#Assassin's Creed II: Discovery

[videogamepolls]

Requested by anon

[ignis-aeternus]

Now is an excellent time to get into a weirdly niche indie game!!

AAA game dev studios suck and the games they make are Not Great so instead of spending $70 on some garbage made by people who exploit their workers, pick up something made by some random nerds in a garage over the course of 3 years that costs $20 at max.

My recommendations:

1. Hades or Hades II (literally some of the greatest video games ever made. Rogue-lites based on Greek mythology that have an insanely deep and powerful story about family and fighting like hell)

2. Outer Wilds (timber-punk exploration/discovery game about an astronaut coming to terms with the death of the universe. You can truly only play this game once because of how the narrative experience of the game works and it will hit you like a truck. I cannot recommend this game enough plus I need more people to play it so the brain rot can spread)

3. Satisfactory or Factorio (two different factory building sims, the first is sleek 3D first person and the second is grungy top down isometric. Both will have you playing for hours and suddenly realizing it’s 5:00 AM. Fun times. The factory must grow.)

3.5 if you really like factory sims, try out Dyson Sphere Program. The game was originally developed in China and the localization is … interesting but if you’re up for it, it’s a factory sim that has inter-galactic levels of scale (as in I have a save where my factory on one planet is partially supplied by cargo ships carrying resources from an entirely different star system.) Again, you will suddenly realize it’s 5:00 AM after playing and losing track of time. The factory must grow.

4. Noita (imagine if you wanted to read the Wikipedia pages on alchemy and magic in general. Front to back. Take that, make it a hard-as-fuck rogue-like, and then throw in random monsters and other weird shit from Finnish folklore. That’s Noita. TLDR; Wizard game with so much hidden details and weird shit it’s a little scary. The core game loop is wildly addicting tho and you will find yourself saying “just one more run” like 7 times)

5. Literally anything in the borderlands franchise. That entire franchise goes so incredibly hard. I’m personally partial to BL2 and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlnds (because I’m a dork)

6. The Stanley Parable (you’re already on tumblr, play the goddamn Stanley Parable)

Anyways stop buying AAA games like in general. You don’t need the latest COD or Madden or Assassin’s Creed. They aren’t gonna be good. Buy indie games and have your mind blown by a ridiculously good time :)

SAG-AFTRA IS STRIKING AGAIN

This time, for video games.

Some key information:

They are striking so all performers will have protection against AI

The struck companies are those signed to the Interactive Media Agreement

The listed companies by SAG-AFTRA include Activision Productions Inc, Blindlight LLC, Disney Character Voices Inc, Electronic Arts Productions Inc, Formosa Interactive LLC, Insomniac Games Inc, Llama Productions LLC, Take 2 Productions Inc, VoiceWorks Productions Inc and WB Games Inc. Though this may not be everyone.

Important things from the FAQ:

Some games from struck companies are non-struck (due to the Collective Bargaining Agreement still being in effect)

Localisations will be affected if covered under the Interactive Localization Agreement

Actors who are part of SAG-AFTRA cannot work for non-union or independent/low-budged productions during the strike unless they are signed to an Interim Interactive Media Agreement, Interim Interactive Localization Agreement or a Tiered-Budget Independent Interactive Media Agreement

Similarly to the previous strike, struck work cannot be promoted. This includes accepting awards for performances in struck games. This does NOT include hosting/performing a skit at an awards show and San Diego Comic Con (the latter due to the close proximity to the calling of the strike)

As implied by the point above, SAG-AFTRA performers cannot partake in panels related to struck games or companies, including finished games produced by struck companies

The best way to check if a game is struck is to use the search tool provided by SAG-AFTRA

Most importantly: You are NOT being asked to stop playing video games, as highlighted in the FAQ for creators and streamers. This does NOT cross the picket line. Though please do talk about the strike and show your solidarity

I expect to see the same amount of support from y'all that we saw in the last strike. Just because it's video games doesn't mean performers deserve any less support and protection.

Also please reblog with any additions (with sources - we are NOT here to spread misinformation)! And please correct me if anything listed here is incorrect.

SOURCES:

Video Game Strike FAQs | SAG-AFTRA (sagaftra.org)

SAG-AFTRA Members Who Work on Video Games Go on Strike | SAG-AFTRA (sagaftra.org)

[maximuswolf]

The Charm of Older Games

The Charm of Older Games I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and I can’t help but feel that today’s video games, while visually stunning, just aren’t as engaging as the older ones. Sure, the graphics are getting better every year, and the game sizes are massive, but when it comes to the story and missions, I still find myself going back to the classics.Take games like GTA: San Andreas or The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time or Splinter Cell—every mission felt unique and memorable. Whether it was CJ learning to fly a plane or Link solving puzzles in the Water Temple or Sam Fisher going for an important undercover mission, each task had its own charm. Even in series like Tomb Raider, the older games had a sense of adventure and discovery that felt personal and rewarding. But in many modern games, missions often feel repetitive. For example, in some open-world games like Assassin’s Creed or Ghost Recon, you’re just doing the same thing over and over—clear a camp, fetch an item, repeat. It gets boring fast, and it feels like the focus has shifted from crafting meaningful experiences to padding out playtime with filler content.Another thing is time. Back in the day, I had hours to dive into a game and get lost in its world. Now, with less free time, I want every gaming session to feel worth it. But when I sit down to play a new game, I often find myself thinking, “Is this it?” It just doesn’t grab me the way older games did. For instance, modern games often rely on mechanics like New Game+ mode, which asks you to replay the entire game just for some extra perks or a trophy. While it might appeal to completionists, it feels like a lazy way to extend gameplay rather than offering something genuinely new or meaningful. The emphasis on open-world design and endless side quests often dilutes the core experience, leaving players with a sense of fatigue rather than fulfillment.Don’t get me wrong—modern games have their moments, and the technology is incredible. The sheer scale of worlds in games like Assassin’s Creed Origins or the cinematic storytelling in The Last of Us Part II is undeniably impressive. But I miss the creativity and heart that made older games so special. There was a time when games felt like they were made with a clear vision, where every mission, level, or puzzle had a purpose. Now, it often feels like games are designed by committee, with a checklist of features meant to appeal to the broadest audience possible. The result is a lot of games that look amazing but lack the soul and innovation that made the classics so unforgettable.Anyone else feel the same way?---TL;DR: Modern games have amazing graphics and size, but they often lack the memorable stories, characters, and challenges that made older games so engaging. Do you agree? Submitted February 15, 2025 at 01:42AM by KSuraj https://ift.tt/LvNt8Vj via /r/gaming

[love-fireflysong]

Just now beat and added AC Rogue to my Assassin's Creed plat collection! Meaning that I've now managed to platinum 10/15 ac games can actually be platinumed (there's actually four more games to the series but the very first game on ps3 has no trophies at all and the other three are only on the ds or psp so yeah).

And because I want to play the next three I'm still missing an equal amount, I've decided to leave the choice up to you friendos!

Caveats for each game:

Black Flag and Unity: Alas both games are the only two in the series that still require *ugh* MuLTiplaYEr TrOphIES 🙄so the plat will not happen. Mostly because both are like 10 years old at this point so even if I wanted to do them I'm pretty sure the multiplayer scene is like dead kjsdhkasjdha

Chronicles: This one is actually THREE separate games (China, India, Russia) so it's actually three of the plats I need all bundled together for my convenience! The main problem with this one is that it's not open world/no replayable memories so I would need to play the story of each multiple times in order to get all the trophies. Thankfully they're all fairly short (only a few hours each) so it shouldn't be too much of a pain.

Discovery: This one's a DS only game so no trophies 😔 but it's still one I have yet to even beat so it's on the list lol

Bloodlines: Same as the first except its on the PSP. Plus it's the one I've played the least of despite being the one I'm most interested in story wise mainly because all I've ever played of it was like the first ten or so minutes. Mostly because the frame rate is absolutely abysmal lol but I'll suffer through it if it's the one picked for your sakes 💖

[gaymer-hag-stan]

On the 17th of November, thirteen years ago, Assassin's Creed II: Discovery was released in North America for the Nintendo DS.

It is set during Assassin's Creed II's events, between Sequences 12 and 13. The story takes place from 1491 to 1492, and follows Ezio Auditore da Firenze (the protagonist of Assassin's Creed II) as he travels to Spain to help his fellow Assassins, who are being hunted by the Templar Order under the guise of the Spanish Inquisition.

Assassin's Creed II: Discovery received generally positive reviews from critics, and was seen as an improvement over the previous spin-off in the series, Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles.

[irondeficientf3r0ck]

Ah, if I may add to the manuscripts I have some less regarded titles to add from my library

Dragon Quest IX Sentinels of the Starry Skies

Secret Files: Tunguska

Sim City

Assassins Creed II Discovery

Myst

Wordmaster

Red Bull BC One

Bejeweled Twist

Plants VS Zombies

Lovely Lisa and Friends

— Not in current collection but I desire them

Orcs and Elves

Lost at Blue

Dementium I and II

You have a list of DS games everyone should play?

*unravels dusty scroll*

Pokemon Platinum

Pokemon HeartGold SoulSilver

Pokemon BW and B2W2 (YES BOTH)

Animal Crossing Wild World

Castlevania Dawn of Sorrow

Castlevania Order of Ecclesia

Nintendogs

Ace Attorney (first 3)

Hotel Dusk: Room 215

New Super Mario Bros

Mario Kart

Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story

Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass

Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks

Kirby Super Star Ultra

Kirby Mass Attack

Kirby Canvas Curse

Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword

Yoshi's Island

Cooking Mama (any but I like 3 best)

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky

Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team

Metroid Prime Hunters

Metroid Prime Pinball

Sonic Rush

Sonic Colors

Final Fantasy IV remake

Trauma Center: Under the Knife 2

The World Ends with You

Okamiden

Star Fox Command

Legendary Starfy

Pokemon Conquest

Pokemon Ranger: Shadows of Almia

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor

Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey

Super Princess Peach

Mario Party

Mario Hoops 3 on 3

999: 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors

Contra 4

These games I've played and recommend but there's plenty more out there too!!

[gamechestgames]

Just Finished: Assassin's Creed II: Discovery

Here's a good example of a disposable title. Assassin's Creed returns to the root origins that inspired the series (Prince of Persia) In a sidescroller Platformer focused on speed and jump and with a poor fighting system. If you're a fan of the series and you're scratching your head because you've never played this don't bother. Doesn't add anything to Ezio's lore and is a solid 5/10 game. 6/10 in a very good day.

You're welcome

[teecupangel]

Just a reminder that Ezio was in Spain the same time that Aguilar was trying to save the prince and that this is still canon.

Ref:

[master-hekates-ceremonials]

AC15 - Assassin's Creed II Discovery Tour

ACLandmarks, The Science of Assassin's Creed and I will continue our Discovery Tour series on Sunday, 09/04, at 12:00 noon EST/9:00am PST with Assassin's Creed II on The Science of Assassin's Creed YouTube channel. Hope to see you there!

For this stream, we have partnered again with The Ones Who Came Before for their Assassins In Need: Heart of the Creed campaign to raise funds for critical cardiovascular health research for the British Heart Foundation and American Heart Association - if you're interested, please donate via the website: Fundraiser by Colum Blackett : Assassins in Need: Heart of the Creed Fundraiser (gofundme.com)

[baneshake]

A Brief-ish History of Assassin's Creed, pt. 3: Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forlí and Bonfire of the Vanities, Assassin's Creed II: Multiplayer, Assassin's Creed II: Discovery on Nintendo DS, and Project Legacy on Facebook

[aion-rsa]

Mark Wahlberg Movie Infinite Signals That Paramount Plus Will Evolve Beyond Star Trek

https://ift.tt/3en8OgH

Paramount+, once known as CBS All Access, has mainly defined itself with an overwhelming wave of Star Trek television content. However, surrounded by high-end competition from Disney+, HBO Max, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, the rebranded streamer is looking to live long and prosper beyond the space-faring franchise, having announced grandiose plans to expand its movie content. Most notably, sci-fi film Infinite, directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Mark Wahlberg, will be the service’s first theater-skipping feature offering; a surefire sign of things to come.

Obviously, the boat of box-office-bypassing movies already left its proverbial dock some time ago; a notion recently exemplified by streaming’s dominance of the 2021 Academy Awards via Best Picture winner Nomadland (which debuted on Hulu in the U.S.), along with The Sound of Metal (Amazon Prime Video), Judas and the Black Messiah (HBO Max), Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom (Netflix), Mank (Netflix) and Soul (Disney+)—embarrassingly-shrunken television audience for the ceremony itself notwithstanding. Indeed, while Paramount’s plans were likely long-gestating, there had to be a feeling that its insurgent steaming service missed said boat after fellow streamers cleaned up at the Oscars. This is especially the case as the theater-free phenomenon’s pandemic-related circumstances rapidly evolve in the post-vaccine era. Yet, today’s earnings call with ViacomCBS CEO Bob Bakish shows a company embracing the old adage, “Better late than never.”

Paramount announced a rather auspicious acquisition in director Antoine Fuqua’s Infinite, which stars a reliable headliner in Mark Wahlberg, joined by an ensemble consisting of Dylan O’Brien, Toby Jones, Rupert Friend, Jason Mantzoukas, Kingsman: The Secret Service standout Sophie Cookson and, notably, 12 Years a Slave Oscar nominee Chiwetel Ejiofor as the villain. The film, which originally had Marvel’s Captain America, Chris Evans, tapped as its star, was shot back in 2019, and, interestingly enough, was originally scheduled to hit theaters on May 28, 2021. Those plans, of course, have since dramatically changed, with Infinite now set for a U.S. streaming premiere on Paramount+ in late-June, with international plans to be revealed at a later time.

Read more

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Star Trek Villains Who Actually Had a Point

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The Paramount+ arrival of Infinite will unveil famed director Fuqua’s first feature since 2018’s The Equalizer 2. The ambitious sci-fi actioner—officially teased as “a classic story of good vs. evil with an epic twist”—was scripted by John Lee Hancock and Ian Shorr, who adapted D. Eric Maikranz’s 2009 novel, The Reincarnationist Papers. Bearing a plot that somewhat resembles the Assassin’s Creed video game series (and its 2016 movie adaptation), the film focuses on a secret society, called the Cognomina, whose members have the helpful ability to recall details from their past lives. However, things unravel as the haunting memories of Wahlberg’s formerly-Chris-Evans-cast character—a schizophrenic newcomer to the organization named Evan Michaels—uncover dangerous secrets. Thus, a film that could have been lucrative box office fodder for the popcorn crowd will instead become a bellwether offering for the streamer similar to HBO Max’s recent premium-free premieres of action-packed crowd-pleasers like Wonder Woman 1984, Godzilla vs. Kong, Mortal Kombat and the upcoming Dune.

Indeed, Bakish promises a release strategy that will see the consistent arrivals of even more pandemic-era pictures purloined from their planned theatrical releases, stating, “All of this is a preview to a substantial ramping up of original movies next year, when we expect to begin averaging an original movie a week in 2022.” The move complements news revealed to investors back in February that Paramount-hailing major releases such as A Quiet Place II and the untitled Mission: Impossible 7 will premiere on Paramount+ within a small 45-day window from their designated theatrical releases; news that’s more immediate, since the former is set to hit theaters by the end of the month, May 28, to be followed next year, on May 27, 2022, by the latter.

Interestingly, the effect of Paramount Plus’s acquisition of Infinite will be felt as immediately as early-June, during which 1,000 movies will be added to the platform’s existing film library, bringing its total to 2,500. It’s a dramatic transformation for the streamer, which, in its former life as CBS All Access, failed to make much of an industry impact outside of Star Trek—even with Jordan Peele’s heralded reboot of The Twilight Zone. Of course, that is not to say that the platform is moving away from Star Trek, since it’s still home to exorbitantly-produced returning live-action series Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard, which will be joined by a spinoff show of the former, the U.S.S. Enterprise-set Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and, prospectively, an untitled series focused on elusive intelligence agency Section 31 starring Michelle Yeoh’s Emperor Philippa Georgiou—not to mention current animated series Star Trek: Lower Decks.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

Nevertheless, the ViacomCBS CEO is effectively hyping the Paramount platform’s imminent influx of films as a “Mountain of Movies,” setting up a course correction to the platform’s hitherto tardiness on the original movie front. While no serious prognosticator expects Infinite to make any kind of dent at the 2022 Oscars akin to its aforementioned dramatic streaming peers, its move does carry implications. The continued adherence to a socially-distanced distribution scheme is a consequential shift to Paramount+ itself, and also reinforces the idea that the pandemic’s effects on the industry could become permanent.  

The post Mark Wahlberg Movie Infinite Signals That Paramount Plus Will Evolve Beyond Star Trek appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2SvRUUS

[bmaxwell]

Best of 2020: Not the Top 10

Old Game of the Year: Final Fantasy XV

My feelings on Final Fantasy XV are similar to my feelings on last year’s Death Stranding: I can’t really argue that it’s a good game, and I can’t recommend it without a lot of asterisks. The combat is sloppy and just never felt right for me,  and the story meanders in places - but it’s also an experience that I cherished and it will stay with me for a long time.

The game’s setup of “4 buddies on a road trip before one of them gets married” feels inspired, and the early sections of the game are its best moments. It feels lighthearted, driving your car from site to site, camping, cooking, and fishing. One of your party members takes pictures throughout the game, and at the end of each day you are asked which ones you want to save. Over the course of the game, you can look back at these photos, and that really makes FFXV feel like a shared journey.

As it progresses, the story feels disjointed and incoherent at times, but the friendships built and memories forged in the early hours of the game were more than enough to carry me through, and the ending made me feel wistful in a way I did not expect. Final Fantasy XV became the first main series Final Fantasy game that I played to completion.

Also good old games: River City Girls, Yakuza Kiwami 2, Assassin’s Creed: Origins, Remnant: from the Ashes, Destiny 2  

Best Music: Hades

At this point I can pretty much say “It’s a SuperGiant game” and that’s enough to justify a Best Music nod. It’s smart, it’s catchy as hell, it’s moving, the music for Hades is what the music has been for every one of their games. It’s a crucial part of the game, and the experience would be poorer without its quality. And the end boss music got me pumped every single time. 

Atomicrops’ music is pretty goddamned neat though.

Also very good music: Atomicrops, Spiritfarer, As Far as the Eye, Monster Train, Calico, SINoALICE

Best Early Access game: Griftlands

It’s a good time to be a fan of deckbuilding card games. Griftlands takes the idea of dispatching enemies by force or negotiation that I first saw awkwardly introduced  in Renowned Explorers, and implements it into an excellent deckbuilding game. In Griftlands you choose from 3 characters (each with unique cards and playstyles) and try to survive in the wastelands by fighting, robbing, flattering, bullshitting, and whatever else you have to do to get by. 

Each character has one set of cards for combat, and a set for conversation. The world feels fresh and unique, and it has the visual charm and personality I’ve come to expect from Klei. If this had gone 1.0 this year, it would have certainly been in my top 10.

Also wonderful early access games: The Last Hex, Trial by Fire, Dreamscaper, Gordian Quest, Ooblets

The “It’s Not You, It’s Me” Award: Kentucky Route Zero

Every year there’s at least one excellent game that, for whatever reason, just does not work for me. Last year it was The Outer Wilds. The year before, it was The Return of the Obra Dinn. Try as I might, I just couldn’t get into them. This year, it was Kentucky Route Zero.

Part of the problem may be not only that the first of the game’s five acts was released 7 years ago in 2013, but I played the first 3 acts a couple of years ago. If you remember that post about discovery and why I play games that I made a draft of last month but never published or even finished, then you know that it’s hard for me to replay games in the discovery bucket. On paper, this game is 100% my shit - the music, the dreamlike atmosphere, it’s all so massively appealing to me. Every time I start to play it, part of my brain just clicks off. It’s the kind of early access game I should have avoided until it was all finished. 

Also better than I give credit for: Fae Tactics, Resident Evil 3

Most Disappointing: New Console Availability

No games were hugely disappointing for me this year. What was disappointing is the difficulty in find either a Playstation 5 or Xbox Series X at launch.

It’s not surprising, given the way the pandemic affected the supply chains console manufacturers source their parts from, that the new consoles were incredibly difficult to secure. Waiting to see a Tweet from Wario64, then trying to add them to a cart and checkout only to hit several errors along the way and come up empty is pretty frustrating. Not there’s a lot of reason to get one of these at launch anyway - the lineups are pretty thin. But hey, I’ve been a gamer all my life and never gotten a console at launch. I’d like to get in on that one time. 

I did get an Xbox Series X a few weeks after launch by way of Microsoft’s Xbox All Access program. If you’d told me a a couple of years ago that I’d be going after a next gen Xbox before a next gen Playstation, I’d never have believed it. Game Pass is such an incredible value, those Playstation exclusives (for me) pale in comparison. Plus the Playstation 5 looks goddamned ridiculous. But I’ll get one sooner or later - Final Fantasy 7 Remake 2 will be there at some point, and the pack-in Astrobot game looks real good. It’s the first time I can remember the 3 big console makers each doing distinctly different things. It’s a pretty exciting time for the industry.

Also disappointing I guess: Torchlight III 

Looking Forward To: Darkest Dungeon II 

Hey look. You know - you KNOW I like Hollow Knight. But a sequel to my favorite game ever is at the top of my wish list. Red Hook has been pretty hush about details for Darkest Dungeon II, but I’m perfectly fine waiting and trusting them. Also: Wayne June is onboard. Let’s fucking GO.

Also anticipating: Hollow Knight: Silksong, Final Fantasy VII Remake part 2

[neighbours-kid]

Oh, 2019, What A Year You Were.

It is now a bit before 6pm on January 01, 2020. I just finished unpacking after coming home from my short holiday escape to Berlin for New Year’s with my best friend and frequent travel buddy. My feet are tired, my back hurts, and I’m sitting in bed now, thinking back on this last year and, it’s kind of hard for me to decide if it was a good year or less so.

My 2019 was not as eventful as my 2018. There was no large adventure to speak of like going to New York City for six months, or having to adjust back to life in Switzerland after that. 2019 was just…..uni. The same old trudge of going to class and thinking about texts that should be read (but wouldn’t be), the same old treading water without direction, stuck in one place, unsure what comes next. Or, at least, that’s what it feels like looking back on it.

When I did this looking back the last time, 2018 was not quite over yet. It was still December, I had a few more days of uni to go, all the Christmases and other celebrations still before me. At that point, I had no idea that I would meet a couple of people at the Christmas Party of our English Department and that these people would be largely responsible for tipping the scale of 2019 into ‘good’.

But I did. I did meet these lovely people I get to call something akin to family today. It’s only been a year, and I can’t quite believe it. Found family has always been my favourite trope in storytelling, and this little group of weirdos is exactly that. And to quote my favourite little alien creature, this is my family. I found it, all on my own. It’s little, and broken, but still good. Yeah, still good.

These people are not perfect, they’re not flawless, they’re not angels. But they have more humanity between them than I’ve seen in a long fucking while. We’re all broken people, none of us is any better than the next, but we have heart. And I love them all so fucking much. They have all coloured in parts of my year in their own colours and I could not be happier about it. They’re a bunch of fucking weirdo nerds, but they’re my bunch of fucking weirdo nerds.

* * *

This year was, while largely uneventful, also very special in its own way. You know, after talking to my doc to get a date for a transgender consultation, my plan was basically to wait until I got it all lined up nicely, got my first shot of testosterone and then be like "hello world, this is happening, and if you have anything against it, whoops, too late.” Well, it didn’t quite work out like that. If you’ve been keeping up with this blog or my life in general, you know that my anxious ass decided to have a nervous break in the middle of January and come out to literally everyone then and there. And you know what? It’s good.

I’m not where I want to be, not at all. After January, I had expectations for 2019, I had hopes and dreams, wishes and plans. Unfortunately, that lead to a series of events that is tipping the scale of this year into ‘bad’. I wrote about this extensively before, but the process of starting testosterone is a long and tedious one and I am still not where I want to be, even after this entire year, but I currently see a shiny dot on the horizon that looks very promising in that department, and if everything goes as it should, it won’t be long now until I can start with the hormone treatment.

2019 started me down a road of self-discovery that is more open and public than it was before, and I am glad for it. But I don’t want to linger on that part of my year for too long. Let us look back for a while, relive some moments here and there.

On the train home from the airport today, I thought about what I did exactly one year ago. After everyone who had been at my place for New Year’s had left around lunch time on January 01, 2019, I had sat down in front of my TV and started a very movie and tv show heavy year. Over the course of this entire year, I noted down every movie and tv show episode, every short film and comedy special, everything that I watched. It…..added up quite a bit, to be completely honest. Let’s see….

For reference, I had holidays during January and half of February, as well as June all through August and half of September, and then again from the 21st of December onward. My marathon didn’t quite subside during university, but at least I didn’t binge quite so much.

In total, I watched 178 movies, 10 short films, and 685 episodes of 34 tv shows. That is 300h12 in movies, 1h38 in short films, and roughly 519h47 in tv show episodes. (Yes, I did just spend way too much time looking up all the run times…) That is a rough total of 821h37 for this year. That’s like….a bit over a month of time spent watching stuff. 1/12 of my year spent in front of a screen. Not entirely sure how I feel about this number.

I know that for some this might sound a bit excessive, but to be honest? There is so much more I want to watch and if I could do completely as I please, these numbers would look a lot different.

Here is, with the exact intention of being a big mess of a block, all the movies I watched in 2019. I highlighted a few that stood out to me especially. Not just because I liked them very much, or because they were particularly excellent, just because….they made me feel something different, I guess. The oldest movie I watched was Grease (1978) and the newest would be the comedy special John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch from this year. I started my year with Night at the Museum (2006) and ended it with season five of Leverage.

Grease (1978), My Neighbour Totoro (1988), Die Hard (1988), Batman (1989), Die Hard 2: Die Harder (1990), Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995), Othello (1995), Mission Impossible (1996), Mary Reilly (1996), Wilde (1997), Animated Epics: Beowulf (1998), Mission Impossible II (2000), Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Fast and the Furious (2001), Ocean’s Eleven (2001), Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002), Heartlands (2002), xXx (2002), 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003), Underworld (2003), Bright Young Things (2003), Timeline (2003), The Deal (2003), Ocean’s Twelve (2004), Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), Laws of Attraction (2004), Dirty Filthy Love (2004), Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Kingdom of Heaven (2005), The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse (2005), The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006), Underworld: Evolution (2006), Mission Impossible III (2006), Inside Man (2006), Night at the Museum (2006), The Da Vinci Code (2006), The Queen (2006), Die Hard 4.0: Live Free or Die Hard (2007), Music Within (2007), Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007), Ocean’s Thirteen (2007), Zodiac (2007), Iron Man (2008), Twilight (2008), Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009), Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009), Twilight: New Moon (2009), The Damned United (2009), Fast & Furious (2009), Sherlock Holmes (2009), The Holiday (2009), Angels & Demons (2009), Underworld: Rise of the Lycans (2009), Inception (2010), The Bounty Hunter (2010), Twilight: Eclipse (2010), Alice in Wonderland (2010), Tron: Legacy (2010), Megamind (2010), Valentine’s Day (2010), The Expendables (2010), Red (2010), Eat Pray Love (2010), Iron Man 2 (2010), Beautiful Boy (2010), Fast Five (2011), Fright Night (2011, twice), Resistance (2011), Few Options, All Bad (2011), Jesus Henry Christ (2011), Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011), Mission Impossible IV: Ghost Protocol (2011), Pitch Perfect (2012), Twilight: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012), White House Down (2013), Admission (2013), I Give It A Year (2013), Escape Plan (2013), The Adventurer: Curse of the Midas Box (2013), Furious 6 (2013), A Good Day to Die Hard (2013), Red 2 (2013), Begin Again (2013), Saving Mr. Banks (2013), Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb (2014), Kill the Messenger (2014), The Monuments Men (2014), Midnight in Paris (2014), Paddington (2014), The Imitation Game (2014), Maleficent (2014), Chelsea Peretti: One Of The Greats (2014), John Mulaney: The Comeback Kid (2015, twice), Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (2015), Far From the Madding Crowd (2015), 7 Days in Hell (2015), Furious Seven (2015), Assassin’s Creed (2016), Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016), Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping (2016), Ali Wong: Baby Cobra (2016), Nocturnal Animals (2016), She Loves Me (2016), Passengers (2016), Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer (2016), xXx: The Return of Xander Cage (2017), Michael Bolton’s Big, Sexy Valentine’s Day Special (2017), Brad’s Status (2017), Home Again (2017), Murder On The Orient Express (2017), Christmas Inheritance (2017), Paddington 2 (2017), You, Me & Him (2017), Beauty and the Beast (2017), Trevor Noah: Afraid of the Dark (2017), Dave Chappelle: The Age of Spin (2017), Dave Chappelle: Deep in the Heart of Texas (2017), Patton Oswalt: Annihilation (2017), Jack Whitehall: At Large (2017), Hasan Minhaj: Homecoming King (2017), Katherine Ryan: In Trouble (2017), Mission Impossible: Fallout (2018), Slaughterhouse Rulez (2018), The Fate of the Furious (2018), Love, Simon (2018), Ocean’s 8 (2018, twice), Bad Samaritan (2018), John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous (2018, twice), Hannah Gadsby: Nanette (2018), Daniel Sloss: Dark (2018), Daniel Sloss: Jigsaw (2018), Trevor Noah: Son of Patricia (2018), Ali Wong: Hard Knock Wife (2018), James Acaster: Recognise (2018), James Acaster: Represent (2018), James Acaster: Reset (2018), James Acaster: Recap (2018), Apostle (2018), The Holiday Calendar (2018), The Princess Switch (2018), The Christmas Chronicles (2018), Captain Marvel (2019, twice), Shazam! (2019, twice), Avengers: Endgame (2019, twice), Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019), The Hustle (2019), Rocketman (2019), X-Men: Dark Phoenix (2019), Men in Black: International (2019), Tolkien (2019), Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019), Isn’t It Romantic (2019), Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019), Jenny Slate: Stage Fright (2019), Wanda Sykes: Not Normal (2019), Katherine Ryan: Glitter Room (2019), Simon Amstell: Set Free (2019), Adam Devine: Best Time of Our Lives (2019), Let It Snow (2019), Last Christmas (2019), Klaus (2019), Always Be My Maybe (2019), The Knight Before Christmas (2019), The Good Liar (2019), Hustlers (2019), Star Wars: Rise of the Skywalker (2019), Murder Mystery (2019), John Mulaney and the Sack Lunch Bunch (2019)

TV shows are going to make up a block a bit less intimidating, but here goes. Again, highlighted what stood out to me especially.

The Gifted, Friends, NCIS, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Money Heist, Riverdale, The Punisher, Broadchurch, Elite, Doctor Who, Dramarama, Agents of SHIELD, Pokémon Indio League, Good Omens, The Chef Show, Jessica Jones, Halt and Catch Fire, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel, The Simpsons, 30 Rock, The Good Fight, Sean’s Show, Gallowglass, Animals., The Spoils of Babylon, Pobol Y Cwm, Masters of Sex, Prodigal Son, Criminal UK, The Politician, Leverage, His Dark Materials, Zona Rosa, Derry Girls

Some old favourites in there. Some new ones too. I won’t list the shorts because I don’t particularly care for them. I watched them solely for binging-through-someone’s-filmography reasons.

So yeah, as you can see, a very strong year when it comes to the visual medium. I just really love movies and tv shows so much. I love this kind of storytelling, this particular form of it. There’s so much artistry there, so many talented people. I still very much would love to work in the movie world at some point. Inspires me greatly. Always has.

* * *

2019 was not just a year of sitting glued to a TV screen, not at all. I’ve been some places too, got to do and experience some cool stuff.

In April I was able to take a few days off and go to Lugano with my dear friend and relax for a little while. We also met up with one of the lovely people I’ve met through twitter, which was great fun and we’ve spent a fantastic day together (eating food I still catch myself thinking about at least twice a week).

In June I went to Pride in Zurich with my friends, which was also a wonderful experience all together.

In July I was able to go to Cologne for half a week for CCXP, where I got to see some great panels and meet some great people. And, most importantly and also the reason why I went, I got to meet Zachary Levi again, take a picture together, have a wonderful conversation while he signed something for me, and experience an incredibly inspiring panel where I got to ask him a question that he took the time and patience to extensively answer. I treasure these moments, just as I treasure all our previous meetings and the friends and experiences that have come with it. Seeing him again after two years was definitely the highlight of the year, and it’s a strong weight of the good part in the scale that is 2019. He’s always a highlight, the dude. I can’t wait until I get to see that face again.

Also in July, I joined a few friends for a weekend at a medieval festival in Germany, which was also a very interesting and good experience.

And now at the end of the year, I spent a few days in Berlin, visiting museums and bookshops and generally touristing about with my dearest friend, celebrated New Year’s with her in the only way we know how: with good wine, food, warmth, and a tv show we both love and hold dear.

I also shouldn’t forget the two parties I attended of our university’s English Department, and the Halloween party a friend organised, and the birthdays I attended over the year, as well as the Christmas I spent with my friends at my place.

All these things, all these little bits add up and add up and ultimately I want to think that 2019 was a good year. I am so glad this year is over, but looking back I find so many good things that have happened, so many wonderful experiences, and I wonder, why? Why am I so happy it is over? Why am I so desperate to move forward, to turn the page, to start a new chapter, a new book?

I don’t know. I really don’t know.

* * *

For this new year, for 2020, I have a few wishes. I’m not really one to make resolutions, because I know exactly I won’t hold myself to it, but I have some things I’d like to do, like to try.

2019 was my year of movies and shows. I won’t stop watching things, I’ll never stop watching things. But for this year, I want to put my focus elsewhere. This year, I’d like to try and read all the books that have amassed themselves in my possession, that I haven’t actually read yet. It’s doable, I don’t own enormous amounts of books yet. I want to try that. I want to try to read more, to find that passion and attention span again that I had as a kid. I might try to blog a bit about it, just so I have something to hold me accountable. We’ll see. But I just really want to read more. Carry a book everywhere I go.

I know that 2020 is bringing me another step closer to becoming my truest self. I have my next appointment with the hormone specialist early in February, and if I am not entirely mistaken (or something is drastically changed) I will be able to start taking hormones then and there. Starting testosterone is going to be exciting and interesting, and I am very much looking forward to it. What I want for myself this year, is to take it easy. Be kind to myself in this journey. Let myself be gentle. I always have so many expectations for myself, and I really just want to try and…let myself be, let myself just live and experience things as they come. No expectations.

This first half year of 2020 is also the time I will be writing my Bachelor thesis and, hopefully, by summer I’ll have my degree. It’ll be a tough but I hope also rewarding time for me. Having to shift the way I write papers (quick, barely researched and sourced, not even remotely re-read, always started mere hours before the deadline) to something more useful for a thesis, something fitting for a thesis, is going to be challenging. Keeping my head in the right space, keeping the focus and doing the work, it’s all going to be hard for me. But I have faith that I will find a way to reign in my scatterbrain and flick the hyper-focus switch into something that will be sustainable for the time I have to write my thesis in.

Speaking of my thesis, there is something I have not mentioned yet, that strongly informed my experience of 2019. Good Omens is the book I’ll be writing my thesis about (specifically a queer theological reading of it) and Good Omens was the story that has shaped my year. I re-read the book at the beginning of term and once the mini-series came out at the end of May, I did not really think about anything else since. This book and this show are so incredibly important to me, and it is, after a long while of nothing even remotely getting there, the first thing that has captured my attention so strongly, that it has outlasted my one-month hyper-focus ability and shows no signs of stopping any time soon. And that I am so incredibly grateful for. I wasn’t sure if I could still do it. Have an interest, have passion for something, for longer than a month. So many things I tried and loved and done, and after a single month, I dropped them like a hot potato and never touched them again. But Good Omens came and took me by my hand and lead me into the promised land. Especially since the show came out, I feel like a changed person. I have talked about it to no end, and I could go on forever now too, but I’ll just say this for now: This story of an angel and a demon crossing the divide that is their differences, coming together in love for the world, for humanity, and each other, this story means everything to me, and it has given me so much. Nothing is ever going to change that. That is irrevocable. And I know that 2020 won’t change that fact. I have faith that this passion will continue on and will inspire more positive change in me. It’s already started bringing me back to writing and drawing, so I know that it will lead me somewhere.

There is so much more I could say here, now, about 2019, about 2020. About my plans and my wishes, my dreams and the things I ought to do. But I think, I’ll leave it at that, for now. I tried this monthly blogging last year for the first time, and I think I’ll try to continue doing it. So, you can expect to read more of my thoughts on all kinds of things.

For now, however, let me say this: 2020 can be anything you want it to be. 2020 is yours to shape, yours to create in, yours to manage, yours to use. I want my 2020 to be gentle, to be taken one step at a time, to be experienced to the fullest, to be lived and felt and actively experienced. Sure, bad things can happen, bad things can always happen. But it’s your decision what happens next.

In 2020, I want to start loving more unapologetically. Do good, recklessly. Be kind, always. Not just to others, but to myself.

…

I have faith in us, you know? Humans. There’s so much hope there, still. 2020 might just as well show it.

…

Happy New Year, everyone. I hope it’ll be a good one for you.

[rinothebouncer]

Assassin's Creed II: Discovery Animations Reel by Bryan Fu, for the Nintendo DS and iOS. "These animations was a collaboration between me and fellow animator Todd Harry. I did one half the character animations." - Bryan Fu www.thecodex.network

[wastingyourgum]

Since stressful real-life things are happening rn I’m very grateful to Ubisoft for the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Discovery Tour. What a fabulous idea. If only they’d go back and do similar for the earlier games! (I know they did Origins, I mean the first ones like ACI or II)

[dariusblogpl]

Nominację do nagród GLAAD Media Award

LGBTQ, organizacja GLAAD, ogłosiła nominacje do 30. dorocznej nagród GLAAD Media Awards.

Outstanding Film – Wide Release (film):

Blockers (Universal)

Crazy Rich Asians (Warner Bros.)

Deadpool 2 (20th Century Fox)

The Girl in the Spider’s Web (Sony Pictures)

Love, Simon (20th Century Fox)

Outstanding Film – Limited Release (film):

1985 (Wolfe Releasing)

Boy Erased (Focus Features)

Can You Ever Forgive Me? (Fox Searchlight)

Disobedience (Bleecker Street)

The Favourite (Fox Searchlight)

Hearts Beat Loud (Gunpowder & Sky)

A Kid Like Jake (IFC Films)

The Miseducation of Cameron Post (FilmRise)

Saturday Church (Samuel Goldwyn Films)

We the Animals (The Orchard)

Outstanding Drama Series (serial):

Billions (Showtime - w Polsce TVN7)

Black Lightning (The CW - w Polsce brak)

Grey’s Anatomy (ABC - kanał Fox Polska)

The Handmaid’s Tale - Opowieść podręcznej (Hulu w Polsce HBO)

Instinct (CBS)

Pose (FX)

Shadowhunters (Freeform w Polsce Netflix)

Star (Fox)

Supergirl (The CW w Polsce Netflix)

Wynonna Earp (Syfy)

Outstanding Comedy Series (serial komediowy)

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (FOX - obecnie należy do NBC)

Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (The CW)

Dear White People (Netflix)

Modern Family (ABC w Polsce Fox Comedy/HBO)

One Day at a Time (Netflix)

Schitt’s Creek (Pop)

Superstore (NBC)

This Close (Sundance Now)

Vida (Starz)

Will i Grace (NBC w Polsce Fox Comedy)

Znakomity indywidualny odcinek (w serialu bez regularnej postaci LGBTQ):

“King in the North” Fresh Off the Boat - Przepis na amerykański sen (ABC w Polsce Comedy Central)

“Prom” Fuller House (Netflix)

“Service” Law Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC)

“She” The Good Doctor (ABC w Polsce TVP2)

“Someplace Other Than Here” The Guest Book (TBS)

Znakomity film telewizyjny lub serial:

American Horror Story: Apocalypse (FX w Polsce Fox Polska)

The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story (FX w Polsce Fox Polska)

Life-Size 2 (Freeform)

Sense8 (Netflix)

A Very English Scandal - Skandal w angielskim stylu (Amazon Prime w Polsce HBO)

Najlepszy Dokument:

Believer (HBO USA)

Call Her Ganda (Breaking Glass Pictures)

My House (Viceland)

Quiet Heroes (Logo)

When the Beat Drops (Logo)

Programy dla dzieci/młodzieży:

Adventure Time (Cartoon Network)

Andi Mack (The Disney Channel)

Anne with an E (Netflix)

She-Ra (Netflix)

Steven Universe (Cartoon Network)

Reality Program:

American Idol (ABC)

I Am Jazz (TLC w Polsce Discovery Life)

Love & Hip Hop (VH1)

Queer Eye (Netflix)

RuPaul’s Drag Race (VH1 w Polsce Netflix)

Wykonawca muzyczny:

Brandi Carlile, By the Way, I Forgive You (Low Country Sound/Elektra)

Brockhampton, Iridescence (RCA)

Christine and the Queens, Chris (Because Music)

Hayley Kiyoko, Expectations (Atlantic)

Janelle Monáe, Dirty Computer (Bad Boy Records)

Kim Petras, Turn Off the Light, Vol. 1 (BunHead)

Shea Diamond, Seen It All (Asylum Worldwide)

Sophie, Oil of Every Pearl’s Un-Insides (Future Classics)

Troye Sivan, Bloom (Capitol Records)

Years & Years, Palo Santo (Polydor)

Komiksy:

Batwoman, written by Marguerite Bennett, K. Perkins (DC Comics)

Bingo Love, written by Tee Franklin (Image Comics)

Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, written by Mark Russell (DC Comics)

Fence, written by C.S. Pacat (BOOM! Studios)

Iceman, written by Sina Grace (Marvel Comics)

Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass, written by Lilah Sturges (BOOM! Studios)

Oh S#!t It’s Kim & Kim, written by Magdalene Visaggio (Black Mask Comics)

Runaways, written by Rainbow Rowell (Marvel Comics)

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra, written by Kieron Gillen, Simon Spurrier (Marvel Comics)

Strangers in Paradise XXV, written by Terry Moore (Abstract Studio)

Najlepsza gra wideo:

Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey (Ubisoft)

The Elder Scrolls Online: Summerset (Bethesda Softworks)

Guild Wars 2: Path of Fire (ArenaNet)

Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire (Versus Evil)

The Sims Mobile (Electronic Arts)

Najlepszy odcinek talk show:

“Mike Pence and ‘A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo’” Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

“NRA Problems, Chicken Bone Problems, Birmingham Problems” Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas (HBO)

“Trans Rights Under Attack” Full Frontal with Samantha Bee (TBS)

“Troye Sivan Hopes ‘Boy Erased’ Reaches All Parents” The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (CBS)

“Valedictorian Seth Owen” The Ellen DeGeneres Show

Wybitne dziennikarstwo telewizyjne informacyjne:

“Conversion Therapy: God Only Knows” CBS Sunday Morning (CBS)

“Gender: The Space Between” CBS News (CBS)

“Legacy of Hope” Nightline (ABC)

“Respect” SC Featured (ESPN)

“South Texas Pride” [series] KSAT News (KSAT-TV [San Antonio, Texas])

Najlepsze dziennikarstwa telewizyjnego:

“Historic Number of LGBTQ Candidates on Ballots This Year” NBC Nightly News (NBC)

“Mississippi Town Denies Pride Parade” Vice News Tonight (HBO)

“Olympian Adam Rippon” New Day (CNN)

“Same-sex Couple Reacts to Supreme Court Ruling” CNN Tonight with Don Lemon (CNN)

“Trump: ‘Looking Very Seriously’ at Changing Transgender Definition” Velshi Ruhle (MSNBC)

Najlepszy artykuł w prasie:

“He Took a Drug to Prevent AIDS. Then He Couldn’t Get Disability Insurance.” by Donald G. McNeil Jr. (The New York Times)

“LGBTQ Parents Challenge Stereotypes in China” by Sue-Lin Wong, Jason Lee (Reuters)

“‘More Than Fear’: Brazil’s LGBT Community Dreads Looming Bolsonaro Presidency” by Marina Lopes (The Washington Post)

“Pistons’ Reggie Bullock to Transgender Community: ‘I see y’all as people that I love’” by Malika Andrews (Chicago Tribune)

“Transgender Students Asked Betsy DeVos for Help. Here’s What Happened.” by Caitlin Emma (Politico)

Najlepszy artykuł w czasopiśmie:

“21 Transgender Stars, Creators Sound Off on Hollywood: ‘I Want to Portray These Characters, I’m Ready’” - Chris Gardner, Rebecca Sun, Lindsay Weinberg, Joelle Goldstein, Bryan White (The Hollywood Reporter)

“Can a Transgender Woman Get Justice in Texas?” - Nate Blakeslee (Texas Monthly)

“Ex-Scientologist Michelle LeClair Says Church Officials Humiliated Her After She Came Out as Gay” - Johnny Dodd, Tierney McAfee (People)

“Lena Waithe is Changing the Game” - Jacqueline Woodson (Vanity Fair)

“They are the Champions” by Katie Barnes (ESPN The Magazine)

Najlepszy krajowy magazyn prasowy:

Billboard

Ebony

Entertainment Weekly

GQ

Variety

Najlepszy artykuł internetowy:

“Across U.S., LGBTQ Christians Try to Change Hearts and Minds From the Pews” - Julie Compton (NBCNews.com)

“Bermuda Same-sex Marriage Ban Means Trouble for Tourism and Cruise Ships” - Ryan Ruggiero (CNBC.com)

“Deadnamed” - Lucas Waldron, Ken Schwencke (ProPublica.org)

“LGBTQ Caravan Migrants Marry While Waiting for Asylum in Tijuana” - Sarah Kinosian (INTOmore.com)

“Workplaces Need to Prepare for the Non-Binary Future” - Samantha Allen (TheDailyBeast.com)

Najlepszy artykuł lub reportaż internetowy:

“I Was Jailed for Raising the Pride Flag in Egypt” - Amro Helmy (Buzzfeed Video)

“The Latinx Drag Queens Spearheading HIV Activism on the Border” - Paola Ramos (Vice.com)

“March for Our Lives and LGBT activism: ‘They’re definitely linked for me,’ says Emma González” - Beth Greenfield (Yahoo! Lifestyle)

“Marielle and Monica: The LGBT Activists Resisting Bolsonaro’s Brazil” - Fabio Erdos, Marina Costa, Charlie Phillips, Jacqueline Edenbrow (TheGuardian.com)

“Trans Model Aaron Philip is Making a Space for Disabilities on the Runway” (NowThis)

Najlepszy Blog

Gays With Kids

Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

My Fabulous Disease

Pittsburgh Lesbian Correspondents

TransGriot

Specjalne uznanie dla:

Nanette (Netflix)

TransMilitary (Logo)