the monkeys paw curls as your features slowly and horrifically shift to resemble kaname date
Capcom shooting everyone with their bisexuality beam
2022
This game needs to be studied in how not to end a game, I am not joking when I say that I felt the entire series had been made retroactively worse due to the ending of this one. Its contrived, its insulting, and more than anything its undeserved.
The gameplays also extremely weak this entry as well, the summoning system isn't all that fun and there's often no reason to use other ones once you find those magic three.
The gameplays also extremely weak this entry as well, the summoning system isn't all that fun and there's often no reason to use other ones once you find those magic three.
when are the daughters of liberty dropping
2008
Faith Connors my beloved
this games writing is genuinely abysmal to the point it actively detracts from everything good about this game.