#both lore and gameplay wise

[fogwarden]

[ink--theory]

thoughts on bonerattle arena

[mersei47]

finished deltarune both chapter 3-4. I can look at all the spoilers now

[kelpermoosee]

I think Hey! Pikmin is a misrepresentation of the Pikmin series as much as the next person, but the game’s renders and soundtrack go so unbelievably HARD.

So cute 💖

[arolesbianism]

Shakes and cries I wanna make Jackie parent hc designs but I can't because potentially one of them is a prevalent character now and her ass has not spoken a single line yet so I both know nothing and can't just start making shit up yet </3333

[the-one-and-only-overlass]

so i started playing the first descendant and. dear GOD who is doing the writing for this game

i just wanna talk

[real-fire-emblem-takes]

torn between giving the new promo option anima or dark magic

i should give soldiers a 2nd promotion option

[felassan]

Snippets. 🐺💜 DA:TV spoilers under cut.

When the Community Council played the game, in the working version they played, it sounds like when the 'no dying' mode was turned on, when the player's health gets low the screen turns red (but you don't then die, of course) [source]

Caitie of Ghildirthalen shared that everyone that she talked to from the Community Council really liked the gameplay. "They were all into it, none of us had any complaints about how they were doing the gameplay, we all thought it was solid" [source]

The Lighthouse isn't literally an actual lighthouse by the sea. It's in the Crossroads. It's "like a bubble in the Crossroads, kind of like what Morrigan brings you to" in DA:I. "It's its own little bubble, it's not actually the Crossroads, it's like its own little bubble of reality." "It's not really in the Fade, but it kinda is, but it's kinda not". "It's so cool, I loved it so much [...] it's very comfy". It used to belong to Solas and "as you walk around there, you will see, like, stuff, that kinda shows what Solas has been up to for the past couple years" [source]

"They say in the [Game Informer cover] article that [The Lighthouse] like looks gaudy, and stuff, and like it does, in like an ancient elven way, but it's not like going to grandma's house which has that 2005 Tuscan kitchen feel." It sounds like there are a lot of frescos made by Solas in there. "It's kind of like, sad, too, 'cause it's a little bit like, ancient elven bachelor pad that he's been too busy to really keep up with it". "I think it's the coolest hub [in a DA game] by far" [source]

After the gameplay reveal video, Solas essentially gets trapped in the new prison he was trying to build for Ghil and Elgar'nan. "I don't think they explain it well in the [GI cover] article what happens, like, lore-wise, like how this connection between Solas and Rook one, works, and then two, like, how it's done. [...] From that [Community Council participation and talking to devs], I have a better understanding of this link, and I do think the explanation given [in-game] is good, and is satisfying to me. They're just not explaining it well in the article, I do think they give a better reason in the game"[source]

Caitie shared that she doesn't know why marketing for the game keeps saying/trying to say that Rook isn't a Chosen One as a talking point. "Maybe [Rook] wasn't chosen, [they] just happened to be there, but now there is a connection there, like [they] can't just leave, [they] have that strange Solas connection that nobody else has". "In this game Rook was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, or right place right time, depending on how you look at it, and it could have been anyone in that scene, that's kind've what they're trying to say" [source]

Photomode is something the devs expressed to Community Council that they want to include in the game [source]

User: "many of us would love to see cosplay kits again of the new companions. Just thought to throw that out into the ether" Trick: "Agreed! Definitely bring that up to official BioWare accounts. I think it's a great idea." [source]

John: "at this point my brain is about 70% DATV and 30% everything else" [source]

User: "I keep looking at that horn [Taash's blue one], thinking: 1. What -is- it made of?" Karin Weekes-West: "If only we knew!" [source] User: "If this turns out to be some high-value gemstone or crafting mat, I can't promise I'll be able to suppress certain... larcenous urges." Karin: "How very Lords of Fortune of you! :D <3 It really is SO PRETTY, isn’t it? Our art team is so good. :)" [source]

User: "I need to know if Rook gets their own room CAN WE DECORATE" Carly: ":^)" [source]

User: "anyway they [Neve and Harding] are both in this concept art. next to each other even. this has to mean they are both alive after the prologue. right? right???" Carly: ":^)" [source]

Kala: "the overall UI is very nice" [source]

Kala: "I remember the sliders [in CC] having pretty good range tbh, so probably pretty tall and pretty short" [source]

Kala: "I can't wait to learn who the VAs for Rook are! I know one and I know people will be really excited for this person to join the Dragon Age family 🤫" [source]

[lelanida]

The dualism of Sky. A small essay.

Vincent Diamante, maestro, we don't deserve you. Music is the heart and soul of Sky. It's not the face of the game, no. Music does not try to attract attention and force you to interrupt the gameplay in order to enjoy it. Instead, it works for the atmosphere, not just without overriding everything else but also giving other aspects leadership positions. Sky's music is patiently waiting for you to pay attention to it. And since we're all here, let's appreciate it.

Sky has two main leitmotifs. The first is the theme of our first flight on the Isle of Dawn. It also plays during the loading of the game during the daytime. The second is the "Flight" by Aurora. Not many people pay attention to this, but these two melodies accompany us (in one form or another) in a bunch of other compositions. "The first flight" sounds at moments of special emotional uplift and "Flight" at moments of decline. You may think: "Well, what's the big deal? The music, written at a time when lore was still important, contains an interesting subtext.". But it's not that simple. I listened to the rest of Sky ost. I have tracked the use of these leitmotifs, and I can say with confidence that these two themes never play together. The composition either uses only one of the leitmotifs, or both, but at different ends of the song... ...I was thinking until I listened to the soundtrack of the season of prophecy.

The theme that sounds when you complete the trial. In it, both leitmotifs are woven together.

This is the ONLY theme in the entire game built in this way. I sat in a stupor for a while and was about to bury this musical analysis. But then it hit me. What was the season of prophecy about anyway? No, not about the trials. NO, not about the extra candle cakes. The season of prophecy was about Alef.

The theme of passing the trial is the theme of Alef. And it combines two opposing leitmotivs.

And now, ladies and gentlemen, get ready for madness because this simple detail puts everything in its place.

As soon as I found out about the existence of the Megabird in lore of Sky, this character immediately interested me. I liked how she was essentially detached from the whole action, but at the same time, incredibly tightly woven into it. Megabird is Sky's phenomenon whose potential TGC is afraid to exploit.

I have always been confused by the generally accepted image of a Megabird. She is always portrayed as a powerful, very wise, prudent, and merciful being. The true and only ruler of this world. Everyone was pleased. But not me. And the most important thing is that I couldn't explain why! Something inside me subconsciously resisted the concept of monotheism within the framework of Sky, but there was no specific reason. I had a feeling that it was simply... wrong. And now I realized: This is indeed wrong! Megabird, as the only deity, will actually break the whole system!

Sky is steeped in dualism. It's always one thing against another. I mean:

Life and death.

Nature and machine.

Sky and ground.

Descendants and ancestors.

Children and elders.

Light and darkness.

In this, Sky is different from Journey. In Journey, you didn't have a clear enemy. Journey taught that you can become your own enemy. The ancient civilization destroyed itself, not someone from outside. And the messengers must step over themselves, and themselves only in order to be reborn. Journey taught you to look into yourself. Sky is about something else.

Even though the concepts of these games are similar, Sky is a fundamentally different game. Sky is about joining up with others. Therefore, Sky sets a clear boundary between "we" and "they". And I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Otherwise, this system simply would not have worked. In Sky, everything has an opposing force. The other side of the coin, if you please.

Megabird just can not be the only deity. This contradicts the whole system, starting from philosophy and ending with music. Someone, something, sentient, unsentient, there MUST BE SOMETHING on the other side. That's why I made Angst.

Let's return to the topic of the two leitmotifs and the Alef. The system of confrontation between the two sides can give us an answer to another question.

What is "the void"?

We know that after the explosion of the crystal, Alef fell in a kind of "void", from which he still has not found a way out. But what kind of place is this? Many people used to think that this is something like a dimension of darkness. But I can disagree with this.

At first It is logical: Alef was imprisoned in a darkstone crystal and fell into darkness. But I have a question: Why does this "darkness" charge us?

The void is not darkness. If it was the darkness, it would have extinguished the skykids' cores in the blink of an eye. The void is the place BETWEEN light and darkness.

Alef, the child of light, was imprisoned in a darkstone crystal, the gift of darkness. Together, they created a new, third kind of energy. Chaotic, unpredictable, wrong. Alef has united in himself, things that, according to the laws of this world, cannot be combined. Therefore, it is his theme that connects the two main leitmotivs of the game. The Alef was on both sides at the same time.

But you can't be on two sides. You're either light or dark, or you're not on anyone's side, like ancestors were. At the moment of the Shattering, Alef literally tore the fabric of the Sky universe itself. That's why he got into the void. After all, if he does not obey the fundamental law of this world, then he has nothing to do in this world.

The void is the space between light and darkness. Like a number divided by zero, the void is negligible, but at the same time infinite. It is a mirror that doesn't allow energy to mix. Therefore, the floor in it charges us. The void reflects our own light back into the cape.

That's why the Megabird sends us to die in Eden. With our sacrifice, we repeat the same shattering on a reduced scale and fall into the void to the Alef. But Alef sacrifices a fragment of his former power to bring us back to the side of light. And when that happens, the void just pushes us out.

Something like that.

[flowiehowie]

Arcane watchers should play Convergence!

So I have seen a lot of people who watched Arcane get really curious about the original material, aka League of Legend, and a ton of league of legend players tell them that hey, dont bother. League is not much like the show and its full of toxicity. Both of which is true and you should certainly consider joining League very cautiously. HOWEVER!!!!! to all the arcane watchers who want a more story driven experience with the characters they love, you should totally play CONVERGENCE: A League of Legends story. It is a side scrolling action game similar to Hollow Knight, where you explore the city of Zaun as everyone's favorite Boy Savior; Ekko!! I just started playing and just finished chapter one and I am having a blast. Now the Lore does seem to be different from Arcane, it seems to be following the Old lore of League of Legends before they decided to make Arcane the new Cannon, but a plus is that Ekko is voiced by Reed Shannon like he is in Arcane. Gameplay wise the game is very solid. Ekko has only three health (More if you miss around the difficulty settings. or less if you want it harder) and you really have to rely on jumping around avoid attacks and using your Zero Drive to rewind time when you get hit. Which is such a fun mechanic. I'm early in the game and I already had an experience where I was getting mobbed by enemies and I was constantly correcting my mistakes with the Zero Drive, and I felt so much like Ekko in Arcane in the final fight. I found this game by accident on youtube recommendations, and I absolutely think its a must play so far for any fans of Arcane who are being told League of Legends is not for them. As far as I know its available on all consoles and Steam. While not exactly a part of Arcane's Lore, I hope you guys all check it out, its worth it, especially for Ekko Fans.

[dalishious]

I just got DATV (50% off spring sale on Steam). Do you have any tips, gameplay-wise?

I love the lore of previous games so I'm prepared for disappointment there, unfortunately.

Rogue is, in my opinion, the most engaging and fun class when it comes to combat. Mage with a dagger/orb focus is close second.

If you're playing rogue, I hugely recommend putting points into more arrows / arrow regeneration. My only gripe with rogue is that there's limited arrows, so adding more is a big deal. Especially if you're going for the Veil Ranger specialization!

If you're playing mage, switching out staves/orbs based on damage types can give you an advantage in particularly difficult fights, based on what enemies are weak against. For example, fire gets shit done when it comes to darkspawn.

If you're playing warrior, just know that it feels very different mechanic-wise than both rogue and mage. For example, you don't have a ranged attack, but you can press Q to throw your shield.

When you're levelling up, don't ignore the 10% increase options because while individually they seem small, they do add up.

Do not forget to use the crafting station to level up your companion's stuff as well! Because you can't control them like in the previous games, the best strategy I've found is to just make sure they are stacked with as much damage output as possible. It's tedious, but helpful.

Finally, I cannot stress this enough: TAKE FREQUENT TRIPS BACK TO THE LIGHTHOUSE. Why? Because there are many conversations with the companions that exist within a specific time window, and if you don't get them, you will miss content - possibly even quests! (Neve for example has a whole quest that is super easy to miss early in the game, if you don't talk to her again before going after the Grey Wardens.)

[mliter]

Zenless Zone Zero.

This is the third game to come out of post-2020 Hoyoverse.

This game spent a lot of time being teased and marketed before it's release. With me, a game to really grab my attention is character design. This company already puts out solid stuff, but it's the aesthetic that doesn't get me. Star Rail and Genshin Impact's detailed lean into fantasy, while executed well, doesn't really get me.

You're put in the shoes of two siblings, Wise and Belle, on their journey to uncover what happened in the past, and clear a loved one's name. That's so freaking cool! They're even doing illegal shit on the down-low! That's so freaking cool!

Then comes along ZZZ. It's setting allowed for more of a grindfiction (i hope i used that word right) look. I saw people describing this as Jet Set Genshin Impact, hilariously.

For one, this game's character designs are top notch. They're not quite as busy as the previous two games I mentioned. They're fun and relatively simple. Clean color schemes, big shapes, differing species and unique silhouettes can be found across the roster. (Still no black people though. At this point, I shouldn't expect it.)

Continuing on with the characters, like any gacha game, they're the stars of the show. The team puts special care into each of them.

There's a serious sense of community between a large chunk of the cast. Everybody knows somebody, somehow. Either through a shared interest, a job together, school, or childhood. Everybody's got their own thing going on, and the writers show each of them the love they deserve. Thanks to this, it is very exciting to see two characters we know well meet for the first time.

While having their own presence in the world and lore, they can also be the main character of an update, out of the blue. Either through the main story, a special episode, an event, or an agent story. What's an agent story? An agent story is a story made for that specific character. They're usually released by the update. Everything that happens within them are canon, and they flesh out the character to a satisfying degree. (most of the time.) characters grow from the point that they were before the agent story, like Anby wearing her silver squad uniform in the most recent story chapter.

So what's this one about? Surprising most people today, this is a post apocalyptic story. This takes place in a earth where 90% of humanity has been wiped out by a mysterious force that produces monsters. A majority of the game takes place in New Eridu.

The more you read into the story, the more you learn this event's effect on society, and the drastic measures that have been taken because of it. Through the lenses of two siblings, you learn that It's everywhere. In the storytelling, in the characters, and in the environment.

ZZZ's gameplay is modeled after action games. Fast paced, flashy and exciting. You can tell that the developers grew up on titles like Tekken, Street Fighter, DMC and so on There's an attack button, a special button, a dodge button, and an ultimate button. Each character has their own passive system that can be activated through any of these buttons, keeping gameplay unique. Some of them aren't even activated by these buttons, they just work in the back!

There's a lot of things the player can do to maximize unit performance. W-Engines, disks, stat watching... It's pretty well made actually. It's just that in my case, it makes my head spin. Much to both my friends & followers's dismay. Luckily i have them to help me out with the number crunching and basic common sense.

My favorite bit from it is the parry animation. Special care was put into it. A cool camera angle, satisfying sound, and an exciting visual makes for an awesome experience. There is so much love put into this game.

Now that we have that out of the way, presentation. For me, it's the best part of the game. ZZZ takes a specific kind of care in its worldbuilding, aesthetic and character design that rivals Splatoon, actually. From the marketing, to the animation, to the options menu, there’s style to be found all around. Story beats are presented with AAA artwork in the style of an animated comic book. Casual conversations have a stylish transition to another screen where every character has their own animation. Character trailers are AAA productions in the style of... well, anything. They can, and will do anything. I see it as a celebration of creativity and art. There's a lot of professionals out there working in positions that don't let them to get this radical with what they're working on. I'd imagine any creative would enjoy working on a product like this.

Speaking of art, one thing i really like is when hand-drawn art is heavily incorporated in a videogame. ZZZ does this so well. I think my favorite example of this is the mindscape cinema. This works in stages, a piece of art of the character fully clothed. As the player whales out and rolls for more versions of the unit, a greyscale version of that art will be revealed to the player, more and more. Then, a final version of the character missing some articles of clothing is revealed. With how this game goes about suggestive content, you'd expect this to be crazy, but they're actually pretty tact about it. Regardless, it's a really cool display.

Zenless Zone Zero is one of the strongest titles to ever hit the scene for me. From the art direction, to the art itself, to the presentation, to the look, to the art, to the world, to the music, to the characters... I could keep going. Whereas I'm not too good at the game, i get my fun out of it by being lost in the world, the stories told within it, and the characters this story is about.

With a dev team that seems somewhat different from what hoyoverse is given trouble for... I hope more people play this game. It's a serious gem. I'm having so much fun with this game. And i can tell these guys are having just as much fun making it. Maybe even more.

[blueskittlesart]

Lore questions huh? What do you think about dark link and what he represents? (Oot or otherwise)

HI. I LOVE YOU. this is long as hell but it's your fault for asking me about oot

so dark link is the mini-boss fight in oot's water temple. this is the 6th dungeon in the game overall and the third out of 6 in the adult segment of gameplay, meaning it comes when adult link has already experienced the time-switch and is about halfway to ganon. One of the things that makes this battle so immediately striking imo is the fact that the room it takes place in is immediately aesthetically different from the rest of the dungeon, which isn't something we see basically anywhere else in the game. the reason for this, materially, is because everything in that room is a symbol that the writers want you as the player to notice and take in.

the opening of the fight goes like this: link enters a room within the water temple that appears to be an endless foggy void, with a thin layer of water on the ground and a single dead tree in the very middle of the room. there is a distant door on the other side of the room. When link passes the dead tree on his way to the door, his reflection in the water disappears, and when he turns back around he's ambushed by dark link--a reflection of himself. Dark link will be semi-transparent for about a minute at the beginning of the fight but will eventually materialize enough to land hits on link, and will mimic link's attacks while dodging any attempts to hit him. Dark link's health is based on the player's heart containers, meaning the stronger Link is, the stronger his reflection becomes. Gameplay-wise, it's extremely difficult to defeat dark link using the master sword because he can counter almost any attack from it, so most players will use a different weapon that he can't counter in order to beat him.

so let's unpack the symbolism there. first, the room itself: an empty, foggy void with a single dead tree in the middle. This room is pretty obviously a reflection of link's psyche, and link is a kid who grew up in a lush forest, surrounded on all sides by living trees. link was RAISED by a tree, a tree which is now functionally dead, an event which he likely still blames himself for. And since this temple comes chronologically after the forest temple, link has recently learned that everything he thought he knew about himself and the environment in which he was raised was a lie. that dead tree in an open void is representative of link's trauma regarding his childhood--it's the opposite of the security and safety he believed he had in kokiri forest. the tree is slowly rotting away as he slowly loses faith in both himself and the people who raised him. he loses his reflection as he passes the dead tree, functionally losing himself, unable to rebuild his self-image after learning that his entire life thus far has been one big lie.

gameplay-wise, this fight is generally pretty difficult to beat using the master sword. (it's possible, but hard.) i think this is also intentional. The master sword, within the greater narrative of oot, is representative of adulthood, but it's also representative of the childhood that was stolen from link. If he'd never claimed that sword he would have been able to grow up like a regular kid, but because he did, the adults in his life decided that his feelings mattered less than keeping him out of ganondorf's hands, and they took the opportunity to grow up naturally away from him without his consent. when attempting to battle back what is essentially a manifestation of his pent-up trauma and fears, of course it's going to be difficult for him to win using a weapon which was basically forced onto him, representative of a stolen childhood he can't get back.

tldr: dark link is everything everyone ever did to hurt you coming at you all at once. he's link's fear of failure, his resentment over what's been taken from him in service of a greater good he never agreed to, his anger and his trauma. feelings which it's natural for him to have, but which he HAS to work through and understand in order to keep going. it's an unusually violent therapy session basically

[moviememokeeper]

I wanna make posts about Reca & my oc but I'm hesitating to do so because of a certain halovian popstar My oc's name is Robin, she's a musician, I've had this oc for years, and then penacony happened

don't get me wrong, I love hsr Robin, she's one of favourite characters (both lore and gameplay wise) but I don't want people thinking I copied her when my oc has existed since I was like 10

the only thing my oc Robin and hsr Robin have in common is their name and occupation, and they don't even do the same genre of music

[dr-spectre]

Hey, so...I'm currently on a Splatoon binge to prep for Grand Festival (Team Future, btw). I came across your blog and...BOY do you love Callie. And even though I never played Splatoon 2, as I jumped straight to 3, I saw others' gameplay of the Splatoon 2 Hero Mode on YouTube and I never once saw "brainwashing", I saw "hypnosis". For cod's sake, they're HYPNOshades. It's in the name.

But I digress. My question is this:

If Marie was the one who got hypnotized by Octavio, do you think things would've been better or worse for her and, more importantly, Callie? (Meaning both lore-wise and the whole "hypnosis, not brainwashing" fiasco.)

Hey, first off, YEAH! YOU GET IT! YOU GET IT DUDE!!!!!!

When i played the game for the first time i always thought it was hypnosis because Octavio literally said HYPNOshades.

The whole idea that people say Callie was "brainwashed" comes from outside sources and nothing inside the actual game itself, aside from potentially non canon sources like the final boss rematch, live concert dialogue and dialogue exchanges at Tentakeel Outpost in the English localizations.

This could all be non canon as Splatoon 3 doesn't make any sort of reference to past events from Octo Canyon. But anyways,

I feel like if Marie was the one who got hypnotized the fan feedback would be a lot more different. A lot of Marie fans LOVE Hypno Marie as they dub her and there's lots of fan art to what a version of an "Evil Marie" would look like, I'm not gonna show you any because i don't wanna repost art and get into trouble but I'm sure with some google searches you can find some cool designs!

I always thought Marie being hypnotised instead of Callie makes more sense and it would fit her character more. She has mental troubles brewing in her as shown with the Squid Sisters Stories and all of that anxiety, stress, etc could boil out in a hypnotic state and she could hurt the ones she loves. Including Callie...

Plus when people talk about Hypno Marie they always get the terminology correct, but when it comes to Callie... they use that fucking other word and it makes me wanna YELLLL!!!!!!!!!!

And one more thing. Yes i love Callie. In multiple ways. Design wise, character wise, lore wise, i am going to be her number 1 defender from slander and mischaracterisation!!!!!!

This bastard is here to stay in my brain, whether i like it or not...

[paigegonerogue]

I just finished TLOU pt. II!

Decided to shout my thoughts to the void as a certified Show Lover™️ and talk about what I liked in the game, what I didn’t, and how it compares to the show.

Watch out! I will be criticizing the both the show and the game in this, so if you’re looking for a “the game is a masterpiece and the show is shit” take from me, you’re outta luck, sorry😅

Let’s start with…

What I liked:

The Visuals - OMG this was, hands down, the most gorgeous video game I have ever played. TLOU pt. I was a pretty game, but this was another level entirely. The light, the shadows, the colors, the settings, absolutely stunning. I loved the filmmaking techniques they used, like the anamorphic lense-flares, film grain, and depth of field. It added a wonderful quality to not only the cutscenes but also the gameplay that felt very cinematic. In an alternate reality TLOU HBO was shot on film, but it’s a universe that we don’t deserve. This was one of the only games I’ve played where I turned up the graphics settings even though it would hurt performance because of just how wonderful it was to look at. Sometimes I would just stay in place and look at the views because of just how beautiful they were. Special shoutouts to the farmhouse sunset, the Rattler base, the ocean fight scene (more on that later), and the Seraphite village (more on that, too).

The Gameplay - What hasn’t been said about this already? The gameplay is fantastic. Super satisfying. I would end up bucking the intended, easier solution because the fights were just so fun. Every aspect was so dynamic. The ability to dodge made the hand-to-hand such an improvement over pt. I, and sound design of the fights and guns made it so satisfying. It was an absolute blast to play, I was grinning ear-to-ear the whole time.

The Acting - Ashley Johnson, Laura Bailey, Shannon Woodward, and Ian Alexander were all really great. They turned a lot of scenes that weren’t incredible into very weighty ones, and they managed to convey a lot of emotion despite being digital avatars.

The Gameplay (Pt. II) - Another thing I really loved was how the gameplay was used in the story. I don’t mean the big switch, though that was cool, but the smaller aspects that came back around. Abby using the arrow pulling in the fight with the Seraphite, the WLF deserters attacking you while you used the crafting table, fighting Tommy, and most of all seeing Ellie use the same tricks you used when you played as her against you in the theater fight was so cool and interesting.

The Seraphite Island - Making your way through Haven during the assault is hands down the best level of a game I have ever played. Going from the horse to caught between the two sides of the war to the hand-to-hand, all while it burns around you was absolutely phenomenal. I was in awe of just how incredibly that was executed. I couldn’t get enough of it, it was so amazing. It felt big and epic in a way I didn’t know was even possible for a video game. That was absolutely the peak of the experience for me.

Spectacle - This game excelled at spectacle. Making moments feel huge and awesome. It was an absolute blast every time it let loose. I loved how big it felt. Some special shoutouts to moments that just felt so incredibly epic: The Rat King, the theater, the car-chases, the lead-up to the aquarium on Ellie’s day with the lightning and the rain as you boated to it, the hospital, and most of all, obviously, Haven.

The Boss Battles - This game had sick boss battles. The Museum Fight was such a creative and unique boss fight. Fighting the character you played, using strategies you used, was so incredibly cool. The Rat King was a fun fight, but the lead-up to it especially was what made it so fun. The garage, the suspense, the lore. Really, really fun experiance. Lastly, the Final Fight hands down the best final boss battle I’ve ever played. Like, technically or gameplay wise it was so simple, but the emotional weight it packed was awesome. Plus, the visuals with the fog, the waves, and the bright red blood. Unreal. The shot of Ellie crying when drowning Ellie was probably my favorite of the whole game.

If you couldn’t tell I absolutely had a blast playing this. Every element of the gameplay was so fun and well executed, and I was fully engrossed every second. I felt giddy at times with just how exciting playing the game was. That being said, I do have my criticisms, mostly about specific aspects of the writing…

What I Disliked:

The Pacing - I feel like this is understandable. Ellie’s time in Seattle was very drawn-out plot wise, which worked because of the gameplay, but then Abby’s felt much more compressed. It should’ve been a bit longer, we should’ve gotten more bonding time with Lev, and the Seraphite/WLF conflict felt kinda jarring when it happened. Then, once Abby beats Ellie it goes hyper speed. Ellie’s at the farmhouse, Tommy’s at the farmhouse, Ellie leaves, Abby gets caught, Ellie’s in SB and finds Abby, Ellie’s in WY and goes home. It needed more room to breathe. It felt like someone took all the “important” scenes and cut out the in-between, which is what matters most. We needed more time to make it hit harder. I loved the ending, I just wish it was slower. HBO is having another season after Abby’s story, so I’m really hoping they expand the ending, give it more room to breathe, and add in some original content (which the show excels at).

Flat Tone - Pretty self-explanatory. It all felt pretty “samey” emotionally. Ellie’s time in Seattle is just very flat, which makes sense for the story, but it didn’t feel as fleshed-out as it could’ve. There wasn’t enough variety in her suffering. This goes even more so for Abby, who needed a lot more peaceful, quieter moments with Lev to really sell their bond.

Male Gaze - I felt like so often the game sorta told you to ogle the female character’s bodies. There was a lot of voyeur that I didn’t love in how the girls were presented through lots of different choices in the cinematography and costuming.

Lev’s Backstory Reveal - I really liked Lev, and I liked his backstory, I just don’t like how they went about telling us about it. The constant deadnaming and outing to Abby was rough enough, but then to not even have Lev tell Abby his backstory but Yara, who shared information he didn’t want Abby to know yet. It felt kinda icky, I can’t lie. I wish the narrative treated Lev with a bit more care, and I hope the show does in s3.

The Boat Scene - Here’s the thing, I actually really like scenes where characters suddenly hook up because of tension/adrenaline/etc. I also totally understand what they were trying to go for here, I’m just not sure they succeeded. I started laughing during it, which I don’t think was the intention of the scene, because it just felt kinda like what?

The Dialogue - Sure, the show can be a bit talky, but I think I’m spoiled because of just how good the quality of dialogue is in it. It’s very naturalistic, but also really deep and subtly witty. During a lot of conversations in the game, I felt like the dialogue was very clunky and, unlike the show, could really feel forced. Some of the profound things they were saying’s impact was deadened by sorta rough setup.

The Plotting - The plot is good for gameplay, but I just don’t know if it’s good for a story. It does what it needs to and gets you to the next set-piece, but the constant just kinda Stuff Happens™️ got a bit old. The obstacles felt kinda contrived, and while I get that the constant delays and setbacks show how motivated Ellie is to find Abby, I don’t think it’s very effective from a narrative perspective. In a lot of ways it made me appreciate the show more, because it is not a story that’s easily adaptable like pt. I was, because of how pointless a lot of it felt. With Ellie it was just “fight through all this stuff to find something”, and for Abby it was even worse because so much of it felt pointless. Like, the whole Rat King fight happens to get medicine for Yara (already a bit contrived, but I can forgive it because how fun the fight and setup were), but then Yara dies the next day. All the work to find Owen, but he dies the next day. It didn’t feel like it mattered much what was happening, and two days after I finished Ellie’s part I tried to remember what happened and I couldn’t. I remembered specific scenes and moments, but had no idea how we got there or where they led.

Isaac - Isaac was one of my favorite parts of s2, and Jeffrey Wright is one of my favorite actors, but man in the game he was just such a frustrating character. He was so purposeless, he served no use for the themes, and his death was so anti-climactic. You could take Isaac out and it would be exactly the same.

Shock Value - The constant deaths didn’t really work for me. Like, in pt. I there was some buildup to big deaths, but in pt. II characters were just constantly getting quickly shot in the head. It works once or twice because it’s surprising, but when every character just runs out of hiding and is instantly dead it loses a lot of its effectiveness and feels pretty cheap at some points. Like, put in some effort lol

A Lot of It Just Didn’t Hit for Me - I think I my brain just isn’t wired for video-games, because I can get excited, but I have trouble actually feeling stuff when I play. A lot of the time cutscenes would play out and I’d just be like 😐 the whole time, even during moments like Joel’s death. People give it a lot of credit for making them cry/get angry. I’ve heard tons of people say it’s absolutely devastating to play, but… I wasn’t devastated or angry or crying. I was just chillin’, having a blast with the violence.

The Gameplay (pt. III) - Speaking of the violence, the gameplay sorta renders the game’s anti-violence messaging a bit moot. It’s so fun that it kinda misses the point, y’know?

What I Thought the Show Did Better:

The Side Characters - Jesse and Dina were had way more depth and personality in the show. In the game I liked Dina, but she was pretty one note. However, in the show I loved her. You can talk about how it came at the expense of Ellie’s arc, but once you see a version of the character that feels much more interesting and fun to watch, it’s hard to go back. I also really liked the conflict with Jesse in the show, and while I wish that he and Ellie got a few more moments of friendship, he had actual importance and weight that was never assigned to him in the game. By the end of s2 I even really cared about Mel, who didn’t a lot of screen time, much more than in the game. She was another of the season’s highlights alongside Isaac and Dina.

Joel - I loved Joel’s arc in s2. The themes of generational trauma were absolutely stunning and really made me emotional. Episode 6 is one of the best episodes of modern television. In the game he didn’t have an arc, so I was glad that we got some emotion and growth from him. I also much preferred his death in the show. Say what you will about them revealing Abby’s backstory early, but the tension and buildup throughout episode two (another of the best episodes of modern television, btw) was so well executed, and his death being more drawn out and built up to made it feel a lot less cheap than in the game. I know some people like the suddenness of it, but yeah, for me it was a bit too sudden and the lead-up in the show made it hit harder and feel much more earned.

The Performances (pt. II) - I’ve posted before about how the performances in the game vs the show aren’t comparable. It’s not only a different medium, but also a different version of the character, and pitting them against each other is just reductive of the amazing performances on both sides. HOWEVER, I did find myself missing the added intensity and weight of live-action, where it showed real people rather than digital ones.

Show Their Age - Self-explanatory. They acted nineteen in the show. If someone told me Ellie and Dina were nineteen in the game and showed no evidence except how they acted, I wouldn’t have believed them.

Mel and Owen’s Death - What can I say? In the show it was absolutely devastating and one of the best scenes in the whole series. The quieter but sadder approach worked so well and was absolutely visceral and brutal to witness. Here’s a clip of my favorite reaction YouTubers watching the scene that just about sums it up:

What I Thought the Game Did Better:

The weird thing is, I don’t actually have a ton here. Because despite all the problems with s2, there isn’t a lot specifically that I thought was better. I think the game told the story a bit better, but the story was also very much made for a video game and didn’t really suit a tv show. However, when comparing specifics, I couldn’t find a ton on the micro scale that was an improvement, it was mostly on the macro.

More Focus on Ellie - Obviously. The biggest problem with s2 was how Ellie was too often sidelined to support in a story that was supposed to be about her. Often, she was relegated to responding and setting up other characters for good lines of dialogue and character moments without enough of her own. In s1, in scenes like the cage scene with David, Ellie talked way less than him, but it was still just as much about her as it was him. I wish this had that same quality, but for a lot of conversations she felt pretty unimportant.

Narrative Consistency - While I complained about the flat tone, it’s hard to argue that pt. II isn’t more consistent than s2. Not really much else to add, it just felt a bit more cohesive.

Makeup and Hairstyling - I liked how dirty the characters got. My favorite was all the times they got absolutely covered in blood. That always looked incredible lmao

Hi Nora - Super small thing, but I loved how in the game Ellie found Nora and just went “Hi, Nora”.

Final Thoughts:

I had an absolute blast with pt. II, one of the most fun game experiences I’ve ever had in terms of gameplay. A lot of story beats were kinda a miss for me, but I thought it had some great writing and some awesome moments that felt like a true spectacle. Needed more time, needed more variation, but generally pretty good👍 Also, absolutely gorgeous.