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oasisofpassion · 3 years ago

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bro you gotta tell me more about that fic you mentioned in the tags of that reblog that sounds like smth id like bro idc about what fandom it is i just wanna read it

oh bad news I worked on for two years and then never wrote it lol.

BUT I DID WORK ON IT FOR TWO YEARS SO I CAN SURE INFODUMP! WARNING: VERY LONG RANT INCOMING!! Like... incredibly long. I can't stress to you enough you can take your time reading and responding to this because it is that long. The word count is in the thousands.

fic contains: mentions of abuse, rape, trafficking, body horror, gore, suicide, basically just... a shitton of angst. like so much angst, dude. not all of these are in the first part but they will be in subsequent parts.

Ok, idk what you know about DBH so I'm just gonna give this a quick preface by just explaining all the important parts to the fanfic.

Basically DBH is some anti-racist game that failed at being anti-racist, somehow. Probably because David Cage wrote it. Also something about it takes place in 2038 there's technological advancement and androids and the androids do this deviation thing where they suddenly get the ability to Make Choices and Feel Emotions.

1. Zlatko

Zlatko Andronikov is some villain guy in the original game that you have to pass through in Kara's storyline to know about where they need to escape to—Canada. He also takes androids and does one of two things; resets them (erases their memory, basically undeviates them) or he makes them absolutely fucking horrific.

Like truly horrific! They're actually quite tame compared to their concept art, and many of them—not including this one—have been badly burned. Apparently androids don't feel pain canonically but everyone ignores that because it's fucking stupid.

2. Connor

Connor's your obligatory Autistic-Coded Nonhuman Character because he spends most of the game as a robot who doesn't understand The Human JokesTM, sarcasm, and the like. He also deviates very late in the game. Obviously this is game has like 40+ endings but for the purposes of this you only need to know that he deviates. Also his story was objectively the most competently written because David Cage literally didn't have too much influence in it. The actors for the main duo, Bryan Dechart (a twitch streamer who played Connor and is seriously the most wholesome man ever. He made some videos with Jacksepticeye.) and Clancy Brown (Yes, Mr. Krabs Clancy Brown who played the Old Grizzled Alcoholic Detective character Lieutenant Hank Anderson/Connor's father figure or husband or best friend depending on who you ask) wrote a lot of the story by seeing the script and saying "Fuck this lol."

Here is a picture of Bryan Dechart and his wife Amelia. It shocked me to find out at the time of writing this that Bryan Dechart is older than Philza Minecraft. What the fuck. Also during my looking through videos for this, I realized I had forgotten how fucking attractive this man's voice is. I want to steal crumbs of his gender from under the table like a starving Victorian child working for the rich family above me.

Actually all of this was just unnecessary gushing. Connor's a cop. He gets thrust into a shitty position by the Evil Corporate Overlord (DBH is also anti-capitalist! And it actually did an OK job at that one so) CyberLife, the company that created androids. He gets the fantastic job of Most Advanced Prototype CyberLife Has Ever Created who Hunts Down The Defective Deviants With The Detroit Police Department. In canon, this causes a shitton of political discourse, because the unemployment rate in the US is already in fucking shambles due to CyberLife's androids being dirt cheap (seriously they're under 10k USD) and preprogrammed to do certain tasks that make it easier for business owners to buy androids rather than hire a human workforce. He deviates because of all the deviants he hunts being like, actual fleshed out people who feel real fear, his buddy cop Hank learning to no longer be racist, and him starting to tangle with his own emotions as well.

Another thing about Connor: He likes dogs! He can also pet Hank's dog when he goes to visit his house. That's not important but it's nice to know.

Also he canonically uses puppy dog eyes. Like. People would joke Ha Ha Yes He Probably Uses Puppy Eyes On Hank and. And it was canon. They didn't have to headcanon it, it literally happened. And the kicker? It fucking worked. It is exceptionally difficult to find the clip, though. Like. Really hard. I've been looking for like ten minutes and I can't find shit. It happens in the chapter The Nest when Connor just stands around doing jack shit and Hank tells him they gotta skedaddle before he "dies of an asthma attack," but Connor makes him stay because idk fatherly instinct or something.

3. The Jericrew

Markus, North, Simon, and Josh. North is the only one with any personality. She is my second favorite character in the whole game. Markus and Simon had homoerotic tension and they were originally supposed to have a romance path but David Cage is homophobic so he made Markus and North date. I kept this in the AU because I think North deserves nice things, and Markus is a nice thing. Josh is a pacifist. North wants to kill people (this is because she was a victim of sex trafficking who killed her rapist and escaped. She believes that violence is the only way humans will understand their message. Markus, at least for these purposes, decides if he's gonna die he's gonna die a martyr and continue to be robot MLK.). Simon is a Markus simp. He literally has no opinions on Markus. Practically everything you do will up your relationship with him. He is fucking in love, I swear. In one of the endings he is literally North's replacement if she dies and Markus gets shot and has to have someone come save him. I'm sorry but "Our hearts are compatible, you have to take mine" THAT IS FUCKING FRUITY AS HELL.

4. RK900

Okay. This guy is 100% fanon. Like. His character showed up for 30 seconds in one ending you have to try to get. He stood there looking pretty and didn't say a word. Usually in fanon he's portrayed as Hot Tall Sexy Burly Stoic Big Dick Sex God because the fandom is really horny and he is somehow the second person in the most popular ship (reed900, they literally have a movie, uh, i think the ship's a bit problematic though, for a few reasons). In this fic though I decided to make him kind of a nervous wreck lmfao. The most popular names for him are Nines and Conan (I like Nines though so I went with that). Also we didn't even know that Nines is taller or more muscular than Connor but we assumed so based on pure vibes.

OK. SO IF YOU ALREADY KNEW ALL THAT OR IF YOU READ IT ALL: HERE'S THE AU!

Now, I've forgotten a ton of this AU. I think it's been exactly six months since I've thought about this story. I have forgotten a scary amount of it, but trust me, in its prime? It was amazing.

Basically, it was... four years after the events of the game? 2042. Lots of found family shit. Connor and Hank are PURELY vibing, especially with Connor's jobs with the Detroit Police Department + working with the Jericrew. Uhh. Yeah basically Connor, Hank, and Nines are all roommates who all support each other. Mutuality or whatever. Hank's a recovering alcoholic, Connor is... a lot, actually, he is so much, he has so many issues, especially after he gets home, but that's later, and Nines has just some major fucking anxiety issues. Sumo is a dog. He is happy all the time because he is a dog except when his family goes to work then he's sad.

Connor reads textbooks for fun. He's a big Knowledge Enjoyer and has a crippling astronomy hyperfixation. Did I mention I projected my ADHD onto him? I projected my ADHD onto him. He has ADHD. Don't ask why he can have mental disorders because he's a robot and that wouldn't make sense, yes they can, and because I said so.

Then, one day, something happens I literally don't remember I think he gets hit with some sort of Robo Blow Dart in his back neck port. That gets explained later though. He was on a bus. So he gets kidnapped! Cool.

He's taken to Zlatko's mansion, which looks a little something like this:

and gets put in a terrible cell full of android guts which looks a little something like this:

(I was like 100% I had more screenshots than this but apparently not. It's so hard to get a screenshot of these cells though because they are just that dark).

So yeah! He's not very happy about this.

Oh, and fun fact: androids have the ability to communicate across long distances. Like, they're walkie talkies.

Not Connor! Zlatko broke that shit so he can't call for help.

There are three other androids with him who are also get a very similar treatment Connor is about to endure:

Harry

Faith

and Iris

So ya! They're all pretty fucked up. Harry was a military bot, Faith was a maid, and Iris was a sex robot. Harry and Faith are the only straight couple ever except for maybe Phil and Kristin. They have a child, who Connor has actually met before, so it's like... pretty imperative they get out.

But remember that Robo Blow Dart?

That's permanently in him now. It's in all of them. And it's controlled by the big bad villain... Zlatko.

So any chance of escape could just be stopped by him hitting a button and knocking them all out, and they wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

Also, Connor's like. Kinda fucked up as well.

Some time later, idk, we meet BEST BOY EVER.

ENTER G R E G O R Y

THINK WE CAN TELL ON HOW MUCH EFFORT I PUT INTO HIS HEADSHOT BASED ON THE OTHERS WHO MY FAVORITE IS, BECAUSE HE MEANS ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING TO ME.

Alrighty, here's what you need to know about Gregory for now: He's 5'6 (this will become funny later), very quiet, a little bit curt, but all the same a very sweet man who is just trying his best so that everyone under his care doesn't go fucking crazy. His hair goes down to his ass and he has a bunch of tattoos. He's also my favorite. Have I told you he's my favorite yet? He's my favorite.

He is just as under Zlatko's thumb as the other androids. He has been in Zlatko's possession for about... eight years, if I remember correctly. He was born in 2036 and wasn't alive for long before Zlatko snagged him and reprogrammed him to do the snagging for him (He's actually a canon character and is the trash bot who tells Kara and Alice where Zlatko lives). After Kara and Alice left taking FUCKING ROBODAD (his name is Luther he's not important to this story but he means absolutely everything to me) MY BELOVED with them, Zlatko took Gregory to go be like, his helper, and fill in Luther's place. So Gregory gets to help with Zlatko's surgeries and food and such. He doesn't leave the house.

Ever.

Except for one time. I'll get to that later.

Gregory and Connor have this sort of, like, rivalry. Gregory's pretty used to running the house and how it functions, and it irks him a bit that Connor just waltzes in his fuckin house and starts bossing people around as if he owns the place. Part of this is because Gregory resigned to his fate a while ago. Like, he's pretty sure he's gonna be stuck in this endless loop forever, but there is absolutely no way he's killing himself, lest someone take his place and abuse the androids under Zlatko even more. He is their last defense, and he is not trusting anyone else with the job.

Another thing? Gregory's got a bit of a silver tongue. He knows exactly what he needs to say, how he needs to say it, and when. It comes from years of experience of working with a volatile piece of shit who does drugs and gets off to torturing innocents he knows feel emotions. How I know he knows it? It's his whole fucking business model. Also he's a bit of an artist. Just a tad. He likes to do the draw. it's his coping mechanism.

That's really all you need to know for the exposition/inciting incident.

Let's get into the real plot now.

Um... I don't remember it.

I. I don't remember the real plot.

Because there were so many different fucking arcs I had to juggle. So some shit is gonna be kinda fuzzy, especially with the trio (Harry, Iris, Faith) because I'm gonna be honest... I did not focus on them that much lol was too busy with the main duo Connor and Gregory.

Alright, here's the second most important character in the entire fic:

Emerald. Except I'm getting way too lazy to draw now so.

Emerald is like Gregory 2 except they're allowed to leave the mansion. Emerald is the key to everyone's fucking escape. Emerald and Iris are dating.

Emerald is the mansion security guard. They watch all the security cameras. This is important, because as far as Zlatko knows, all the money he's paying them is going to keep them bitches STORED.

Not gonna happen, though. Not on Emerald's watch.

Connor starts spitballing ideas to escape.

Nobody likes this.

Especially Gregory, who, by the way, is absolutely scared shitless of Zlatko. There's a reason for this! There are so many reasons for this. Holy shit, I cannot even tell you how many reasons there are for this.

Some shenanigans happens. Eventually, they do some wacky shit and manage to do Something?????? All I know is that the trio is out of commission, not dead I don't think they were, Connor is unconscious for a bit and Gregory's just. Fucking having a panic attack I don't know.

Little bit later Connor wakes up and we're introduced to BEST GIRL. BEST GIRL EVER.

ANDROID BEAR!!!!! Her name is Aurora and I love her and she's the best thing ever.

THIS IS GETTING REALLY LONG AND IM GONNA SPLIT THIS UP INTO PARTS SO THERE'S THE END OF PART ONE!!!!

#oasisofasks #grayson #IM SORRY I HAD TO SPLIT THIS UP KEKW #THIS DEADASS TOOK ME LIKE A MONTH GUYS YOU DONT UNDERSTAND

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crossdressingdeath · 4 years ago

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Ooh, DBH! The memories. I remember falling in love with Connor and Hank (and Sumo!). Markus and Kara are alright, but then again they are very different perspectives and Connor always interested me more. I might play it again when I finish everything I have to do, ugh

Well, Connor is the absolute best boi. I think the thing is that while Kara and Markus are great characters not a huge amount happens in Kara's story (if she'd thought to head for the border right away it could've been resolved in like. a day, day and a half, so there's definitely an element of padding involved as much as I like her story) and Markus's is incredibly rushed (you cannot run a successful revolution in a week, that is not how it works). Connor's story is... still a bit rushed, honestly, this story could definitely have done with just a larger time frame in general, but his and Hank's dynamic is so good that it's easy to ignore that. Also if memory serves Bryan Dechart and Clancy Brown improvised a lot; since David Cage's writing and directing isn't exactly top notch improvising from skilled actors can only improve the situation. Also their dynamic is just so good. It's fantastic. Anyone who can play the routes where they don't have a good dynamic and/or they fight on the rooftop is stronger than I am.

#detroit become human #ONLY THE BEST ENDING HERE THANK YOU #asks #anon

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sparrowsabre7 · 5 years ago

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Detroit Become Human Thoughts - Spoilers

Playing through Detroit is a very different experience to Heavy Rain. By and large I find myself impressed more on a technical level than an emotional one. The story is familiar, an allegorical civil rights that is seen in countless sci-fi and fantasy media, albeit one that leans more heavily than usual on real life civil rights imagery and iconography. The familiarity is not necessarily a fault, there is plenty of room for DBH among the genre, fitting comfortably alongside X-men and I,Robot etc. However, the choice to overtly homage aspects of civil rights history is little uncomfortable at times, given that the game largely doesn’t acknowledge it. Aside from one POC character late in the game, no one ties the androids struggle together with that of real world minority groups, which means the decision to cast a large number of these deviant androids POCs doesn’t always sit well, particularly when their fate is frequently in the hands of a white character for better or worse. This being said, it is not every game’s duty to cover all issues, but it does ring a little false when a game telling this particular type of story seems unwilling to recognise the link, content to leave it as subtext even when innocent POC characters are gunned down by police and others kept as literal slaves by white characters.

Equally Kara’s story is very hard to watch at times, when it seems each successive incident gets worse and worse. David Cage has come under fire for the way women are treated in his games before, but to be fair to him, in HR I largely felt it fit with both the tone and genre of the game. Yes, the women in the story get into horrible situations but also by and large have their own agency and agendas. The violence was schlocky, but in an old school thriller way, it didn’t feel too gratuitously out of place. In DBH it feels like Kara goes from horror to horror with little reprieve. She also has very little agency compared with the other player characters. Even when she breaks free from her programming, she is only able to shoot Todd by accident in self-defence (when I quite happily would have gunned that motherfucker down) after he slaps the gun out of her hands. Again, child abuse and domestic violence are important issues which can and should be discussed, but the portrayal feels exploitative rather than meaningful. Compare this with the scene where Markus drags his broken body through the junkyard; this too is a horrific scene, however it’s one that fits well in the context. It’s a complete whiplash from Markus’ treatment by Carl and is a pure nightmare to navigate, but it punches you in the gut with how androids are treated and gives an immediate sense of “this is what we are fighting for” and Markus’ climb out of the pit is a triumphant moment. Kara doesn’t really get any of those triumphant moments, merely evading or escaping, sometimes very narrowly, though admittedly does get the more heartwarming moments too, though much later in the game.

Having said all of this, these issues with the story largely fade away heading into the final third. The game becomes both more interesting and whether it becomes less problematic or just feels that way because I was becoming more wrapped up in the story I’m not sure, but my feelings towards the end of the game towards the game as a whole were much warmer than the earlier chapters. Equally, to be fair to Quantic Dream, the arguable “lead” character is a POC android and is the driving force of the game, along with a number of other strong supporting POC characters. I also don’t think any of the missteps come from a place of malice, I believe DBH is earnestly trying its best to be inclusive and the fact that it ended up telling its story a little clumsily in this regard should not be a damning indictment of the game, but a call to try and improve next time.

I’ve also gone a long time without talking about my favourite character pairing: Connor and Hank. I should take a moment to say that all the main player actors perform admirably, Valorie Curry’s quietly resolved Kara, Jesse Williams plays Markus (at least in my run) with a determined understated performance which nonetheless has a commanding presence which makes you believe he’d be able to lead an android rebellion. However, it’s Bryan Dechart – funnily enough the only one of the three I’d not seen previously in TV or film – who has the most captivating performance. In part This may partly be due to his story being a more straightforward detective/thriller story, one the writing team has more experience with crafting, but Dechart’s efforts certainly elevate it portraying Connor with subtlety and nuance, accompanied by a surprisingly soulful turn from Clancy Brown. The prologue featuring Connor – also released as a demo – was the reason I picked up the game, as it hit that sweet spot which I subsequently found in HR of narrative and gameplay synergy. Clinically collecting evidence in order to talk down a hostage taking android, each clue providing more options to negotiate.

Speaking of the gameplay, by and large, the QTEs involved in DBH are less immersive than those of HR, none provoke the same visceral sensation that the trials did, or the instinctual gunshot, or even the cathartic shootout. The fight scenes have improved though and do feel more immediate and better choreographed - understandable, given the superhuman nature of the androids. I do also appreciate the newer mechanics like the investigation sequences - more involved and detailed than those found in the Batman: Arkham series – and the “route planner” style puzzles.

I also very much applaud DBH for allowing the android revolution storyline to be played entirely pacifistically or violently; were this a movie, the characters may begin peacefully, but become violent and vengeful after an inciting incident, but pleasingly DBH never takes that choice away from you. Equally heartening is the statistics at the end of each level, showing that the majority of players usually choice the peaceful choice. The choices in general are frequent and more gradual, creating a slow burn approach that allows you to waver and change your mind. My Connor was very much undecided through most of the game, wavering between deviancy and the mission, emotion and logic. These smaller choices work very well in keeping you invested in the characters and slowly building up the picture.

I’m very nearly at the end now, hoping I don’t mess it up as badly as I did in HR.

#games #thoughts #detroit become human

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8941189 · 7 years ago

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In defense of liking Detroit: Become Human

I don’t want this blog to be full of my “discourse” opinions, but suddenly I am seeing a lot of posts around, and especially on my dash, talking about how liking Detroit: Become Human is unacceptable and how anyone who enjoys the game is complicit with bigotry. I am a fan of the game, and so I want to express my perspective about this. Thoughts below the cut.

It seems that many people who hate DBH haven’t played the game, or have only seen select snippets of it. I’m not writing this to try to pitch the game to anyone; it’s entirely reasonable to be turned away by its problems and simply not want to touch it. DBH undeniably has issues with referencing the imagery of real historical oppression in a manner that’s easily interpreted as tasteless and exploitative. One doesn’t need to see the whole thing through to say, “I don’t like it.” But the sheer amount of vitriol and contempt in some of these anti-DBH posts shaming people for openly enjoying the game is uncalled for.

DBH did an excellent job of weaving a cast of lovable and interesting characters. I can’t remember the last time I became so emotionally invested in a game’s story; there were plenty of visceral moments that made me cry or smile or feel genuine fear, and I know many people who played it also felt the same way. Some of the scenes such as resisting in the face of domestic abuse were powerfully reminiscent of my own memories, and I don’t know of any other piece of media that could give me that manner of immersive emotional experience. And I loved how much nonwhite representation the cast had. For all the allegorical gaucheries, I can’t think of any other video game I’ve played that had so many important, fleshed out, relatable, and intriguing nonwhite characters. Nonwhite individuals were featured as heroes, antagonists, and everywhere in-between. There was no sense of the usual racial tokenism, and that stood out to me in a very refreshing and enjoyable way.

DBH has a lot going on throughout the plot for a range of fans to connect with. Consider this post here by a black Jewish American talking about her experience playing DBH with her dad: “I in no way represent the black community, nor the Jewish community. I’d love to see different opinions from these groups of people. It’s troubling, however, to see the loud discussions being had about us that don’t include us in the first place.” When I see anti-DBH posts saying that you can’t enjoy the game in decent moral standing, it really rubs me the wrong way because who gets to dictate that for everyone, and on what basis?

Lastly… David Cage. Everyone despises David Cage, because, well, David Cage has been a douche, enough said. But DBH isn’t the creative product of David Cage alone. DBH is the result of the teamwork of many passionate artists, writers, and actors. Jesse Williams, the actor who plays one of the main characters Markus, is a humanitarian and civil rights activist. Bryan Dechart, Valory Curry, Clancy Brown… an incredible array of talent was critical to the charms of the game, talent that had minimum to do with David Cage’s director status. DBH could not exist without all these other creators, and when I appreciate the aspects I love about the game, I am definitely not giving all that credit to David Cage.

If anyone reads this, I hope it softens your stance when it comes to reasons why people may be fans of this game. And for all of the legitimate criticism surrounding the narrative, there are also a lot of unnecessarily dramatized, inflammatory, and disingenuous portrayals that are actually obscuring reasonable discussion and should be taken with a grain of salt.

#detroit become human #dbh #david cage #discourse

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modlisznik · 7 years ago

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a few thoughts about Detroit

...because I just finished and have somewhat mixed feelings I need to get in order. in points, so it won't be a Wall Of Text.

SPOILERS! (obviously)

what I liked:

Connor (duh). I wouldn't mind if his parts were cut out and made into separate game. It'd be a better game. It shows that Cage feels the buddy cop vibe, both Connor and Hank were fleshed out, interesting and likeable. I mean, they were both made of cliches, obviously, but their story was a police movie story, no Serious Shit TM involved

I wonder, what part of this comes from the actors who played them; both Clancy Brown and Bryan Dechart did a great job

also I think that the investigations made the fullest use of having the android as your protag. I loved these parts - the crime scenes, questioning, reconstructions - it was fresh, fun and interesting. It really gave me the feelings that Connor can do things that human policeman couldn't - it made sense to use an android for telling this kind of story

also, Connor is adorable (duh)

the mission of hijacking the broadcast was pretty nice, fast-paced; it gave GTA V vibe, and I'm saying this as a compliment

Sumo was nice, obviously

timers. I usually hate timers in games with the passion of thousand burning suns (I'm looking at you, optional challenges in AC II), but here game gives us just enough time to feel the pressure, but without making these parts too difficult or unfair; it's all nicely balanced

the sheer numbers of possibilities. Whatever else I'm about to say about the quality of the writing, the scope of the script is truly impressive-

some locations are really nice. I especially liked, again, the broadcast tower

Now what I didn't like:

there's close to none really interesting characters here, apart from protags. Even Alice has no personality of her own; she's just an Innocent Little Girl. There are no people here, just tropes

predictability. Most of the plot-twists and big revelations one can see from 100 km away. You meet a bitter woman unwilling to speak about her past? Wasn't she possibly a sex worker before? Bam! Obviously. Fugitives are on a bout, about to cross a river and reach Canada, and are speaking about their plans for the future? Oh geez, do I see a death flags raised? Yep, they die soon after. Rinse and repeat

the dialogues. The amount of cringe is unbelievable. If David Cage wants you to know that a person is bad, he'll make them speak in such cartoonishly evil ways that you'll want to bite your gamepad in half. The bad cop at the beginning? He's mean, and he's making faces at you, and he's also ready to torture a suspect, because he's eeeevil, nioh nioh nioh. And he pales in comparison with the FBI guy, who's so evil he seriously should wear a black cape and turn into a blue blood-sucking vampire, who also hates kids and puppies. We don't want you to feel confused about who's a good guy here, player

speaking of which - the protesters harassing Marcus at the beginning. Shadow have mercy, the scene was so cringe-worthy I nearly died of a secon-hand embarassement at the thought that David Cage wrote this and decided it's good

same with Leo taunting Marcus by calling him a pussy. SERIOUSLY. You're calling him a piece of plastic yourself, man, why are you trying to provoke him by offend his non-existent masculinity?

speaking of which - David, my buddy, my man, don't do this. Stop. Think. How are your androids even working? They have the same physical capabilities as humans of the same size; they aren't stronger nor faster and they stop working in 0C (!!!). The only advantage is that they don't get tired and are water-resistant. David, my man, your androids are shit. Nobody would want a robot like that. Why Kara, a housekeeper, isn't strong enough to tear that wooden plank off the door? You're telling me that my cool robot assistant would need my help to lift up my washing machine?

also, how come that Marcus knows how to fight? He was a personal assistant, not a soldier. He should have an advanced medical software, to help his ill employer, not some kung-fu shit. And if it's a common feature of androids (David, my man, why would it be?), that why Kara can't fight shit?

also, if banging their head on the desk is enough to kill an android, then how's that medical-shaman lady at Jericho even functions, having her whole head empty? David?

why Connor bends in half from getting punched in the stomach? Connor - you don't feel pain, you just said this yourself. You have no stomach inside, nor diaphragm. Do your androids have the same reflexes as humans, David? Can they be kicked in the balls?

I just thought about this - Marcus needed a flashlight in Jericho. Your androids needs an additional source of light in the dark. My smartphone is more technologically advanced, David. Your androids are shit

David. My dude. Why your androids are sexual. Why everyone's assuming North is Marcus girlfriend. Why the game made me unable to opt-out from this nonsense

David. You creep. You slimy fool. Two lesbian sex-workers, running out of the brothel in their undies and high heels? After killing an abusive client? I see what you did here. You're not progressive nor thought-provoking, you're exploitative

David. For fuck sake. Locking Kara in the basement, in a bdsm-looking machine designed to made her a slave? I see what you did here. You're disgusting. I was livid playing that part and want to never repeat this again

David. My man. Breathe. Think. The scene with the female android in the Kamski's house. Why. How. What were you thinking. I cannot even find the words to express how cheap, corny and pathetic that was. Grow up, David. Srsl. Grow up

speaking of Kamski - holy shot, did I wanted to punch him in his stupid face. Cringe is strong with this one

I checked out the survey in the Extras; one of the questions was "which choice was most difficult for you to make: 1) choose between a revolution or a peaceful protest as Marcus, 2) choose to shoot the female android at Kamski's or not as Connor, 3) accept Alice as an android or not as Kara. Hmmmm... looks like one of this things is not like the others. Why Alice being an android is supposed to be a problem?

Ok, I think I vented enough. I think I'm disappointed of how cheap, unimaginative and sometimes downright insulting the writing in this game is. I'd really wish for a Connor Only Edition of Detroit to happen, so I wouldn't have to deal with the rest of this nonsense anymore.

(and I didn't even touched the "what it means "being alive" in the world of Detroit". and I won't)

But hey, I actually finished this game! It means it wasn't so bad, right?

#i'm not angry just disappointed #David Cage you fool you did it again #detroid become human #dbh #shameless venting

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shinra-makonoid · 5 years ago

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I love Detroit so much. A game has never impacted me so much. Every section with Kara was so intense because I wanted them to live! Every section with Connor was also so ... I can't really put it into words! This whole dynamic with Hank is so perfect. And thats only thanks to the actors because David Cage intended their interactions a lot different. Marcus' was good but not as captivating :/ I wish they got deeper into that. I enjoyed Beyond though because it was my first decision based game ^^

I can’t make that ask spoiler free lmao Be warned!

Kara was a very powerful route, probably the most powerful for me, she has many totally different endings, and it was a whole ride. The first time I played, I managed to get the perfect ending (crossing to Canada by foot, with everyone) and so it was very rewarding, after all of this. I also, contrary to many people I talked to, can’t seem to hate Todd. The first scenes with him are triggering to me to be honest, and it was rough, but in the end, if you cross his path again, there’s really lots of hope for him. And you understand that he got hurt too and all, and that was such a greatly made character! Probably my favorite out of Kara’s route.

Bryan Dechart and Clancy Brown are jewels, and they really give it their best. I think Connor is the whole reason the game got so famous, both for the gameplay, the route and the actor. When I want to play Detroit, I usually want to play the Connor’s parts again because there are the ones that I most enjoyed. I would buy a DLC with just the two of them dealing with more cases, in a heart beat. I love the dynamic between them. When I made my friend play, she failed to get the appropriate level of friendship with Hank, and so I discovered, with horror, about the suicide scene, and it really broke me (another time I got trigger lmaoooo). And for my part in my first play, he died because machine Connor pushed him from the roof, but it was less sad, because he was fighting to survive at least you know? Hank is my favorite character overall, I think. Connor is important to me too because, at least the machine one, really talks to me philosophically. Also got real stuck on the actor of Dechart, and it was my first actor crush ever, which was weird af. It calmed down though, because I don’t like his character and I don’t like his streams. Still very hot though, except when he has a beard.

And Markus, I liked Markus. He’s actually the character with which I feel closer to emotionally. I like that you have this choice for him of whether he goes full against the humans lets his hate of them taking control of him, or fight the hate and tries to find common ground in peace with the people who hurt him. He’s inspirational on that way. There’s the dark and the light parts, and he needs to see them clearly and make the best choices and balancing them all the time, you can see it with the existence of North, Simon and Josh. There was supposed to be a romance between Markus and Simon at some point but it was aborted because it asked for too many layers of different actions (it’s not said it was with Simon, but I highly highly suspect it was). Choosing peace over battle was a thing that really cost me during the game when I played it. But it was worth it because that’s what saved the androids. My favorite character is of course Simon during this route, because he’s the nice one and I would do anything to save him lmao Markus also comes from a place of privilege, compared to other androids, it has that kind of otherness I feel sometimes. I totally missed the romance with North the first time I played too lmaooooo like damn I’m bad at this. I think what would be interesting with Markus is to have what happens next, because I would totally see him become a big person in the government but have the fear of breaking under the pressure and all.

So yeah… Told you I could spend my day talking about it lmao

I know it’s not really a decision based game the way Quantic Dream do it, but Dragon Age have that kind of spirit that I like where you choose your story too!

Thank you!

#anon #ask #detroit #spoilers

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october-faye · 7 years ago

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Oh god, now I’m actually reading the article. I am shaking. My stomach hurts.

“Many of the most hardcore fans agree that the game has issues. They still want to make the characters kiss.”

“Connor and Hank don’t have a romance in the game, but their dynamic screams “opposites attract,” and fanfiction writers have noticed. The push and pull of their differing opinions and temperaments all leads up to a story arc showing them learning to understand each other. Plus, one of them looks like a twink.

said one fan via email to Kotaku. “I seriously believe Connor’s story is the only place that the narrative actually stuck the landing. Also the fan-artists pumping out entire tomes of Hank/Connor yaoi on the weekly are braver than the U.S. Marines.”

The fan also cited “the great performances of Clancy Brown and Bryan Dechart” as a draw for many people, going on to claim that “nearly everything good about their acting was put in the game against David Cage’s desires... it’s clear that even the ‘good parts’ of D:BH had little to do with the man.”

Amazing headline from kotaku

#kotaku #gita jackson #this article was spot on #connor x hank #hankcon #hannor #detroit become human #david cage

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rosepoints · 6 years ago

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how is detroit become human racist, sexist and homophobic exactly? and don’t u dare say it is bc the creator is some of those things bc i can guarantee some random person who worked on dragon age or mass effect is one of those things yet you don’t seem angry about that. just because a creator is a bad person it doesn’t mean a game is bad.

oh nah i dislike both the game and the creator. in terms of the game alone, the story is ham-fisted, world-building is sub-par, and there is a lack of depth or nuance to the entirety of the game. like, you know that entire “show, don’t tell” thing? yeah, this game is “tell, don’t show” in its delivery of its story. subtlety?? dbh and david cage don’t know her!!!!!

now, for the real big problems. the game handles the entire racial allegory aspect poorly. markus literally drains his color of its color before he says his own version of the “i have a dream” speech. luthor is presented as “the big scary black guy” which is a stereotype that paints black people as subhuman or as some sort of monster. the lesbian couple exists solely as a test for the white robot. the entire debacle over the holocaust arm tattoos. it reduces the entire oppression dialogue into a game where you play some dehumanization of marginalized groups for fun rather than showing how oppression is a systematic issue that lies far deeper than a few dialogue choices. you fix things with a couple of choices. there’s also the implication that the masters of an enslaved class of people can grant freedom and an end to oppression rather than the decades-long process that it truly is. and that’s just a sampling of the bad stuff in dbh, so uh, yeah, there’s a lot of Not Great Stuff in that game.

i will say that the game itself is visually pretty and that the one storyline with the robot cop was the best executed out of the three characters within the game. from what i’ve seen and heard, it seems like clancy brown and bryan dechart put in voice acting outside of david cage’s lines which,,,, says a lot about the writing and the creation of the game. and that is a perfect segue into your last statement. david cage wrote and directed the game, so the game itself is tainted by his attitudes. i feel like dbh could have been better in the hands of different writers and producers and directors although it’s rly hard to mess up more than david cage lmao

#lmao this is like a throwback to that one dbh discourse time i had on my side blog #there's a lot of more nuanced and articulate articles by other ppl of color on the internet too #if u want a more detailed answer than that but yeah #anon #ask

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geftheshittalkingmongoose · 7 years ago

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I get that people like D:BH for a variety of reasons but I really need people to not forget that David Cage and Quantic Dream have a horrendous track record.

Cage also can't write a good story to save his life. All of his plots are terrible and his characters fall apart if you look at them for more than a handful of seconds. The only reason Connor and Hank are even slightly redeemable is because Clancy Brown and Bryan Dechart had the good sense to improv and go off-script for a large chunk of their screentime and even completely ignore Cage's direction.

D:BH is another bad game in a lineage of bad games. It's a pity he had to sully the work portfolios of actors like Jesse Williams and Lance Henriksen by stripping their acting ability and skill down to 2D tropes in his little wanna-be commentary on racism in America and antisemetism globally...

Just... please recognize that D:BH is bad. It's bad. You can enjoy it, you can love it deeply, you can adore the characters and their interactions, but admit that it's high octane shit. It's racist, antisemitic, sexist, and just... it's bad. It's bad.

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williamsjoan · 6 years ago

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DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Ben Walker’s Top 10

As 2018 comes to a close, DualShockers and our staff are reflecting on this year’s batch of games and what were their personal highlights within the last year. Unlike the official Game of the Year 2018 awards for DualShockers, there are little-to-no-rules on our individual Top 10 posts. For instance, any game — not just 2018 releases — can be considered.

2018. Seriously, what a year for gaming. I can’t remember the last time I actually had this many games to juggle into the top 3. When Sony blew their load at E3 2016, it was one of their best conferences and, incidentally, most of those games released this year, like God of War and Marvel’s Spider-Man. I didn’t jump on the Nintendo Switch hype until August of this year, and honestly, I’ve barely used it because of all the other titles shining instead.

I don’t usually compile lists in my head of ten games because only a select few titles really keep my enthusiasm by the end of the year. However, when thinking about my backlog and the games that did come out this year, it reignited a spark in me that felt these games needed recognizing. Here are my Top 10 games for 2018:

10. Far Cry 5

Far Cry 5 ranks at the beginning of my list for Game of the Year and it barely made it onto here. Let me tell you a story of how I even came to purchase this title. I’m a bad spender – give me money, it’s gone in a week or two. I had money around the time that Far Cry 5 was about to release and I thought “meh, why not” and pre-ordered the game. It’s a bad habit; help me. In doing so, I jumped blindly into a series which I had never really touched other than playing Far Cry 4 and Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon at a friend’s house in the previous years.

Needless to say, Far Cry 5 was a huge change from its predecessors – and I’m not sure I liked it. At the start of the game, it’s quite fun when you begin to learn about the cult and story of the world you’ve been dropped into. It had great potential from the get-go, with a cool concept. However, Ubisoft wasn’t the best at executing that later on down the line.

I’ll be honest – I didn’t finish the game because I lost motivation to do so. Either way, a game has its faults but can also be quite fun. I did have a bit of a blast in co-op free roam and running around this unique open world. As is with Far Cry games, I loved the times where wild animals would appear out of nowhere and help me attack NPCs. I adored Boomer and all of the other companions, but that’s about it.

Check out the DualShockers review of Far Cry 5.

9. Call of Duty: Black Ops 4

Okay, this was a huge change for Call of Duty, at least in the sense that they barely changed any features from previous games. Black Ops 4 removed single-player, one of the series’ best elements, and replaced it with Blackout – an awful attempt at battle royale. That said, the multiplayer is surprisingly fun with its new additions such as manually-regenerating health, specialist-based combat, improved mobility and controls, and the change in game-modes.

It’s nice to see a Call of Duty game be fun again, and actually feel somewhat balanced. Blackout is another story – that mode absolutely sucks. Zombies becomes more and more complicated every year, so much so that I don’t feel like it’s a “casual mode” anymore. All I want is for me and my friends to jump into zombies and see how long we last, but the maps are too convoluted and you have to do a crap ton of objectives just to unlock the better weapons. I want Zombies from the original Black Ops back.

Either way, Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 (or IIII if you want to be difficult) takes players on a good journey into the lands of playing online. In short, we don’t care if you want to play a story – fight these kids instead. At least they actually made it fun unlike Fallout 76.

Check out the DualShockers review of Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

8. Deltarune

This incredibly good spin-off to my personal Game of the Year from 2015, Undertale, is just part one of a possible series, and I’m super excited. We’re finally into that part of the list where I stop half-criticizing games and instead showcase how bloody good some of them are. Deltarune was a fantastic revisit to the world of Undertale with vital mechanic changes, a unique story, and an all-new cast of characters mixed with reused ones.

Lancer’s design is hilarious; I love the thought of a chubby spade who rides a bicycle. I won’t reveal any of the plot details, because if you’ve played Undertale but not Deltarune you have to go jump into it right now. It’s a blast, and you should be playing it. If not, go play Undertale then this game. I’ll be waiting. I’d put this game as number 1 if so many amazing AAA games didn’t exist. Let’s get into those now.

7. Fortnite

Image by @ikcatcher

Yes, Fortnite is on my Top 10 list. No, I have no regrets. I’m putting it on this list less because of it being a good game (it’s pretty good, to be honest) but more because of the game’s significance this year and the impact it made on my life. I played Fortnite on the day they released the Battle Royale mode last year, purely because consoles (at the time) didn’t have a battle royale game due to PUBG being on PC originally. I found that it was decent, but never would I have imagined the absolute influence it would gain.

Aside from becoming the most popular video game on the planet, Fortnite actually helped me expand on my career this year. I started off the year at various other outlets before eventually branching out into writing about Fortnite. Writing about this game actually allowed me to open up my experiences in games writing, and I actually ended up here at DualShockers because of it. I’m happy at the journey this game allowed me to take, and the memories I’ll have because of it. As much as it can suck sometimes waking up early in the morning to write about patch notes, it gives me the motivation to keep going and not just lay in bed all day. Thank you, Fortnite. You can suck it if you blindly hate this game. That’s my two cents.

6. Detroit: Become Human

“Oh no,” you say: we’re entering Sony territory – and with a bang, as one of the most gorgeous games of this year is Detroit: Become Human. Detroit was a huge step forward from the previous titles from Quantic Dream and David Cage, and a game where choices actually changed the story. From the days of Telltale Games and Life is Strange emerges a game where the choices you make surprisingly matter, and the game lets you view what could’ve happened instead. I loved when I checked the choice map at the end of a scene and realized everything that mattered. Except for saving that goldfish at the start – that made no difference whatsoever.

That’s also not to mention how absolutely mind-bogglingly gorgeous this game is. The photorealistic visuals are mind-blowing when accompanied by those motion-capture performances of a lifetime. The star-studded cast of Bryan Dechart, Clancy Brown, Valorie Curry, Jesse Williams, and more perfectly brings each and every character to life to tell an enriched story of a very possible near-future. It’s a visually-appealing masterpiece.

Check out the DualShockers review of Detroit: Become Human.

5. Tetris Effect

Tetris Effect is a gem of an experience. With incredible, entrancing visuals that make you feel like you’re in either the next Star Wars combined with a mixture of audio that flies around your brain and sucks you into the dreamscape, Tetris Effect is a masterpiece. Each movement subtly synchronizes itself with the music playing in the background, with the BPM adapting to your placements and rotations. For something as simple as Tetris, this game really puts an Effect on you.

It’s also extremely difficult. As someone who had never played video games would say, it’s the Dark Souls of puzzle games. I should probably change the difficulty, to be honest. Either way, I’m having a blast with this game; I wouldn’t even call it a game – but an auditory and visual experience. Go play it.

Check out the DualShockers review of Tetris Effect.

4. A Way Out

A Way Out was such a good game, and a refreshing take on the co-op genre. I absolutely adore co-operative games, especially those in which me and a single friend can complete a campaign. This game from Hazelight Studios was an absolute blast of a time, with minigames in-between story elements such as Connect Four or Baseball being such a nice way to take a break from the story and just have fun. Me and my co-operative partner beat the game in a single sitting with how much we adored it.

I think I’ll forever keep coming back to A Way Out with new friends just to see their reactions to each element of this short, but sweet experience. The fact that it is developed for couch co-op but also allows anyone with a copy to invite their friend to play for free is something I absolutely admire, and Josef Fares’ dream came together extremely well. The game sold well, which I love, and I hope to see more out of this genre of video games. What a title.

Check out the DualShockers review of A Way Out.

3. Marvel’s Spider-Man

Marvel’s Spider-Man is the best superhero video game of all time. Sorry to the Batman: Arkham games, I love you – but this game is just so good. I’m kinda sad that it got snubbed at this year’s The Game Awards ceremony, losing to the next two games on my list (spoiler alert)…and also got snubbed at our own Awards ceremony. Boy, oh boy, this game got pushed under the rug.

The combat is magnificent when combined with all of the different variations of movements that the player can create; it is an utterly satisfying experience, one in which I keep coming back to. It’s rare that an open world game can keep my attention for so long (I have the attention span of a fetus), and Marvel’s Spider-Man achieves that magnificently. Well played, Insomniac Games.

Check out the DualShockers review of Marvel’s Spider-Man.

2. God of War

God of War is a masterpiece; a project with the absolute intent of demolishing any of its competition Kratos-style. The game was my first foray into the God of War series, and playing the original remastered trilogy makes me just wanna go back to the new one. It’s such a damn good game that if I went into everything amazing about it, then this article would never be finished.

The gameplay, the story, the music, the tone, the setting, the atmosphere, and everything – just everything about God of War is an absolute delight. My issue is that the game ended way too early. I absolutely cannot wait for the next installment. Bring it, Sony Santa Monica.

Check out the DualShockers review of God of War.

1. Red Dead Redemption 2

Red Dead Redemption 2 brings something new to the table; not in the sense of just being a fresh take on the open-world genre, but being a revolutionary landmark in the history of video games. Ever since the release of the original Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar Games has worked tirelessly on this project – controversially so, after the senior writers stated that they worked 100-hour weeks.

If you’re reading through each and every staff member’s Game of the Year lists, it’s pretty likely that most, if not almost all of them will include both God of War and Red Dead Redemption 2 at the forefront (assuming they played them). I’m falling straight into that trend – but you have to admit that there is an astonishing reason behind it. Both of these games are absolute masterworks, built detail-by-detail in order to transcend the normal experience of an open world game.

Red Dead Redemption 2 is a thrill to play, and quite frankly is one of the greatest video games ever made.

Check out the DualShockers review of Red Dead Redemption 2.

Check out the other DualShockers’ staff Top 10 lists and our official Game of the Year Awards:

December 17: DualShockers Game of the Year Awards 2018 December 18: Lou Contaldi, Editor in Chief // Logan Moore, Reviews Editor December 19: Ryan Meitzler, Features Editor // Tomas Franzese, News Editor December 20: Scott Meaney, Community Director December 21: Reinhold Hoffmann, Community Manager // Ben Bayliss, Staff Writer December 22: Ben Walker, Staff Writer // Chris Compendio, Staff Writer December 23: Eoghan Murphy, Staff Writer // Grant Huff, Staff Writer December 26: Iyane Agossah, Staff Writer // Jordan Boyd, Staff Writer December 27: Max Roberts, Staff Writer // Michael Ruiz, Staff Writer December 28: Noah Buttner, Staff Writer // Rachael Fiddis, Staff Writer December 29: Steven Santana, Staff Writer // Tanner Pierce, Staff Writer December 30: Travis Verbil, Staff Writer // Zack Potter, Staff Writer

The post DualShockers’ Game of the Year 2018 Staff Lists — Ben Walker’s Top 10 by Ben Walker appeared first on DualShockers.

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