kosmikkrueger

[kosmikkrueger]

How Faithful SHOULD Video Game Remakes Be to The Originals??

Truth be told, this is a loaded question that I've been asking myself a LOT lately. It seems that video game remakes are the big thing to do in recent times, between the Resident Evil 4, Dead Space, and Silent Hill 2 just to name a few. Sometimes, that's a wonderful thing. It gives those who didn't get a chance to play the originals a chance to finally get their hands on them, and it also allows longtime fans a chance to playthrough their favorite games again.

HOWEVER, with that excitement always comes the age-long question of how faithful the new version should be to the original. In most cases, it should be EXTREMELY faithful. The storyline should remain the same, large plot elements should remain untouched, and characters should still hold the same personalities that we fell in love with the first time we ever saw them. Certain iconic one-liners should stay in the game, and quotes that the fandom have discovered help them through tough times should be stay right where they are.

Some things, though, are going to change. There's always something that people have found is problematic that should never have been put into the game that they want changed, or maybe it's a plot hole that people have discovered that's an easy fix. The graphics updating even changes the way certain characters look, and maybe it adds elements to their costumes that add more to the story.

Now. When I talk about this with examples, I'm going to use the Resident Evil 4 remake as an example. The reasoning behind this is that I played the original, and I'm SUPER excited for the remake. It's not out yet (6 more days!!), but there's a demo out that I've played several times, as well as a ton of trailers as well.

THE POSITIVE: From what we can see, the remake is doing extremely well with sticking to the important stuff. The police escort is killed in the beginning by a Ganado, the Ganados in the town leave Leon alone after the church bells ring, and even the iconic "bingo" line is in the game (or at least in the demo). They changed in the way the knife works to be more similar to the Resident Evil 2 and 3 remakes, and they kept the way the game inventory works.

THE NEGATIVE: Here's where I personally start to get picky. I gotta admit, I'm not a huge fan of how some of the characters look. I understand that Luis is SUPPOSE to be greasy, but that doesn't mean the others are as well. The characters almost look shiny, and whether that was intentional or not, I have no idea. We also know they cut out a couple of lines, such as "No way, BRO" and "Your right hand comes off?" They also got rid of Luis' controversial "ballistics" line, which I understand, but also feel revealed more about his character. While playing the demo, I found switching between the gun and the knife without a prompt was far more difficult than I expected, though to be fair, that could just be a problem with the player. They also removed a few of the puzzles and button smashes from what I hear, but depending on your opinion of them in the original version, that could easily be a positive thing instead of a negative.

Now, is any of this to say I'm any less excited for this now than I was when it was announced? Absolutely not. In fact, I'm MORE excited than I was originally. It seems like it's sticking EXTREMELY close to the 2005 version, and honest? I hope video game remakes in the future take notes on how to stick with the original while enhancing the content and removing undesirable elements.

[kosmikkrueger]

I Hate Battle Passes

I'll say it, and I'll say it loud. I hate the idea of seasons in video games and battle passes, even if they're completely free. When I play a video game, I'm playing it for fun, because I want to play it. When I play Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare II, it's because I want to destress. When I play Fortnite, it's because I'm playing with my daughter and want to have fun with her. And when I'm playing Fall Guys, it's because I don't want to think too hard and just want to watch little bean guys fall down.

Recently, I played through Dead Space. My amazing boyfriend bought me the remake, and let me say it blew me out of the water. I didn't play the original, but the storyline was entrancing, the mechanics were fantastic, the enemies were terrifying, and the idea of a single player game with no multiplayer was...oddly refreshing. In the past few years, I've mainly played online multiplayer games, and even the story-driven games have had the option for multiplayer during the storyline. I genuinely forgot how much fun it is to play a single player story.

And with that realization, it made me truly realize how much I hate the idea of a battle pass. I shouldn't have to grind on a game that I barely play normally just to get one skin that I absolutely LOVE, and then have to pay $20 for the whole pass. On top of that, if there's something that I want at the end, but I don't have time to reach the end of the battle pass (real life is important, you know), I shouldn't feel like I wasted $20 on stuff that I didn't want or don't use. Not to mention the fact that they're put on a time limit means that if you decide to play a game during later seasons, you're almost guaranteed to have missed some really cool items.

My solution? Gun blueprints cost $2. Skins cost $5. Emotes cost $1. Yes, I'm talking about microtransactions, but I feel that if they're cheap enough, then they won't have such a high backlash against them. It would ensure players get what they want, when they want it, and new players have a chance to get previous 'season' items. They can still run events, obviously, but if they stop putting cosmetic items that have literally no effect on the game play on a time limit, it would be SUPER appreciated. At least from me. We shouldn't have to grind out all of our free time just for a skin. Let us enjoy the game and skins without a time crunch or the pressure to grind.

Thanks.

[kosmikkrueger]

Video Game to Screen Adaptations

From what I've seen, movies and tv shows based off of video games tend to not to very well. Last year I saw a movie based off of the DOOM video games, and while it had some key elements of the series, it wasn't exactly what I would consider a "good" movie. It was cheesy, had me laughing at how bad some of the lines were rather than cheering at the easter eggs, and the last thing I wanted to do was recommend it to my friends that loved the game. RESIDENT EVIL: WELCOME TO RACCOON CITY was based off of the video games, and was FAR from getting good reviews. In fact, the majority of movies based on video games have done absolutely terrible when it comes time for reviews (I was SHOCKED when reading this List of films based on video games - Wikipedia) save for one: Sonic The Hedgehog 2.

Now, does that mean that I don't think they should continue to make them?? Absolutely not. I feel like it just proves that they haven't found the formula yet. Marvel didn't make 5-star movies the first time they tried, and they started making movies back in 1944. That just means (in my opinion) that they need to start making more, and being more experimental with it. TV shows are typically very safe, and they give lots of room to play with the mass volume of lore found in games.

I think that's why they chose to do a TV series based off of The Last Of Us. Now, I haven't played any version of TLOU, nor do I think I ever will. Would I like to? Absolutely. I play on Xbox, though, so chances are extremely low. I do hope, however, that the show does great. If the TLOU show does well, it would set the standard for video game adaptations across the board, and it's about time we get a well-received video game adaptation on the big screen. Here's to hoping.

[kosmikkrueger]

Gaming vs Real Life: Escapism

Video games are a form of escapism for a lot of people, myself included. It’s nice to escape into a fictional world where you get to play as the hero of a small town, or the savior of the world, or even the winner of an illegal street race where you win thousands of dollars just for making it across the finish line without getting arrested. Gaming helps take your mind off of bills, family troubles, jobs, and stresses of other kinds. It helps you feel in control when everything else is falling apart, and gives some players a sense of purpose when they struggle to find a reason to get out of bed some days. Everyone who plays some sort of video game knows this to be true. It’s how a lot of people de-stress, and can even be the reason someone gets into gaming in the first place.

However, one thing I never expected gaming to do was make me dig deep and discover myself and what I stand for. Growing up, the games I loved didn’t HAVE life lessons. There was nothing to be learned from Need for Speed Most Wanted, no lesson to be taken from Disney’s Extreme Skate Adventure, and any lesson that could’ve been taught from the Shrek video game adaptation was already talked about in the movie. As I got older and started playing more complex games, though, that changed drastically. I never would have expected that when I finished Far Cry 5, I would have a brand-new outlook on who’s the “good guy” in life, and who’s completely crazy. Video games have taught me more than any classroom could have just how much to expect the unexpected, and while not every situation will have a “Would you kindly?” sort of twist, Bioshock was truly the first game where I was taught to question what authority figures have in mind when they ask me to complete a seemingly meaningless task.

So, while some people may find video games to be a waste of time, especially games such as battle royales that can teach teamwork, remember that not everyone has experienced the beautiful moments of lessons in video games.

[kosmikkrueger]

Christmas as a Gamer Parent

Growing up, video games were always important to me. It was time I could spend with my brother where we were both able to have fun with minimal arguing, and if we DID argue, it was far from serious with laughs thrown between snips at each other. I couldn't tell you how many times we accused each other of screen peaking during Halo (I was guilty as charged), let alone cheating at games we clearly couldn't cheat at. It was an easier time, and a time I'll never forget.

I only have one kid, and I only desire to have the one kid. I don't plan on having any more, and therefore, I can't give her that same experience I had growing up. I can, however, give her some of her own gaming memories.

My first console that was actually MINE was a Nintendo GameBoy. My mom and grandma bought it for me back in 2003 on my 10th birthday, and to say I was excited was an understatement. I poured countless hours into F-Zero and WarioLand 4, and I almost never left the house without it.

In 2020, I bought my daughter her very own Nintendo Switch. She was only 6, but between Animal Crossing and Mario Kart, it seemed like the right time to get it for her. In fact, playing Animal Crossing helped her learn how to read. That one choice changed her life completely, and I firmly believe for the better.

See, there's a lot that people can learn from video games -- and kids are no exception to that. A lot of games are educational without even meaning to be. So while some parents might scoff at the idea of getting "brain-rotting" video games for a kid for a gift, I plan on trying to get her something video game related for Christmas every year.

[kosmikkrueger]

Do gold camos in CoD mean anything anymore?? Or are they just fun??

I'll be the first to admit, I haven't been playing Call Of Duty for very long. My first experience was in 2010, and I gave up after 5 minutes before going back to Halo. After that, it was Infinite Warfare in 2018, and I only played the Zombies portion. I never even ATTEMPTED the gameplay. When Warzone came out in 2020, I decided to give it a shot, seeing as a good friend (now my boyfriend) played it, and we could play together while I was still on PS4 and he was on Xbox One.

Back then, just a mere 2 years ago, I would see a gold camo gun and assume the person had a ton of hours into it. Now, though, with Modern Warfare II 2022 out, I see gold camos almost every game. I see people grinding to get as many gold camos as they can get, and as someone who only has ever held one gold camo for a gun in that I got in Zombies mode, I realize that all it does is encourage sweats.

Now, am I saying to get rid of them?? Absolutely not. It can be fun to try and get different achievements, and the fact that you have a way of showing off that achievement is pretty damn cool. I am, however, looking at camos through a different lens than I did back when I started Warzone.

[kosmikkrueger]

HELLO NEW FRIENDS!!

Hi there! I don't know if an introduction is something people typically do for things like this, but I felt like it was necessary given as I plan on posting things like reviews and opinions here.

My name is Jen, but I typically go by (and prefer) Kosmik. I'm 28 years old (29 in December), and have an 8-year-old daughter. I've been gaming for 2 decades, and my daughter is growing up learning how important and helpful video games can be.

My first console was playing on my dad's N64, but my first one that I owned myself was my light blue GameBoy Advance SP I got for my 10th birthday. When I was 12, my grandparents bought my brother and I a GameCube, and we played that thing for YEARS. We still have it, actually, and it's still in working condition. Since then, I've played on and owned an Xbox, PS3, PSP, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series S.

Some of my favorite games are Skyrim, Resident Evil 4, Far Cry 5, Call Of Duty: Warzone, The Dark Pictures Anthology, and Mortal Kombat 11. That's not to say I'm necessarily GOOD at them, but between the memories of multiplayer and the storylines in most of them, all of these hold a very special place in my heart.

I plan on using this platform to mainly post my opinions and reviews about video games, and maybe to spark some discussions on occasion. I stream 2-3 days a week, and all of those can be found on my twitch over at Twitch.tv/kosmikkrueger. I'm more than happy to discuss anything I post here over on my twitch when I'm live, and I'm more than happy to answer any questions dropped into my ask box or sent to me on Twitter, where my handle is the same as here. I hope to talk to you guys soon!!