moschidae
Today, there are little flowers blooming where there were none yesterday
Thats the kind of discovery that warms my heart, you know?
2010 and there is a little girl who wakes up on a Saturday at 5am in her grandma's house. She runs downstairs before the suns risen and before anyone has woken up, a novelty. Like she is the only one there, like it is her house. She makes cereal and watches tv, to the left and through the sliding glass door she can see the sun coming up. At grandma's house the sun always rises in oranges and pinks. The neighborhood is always quiet and always confined. Throwing away the plastic bowl, she walks out into the living room, turns on the tv, turns on the wii. Sets the setting to hdmi 2 and grabs her remote. And she plays this.
Impossibly beautiful and forever welcoming. City Folk and its open spaces, delightful music that defines an hour of your life. Your neighbors that seem to have an unlimited amount of things to say, sending you letters, asking after your other characters, pushing them into pitfalls regardless because it is funny every time. And to this child, it was very real, and deeply mysterious. You could spend hours doing nothing but I remember it all so well, feeling giddy after ordering 50 wheat fields and placing them in my house, walking and hiding in them. Dyeing my hair cyan in the hair salon, feeling rich if I managed to buy one thing at Gracies. Time hopping to winter so I could build an awful snowman. Making constellations with Celeste, in awe of all the colors and the way the stars shined.
At school, it is now recess. Today, I have brought a stuffed dog to school named Moo. It was my father's but he cared little for it, so it is now mine. Unlike my father, I will take care of Moo. I will not abandon him, or treat him like he is nothing. He comes with me everywhere and I hug him on the bus when I know he is scared, because I can feel what he feels and it is something other people can not grasp. I have many other stuffed animals at home, and they all take turns coming with me. There is a tree in the recess yard. All the kids jump on it and stab at it with pencils, and I remember that I felt like something was burning inside me. That tree was no ones friend and no one saw it, but I would and I did. I sat with that tree every day, talked to it and loved it. As an adult I can recognize now that the teachers were always looking at me because I never played with any of the other kids. This little girl cried a lot, she wanted to go home a lot. She had meltdowns and bit other kids. And children pick up on that, and I knew that they knew that there was something untouchable about me and that they should stay away. I never had any friends. But still, I was so loving. I loved everything and wanted to understand everything. I would be a friend to something like myself, like that tree, but still they could never talk back.
But, the villagers in City Folk could. They talked to me like they were real, like they knew me. I listened to them and loved every second. I fell in love with Rolf and bombarded him with letters asking him to marry me, I adored Friga and her mature attitude that I didnt quite understand yet but compelled me nonetheless. I played in Frobert's house a lot because the colors were so pretty, and he had a frog chair. I loved every detail of every little thing about them, and it was something only a child could experience. But it also hurt too, because once more as much as I loved them I knew that they could never sit with me and give me a hug, or push me on the swing or make me a bracelet, any of the many things I saw other girls my age doing. And I didnt know it at the time, but I never would feel that. I would never have any friends. For two decades, I would be alone. And into the years which should of been the best of my life, I would lose the ability to leave the house. I would lose a lot of things that I was otherwise proud of. And I begun to feel like something like me might never be understood or loved at all.
That child in me never really died, sometimes I still feel her sitting in a field behind the school, bawling her eyes out at an impossible lonliness that children really dont ever feel.
But a year ago, to this day, I sent someone a message. We had a lot in common, I thought, and I was so desperate for friends. I had just moved into my first apartment and I was so lonely and scared. I stayed up till 1am listening to my cat wailing and talking with them. I did not know that this person would turn out to be my best friend, my first friend. I was just excited to talk to them the next day. And the day after that. For hours, the whole day even. All the time, for a whole year, they spoke with me. They never once let me be alone like I was. And even though I've never had the chance to speak much, and I might be annoying at times, they have never once held that against me. I can be with them, talk with them about things I like, play games with them. And they listen to me, enjoys having me there. Wants me to be there. Impossible.
Later, I met two other people. They celebrated my birthday with me and I dont think I ever smiled as much as I did on that day. And it was the first time I ever had a party with friends, had someone to remember my birthday. And even though they arent with me physically, I was still so happy. I wont ever forget that. Two days ago, I spent the weekend watching one of them play Bratz all day and we were laughing and having fun. And I thought that a year ago, this would not be possible. A year ago I was much less of a person and more like a slave. But now I have people to talk to, people I respect, people that make my life worth living. And even though I still want to know what its like to be hugged, to have a friend physically there, im still so happy. And I can not believe someone in my position got so lucky as to meet these people.
To Nicole, I love you sooo much. You are such a bright and loving person. You are endlessly talented in so many things, so kind and so thoughtful, everyone should be taking notes. Thank you for all the happy memories you have given me over the past year, and for everything youve done to help me.
And to Hilda, thank you so much. Even though you say you wish you could do more for me and you wish that you were more, I sincerely do not care. Because every day I am excited to wake up and talk to you. You make me laugh every day, you are so funny and beautiful. I am so, so proud to call myself your friend and I am so happy to be liked by the both of you. You have changed my life considerably.
For my first year of being on my own, and the first year ive been on Backloggd, I can not be more pleased. I am still not all together free of the ocd that forced me here, and part of me still feels trapped and lonely. I want to experience the things other people my age take for granted. Ive never been kissed, I've never gone to the mall with my friends. Things like that, but for the first time in my life I can at least finally feel content. And I feel like no matter what happens, I will have always people to go back to, people who care. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.
So, it's good to appreciate the times where you've got nowhere to be and nothing to do
Thats the kind of discovery that warms my heart, you know?
2010 and there is a little girl who wakes up on a Saturday at 5am in her grandma's house. She runs downstairs before the suns risen and before anyone has woken up, a novelty. Like she is the only one there, like it is her house. She makes cereal and watches tv, to the left and through the sliding glass door she can see the sun coming up. At grandma's house the sun always rises in oranges and pinks. The neighborhood is always quiet and always confined. Throwing away the plastic bowl, she walks out into the living room, turns on the tv, turns on the wii. Sets the setting to hdmi 2 and grabs her remote. And she plays this.
Impossibly beautiful and forever welcoming. City Folk and its open spaces, delightful music that defines an hour of your life. Your neighbors that seem to have an unlimited amount of things to say, sending you letters, asking after your other characters, pushing them into pitfalls regardless because it is funny every time. And to this child, it was very real, and deeply mysterious. You could spend hours doing nothing but I remember it all so well, feeling giddy after ordering 50 wheat fields and placing them in my house, walking and hiding in them. Dyeing my hair cyan in the hair salon, feeling rich if I managed to buy one thing at Gracies. Time hopping to winter so I could build an awful snowman. Making constellations with Celeste, in awe of all the colors and the way the stars shined.
At school, it is now recess. Today, I have brought a stuffed dog to school named Moo. It was my father's but he cared little for it, so it is now mine. Unlike my father, I will take care of Moo. I will not abandon him, or treat him like he is nothing. He comes with me everywhere and I hug him on the bus when I know he is scared, because I can feel what he feels and it is something other people can not grasp. I have many other stuffed animals at home, and they all take turns coming with me. There is a tree in the recess yard. All the kids jump on it and stab at it with pencils, and I remember that I felt like something was burning inside me. That tree was no ones friend and no one saw it, but I would and I did. I sat with that tree every day, talked to it and loved it. As an adult I can recognize now that the teachers were always looking at me because I never played with any of the other kids. This little girl cried a lot, she wanted to go home a lot. She had meltdowns and bit other kids. And children pick up on that, and I knew that they knew that there was something untouchable about me and that they should stay away. I never had any friends. But still, I was so loving. I loved everything and wanted to understand everything. I would be a friend to something like myself, like that tree, but still they could never talk back.
But, the villagers in City Folk could. They talked to me like they were real, like they knew me. I listened to them and loved every second. I fell in love with Rolf and bombarded him with letters asking him to marry me, I adored Friga and her mature attitude that I didnt quite understand yet but compelled me nonetheless. I played in Frobert's house a lot because the colors were so pretty, and he had a frog chair. I loved every detail of every little thing about them, and it was something only a child could experience. But it also hurt too, because once more as much as I loved them I knew that they could never sit with me and give me a hug, or push me on the swing or make me a bracelet, any of the many things I saw other girls my age doing. And I didnt know it at the time, but I never would feel that. I would never have any friends. For two decades, I would be alone. And into the years which should of been the best of my life, I would lose the ability to leave the house. I would lose a lot of things that I was otherwise proud of. And I begun to feel like something like me might never be understood or loved at all.
That child in me never really died, sometimes I still feel her sitting in a field behind the school, bawling her eyes out at an impossible lonliness that children really dont ever feel.
But a year ago, to this day, I sent someone a message. We had a lot in common, I thought, and I was so desperate for friends. I had just moved into my first apartment and I was so lonely and scared. I stayed up till 1am listening to my cat wailing and talking with them. I did not know that this person would turn out to be my best friend, my first friend. I was just excited to talk to them the next day. And the day after that. For hours, the whole day even. All the time, for a whole year, they spoke with me. They never once let me be alone like I was. And even though I've never had the chance to speak much, and I might be annoying at times, they have never once held that against me. I can be with them, talk with them about things I like, play games with them. And they listen to me, enjoys having me there. Wants me to be there. Impossible.
Later, I met two other people. They celebrated my birthday with me and I dont think I ever smiled as much as I did on that day. And it was the first time I ever had a party with friends, had someone to remember my birthday. And even though they arent with me physically, I was still so happy. I wont ever forget that. Two days ago, I spent the weekend watching one of them play Bratz all day and we were laughing and having fun. And I thought that a year ago, this would not be possible. A year ago I was much less of a person and more like a slave. But now I have people to talk to, people I respect, people that make my life worth living. And even though I still want to know what its like to be hugged, to have a friend physically there, im still so happy. And I can not believe someone in my position got so lucky as to meet these people.
To Nicole, I love you sooo much. You are such a bright and loving person. You are endlessly talented in so many things, so kind and so thoughtful, everyone should be taking notes. Thank you for all the happy memories you have given me over the past year, and for everything youve done to help me.
And to Hilda, thank you so much. Even though you say you wish you could do more for me and you wish that you were more, I sincerely do not care. Because every day I am excited to wake up and talk to you. You make me laugh every day, you are so funny and beautiful. I am so, so proud to call myself your friend and I am so happy to be liked by the both of you. You have changed my life considerably.
For my first year of being on my own, and the first year ive been on Backloggd, I can not be more pleased. I am still not all together free of the ocd that forced me here, and part of me still feels trapped and lonely. I want to experience the things other people my age take for granted. Ive never been kissed, I've never gone to the mall with my friends. Things like that, but for the first time in my life I can at least finally feel content. And I feel like no matter what happens, I will have always people to go back to, people who care. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.
So, it's good to appreciate the times where you've got nowhere to be and nothing to do
something about miles edgeworth in particular was so moving to my young autistic self. i still sometimes find myself replicating his sprites on accident.
2007
dogy...
yesterday on february 13th i finally moved out of my mother's house. I have been suffering with severe ocd for about a year now, it got so bad that i couldnt leave the building. I have chemical burns up and down my thighs and my arms are permanently scarred from washing them so much. This is a big achievement for me, because i needed to leave for my health. but i really didnt want to. i miss my mother, i miss living in the woods. i miss the ivy growing on our neighbors house and the wombats that lived under our porch. Its really, really hard. so to ground myself, i decided to boot up my old new leaf file from 2016. i played this game on and off for years, and it was integral to my life..
the second i heard the title screen music everything just hit me like a truck. all the memories and feelings i has when playing this game, the person who i was, were still encapsulated within it. i remembered playing this on the bus ride home from school, and crying when Fuchsia left suddenly, and excitedly telling my mom about completely normal events that nonetheless felt wonderful to me. as i walked around my little town i just couldnt stop crying. villagers told me of dreams i used to have, my house was a wreck but well loved, it felt like home. every little thing about my life was preserved here in this game. it felt like i had a little piece of my childhood house in my pocket, in a way. what other kind of game can do that? i miss those days so much... i wish i could go back to the times before i was so sick...
the second i heard the title screen music everything just hit me like a truck. all the memories and feelings i has when playing this game, the person who i was, were still encapsulated within it. i remembered playing this on the bus ride home from school, and crying when Fuchsia left suddenly, and excitedly telling my mom about completely normal events that nonetheless felt wonderful to me. as i walked around my little town i just couldnt stop crying. villagers told me of dreams i used to have, my house was a wreck but well loved, it felt like home. every little thing about my life was preserved here in this game. it felt like i had a little piece of my childhood house in my pocket, in a way. what other kind of game can do that? i miss those days so much... i wish i could go back to the times before i was so sick...
2023
Octopath Traveller 2 is remarkable in the sense that I've never seen a game that went so far out of its way to sabotage itself to no apparent benefit. The improved strength of character of the cast and the addictive gameplay fall way to the astoundingly bad story decisions and almost mean-spirited nature of the messages this game is trying to project. I haven't finished a single storyline- but I am 35 hours in and I am so incredibly tired of every single character. I will talk about the game itself and then give a quick overview of how the game handled each traveller's story.
The gameplay itself is as great as ever, it's incredibly fun and a fantastic modernization of typical jrpg combat. For most of the game, battles feel quick and satisfying, and the break mechanic is an entertaining strategy to play around. I love the additions of the dual-story chapters, which help to make your cast feel like friends and build their character. The game is still visually gorgeous, in fact my favorite parts of playing Octopath have been exploring all the various areas and just taking in how beautiful everything looks. It feels like you're wandering around a little diorama set.. like you're on a real adventure. That's easily my favorite thing in this game... which is sad, considering Octopath 2 refuses to let you skip or turn off random encounters. There's a skill or two that reduces the rate, but it's still really annoying when you just want to go for a walk, listening to the calming music but every 3 seconds you're forced into a battle. Escape is not guaranteed, which makes matters worse.
I also said that the gameplay is fun at first, but towards the end of your party's storyline it gets harder and harder to raise your level. I hate grinding, and you apparently have to grind a lot- I'm level 40 and every final boss has a recommended level of 45... but you should be comfortably above this because the final bosses of this game are an absolute disgrace. I've only done Throne's and Agnea's but they are frustrating. Agnea's takes forever and it's split into two parts, and your opponent can steal your party members? Two of them? She stole Hikari who I made into an absolute powerhouse, so I basically just lost in a way that didn't feel to be my fault, with 30 minutes of my time out the window. It's so demoralizing and to be honest, makes me feel like quitting.
But I could power through it if the story was good. It started strong but slowly snowballed into being just utterly irredeemable in my eyes. I will go character by character and dissect each story, but first let me say that I can really, really, really feel the Shinzo Abe influence in this game. The biggest fault Octopath 2 has for me is this: every character is somehow connected to a parent or is doing what they're doing for a parent. By everyone, I mean it even extends to NPCs. There is even a very morbid underlying message to the way this game conveys parenthood. The children in this game are treated as an extension of their parents, no exceptions. Your mom is a dancer? You want to be a dancer. Your dad is a baker? You're a baker. There are no bad families in this game.... in the characters eyes. Because even when a mother WHIPS AND BEATS children en masse, and raises them to be assassins, she still deserves forgiveness because she was nice a few times and she's your mother! I can not overlook this philosophy the game is insistent on pushing onto the player. And that extends to the forgiveness part too, someone could kidnap a child, drug her, tell her ailing mother she should just drop dead so he can capitalize on the town... but it's OK! He had everyone's best interest in mind, murder is bad and we should forgive him!
I will go into more issues on it this next segment but you can feel the old conservative Japanese man blood flowing through this game, and it's a real shame. It's obsession with procreation and their visions on autonomy turns this game into something of a disgrace to read through. Octopath 2 has really amazing female NPCs but unfortunately all that progress is reduced by the inherent misogyny this game presents.
Now onto the character plot break downs:
Hikari:
Of noble birth, Hikari wants to free his country from the oppressive rule of his brother and become a king that ushers in an era without bloodshed. A pretty basic tale... I actually like the character of Hikari a lot, but if you know anything about history, his entire story is impossible to take seriously. First off, his evil brother... this goes for all villains in this game, but they are cartoonishly wicked. With no depth at all, he wants to rule because he desires the world to be his. He also wants to call for every lowborn in his country to be executed. What? Even soldiers pick on the poor folk, but aren't soldiers barely above peasants if we are going off patriarchy? Even the most tyrannical of kings ushered in debt-wiping "clean slates" because they KNEW their kingdom rode on the back of the farmers and the slaves that built their buildings. You're just going to have a kingdom with only an upper-class? Who is going to do your work?? Everyone seems to go along with this without thinking and it's impossible to even give a shit when everyone's dancing around, showing off how evil they are. Hikari himself has a major flaw, which is that his "cursed blood" is just embarrassing to watch and I'd never say this about anything. It sucks. I will not get into the fact that Hikari wants a kingdom of equality... but still strives to be a king, and doesn't seem to have an interest in actually changing the hierarchy of their social classes.
Agnea:
The best story in the game by far, warm-hearted and Agnea is just fun to watch. It is still plagued by the fact that apparently no one in this world is capable of doing anything without their parent doing it first, but I enjoyed watching her grow as a person with her new friends, and I love Giselle.
Throne:
Her adventure started out so good, ended up so bad. I... have no words for her final chapter... just revolting. I thought Throne would be a character that broke the weird parent thing this game had going on, because her metaphorical parents were the ones keeping her chained, but apparently even abuse is not enough to warrant hating someone. Her big reveal basically crushed anything she had going for her- relying on her heritage yet again more than her personal accomplishments. And that final boss? Had nothing to do with Throne's story, nothing! It was so revolting and misogynistic. And not to mention unfun to fight.
Castti:
My starting character and one I generally liked... till everyone started calling her "mother hen" cause she's an apothecary, though that's her job. Her big reveal too was not written with much care. I haven't done her last chapter but I can't imagine how it can get worse. Spoilers- this game really said to me that even the man who randomly decided to massacre untold amounts of people deserves forgiveness. Is he supposed to be mentally ill? Because that is some poor writing. A healer spontaneously turned bad because "life is suffering so I'll just kill everyone to free them" is so childish.
Ochette:
This character is unforgivable. Where do I begin? To start with, she is a race of humanoid beast that is very, very clearly inspired by island indigenous people. Already off to a bad start, but of course they talk in broken English. Ok. Do you not get it yet? Apparently not because there's human colonists that liken them to "dogs who can barely speak" and wants to take their territory. I could maybe, maybe see any of this as something in good faith but they couldn't even do any research into indigenous societies at all. Not in the way they are socially organized, not in the way they treat people, not in their philosophies, not even something as simple as what- if any- economy do they have. Ochette, the saying of your tribe is "the weak are meat for the string to eat?" and if that's not all, you're a hunter that feels as if they have direct control over the 'balance' of the forest. And of course, she can hear the trees and all that shit. You have to TRADE meat with the shopkeeper, instead of just giving them coin, somehow even going more out of their way to be ignorant. I don't know if anyone told them this, but the concept of money and exchange doesn't persist in every society from every time and place ever. I could go on, but this character just spits in the face of native peoples. A native character would of been interesting! In fact, Haanit from the first game might of been a better example than this girl.
Temenos:
An interesting character with a humorous and alright storyline, held back by the fact that the mystery present in his path is not strong, therefore making the investigation segments come off as stupid. I'm only halfway through with him so I hope this doesn't end badly like the others
Partitio:
He is blatantly stated to be capitalist that wants to end poverty.... through capitalism. I don't know what to say to that.
Lion Guy:
Haven't even started him though I am not really interested, at this point.
I truly do not know why the first Octopath got so much backlash. It had some flaws, but unlike this game it was very simple and did not go out of its way to seemingly destroy what is a very good base premise for no real reason. How the stories are now all connected in 2 does not matter to me, because the way they are connected is really insulting and ruins the quality of each characters tale. I want to have fun with this game so badly, but each time I try to appreciate something, for one reason or another, it gets in my way. I love Octopath and I see the ways in which this game shines, but it is so dulled by its final acts.
It was between this game and a hitachi magic wand and I think I chose wrong. Thank you so much for reading!
The gameplay itself is as great as ever, it's incredibly fun and a fantastic modernization of typical jrpg combat. For most of the game, battles feel quick and satisfying, and the break mechanic is an entertaining strategy to play around. I love the additions of the dual-story chapters, which help to make your cast feel like friends and build their character. The game is still visually gorgeous, in fact my favorite parts of playing Octopath have been exploring all the various areas and just taking in how beautiful everything looks. It feels like you're wandering around a little diorama set.. like you're on a real adventure. That's easily my favorite thing in this game... which is sad, considering Octopath 2 refuses to let you skip or turn off random encounters. There's a skill or two that reduces the rate, but it's still really annoying when you just want to go for a walk, listening to the calming music but every 3 seconds you're forced into a battle. Escape is not guaranteed, which makes matters worse.
I also said that the gameplay is fun at first, but towards the end of your party's storyline it gets harder and harder to raise your level. I hate grinding, and you apparently have to grind a lot- I'm level 40 and every final boss has a recommended level of 45... but you should be comfortably above this because the final bosses of this game are an absolute disgrace. I've only done Throne's and Agnea's but they are frustrating. Agnea's takes forever and it's split into two parts, and your opponent can steal your party members? Two of them? She stole Hikari who I made into an absolute powerhouse, so I basically just lost in a way that didn't feel to be my fault, with 30 minutes of my time out the window. It's so demoralizing and to be honest, makes me feel like quitting.
But I could power through it if the story was good. It started strong but slowly snowballed into being just utterly irredeemable in my eyes. I will go character by character and dissect each story, but first let me say that I can really, really, really feel the Shinzo Abe influence in this game. The biggest fault Octopath 2 has for me is this: every character is somehow connected to a parent or is doing what they're doing for a parent. By everyone, I mean it even extends to NPCs. There is even a very morbid underlying message to the way this game conveys parenthood. The children in this game are treated as an extension of their parents, no exceptions. Your mom is a dancer? You want to be a dancer. Your dad is a baker? You're a baker. There are no bad families in this game.... in the characters eyes. Because even when a mother WHIPS AND BEATS children en masse, and raises them to be assassins, she still deserves forgiveness because she was nice a few times and she's your mother! I can not overlook this philosophy the game is insistent on pushing onto the player. And that extends to the forgiveness part too, someone could kidnap a child, drug her, tell her ailing mother she should just drop dead so he can capitalize on the town... but it's OK! He had everyone's best interest in mind, murder is bad and we should forgive him!
I will go into more issues on it this next segment but you can feel the old conservative Japanese man blood flowing through this game, and it's a real shame. It's obsession with procreation and their visions on autonomy turns this game into something of a disgrace to read through. Octopath 2 has really amazing female NPCs but unfortunately all that progress is reduced by the inherent misogyny this game presents.
Now onto the character plot break downs:
Hikari:
Of noble birth, Hikari wants to free his country from the oppressive rule of his brother and become a king that ushers in an era without bloodshed. A pretty basic tale... I actually like the character of Hikari a lot, but if you know anything about history, his entire story is impossible to take seriously. First off, his evil brother... this goes for all villains in this game, but they are cartoonishly wicked. With no depth at all, he wants to rule because he desires the world to be his. He also wants to call for every lowborn in his country to be executed. What? Even soldiers pick on the poor folk, but aren't soldiers barely above peasants if we are going off patriarchy? Even the most tyrannical of kings ushered in debt-wiping "clean slates" because they KNEW their kingdom rode on the back of the farmers and the slaves that built their buildings. You're just going to have a kingdom with only an upper-class? Who is going to do your work?? Everyone seems to go along with this without thinking and it's impossible to even give a shit when everyone's dancing around, showing off how evil they are. Hikari himself has a major flaw, which is that his "cursed blood" is just embarrassing to watch and I'd never say this about anything. It sucks. I will not get into the fact that Hikari wants a kingdom of equality... but still strives to be a king, and doesn't seem to have an interest in actually changing the hierarchy of their social classes.
Agnea:
The best story in the game by far, warm-hearted and Agnea is just fun to watch. It is still plagued by the fact that apparently no one in this world is capable of doing anything without their parent doing it first, but I enjoyed watching her grow as a person with her new friends, and I love Giselle.
Throne:
Her adventure started out so good, ended up so bad. I... have no words for her final chapter... just revolting. I thought Throne would be a character that broke the weird parent thing this game had going on, because her metaphorical parents were the ones keeping her chained, but apparently even abuse is not enough to warrant hating someone. Her big reveal basically crushed anything she had going for her- relying on her heritage yet again more than her personal accomplishments. And that final boss? Had nothing to do with Throne's story, nothing! It was so revolting and misogynistic. And not to mention unfun to fight.
Castti:
My starting character and one I generally liked... till everyone started calling her "mother hen" cause she's an apothecary, though that's her job. Her big reveal too was not written with much care. I haven't done her last chapter but I can't imagine how it can get worse. Spoilers- this game really said to me that even the man who randomly decided to massacre untold amounts of people deserves forgiveness. Is he supposed to be mentally ill? Because that is some poor writing. A healer spontaneously turned bad because "life is suffering so I'll just kill everyone to free them" is so childish.
Ochette:
This character is unforgivable. Where do I begin? To start with, she is a race of humanoid beast that is very, very clearly inspired by island indigenous people. Already off to a bad start, but of course they talk in broken English. Ok. Do you not get it yet? Apparently not because there's human colonists that liken them to "dogs who can barely speak" and wants to take their territory. I could maybe, maybe see any of this as something in good faith but they couldn't even do any research into indigenous societies at all. Not in the way they are socially organized, not in the way they treat people, not in their philosophies, not even something as simple as what- if any- economy do they have. Ochette, the saying of your tribe is "the weak are meat for the string to eat?" and if that's not all, you're a hunter that feels as if they have direct control over the 'balance' of the forest. And of course, she can hear the trees and all that shit. You have to TRADE meat with the shopkeeper, instead of just giving them coin, somehow even going more out of their way to be ignorant. I don't know if anyone told them this, but the concept of money and exchange doesn't persist in every society from every time and place ever. I could go on, but this character just spits in the face of native peoples. A native character would of been interesting! In fact, Haanit from the first game might of been a better example than this girl.
Temenos:
An interesting character with a humorous and alright storyline, held back by the fact that the mystery present in his path is not strong, therefore making the investigation segments come off as stupid. I'm only halfway through with him so I hope this doesn't end badly like the others
Partitio:
He is blatantly stated to be capitalist that wants to end poverty.... through capitalism. I don't know what to say to that.
Lion Guy:
Haven't even started him though I am not really interested, at this point.
I truly do not know why the first Octopath got so much backlash. It had some flaws, but unlike this game it was very simple and did not go out of its way to seemingly destroy what is a very good base premise for no real reason. How the stories are now all connected in 2 does not matter to me, because the way they are connected is really insulting and ruins the quality of each characters tale. I want to have fun with this game so badly, but each time I try to appreciate something, for one reason or another, it gets in my way. I love Octopath and I see the ways in which this game shines, but it is so dulled by its final acts.
It was between this game and a hitachi magic wand and I think I chose wrong. Thank you so much for reading!
2020
I have put off re-reviewing this for months. Partly because I dont have the words to express the hold this game has over me, and partly because every time I start thinking about it I get too excited. I havent felt this way about something in a long time, likely since I was a girl in the height of my infatuation with Ace Attorney.
This game is just absolutely astounding, from all angles. There is nothing it does poorly and nothing I would change. I didnt really understand the draw of roleplaying till now, which was the downfall of my first experience, but it is absolutely incredible the things you can learn about yourself pretending to be someone else. Thats not something I can say about any other game, ever. And I can only feel just so grateful, because it's given me so much joy over the past 3 months. Its barely left my mind at all, which feels like an issue at times. I dont know if I'll have an experience like that ever again, after all I created the perfect character and ran through the campaign as him, twice. More or less doing the same thing because I just enjoyed what I had made so much. It grieves me that I kind of have to let go of it, its one of those games that was painful to finish because I just got so attached. It feels like mine, and its one of those autistic things where I cant stand it when anyone else brings it up cause you and I definitley dont see it the way, like a dog hyperaggressive over its food. Specifically dark urge, which feels like it was tailor made for me. Its all so special and I care about it very, very much.
Everyone who worked on bg3 is immensely talented. It's kind of staggering just how talented everyone is. There is not a single voice actor that preformed poorly or out of place, the text is immaculate, nearly every single decision one could make is neatly planned for and has a script. It is just perfect and I could marvel at it forever, cause it really is a feat of human accomplishment to me. The driving force behind my love for this game though is of course the cast. I adore absolutely everyone (minus you Minthara I will always kill you and take your clothes), there are so few games that manage to pull it off, that take you through a journey so long and so profound that you feel a sense of family. Withers' after party is the perfect amalgamation of all this, the joy I felt seeing everyone happy, finally grtting to live their lives was unmatched. Going through the letters of the people you met along the way and seeing that theyre all alright. Astarion specifically holds special meaning to me but I cant talk about that I get too protective. It never fails to make me tear up thinking about it and always makes me feel so grateful that this is in the world and that I got to experience it.
Immensely love all my friends and Scratch and Owlbear and that one weird ox I didnt get to see in act 3 because it glitched out. I will think about you all forever, an autistic girl's promise
This game is just absolutely astounding, from all angles. There is nothing it does poorly and nothing I would change. I didnt really understand the draw of roleplaying till now, which was the downfall of my first experience, but it is absolutely incredible the things you can learn about yourself pretending to be someone else. Thats not something I can say about any other game, ever. And I can only feel just so grateful, because it's given me so much joy over the past 3 months. Its barely left my mind at all, which feels like an issue at times. I dont know if I'll have an experience like that ever again, after all I created the perfect character and ran through the campaign as him, twice. More or less doing the same thing because I just enjoyed what I had made so much. It grieves me that I kind of have to let go of it, its one of those games that was painful to finish because I just got so attached. It feels like mine, and its one of those autistic things where I cant stand it when anyone else brings it up cause you and I definitley dont see it the way, like a dog hyperaggressive over its food. Specifically dark urge, which feels like it was tailor made for me. Its all so special and I care about it very, very much.
Everyone who worked on bg3 is immensely talented. It's kind of staggering just how talented everyone is. There is not a single voice actor that preformed poorly or out of place, the text is immaculate, nearly every single decision one could make is neatly planned for and has a script. It is just perfect and I could marvel at it forever, cause it really is a feat of human accomplishment to me. The driving force behind my love for this game though is of course the cast. I adore absolutely everyone (minus you Minthara I will always kill you and take your clothes), there are so few games that manage to pull it off, that take you through a journey so long and so profound that you feel a sense of family. Withers' after party is the perfect amalgamation of all this, the joy I felt seeing everyone happy, finally grtting to live their lives was unmatched. Going through the letters of the people you met along the way and seeing that theyre all alright. Astarion specifically holds special meaning to me but I cant talk about that I get too protective. It never fails to make me tear up thinking about it and always makes me feel so grateful that this is in the world and that I got to experience it.
Immensely love all my friends and Scratch and Owlbear and that one weird ox I didnt get to see in act 3 because it glitched out. I will think about you all forever, an autistic girl's promise
I love this dev. They come up with such smart and high concept ideas, and though this didnt hit in the way 7 Days did for me, I still enjoyed the time I spent with it. Normally, personality tests as a concept are something I don't particularly subscribe to (especially as a gameplay format), but in the case of Refind Self it works incredibly well. Playing as an android, simultaneously teaching her humanity while also exercising your own freedom of choice is a very endearing route of storytelling. The grief and kindness expressed through the options you chose, the limited amount of time you have to play reflecting the wind-up android's existence... as seems to always be the case, this dev is very careful and smart in the way they go about presenting their world. I love their artstyle, love the philosophy behind it. The only thing I could say these games lack is music, as each only has a few tracks (few meaning 2 or 3) that don't loop especially well. Highly suggest this dev's catalog for anyone looking for a unique and short, lovingly crafted experience. Really excited to see what they put out next ☆
2024
The joy of destroying an upper classman's home, with zero of the consequences and all the benefits of being a small dog
Cute, short free game! The trainees who made this definitely show a lot of promise, solidly constructed with an adorable premise and a lot of heart to boot. I could see this concept being fleshed out more in a full release, but for what it is they definitely hit all the marks. A silly doggy mud demolition sim, cant go wrong. Bonus points for letting me wear hats.
As a note, it barely functions on the steamdeck and the sound did not work. I couldnt really enjoy it to the most of its potential, but I'm glad I checked it out regardless!
Cute, short free game! The trainees who made this definitely show a lot of promise, solidly constructed with an adorable premise and a lot of heart to boot. I could see this concept being fleshed out more in a full release, but for what it is they definitely hit all the marks. A silly doggy mud demolition sim, cant go wrong. Bonus points for letting me wear hats.
As a note, it barely functions on the steamdeck and the sound did not work. I couldnt really enjoy it to the most of its potential, but I'm glad I checked it out regardless!
2020
Baldur's Gate Baldur's Gate Baldur's Gate. What is there to say about Baldur's Gate? Quite a lot considering everyones playthroughs seem to wildly differ. Mine in particular must of been comparably disorganized, considering not only have I never played a crpg before but I have also never interacted with D&D in the slightest. I was drawn to the game first and foremost by its roleplaying and strong sense of character it develops for each of its cast members. I still say this is the shining part of the game for me, the amount of written and voice acted dialogue is insane and it definitely helps that both these things are pulled off incredibly. I cant remember an rpg I've played where I didnt dislike at least one party member, but they're all so diverse and painstakingly crafted that its hard to not have fun with them.
I enjoy the roleplaying so much that I really just wish i could explore that aspect of the game without the combat. This is tied to one of two distinctive flaws I think Baldurs Gate 3 has. Not the actual combat itself, the actual gameplay is very very fun and well thought out. There are so many strategies you can work out and the game does a good job of making most encounters unique; both in map design and the enemy's skillset. But its so slow. Its so slow. I akin it to waiting in line for a rollercoaster, it takes that long for it to be my turn. The turns themselves are slow but it doesnt help that Larian cant help themselves and, after Act 1, seem to become obsessed with spawning in 40 trash mobs to combat your 4 playable units. Some enemy turns felt like they took a better part of 20 minutes to get through. Thats where the well crafted combat starts falling apart in my eyes, those fights where its you vs 30 things are just too long and too tedious not to be annoying. The span of status effects in this game can be quite fun but if you wait 10 minutes for it to actually be your turn and some dickhead casts flee on you- forget it. It becomes way too annoying and it burns me out. Easy mode is not easy enough, I just want to look at the dialogue options....
On the topic of roleplaying is where my second criticism lies. This game is very sexual. Thats fine, I love breasts and ass and cunt ect ect. But for a game that is so determined to have every character come up and request to sleep with you, I find it weird that theres no option to set your sexual orientation. I could take it a step forward and say I wish every party unit had a set sexuality- but for now I really wish my obviously lesbian charcter would stop getting forced into romance cutscenes with men. It is confusing too, because it must be annoying for the majority of straight men who play this to have guys like Halsin abruptly declare his love for their character, so I'm not sure why this isnt a feature. It would be a pretty easy box to check off for certain events not to trigger. I doubt this will be added but it would make the game much less uncomfortable to play.
Those are my complaints but I feel like I'm really downplaying how magical and fun this game was to go through. It is a rare game that is worth 60 dollars, I dont think anyone can undermine the sheer amount of effort and passion this must of taken to put together. For my first crpg I feel like the tutorial was kind of bad- but if you can work past it it's definitely a very solid place to start. It was very addicting and I feel gratified to have played it.
Now, some notes that didnt really fit in with the other subjects.... Act 1 and most of Act 3 are so much fun to explore and play around in but Act 2 is awful. I hate Act 2 with all my heart. There are about 3 interesting encounters in that area and thats it. Fuck the Shar temple I HATE it. No more puzzles.
I wish owlbear and Scratch had more points of interaction! Theyre so cute and sweet, I wish they had their own stories like everyone else. I stopped getting cutscenes for them after the underdark very early on, so I wish there was more I could play around with there.
Also on that note: I feel like the companions quests have either very weird pacing or (more likely) i missed a lot of flavor dialogue. Specifically, I feel like I missed out on a lot of romance specific things with Shadowheart and im not really sure why. I am the most interested in this so it really confuses me why there seemed to be so little altered when you're in a relationship. I know the dialogue exists so Im confused why I never came across it in my playthrough... a bit disappointing.
On the note of disappointment: why the hell can I pick what type of vulva I have if I never get to SEE it in use? I had sand sex with Shadowheart and I only did get to see boobs. I didnt expect a full on animated sex fuck sequence, but a little touching? A bit of body? During Shadowheart's scene my character just kind of sat on her and they started kissing and fade to black. Everyone in this god damn game wants to fuck everything and everyone and the sex scenes come across as vapid. And, while I had the option to hire a prostitute, I only got to have it once... that also ties in with my complaint that I wish there was more extra scenes and choices added in to the romance options, but all that to say it was kind of underwhelming.
The end in general was also kind of underwhelming and depressing. Only Lae'rel got to have a fleshed out goodbye, everyone else was just nothing. Astarion's (for his good route) was just incredibly sad. I was hoping for a cutscene showing us all celebrating together and a special epilogue with Shadowheart but it was, again, very abrupt and empty. To have such a dramatic buildup and then a let down of an ending is a bit crushing. Not to mind that that's the reward I get for beating that awful awful final boss.
That was a lot of complaining but I do actually love this game, dont get me wrong. In the wide span of things I FORGOT ABOUT KARLACH- what the fuck why is obtaining her directly connected to whether or not a single tiefling dies in the grove regardless of who you sided with. I didnt even know how to play the game at this point, nonetheless how to properly gauge how to make an optimal decision. I was trying to help the tieflings to the best of my knowledge by taking out the druid leader... the tieflings themselves had no issue with this seeing as how they threw a huge party in my name. Karlach's dialogue seemed to be set up negating siding with the tieflings and almost just assuming you went with the druids, seeing as how she called me a murderer of her people for no reason and how I couldnt properly respond. I never got to meet her character all for the actions of someone else, its definitely stupid and I hate her now.
I will try again: I do love this game a lot. In the wide span of things it definitely feels like a genuine feat of human accomplishment. This is what it looks like for a game to have a loving dev team and all the time and resources in the world?...needless to say it will be hard to top this in the future. I love Scratch and owlbear and Shadowheart and all my friends, even Astarion who hated me for most of my run. I will play again when a mod comes out that lets me skip the combat. And also, always remember to never stab your vampire companions even if they steal blood from you. That is a blatantly bad decision (uri...). Shoutout to Hilda for helping me find a clown's body parts for 3 days straight. That's all, goodbye.
Forget it, forget the panda thing! We dont want to be a panda!
We are Us. The King is the King.
We finally just realized that We are nothing without Katamari Damacy.
The King of All Cosmos exists to make sure that everyone has
a nice, happy time.
In the early 2000s Katamari Damacy creator Keita Takahashi was propositioned to direct another game. Believing that the industry relied too much on sequels that limited employee creativity, he was initinally very opposed, but agreed upon learning that the project would continue with or without his presence. Contradictory to Bandai Namco's demands, what would come out of this was a deeply loving and moving game; foreign to the industry.
Named We Love Katamari, the game is set upon completing requests from fictional fans. A self-aware response to the outpouring of love from players of the original Katamari Damacy, this game takes a very different route from its predecessor. Aware of its presence as a game in the world, the King himself struggles between moving on and making people happy. Despite the beliefs Keita has on sequels, this format of a game could have never been done as an original project, and in itself was a wholly unique concept.
Despite the circumstances of its creation, in the end i am more than glad that everything in this game came to be. There is nothing Keita touches that isnt made with love and care. Its not really possible for me to describe my attachment, or even put into words everything i like about this game, but there are so few creations in the medium that feel so loving. There are few games that come together completely like Katamari does, and there are few games that are directly a realized product of someones imagination. It is like looking into a world without the gaming industry's marketing and restraints, but i would be lying if i said this is what meant the most to me, as an artistic accomplishment.
No, of course my favorite thing is the King. The King feels altered from his debut in Katamari Damacy, becoming reflective of himself and less harsh on the Prince. I have never had a father, but i do remember sitting in front of my tv years ago listening to the King talk about his pompadour, about how youth is embarassing..but it is more than important to live it. And i started tearing up a little, because was something so foreign that i would have never heard otherwise. But it made me very determined to continue rolling, i wanted to make the best katamari so the King would be proud of me. And it felt very good when he was. Learning about the Kings childhood, about his father and the sadness of his youth, this all felt very real and endearing in contrast to the silliness of the game. There is a deep purpose and melancholy embedded in the game, but it also feels like a hopeful thing. The King is not simply a character from a game, especially here in WLK. He does not serve an archtype, but rather comes directly from Keita and his team with the self-aware nature of things. Which is why his lessons and thoughts feel much more real, much more touching. Yes, there are few games in this world that open doors for people, but We Love Katamari is certainly one of them. I am happy it exists, i do love katamari.
I dont have to speak on the fun of the levels and how funny the cousins act, because that is a given. As a remaster, the heightened graphics are beautiful. But it makes me sad seeing the extra stuff that is added in. It sticks out like a sore thumb, it wasnt really necessary. And its not Keita who made it, obviously. Despite the HD graphics i might prefer this less than the original due to the prominence of the extra levels. I am still happy to be able to play this game again though, as i wouldnt of been able to otherwise. The best version of playing WLK might be the original with some sort of graphical mod. Getting the prettiest katamari experience with none of Namco's deflated levels.
Katamari Damacy makes me feel loved. it shows me happiness and child-like simplicity. There is not a thing in the game that does not make me smile. Maybe it is best to move on, but its fun to come back to every now and then. A very comfortable home for me!
Its important to think ahead, but not as important as being in the moment.
Okay! Lets keep making the katamari even bigger!
Lets do it!
A fantastic dlc that proves above all that Splatoon 2 truly outshines the rest of the series. Per 3's track record, I was honestly expecting just a rehashed version of the glory Octo Expansion brought us. A similar storyline copying level designs and gameplay from that era of the series, unlocking the ability to play as a sanitized octoling afterwards. I didnt think much else was going to come of it but I'm very happy I was wrong. Pearl and Marina are absolute delights and I'm so glad to see them presented so well. Their style, stunning. Their personalities even more so. Eight is also my favorite protagonist and I love that they kept the kind of sexual swagger Octo Expansion had with Eight's bdsm latex bodysuit thing. It is nice to see the series progressing their cast instead of just kind of freezing them in the past, and I loved seeing different sides of the 3 of them. Acht is cool as well, but I was very distracted most of the time by how hard they were going on Marina and Pearls apparent love for each other. I never say this about anything, especially Nintendo games, but to me it seems very obvious that they're supposed to be presented as a couple. Its a shame they will probably never openly admit that, but I appreciate the concept regardless.
People hate rougelites but gameplay-wise I had a looot of fun. The concept of the spire is smart, and as a very (very) damn good Salmon Run player I had a great time with the difficulty even if I can clear through the 30 floors, no sweat. I love the color chips changing your ink color, I love how broken you can build some of the weapons. The aesthetic, the enemies. Its everything, I absolutely loved it. Exceptions include having to clear the spire with the fucking gatling gun and Eight's horrible horrible palette, but otherwise I was having a ball through and through.
Definitely worth it, reminded me of why I like this series to begin with. Splatoon 3 is a horrible step in the wrong direction, needlessly unfun, and bland as all hell but at least now it has this. Hooray!
People hate rougelites but gameplay-wise I had a looot of fun. The concept of the spire is smart, and as a very (very) damn good Salmon Run player I had a great time with the difficulty even if I can clear through the 30 floors, no sweat. I love the color chips changing your ink color, I love how broken you can build some of the weapons. The aesthetic, the enemies. Its everything, I absolutely loved it. Exceptions include having to clear the spire with the fucking gatling gun and Eight's horrible horrible palette, but otherwise I was having a ball through and through.
Definitely worth it, reminded me of why I like this series to begin with. Splatoon 3 is a horrible step in the wrong direction, needlessly unfun, and bland as all hell but at least now it has this. Hooray!
2023
Fashion Dreamer is not really a video game. I dont really know what it is. Its not a 50 dollar game, and it is apparently not Style Savvy. That being said I do continue to play it every day and thoroughly enjoy my time with it. Do I like it? I suppose I do. The price tag is baffling because there is only one thing and one thing only to do in this game; obtain clothes, dress other people and yourself up. Without the online function this game is very empty. Youre talking a 3-4 hour game if you pirate it or only want to play offline. For 50 whole dollars that is insane. What little writing that is in the game is good, so it is strange that theres no dedicated story mode for something like this.
Another problem: a majority of the clothes are gender-locked. Which is also strange because 99.9% of people who play this appear to be girls. And the .1 percent of men who play a fashion dress up game most likely are not of a straight orientation. So youre just denying clothes to pretty much everyone who would like to have them, which again is pretty odd considering they let men wear makeup and have pretty pink heart earrings that you can only match with khakis.
The audio. in this game. Is insane. Its so loud. Its so loud. Cocoon HOPE, the menus. They have the worst music ive ever heard in a game. The rest of the game is exempt from this, but every time one goes to create clothes they also have to live with the pressure of having this loop in their ear indefinitely. Its so loud. Its so loud everyone I call can hear it perfectly as if they were right there fashion dreaming themselves. My friend Uri described the sound design as casino adjacent. There is inexplicably a gacha machine in this game so he is therefore correct. Blinking lights and shining sparkling explosion sounds every time i want to simply play shitty bingo. Sensory overload when i want to make a hat. Its insane.
The social element for this game is really lovely and it is the sole reason I keep playing. Its nice seeing other peoples muses and getting to dress them up, see how they react to what you made for them. Receiving an outfit made by someone you dont know also makes me feel giddy, i like watching people enjoy what ive created and wanting to wear the clothes i made. The showrooms are also fun to mess around in but it feels particularly mobile gamey (reach brand level 150 to unlock THIS yellow wall!) But its literally the only other thing to do in the game that isnt dress up so its fine. Fashion Dreamer is also visually very pretty, so theres no complaints about boring areas or bad textures. Just wish there was more of it. It needs more of all of it.
Should I buy Fashion Dreamer, you ask yourself. No... probably. This game has one upside, which is that its a perfect tool to do nothing with while you zone out on the couch. Something to play while youre talking to your friends or watching a movie you dont really like. It serves one purpose: dress up characters and look at clothes. I was going to say it does that pretty well but then i remembered that they gender-locked half the outfits so nevermind. Its not 50 dollars- unless youre very well off then I suppose go for it. I dont regret buying it because i know im going to be playing it on and off forever, but just dont expect a substantial gaming experience.
Appreciate all the boys who play this, I get to live my fashion dream through you. How I yearn to wear a suit vest....
Another problem: a majority of the clothes are gender-locked. Which is also strange because 99.9% of people who play this appear to be girls. And the .1 percent of men who play a fashion dress up game most likely are not of a straight orientation. So youre just denying clothes to pretty much everyone who would like to have them, which again is pretty odd considering they let men wear makeup and have pretty pink heart earrings that you can only match with khakis.
The audio. in this game. Is insane. Its so loud. Its so loud. Cocoon HOPE, the menus. They have the worst music ive ever heard in a game. The rest of the game is exempt from this, but every time one goes to create clothes they also have to live with the pressure of having this loop in their ear indefinitely. Its so loud. Its so loud everyone I call can hear it perfectly as if they were right there fashion dreaming themselves. My friend Uri described the sound design as casino adjacent. There is inexplicably a gacha machine in this game so he is therefore correct. Blinking lights and shining sparkling explosion sounds every time i want to simply play shitty bingo. Sensory overload when i want to make a hat. Its insane.
The social element for this game is really lovely and it is the sole reason I keep playing. Its nice seeing other peoples muses and getting to dress them up, see how they react to what you made for them. Receiving an outfit made by someone you dont know also makes me feel giddy, i like watching people enjoy what ive created and wanting to wear the clothes i made. The showrooms are also fun to mess around in but it feels particularly mobile gamey (reach brand level 150 to unlock THIS yellow wall!) But its literally the only other thing to do in the game that isnt dress up so its fine. Fashion Dreamer is also visually very pretty, so theres no complaints about boring areas or bad textures. Just wish there was more of it. It needs more of all of it.
Should I buy Fashion Dreamer, you ask yourself. No... probably. This game has one upside, which is that its a perfect tool to do nothing with while you zone out on the couch. Something to play while youre talking to your friends or watching a movie you dont really like. It serves one purpose: dress up characters and look at clothes. I was going to say it does that pretty well but then i remembered that they gender-locked half the outfits so nevermind. Its not 50 dollars- unless youre very well off then I suppose go for it. I dont regret buying it because i know im going to be playing it on and off forever, but just dont expect a substantial gaming experience.
Appreciate all the boys who play this, I get to live my fashion dream through you. How I yearn to wear a suit vest....
i have pretty harsh feelings about this game. i love animal crossing, i always have. it was a huge part of my life growing up and some of my most wonderful memories are of playing City Folk at night in my grandmas house. That game was there for me then, and new leaf was there for me as a teenager. so when this game came out, i thought this would be the animal crossing game that would be with me through adulthood. I was so excited for this game, it was giving me panic attacks the week before release.
When i first started it up, i fell in love with it. it looked beautiful and it was so amazing seeing my favorite characters in HD as opposed to the crunchy 3ds screen. i thought the villagers were very well written and funny, and i still do kind of think that some of the dialogue is genuinely good, but it started wearing off fast.
The game is so empty. theres nothing here. Every time i used to open this game, all i can picture is the boardroom meeting in which they were plotting to make the game more marketable. Its been gentrified, that's the only way i can describe it. The villagers offer you nothing emotionally, theres no GracieGrace, no city, no little secrets to find. there is no depth here, a world that moves without you, or a sense of wonder. all the hallmark features of previous games have been removed. it is a marketable product. A product that produces products, merchandise for profit (new leaf never ever had this much merch, but i noticed immediately how much they were making for this game). And ever since i realized this, games just havent been as fun. I feel like they all embody this game in a sense, giving up what makes it impressionable and personal to become something else. i worry very much, because every single mainline game ive ever cared about seems to be following this path. it's upsetting. I simply can not see how you could enjoy this game, unless you simply didnt know what you were missing out on.
When i first started it up, i fell in love with it. it looked beautiful and it was so amazing seeing my favorite characters in HD as opposed to the crunchy 3ds screen. i thought the villagers were very well written and funny, and i still do kind of think that some of the dialogue is genuinely good, but it started wearing off fast.
The game is so empty. theres nothing here. Every time i used to open this game, all i can picture is the boardroom meeting in which they were plotting to make the game more marketable. Its been gentrified, that's the only way i can describe it. The villagers offer you nothing emotionally, theres no GracieGrace, no city, no little secrets to find. there is no depth here, a world that moves without you, or a sense of wonder. all the hallmark features of previous games have been removed. it is a marketable product. A product that produces products, merchandise for profit (new leaf never ever had this much merch, but i noticed immediately how much they were making for this game). And ever since i realized this, games just havent been as fun. I feel like they all embody this game in a sense, giving up what makes it impressionable and personal to become something else. i worry very much, because every single mainline game ive ever cared about seems to be following this path. it's upsetting. I simply can not see how you could enjoy this game, unless you simply didnt know what you were missing out on.
2017
My apartment building that I live in is meant for very, very old people who live off government income checks. Now, I am a very young person who just so happens to live off social security, but that does not make me immune to the rigorous rules set by the building for these older folks. One of the biggest annoyances is that every major announcement is conveyed to us through papers put in your door handle instead of an email or some shit, even more annoying is that the announcement can range in seriousness from "stop throwing boxes down the garbage shoot" to "tomorrow there will be a room check". I dont know what it is about being old but apparently they dont deserve any autonomy or privacy as these room checks consist of two men storming your apartment, literally manhandling every appliance to make sure it works. They have to open the windows to make sure they open. They have to go in your closet to make sure the door isnt falling off. It is bureaucracy at its finest.
Now, anyone who knows me understands that I have severe contamination ocd. So does the building manager, Lisa, who feels very very badly for me and tries to help whenever she can. However, she has to manage 200+ apartments with only one assistant so she is very overworked. One of these room checks happened to me last Tuesday, where Lisa herself came and checked out my room respectfully. But she did not convey she would be helping me until that day, the announcement for said room check came the previous week with a mere 24 hour notice. Between the days of Wednesday to Friday, 9-4, your room could potentially be invaded so better keep it clean, bitch. So what is a girl to do while she waits for her worst fear to unfold for 7 hours a day? Play Minecraft with her bestie, duhh.
Last time I interacted with Minecraft was in late elementary school, where my biological father's girlfriend and my grandma purchased separate copies for me because no one was smart enough to write down my account password. I also only played it twice on a computer, but I did have the app version of it on my ipod that I would mess around in before school. I was very interested in all the new shit that must of been added over the years, more than I was kind of embarrassed to be playing this as an adult.
Its very fun. Obviously, theres a lot to do. I like a game that doesnt hold your hand too much and has lots of ☆secrets☆ to offer, and after being updated all these years there sure is an unprecedented amount of concepts in the game. I like building a lot, I enjoy the comforting feeling of going back home to your house you spent 50 hours making. All the ingame animals make me very happy and I wish I could interact with them in more ways, the music is also stellar. I definitely would not enjoy this game so much were I playing it by myself, but luckily Hildas got my back and is always there to help me when I fall into a pit or run off a mountain.
Unfortunately I of course have the switch version, which of course fucking sucks. Chunks load very slow. Connecting with Hilda is very slow. Its not updated to the extent of Java which is also a bummer. You cant have custom skins which is also incredibly lame. Its very tedious to menu with a controller, and the constant autosaves make us both lag out for minutes at a time. I also have some issues with the base game in general as well, number one issue being fall damage which I think is taken too easily. It simply feels better to be moving around the map at mach speed, so to be punished for falling 3 blocks or so feels rather like being hit on the hands with a ruler, just lemme have my fun smooving. Its tied to my second biggest issue, which is that you get hungry way too fast and your health only recovers when its all the way full. Its as obnoxious as it sounds to be stopping every 5 seconds to eat a carrot.
Otherwise, its Minecraft. Im kind of very impressed its still around and cemented as one of the biggest games out there. A lot of the micro transaction shit is clearly driven towards the younger Roblox demographic, which is really hard to look at every time I turn on the game, but aside from that its still the fun block game I remember from when I was younger. I'll always associate this with the 3 anxiety-ridden days I spent playing with Hobo, slapping her into pits and breaking all her shit. Riding horses into her house. Threatening to blow up her house. Killing her slowly with projectile eggs. Abject terrorism is in my nature.
Now, anyone who knows me understands that I have severe contamination ocd. So does the building manager, Lisa, who feels very very badly for me and tries to help whenever she can. However, she has to manage 200+ apartments with only one assistant so she is very overworked. One of these room checks happened to me last Tuesday, where Lisa herself came and checked out my room respectfully. But she did not convey she would be helping me until that day, the announcement for said room check came the previous week with a mere 24 hour notice. Between the days of Wednesday to Friday, 9-4, your room could potentially be invaded so better keep it clean, bitch. So what is a girl to do while she waits for her worst fear to unfold for 7 hours a day? Play Minecraft with her bestie, duhh.
Last time I interacted with Minecraft was in late elementary school, where my biological father's girlfriend and my grandma purchased separate copies for me because no one was smart enough to write down my account password. I also only played it twice on a computer, but I did have the app version of it on my ipod that I would mess around in before school. I was very interested in all the new shit that must of been added over the years, more than I was kind of embarrassed to be playing this as an adult.
Its very fun. Obviously, theres a lot to do. I like a game that doesnt hold your hand too much and has lots of ☆secrets☆ to offer, and after being updated all these years there sure is an unprecedented amount of concepts in the game. I like building a lot, I enjoy the comforting feeling of going back home to your house you spent 50 hours making. All the ingame animals make me very happy and I wish I could interact with them in more ways, the music is also stellar. I definitely would not enjoy this game so much were I playing it by myself, but luckily Hildas got my back and is always there to help me when I fall into a pit or run off a mountain.
Unfortunately I of course have the switch version, which of course fucking sucks. Chunks load very slow. Connecting with Hilda is very slow. Its not updated to the extent of Java which is also a bummer. You cant have custom skins which is also incredibly lame. Its very tedious to menu with a controller, and the constant autosaves make us both lag out for minutes at a time. I also have some issues with the base game in general as well, number one issue being fall damage which I think is taken too easily. It simply feels better to be moving around the map at mach speed, so to be punished for falling 3 blocks or so feels rather like being hit on the hands with a ruler, just lemme have my fun smooving. Its tied to my second biggest issue, which is that you get hungry way too fast and your health only recovers when its all the way full. Its as obnoxious as it sounds to be stopping every 5 seconds to eat a carrot.
Otherwise, its Minecraft. Im kind of very impressed its still around and cemented as one of the biggest games out there. A lot of the micro transaction shit is clearly driven towards the younger Roblox demographic, which is really hard to look at every time I turn on the game, but aside from that its still the fun block game I remember from when I was younger. I'll always associate this with the 3 anxiety-ridden days I spent playing with Hobo, slapping her into pits and breaking all her shit. Riding horses into her house. Threatening to blow up her house. Killing her slowly with projectile eggs. Abject terrorism is in my nature.
2021
This is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, one of the worst games I have ever played. The other half of the star is for the mere concept of it being fun, in execution there is not even a hope of enjoyment to be had with this game. The good reviews for this game are downright sickening. The people who made this are also sickening. This is foolishness, this is buffonery, this is downright robbery and trickery.
Where can I even start with it? It would be easier to talk about the parts of the game that actually work. The basis of the game: you run a rescue center. Theres dogs in it. People adopt the dogs. Not one part of this process functions as it should. Horrible control scheme. Jaw-droppingly stupid. Things that should just be A or X are abominable combinations that I cant even remember half the time. Imagine: decorating. Pick the thing you want then press A to purchase. WRONG. Select your purchase with the left stick, move cursor to place it, put it down with ZL. You didnt actually buy it. Press + to confirm that youre actually buying the thing you already put down. Wait 7 minutes because the ingame PC you're making this transaction on is insultingly slow. In fact, all the menus lag. The game lags. But the menus specifically make me feel like im wading through mud. Oh... tutorial? Did you read it? Sorry, because they are never showing it to you again. The tutorial is shockingly long while also not telling you what to do. And after it is done they leave you clueless. I was stuck for 3 hours trying to figure out how to access a menu.
Pacing issues. Overwhelming pacing issues. Dogs shitting themselves and tearing each other faces off and I cant give them the time of day because 8 new strays just came in for some fucking reason and each dog needs their special food and drink and accommodations. Someone walks into a dog shelter, unsure if they actually want a dog. They ask me to bring out and hand pick 5 dogs for them instead of the customer just walking around the shelter like an actual person. If they dont like all 5 dogs they will decide they were just cruising and leave. Im sure that exciting gameplay loop makes you wet and ready for more action so im so happy to say that that's all there is. If you have a dog with a disability just forget about them because, despite the fact that this is a shelter, customers have exceedingly high standards in direct contrast to the game's ride or die attitude on adopt, dont shop.
Does not function. Nothing about this game functions. Dogs shit in the walls and I cant see it. Dogs get stuck in the walls and get diseases and starve and dehydrate. Dogs have fights through the walls. The game believes certain dogs do not exist and I can no longer interact with them. Dogs get stuck in the play pen and the game will not let the dogs leave, ever. The game crashes and softlocks when you do complicated things such as opening a menu on the PC or taking a dog for a walk. The unstuck button itself fails to work. Unbearable. Inoperable.
Someone once said that we have it all wrong, that we should cry when one enters this world and rejoice when they leave it. Thats how I feel about these fucking dogs. Euthanized and they dont have to bear the weight of being trapped in this horrible game. The person who made this, never dare to even think about making another game again. Any good you put in this world will be a shadow of the torment you put me through. I hate you.
I want my 10 dollars back.
Where can I even start with it? It would be easier to talk about the parts of the game that actually work. The basis of the game: you run a rescue center. Theres dogs in it. People adopt the dogs. Not one part of this process functions as it should. Horrible control scheme. Jaw-droppingly stupid. Things that should just be A or X are abominable combinations that I cant even remember half the time. Imagine: decorating. Pick the thing you want then press A to purchase. WRONG. Select your purchase with the left stick, move cursor to place it, put it down with ZL. You didnt actually buy it. Press + to confirm that youre actually buying the thing you already put down. Wait 7 minutes because the ingame PC you're making this transaction on is insultingly slow. In fact, all the menus lag. The game lags. But the menus specifically make me feel like im wading through mud. Oh... tutorial? Did you read it? Sorry, because they are never showing it to you again. The tutorial is shockingly long while also not telling you what to do. And after it is done they leave you clueless. I was stuck for 3 hours trying to figure out how to access a menu.
Pacing issues. Overwhelming pacing issues. Dogs shitting themselves and tearing each other faces off and I cant give them the time of day because 8 new strays just came in for some fucking reason and each dog needs their special food and drink and accommodations. Someone walks into a dog shelter, unsure if they actually want a dog. They ask me to bring out and hand pick 5 dogs for them instead of the customer just walking around the shelter like an actual person. If they dont like all 5 dogs they will decide they were just cruising and leave. Im sure that exciting gameplay loop makes you wet and ready for more action so im so happy to say that that's all there is. If you have a dog with a disability just forget about them because, despite the fact that this is a shelter, customers have exceedingly high standards in direct contrast to the game's ride or die attitude on adopt, dont shop.
Does not function. Nothing about this game functions. Dogs shit in the walls and I cant see it. Dogs get stuck in the walls and get diseases and starve and dehydrate. Dogs have fights through the walls. The game believes certain dogs do not exist and I can no longer interact with them. Dogs get stuck in the play pen and the game will not let the dogs leave, ever. The game crashes and softlocks when you do complicated things such as opening a menu on the PC or taking a dog for a walk. The unstuck button itself fails to work. Unbearable. Inoperable.
Someone once said that we have it all wrong, that we should cry when one enters this world and rejoice when they leave it. Thats how I feel about these fucking dogs. Euthanized and they dont have to bear the weight of being trapped in this horrible game. The person who made this, never dare to even think about making another game again. Any good you put in this world will be a shadow of the torment you put me through. I hate you.
I want my 10 dollars back.