#Gabriel Ultrakill deserves better

[luxlightly]

Legit been in a bit of a funk because like

After a millennia long lifetime of fighting, being abandoned by his creator/father/god, doing unspeakable things in the name of that Father who abandoned him and yet he never stopped loving and trying desperately to appease and do the will of, even if it meant letting the very life from his body be physically ripped out of him in an event so painful that "none of the fires of hell could compare", Gabriel finally finally, for the first time, feels true joy and has something that he wants. For first time in his thousands of years of living, finds something that makes him want to live. Only to die. Die because those who used him and manipulated his desperate devotion to the Father for centuries saw that one spark of joy in his life as something that made him impure. If V1 had killed him back in Gluttony, he would have been angry at himself for losing, but the idea he would die in the service of the Father's Will was no doubt his expectation, if he was ever to die. It wouldn't have been something he'd mourn because it's just how things are. But he has time to self reflect, to fight again, to realize that the feelings in him are passion, not hate. And he regrets his past actions and wants to atone. He wants to fix his mistakes and to grasp on to that little bit of joy he's managed to claim just for himself, for the first time. He actually wants to live, just in time to die.

Especially given the blatant "realizing you're queer after being raised in a conservative, religious upbringing" metaphor that Gabriel's entire story is, it legitimately makes me feel really bad. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful story, it's just a tragic one and I have too weak a heart for tragedies.

[canon-gabriel-quotes]

Transcript:

Who hell do you think you are? You’re any kind of artist? Anybody knows who you are?

Maybe everybody else wants to enjoy the peace and quiet. This is one of the most important places in North America, and who are you? Who are you? You miserable, presumptuous, no talent- you’re no artist. An artist respects the silence. It serves the foundation of creativity. 

You obviously don’t have the talent. You don’t have enough respect for yourself or other people to know what it means to respect yourself, in music or any form of creativity, and I’m an NYU film school graduate. Sucker. And the school of visual arts in the academy of art university in San Francisco.

You suck. You’re a no talent. If you really have talent go practice and then get yourself a gig instead of ruining the day for everybody down here. You disgrace. You are everything that’s gone wrong in this world. You’re a self consumed, no talent, mediocre piece of shit. And I’ve earned my right to say it, okay? In 1975, I walked Bob Dylan up on stage. Who the fuck are you? I knew the Grateful Dead from 1966.

Who the fuck are you?

You’re nothing. You are nothing. And you will never be anything. Never. How dare you? You miserable mediocre nothing. Shame on you. You crack a stupid little smile, you little pimp. Go learn to play. You’re flat. You can’t even carry a fucking note. I don’t care about your little horn lip, it doesn’t mean you know how to play. You’re flat. I’ve trained classically, I’ve trained contemporaneously, and

you suck. 

Audio source

Original video that's being referenced

[spark-circuit]

you know what's going to devastate me if it ends up happening the next time we encounter Gabriel? (continued under the cut for spoilers ✌)

if Gabriel ends up not being able to finish the fight with us.

let's be real here, as much as he's everyone's favourite golden boy, he's probably got hours left to live - maybe less by the next time we reach him. he's desperate to have one more final battle against us, not just to make up for his sins of the past, but to finally get some sense of peace and understanding for his new way of thinking, his new resolve.

so what happens if he can't. what happens if we're fighting Gabriel and maybe he hesitates on a sword swing, his strength failing him. what happens if he coughs up blood at one point. what happens if his health bar starts going down without us attacking him, him falling to one knee as he desperately tries to push himself to finish his last wish of a proper fight, because he's not done yet, he's not ready, not before he can take us down with him. out of anger? respect? righteousness? does it matter?

what if we don't even get a boss battle with him at all. we're just here to bear witness to a fallen angel.

[lordboo]

How did ur oc and Gabriel meet?

I’m assuming u mean Ariel

Gabriel and Ariel were always aware of each others existence. Gabriel being the right hand of God he was known all across heaven, whereas Ariel was a well known jester that entertained the council. He would watch her from time to time(he quite liked her shows) but after God basically vanished he noticed how cruel the council was to her(not that they weren’t before, he had only just noticed tho) they would threaten to lock her in a flesh prison if she doesn’t entertain them well enough, they would force her to embarrass herself in front of them, anything that got a kick out of them.

Gabby was disgusted with the council. This was one of the many things that broke that camels back, inevitably leading Gabriel to killing the council. In Ariel’s eyes he was her light in the dark, he was the one of the only angels that showed her respect. She soon became head over heals in love with Gabby. Gabriel isn’t exactly stupid so he caught on to this, bc Ariel kind of had no where or anyone else to turn to he let her stay with him, eventually falling in love aswell

I need to give them a ship name

pls give me suggestions

(Srry if I didn’t explain it well, I went on a tangent abit lmao)

[decamarks]

i bought ultrakill forever ago but never got around to playing it. what is the deal why has it spawned such a dedicated fanbase. you seem like you'd know....

IT'S JUST REALLY GODDAMN FUN!!! that's the short answer and honestly the best answer. it's really ridiculously fun. like probably one of the most fun games to ever exist.

there is a ridiculous amount of care and skill and soul packed into every design choice; it culminates in some of the most immaculately ecstatic and visceral gameplay i've ever experienced. it cannot be understated how brilliant this game's design is. the only way to really understand why it excels is to just play it!

if you'd like an anecdote to represent the overall ultrakill experience, here's mine: when i played the demo for the first time, after maybe 5 minutes i became so physically nauseous that i had to stop. and in that time i immediately went to get the full game. it's DELIGHTFUL. (see also: jerma's playthrough where he starts screaming "humans aren't supposed to be doing this" during a boss fight.)

but even aside from pure gameplay, there really is a lot to love… there's a certain self-aware sincerity to everything. it's unabashed on purpose, and in the best ways possible. despite its obviously absurd violence, don't at all mistake ultrakill for something cynical or misanthropic—there's a lot of depth and heart dancing beneath the surface, a lot of it in places i didn't expect to see it, and so much that i didn't expect to appreciate nearly as much as i do.

[okay this got too long. the rest is going DOWN HERE ↓]

like okay, obviously the music is just. insane. the goddamn midi metal/breakcore genre fusion is THE most hilarious and unfathomably genius stylistic choice that could have been made. and it's not even just that!! there's ambient & drone & harsh noise influence all across the ost, which just enchants and delights me. i DEFINITELY didn't expect it, but i love it. (the fact that there's like, a level named after a sunn o))) song, and that the latest update contains a godawful joke about trout mask replica might tell you exactly what kind of game ultrakill is, or it might tell you literally nothing.)

the writing and worldbuilding can be rich and compassionate in ways i really didn't expect, too... it's so evident that it's a work of passion, with really sincere and often sweet philosophies sprinkled throughout all the bloodshed and grotesque silliness—and often within them. it makes me smile! also gabriel is a really good character. people go apeshit over that guy. for good reason. he's just REALLY good.

if you're just interested in understanding its amassed fanbase, yeah ultrakill's is pretty ridiculous and dedicated. and it's extremely deserved! the game is fun & the characters are fun. being in early access, it's kinda built on ongoing feedback, so it makes sense people are invested. the devs really seem to embrace the fanbase wholeheartedly, which helps a lot too. that is also why, kind of inexplicably, ultrakill is kind of a gay & horny game. please note that i do not say these things flippantly or lacking deliberation; there's an extremely good essay to be written about gayness across ultrakill & its communities. like aside from the general hilarity of a game having official buttplug support, the fact that the dev team hired an artist specifically because he drew a lot of incredibly beautiful/obscene depictions of gabriel DOES say a lot. this, of course, makes ultrakill 100x better.

anyway that's the basics. i could definitely write THOUSANDS of words about this game and that's honestly... not what i expected when i booted it up the first time LOL. it really just happened to appeal to a lot of things i sincerely adore, in an unexpectedly sincere way—all while being a STUPIDLY good game.

TL;DR: it's a fun robot video game where you shoot things. and there's blood and explosions. it's good you should play it

[justagreencircle]

heyyyyy~

how the fuck do you make a good pinned post

so uhh

fandoms amirite

Outer Wilds (And the DLC)

UNDERTALE/deltarune

ULTRAKILL (bad at game)

Hollow Knight (not far in at all but lore is so cool)

Rain World

Persona (not the first 2 since i lost my ps2 and emulators just break for me i guess)

Voltron: Legendary Defenders

The Owl House

She-ra, Princesses of Power

Arcane

minecraft (LITERALLY ONLY MODS)

The Legend of Zelda (not tokt, i personally think its overrated)

Class of '09

Guilty Gear Strive

Hollow Knight

Portal/Portal 2

Terraria

JJBA (im on part 6 so far)

Evangelion (Watched the show & the movie)

Anything else i find (hyperfixate on)

blorbos :)

kotone shiomi, p3p (babygirl)

futaba sakura, p5 (literally me frfr)

queen deltarune (tumblr sexywoman)

rivulet, rain world (scrunkly)

pidge gunderson/katie holt, voltron (also literally me)

jinx, arcane (little meow meow)

gabriel, ultrakill (MACHINE)

ari, class of 09 (she deserved better)

brisket basket blanket bridget, guilty gear (THE TOOOOOOWWNN)

btw im australian, meaning im online at weird times so just ignore that

[tillman]

tillman its time for your monthly death threat <3 if you dont post about ultrakill in the next 24 hours im coming to your house with a big baseball bat full of nails okay. (guy whos seen someone play like halfway through whats out of ultrakill)

Its about love its about hate its about how those are at the root the same expression of an unending passion its about duty and purpose and finding hope in a world that doesn't care for you and has no true meaning at its root. its about if nihilism is really worth it its a question if certain philosophies matter at all in our busy lives its about futility and despair and life in the face of death. its about selfhood and being true to yourself despite the structures in charge that make that impossible. its a question of Dante's reflection of society. its about mythologizing and aggrandizing and desperate struggles to keep power.

its at its root a love story between two people who have lost their guiding force and making their own purpose despite "humanity/god is dead"

The lore of it is really interesting and told through small terminal entries throughout the game and its secret levels but it genuinely all boils down to "god is dead. god has deemed humanity a failure and has left. what happens." sure there is the great war, but its just set dressing. humanity wiped itself out in war, shocker. humanity built weapons of destruction that run on blood and can rebuild themselves forever. ok. humanity found the entrance to hell and attempted to explore it while they were still alive.

none of this really matters its not a story about that. you do get the humanity of minos and sisyphus trying to struggle against the harsh rule of heaven to create something better for the people forced to hell who didnt deserve it. you get the ferryman finding solace in a looping hologram and finding hope through religion (even if, in context, its a little funning knowing the religion is based off a man who is deeply flawed and questioning his own connection to god). you get the humanity of the different robots, swordsmachine and the mindflayers fighting to make themselves how they want to be viewed, v2s complex born from meeting its progenitor, etc. hell the true main character of the game is gabriel. you spend more time understanding his point of view and how he was led to this path and how he genuinely cares and wants to help than you get anything out of v1.

its also. above this. the best movement based boomer shooter ever made. its fun. its fast. the guns are all satisfying and combos feel insane to do.

and above all of this. the gameplay the music the lore.

its got this thing

[im-about-to-lose-it-i-am-done]

It still hurts

Why did I do it on my left forearm it’s so visible

This was a mistake

But the anger and the hate makes me want to do it more.

I will not. I am above this. I am better than this.

I will not burden a soul. This is my cross to carry.

Mine, and mine alone.

I will not give in.

I won’t

But it

It feels so bad and shameful and disgusting

But it feels so good

The thought of doing it again both warms and chills my chest

I shouldn’t

I should

I don’t deserve this.

I do.

God. What would my friends think?

They wouldn’t even know. Nobody bothered to ask further in that one server. You are an annoyance.

Vile little thing.

Gabriel Ultrakill is the thing keeping me grounded right now

The mind is willing, but the body must rest, lest you squander one of the lord’s creations.

What a joke. I don’t even believe in god.

Im just clinging to my own delusions.

How utterly pathetic

[20percentbug]

Question for the ask game for gaymers like you:

3. Favorite boss?

4. Best game soundtrack (full album or single track)?

5. Most memorable gaming moment?

14. Worst game you’ve ever played?

18. A game you started, but never finished.

19. A game that you wish you could play for the first time again.

20. A game that made you cry.

21. A game you thought you wouldn’t like, but ended up loving?

23. Do you typically choose to play a male or female character (when asked to pick)?

29. Favorite childhood game?

33. Most embarrassing gaming moment.

34. Funniest gaming moment.

35. Do you own any gaming themed memorabilia? (e.g. collector’s editions, posters, prop replicas, statues, clothing, etc.)

38. An unpopular gaming opinion you have.

40. Best game cover art.

And a bonus question:

41. Favorite licensed game?

3. there are a lot of good video game bosses but by far my favorite out of em has been gabriel from ULTRAKILL recently. gay angelic man :)

4. by far, the entirety of the NieR series has absolutely gorgeous music. Bipolar Nightmare, Song of the Ancients, i could go on and on. it's very good

5. the end sequence of ending C in NieR:Automata did SO many things to me. oh my god. 9S deserves way better he did not deserve what he got throughout the game

14. i'm lucky that i'm really really picky, but unfortunately i was in the bitlife rabbit hole for a little bit. that game is fucking infested and i don't like it

18. i wanna finish patapon 2. it's. really fun :)

19. is it fair if i have multiple? ah, fuck it. NieR:Automata, Hollow Knight, Bug Fables, Rain World, Purrgatory, Celeste, Night In The Woods, and ULTRAKILL are all games i want to experience for the first time again

20. there are a few. Purrgatory is one of them

21. Titanfall 2. i was kinda expecting a mediocre experience but the movement was amazing, plotline was enjoyable, and BT stole my heart. it's a good game

23. male...? honestly tho i've been going with feminine features for games that let me customize and other than that i'm probably gonna start playing as female characters more often. call me trans or whatever i dunno lol

29. ooooh. remember metroid bounty hunters? that was a really fun game

33. whenever i do very dumb stuff that people mistake for as me flirting. there was one particular moment was while i was playing sky: children of the light

34. tf2 ragdolls in general

35. i got three pikachu plushies, hollow knight plushies, and hollow knight keychain accessories

38. i do not know which of my gaming opinions are bad but i think that modding in general, while it can be enjoyable - hilarious, even - will often subtract from the core gameplay loop, and therefore subtract from how much you can get out of the game.

there are some exceptions to this though; rimworld is a prime example of a game being kept fresh by the modding community, and tf2 is honestly just a fucking mess in general; somewhat modding it is what makes a lot of the things in the game work as intended

40. i gotta give it to Rain World for it's kickass cover art

bonus: 41. baldur's gate. i think it's licensed? wizards of the coast helped publish it

[luxlightly]

Forgive my lack of drawing skills, but I heard this song and desperately wanted to make something for it for Ultrakill. I also had to really squash the first image to get it to encode at a reasonable size. Song is "O Superman (For Massenet)" by Laurie Anderson and it's a fantastic Ultrakill song in general and I highly recommend listening to it.

The first part is Gabriel showing up to kill Minos during the Lust Renaissance. The second is the Council punishing Gabriel after his first lost against V1. The third is a severed head of a Council member during the second epilogue when Gabriel kills the council. The last one is supposed to be God, depicted as a blinding light and two glowing, outstretched hands. As with all of my art, if anyone else ever wants to take a crack at making a better version of the same idea, it's always allowed. Lord knows the idea and the song deserve better than what I can make.