#heinous plays zelda

[heinousactszx]

so. ocarina of time. a more influential work you aren't likely to find. the greatest video game ever made

and i hate it

listen i get the importance of this game in the history of the medium. every 3d action game since 1998 owes something to ocarina. i get that it was ground-breaking when it came out. and i get that it's incredibly beloved by the people who grew up with it. i get it

but none of that matters for my personal playthrough of the game, and my playthrough was almost completely unfun. the controls are incredibly finicky, i can't even tell you how many times i died or screwed up a puzzle when the game made me zig when i meant to zag. plus there's the weird delay on the hookshot and arrows, the imprecise nature of trying to z-target something, it does not feel good to play.

the puzzles let me down too, they were either blatantly obvious or very obtuse; rarely did i get a strong feeling of satisfaction for figuring it out like i do in other zelda games. and it's not helped by the fact that the game is so goddamn slow. slow to walk, slow to advance the plot, slow to actually get from place (even with the warps). it's just a slog all around

i realize this sounds like bait but i genuinely think skyward sword is the better game. i stand by every complaint i made about SS, but the combat was more fun, the puzzles were outstanding, and even though it was a hallway of a game, at least walking through that hallway controlled well enough.

i don't know man. i've given ocarina more tries than i think i've given any other game, and finally finishing it has not improved my opinion. i try not to be a hater, and yet at the end i still find myself hating it

tldr, egoraptor was right

but none of that matters now. it's over and done. i never have to play ocarina again for the rest of my life. time (hurr) to move on.

up next, the legend of zelda: a link to the past. which i am gaming to start immediately because if i don't play a good zelda game soon i'm going to blow up

[ladyjenise]

Thoughts on why Ganondorf makes "that face" in Tears of the Kingdom

I'm several months late, but I didn't want to post spoiler stuff when the game was fresh and, frankly, I had quite a whack summer. So here we are.

Anyway, onto the meta: my thoughts on why Ganondorf makes "that face" in Tears of the Kingdom.

Yes, this face:

One of the first things I want to do is credit some rad metas that helped me along in my thought process:

-Discussion of Ganondorf's facial design from a technical and creative standpoint

-Discussion of Ganondorf's outfit

And now to the actual meta! Will include spoilers for Tears of the Kingdom.

When the screenshots of Ganondorf making "that face" first hit the internet, there was a lot of lol and wtf, which was fair. Most people weren't that far in the game yet. Actually, not sure it was even out yet (there was an early leaked ROM floating around at some point pre-release). I don't want to dwell much on people's initial reactions as I think if you're here reading you've already processed your initial feelings on seeing it. And your initial reaction of LOL WTF is fine. Out of context, it probably made little sense.

But let's talk about context: Ganondorf makes this face after killing Sonia for her Secret Stone. He's literally laughing over her dead body as Zelda calls out vainly to the fallen queen. It's a very heinous, dramatic act. And I think, in context, that confused people even more because his face, on first glance, feels over the top and silly for such a serious moment. However, it's not there because Nintendo's devs don't know what they're doing. At least, that's what I'm trying to argue here.

Let's discuss the build up to this scene in the story chronology: Ganondorf tries to use moldugas to attack the fledgling kingdom of Hyrule. It goes badly because Rauru, alongside Sonia and Zelda, are able to use Secret Stones of the Zonai to fend off the attack. It's a very lopsided victory.

Ganondorf takes a moment to pout before observing the Secret Stones. Ganondorf correctly observes that brute force will not be enough. Not one to sit back on his failures, Ganondorf is clearly already hatching a new plan. End of scene.

We next see Ganondorf at the court of Rauru and Sonia, bending the knee in what we know is a false act of fealty. Of course, this scene is a reference to the plot of Ocarina of Time (where we spy on Ganondorf through a window as he bends the knee to the King of Hyrule, who is out of the shot). it's also a glimpse of Ganondorf the schemer.

If you had not met Ganondorf before playing Tears of the Kingdom, you might actually think Ganondorf is just a mindlessly violent guy (and he is that too, don't get me wrong). You might not have expected this dude to roll up to the court of Hyrule and start playing the political game. His character design looks like the exact kind of guy who could punch your head clean off your body. Just look at him:

He's a brick wall. He looks like a big tough guy, and maybe he's just some big dummy who only understands violence. It's a stereotype Nintendo has subverted again and again with his character. And there Ganondorf is at the court of Rauru serving backhanded compliments like a pro. And while Rauru assures Zelda that he knows Ganondorf is up to shit, he's really got Rauru convinced that he can handle him. As we shall see, Rauru was mistaken. But that's Ganondorf for you. His character is about subverting expectations. This is what makes him so very fun.

Even his costume, with the reversible robe, tells you a lot about who he is. On the outside, a calm, clever, cultured man. On the inside, he's ready to fuck your shit up. I love it.

Back to the scene.

After assuring Rauru he simply wants to play nice and have the protection of Hyrule, Ganondorf serves some cunty lines implying Rauru is an interloper and an outsider etc before leaving. And it's at this point I noticed that when Ganondorf takes his leave, he makes this really flourishing move with his arm that made me stop and think.

You can probably find the scene online somewhere, but here's a screenshot of what I mean:

And note that he also uses his sleeved arm, creating that extra diva flourish as he goes. We also get a real good fast look at how colourful and different his sleeve is. He's turned his back to Rauru and the others after swearing his fealty. His changeable nature is displayed to the player. It's a nice wink and nod to Ganondorf's later betrayal. Only Zelda has a real inkling that he's really, really bad news and probably shouldn't even be there. But if you've played Ocarina of Time, you understand that Zelda isn't listened to until it's too late.

Returning to the flourish itself: Ganondorf didn't have to do this. And Nintendo didn't have to waste animation time having him do this. But they did. And they did it again when he laughs over Sonia's body. And they do it again when he swallows his Secret Stone. They just. keep. doing. it.

Why?

Why do all this extra dramatic animation for Ganondorf?

Those familiar with kabuki (a classical form of Japanese theatre) are probably screaming KABUKI, and I would agree. I didn't immediately get there at first only because my background was in another form of classical theatre: Greek (ask me about my unversity minor lol). I'm not going into a deep dive on either classical Greek theatre nor kabuki because that's a lot, I'm not really an expert or super familiar with the details, and I also think their Wikipedia pages will probably give you a decent summary of what you might want to learn details on. However, classic Greek theatre is old as shit and has a lot of great stories with characters you'll recognize. I recommend.

What I need you, dear reader, to understand about classic and ancient forms of theatre is their emphasis ON emphasis. It's a lot of what we might think of as exaggerated elements, over-the-top forms, and straight up spelling shit out to the audience. Real archaic shit. Because the world we are watching in these memories IS archaic to Link. There's 10,000 years between the memories we see and Link's time. It's like we, as Link, are viewing a kabuki play or a Greek play about stuff that happened then. It makes perfect sense to have Ganondorf act like he's in an ancient play. And that's how you get shit like this:

This is all theatre.

But why is ancient theatre so weird? It's not. We think it looks weird because it's unfamiliar to us. Most of us don't grow up watching ancient plays. Even those of use who read Shakespeare in school are usually sweating through the now-archaic English (it was only 400-ish years ago!) You're not equipped, and that's cool.

And honestly, if you are familiar with Ganondorf, he truly is a creature of theatre. Just look at this castle he builds in Ocarina of Time:

He destroyed Hyrule Castle to build this giant fucking castle levitating over a pit of lava. Like why? Because he CAN. Because he can't do anything in halves.

Also, his outfits. Look at this shit. He can't tone it down. I don't think he could if he tried.

Coming back to Ganondorf's face when he kills Sonia: when Ganondorf's face contorts and he starts to laugh evilly, we are told in very certain terms that he's made a critical choice. If you weren't sure before, you're being told now: He's evil. There's no going back from this. And he's embracing it. There is zero remorse. Killing her was the act he needed to move from man to monster. It's very important that you, the player, understand this. It's a moral thing. And I don't mean like "If you like this character after you are a bad person" type of thing. That's not what I mean here (and what people who have weird obsessions on the internet often misunderstand just so they can start fights over dumb shit). What I mean is that the storytellers need you need to understand your character's motivations for wanting to fight this guy.

And the next scene plainly shows what I'm talking about: Ganondorf takes the Secret Stone and literally turns into a demon king. He's no longer a man. He's this other, immoral being now. Bye bye, human Ganondorf, hello monster Ganondorf! That's it.

Going back to his eating of the Secret Stone, which changes Ganondorf from good ol' demon king to the for realsies demon dragon, he says some lines about giving up his "body" and "mind" and, frankly "everything", just so he can win. But also it's a desperate last attempt at keeping hold of the power that has so horribly blinded him to the truth.

That last part is ironic for Ganondorf, a man who was clever enough to get into the heart of Hyrule, steal their powerful relic, kill the queen and ALMOST become king. Because that's his ultimate failing. He's smart, clever, and his wins get the better of him. His addiction to power means he never stops to consider he might have weaknesses he cannot yet see, or that, as Rauru warns him, his arrogance and blind faith in his own abilities and talents might be his downfall.

In a way, the story is just as much about Link searching for Zelda and Zelda trying to figure out her role in the world as it is about the fall of a powerful man. Is it tragic that Ganondorf let himself become so corrupted by power that it would slowly transform him from man to demon? I guess it depends on who you ask, really. (I think it's fucking cool)

[theladyoracle]

I am a BEN Drowned cat ear headphones truther 😤😤😤

I like to imagine BEN sort of like an incel - stays in his bedroom all day, so plugged into the internet but so detached from reality. He really hermits in his bedroom and spends a lot of time online or staring at screens. His backstory in my AU under the cut

In my AU, BEN is more than just a ‘ghost’ or ‘spirit’. His creation was far more complex than just the end of one life, but rather the elaborate creation of something new. The very corruption that was the heinous sacrifice of 12 year old Ben Lawman was enough to manifest the creation of BEN; a haunted video game cartridge, where a vengeful and angry spirit resided. To be clear, once Ben Lawman was sacrificed, the child was dead. Instead, what became of his excess dread, anguish and fear would twist and contort into the hardware of the Majoras Mask cartridge. The unholy deeds of the cult would also contribute to this wicked entities awakening, and in turn create the monster we know as BEN Drowned.

In short, Ben Lawman died. BEN Drowned lived.

In the early stages, BEN was hardly anything substantial. Mostly, the energy was just...angry, frustrated. There was an undertone of violence but...no where to put the energy. BEN hardly had a form at all...merely stealing sprites from Majora's Mask as placeholders for his identity...and cutting up letters and sentences from the games data to write his own means to communicate.

All he knew was a name, BEN, and that something was taken from him.

As Slenderman sees the potential in this…thing, he grants BEN the opportunity to age as if he never died.

He allows BEN to have a physical form, outside of the haunted game cartridge, that is able to age as if he never drowned.

However, this doesn’t come without a couple of conditions or caveats. BEN is undead, and as his soul has combined with the Majora’s Mask cartridge he has some supernatural abilities. Playing off the theme of the Zelda games Majora’s Mask and Ocarina of Time (both in which would come from knowledge carried over from Ben Lawman, and the coding from Majora’s Mask), BEN is able to age and regress as needed - this aids him in luring in different victims and manipulating others.

This shape shifting ability also helps him fit into spaces that he normally wouldn’t be able to get into, and maneuver through different terrains seamlessly. However, he does have a default form that has properly aged with him as if he had never died at the age of 11 years old. This default form takes 0 energy to maintain and is often the most comfortable for him.

[fancy11schmancy]

The Adventure/Outdoors outfit concept for 1920’s AU Zelda is all done!!💚✨ I had a ton of fun working on this- Progress for The Chateau Of The Red Moon AU is going along nicely-! Next is her “Royal Court” attire-

Brief lore of Zelda’s role in the AU:

Since travel has been restored between the light realm and the twilight realm, a newfound unity flourished between the two societies. New friends, new towns/cities to explore, never-before-seen technologies and fashions at their disposal-all seemed well...until nefarious rumors of a returning great threat started to spread...

Being a princess about to assume the role of Queen, Zelda’s utmost duty is to her people-especially when it comes to their protection from any unforeseen threat. Once strange happenings and various crimes start to occur in the streets of Castle Town and across Hyrule, Zelda’s the first to spearhead an investigation to discover the cause- (to which her father is very disapproving of).

With the assistance of Link and Midna, Zelda is able to track down leads and clues at a lighting fast pace. However, is she fast enough to discover the causes behind these heinous wrongdoings before the danger becomes something far worse?

As for Zelda herself, she holds herself to a very high standard and always works to the best of her abilities in order to keep everyone she loves safe and sound.

Being a Royal, Zelda has extensive knowledge of Hyrule and the world around her- be it political, scientific, historical or cultural in nature. She loves to learn and is highly exacting and strategic in all of her decision making. Zelda strives for efficiency but she is also very empathetic, being mindful on how consequences affect those around her. She loves any sort of intellectual challenge, especially when it comes to “seemly impossible” mysteries and puzzles. While she does play the part of a refined princess and soon-be-queen, her true passion lies in exploring and going on thrilling and exciting adventures through dark dungeons and forests with her best friend, Link. (and of course, causing occasional trouble with Midna too). In her downtime, when Zelda isn’t reading or studying (or solving a case), she excels at being a seasoned equestrian and practicing various martial arts, being a very capable hand-to-hand combatant and fencer.  As she has traveled more with Link and Midna, she has taken a liking to collecting tea tins from various regions around Hyrule- nothing beats a good cup of tea!

[isa-ah]

Ooooh I'd never thought of it like that: removing Ganondorf's initial reasons for hating the royal family... I guess Ganon himself has always been evil for evil's sake, the never-ending tale of good vs bad, the knight, the princess (damsel in distress), and the monster. I absolutely love what they did with Ganondorf in Wind Waker for example ("I coveted that wind") but yeah, I hadn't considered that they basically removed his motivation. And what's the point of the Calamity then?

Because AGAIN we can go back to Ikana or the Twili, people who got screwed over by Hyrule and the goddesses and have a sort of valid reason to be so upset and vengeful. Hell, the shadow temple in ocarina literally talks about the bloody history of Hyrule, it's royal family, and the lengths the shiekah went to subdue any enemies. Not to be all Undertale but... what if we're the bad guys?

THAT'S WHAT I WANTED FROM ZELDAS ARC!

she was primed! the royal family failed her. her goddess failed her. her destiny failed her. she had to pick herself up. she was told to her face she was a disappointment to her bloodline. and the position she's in- Hyrule is gone and the royal family is dead. she has to start from the ground up.

that is the PERFECT set up for sending her back in time to meet the founders of her family and ganondorf before any of the wars, and to have a paradigm shift that both acknowledges how evil the royal family has been, AND that ganondorf was a victim who was pushed to this point BY hylia and her chosen. Zelda and ganondorf could have connected! rauru being a high and mighty perfect king could have been played to Horror instead of Cheers. Zelda could have seen in real time the making of a monster by her own ancestors and DONE something. reparations, empathy, ANYTHING to acknowledge that ganondorf didn't choose demise like she didn't choose hylia.

the triforce could have been reunified under a new age of peace. if this is the end of the timeline, it could have CONCLUDED the curse. reparations for making ganondorf the evil scary brown guy, acknowledgement that the royal family has done some really heinous things. unity between the hero, princess and demon king. that would have been INCREDIBLE.

and instead of following up on ANY of the incredible setup this could have utilized, we got... zonai with no elaboration, ancient sages with no personality, a perfect royal family that Zelda fits right into, and ganondorf, sans any motivation, being deemed "evil" on sight. what a joke honestly.

[alasse-earfalas]

If you’re up for it, I would love to hear director’s cut/commentary on Atmosphere. I’ve had the section where the ladies show up haunting my brain as well as Malon finding out what’s going on and why and asking to go murder a couple parents. ♥️

Of course!! This'll be fun. :D

The girls showing up was never a part of the plan until it happened, haha. Once my brain decided on it, I thought about who would notice their Links missing, how soon would they notice, what would be going on in their eras with the timelines all screwy, and how they would they prepare.

BotW Zelda (Zel / Flora)'s situation was the first one that came to mind, which is why I wrote the meet-up from her perspective. I figured she & at least Purah would notice that the SoR was in use and be like, "????? What the heck is going on???" And of course, since Zel hasn't heard from her Champion in a while, she's going to be worried enough to set out looking for him.

I figured Time and Malon would have some sort of rule or system in place about when Malon should start to worry and come looking for him. So she's all ready to go by the time she notices something off; she grabs her "wife's 72-hour emergency hero-ing kit" and rides out.

Tetra & Aryll are some of the first to notice something's up since they have such an immediate contact method that suddenly quits working. Tetra was going to set out by herself, but Aryll wasn't going to not look for her missing brother.

For Ilia, people suddenly started to forget about Link (idk why my brain decided on this but it did) and even the landscape began to shift as if he'd never existed. This set off all kinds of alarm bells and got Ilia packing to leave almost immediately. She didn't sit still and wait to be rescued during the Twilight Invasion, and she sure as heck wasn't going to sit still for this.

MC Zelda (Zellie / Dot) had a similar weird situation, except it was her that people weren't remembering. She was torn between "is this some elaborate prank" and "wait maybe something is really wrong" when a Minish friend recognized her and was super worried. That convinced her to set out through the portal (entirely, or at least mostly unprepared) to find her Link, because that's who you call whenever something bad happens. [ghostbusters starts playing in the background]

Idk what tips off HW Zelda (Zeldy / Artemis) that something's wrong, but whatever it is persuades her to travel in disguise, just in case.

Once they all arrive and everything is explained, Malon and HW Zelda are the only ones old/mature enough to understand exactly how heinous Sky's childhood situation was. Zeldy sees it more from a military perspective, like: "how could you treat a child—let alone your own child—so poorly that he ends up with mental issues on par with veterans of war??" and sees his parents as vile from that, more of a war-crime perspective.

Malon, on the other hand, has adopted all of the Links and is very mama-bear, "you don't hurt my BOYS" about it. Especially because she's met Sky, I bet they had a nice conversation while he was tending the chickens, she knows what a soft guy he is so hearing that he comes from that kind of a background just pushed all of her protective mama rage buttons.

This was fun!! If you want more details about a specific thing or if you want to hear about another part, feel free to ask! 😊

(As a side-note, I just got finished reading through the entire thing, and oh BOY chapter 155 is a mess. (;ಠ_ಠ) It's bad enough that I'm gonna go back & rewrite it, possibly touch up the chapters after it too before moving on with the story.)

[kyndaris]

And Then You Wake...

Ever since watching Inception, the idea of living life in one's dreams has always held an allure for me. Especially given how vivid and complex and awe-inspiring some of my dreams have been. After all, I'm not one who usually has dreams that feel like the every day, where I'm plugging away at work or going to school only to find I've forgotten to wear pants. Rather, my dreams have always felt like elaborate films or action set pieces (the ones I remember, at least). Sometimes there will be zombies chasing after me and a group of survivors who look like my friends. Other times, a dragon might erupt from the floor of my preschool.

I ask you, dear readers, who wouldn't want to explore that kind of fantastical world over the mundane boring real world?

In The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening, after being struck by lightning in the middle of a storm, Link washes up on the shores of Koholint Island. What he doesn't initially know, although he will later find out, is that Koholint exists only as the dream of the mythical Wind Fish. It's an illusory land filled with people and monsters and nightmares, along with references to the Mario games.

While some might argue Link's actions heinous as he strives to leave the island by waking the Wind Fish because to do so would destroy a living breathing world, I believe Link's actions are no worse than what we do in our fictional video games. For, no matter how real something can feel or seem, in the end, Marin and the villagers we meet are only figments of another's imagination. They aren't real. At least, not in the way most would understand.

I'm sure you've heard the argument before. Especially when one grows attached to a set of programmed pixels. In my head I know Garrus Vakkarian wouldn't look twice at me and that he's a fictional alien, but it doesn't stop me from fantasising over the best way to get him to fall for my Commander Shepard.

The same could be extended to characters in television shows and movies. The time we spent with them can feel as real as spending time with actual friends, but in the end, they're not actually a living breathing flesh human you could possibly bump into on the street. Yes, you might bump into the actor who plays them but an actor could be miles different from the character you've come to know and love.

On that note, just because something isn't real doesn't mean our connection with them isn't. As the Wind Fish says, though no-one else will ever encounter Koholint Island after it's gone, it lives on in Link's memory and the gamers who played the game.

It's a bit like grief and losing someone close to you. In fact, it's the perfect allegory/ metaphor.

They might be gone in the physical sense but they will always be with you in spirit. As long as you cling to those precious memories of who they once were and dream of the possibility of who they could be.

Now if you feel like someone has been cutting onions close to you, wipe away those tears for I need to get started proper on my impression on Link's Awakening.

Eschewing the very popular Tears of the Kingdom, I chose to use the back portion of 2023 to catch up on a few of the games I missed earlier in the Switch's life cycle in order to free up some storage on my limited storage space. 128GB is simply not enough. Heck, even the 700GB my PlayStation 5 internal storage isn't enough for all the games I want to play when every new game trends towards 100 GB upon disc install.

But I also wanted to play Link's Awakening because it was a Zelda game I have yet to play. And because it was also nice and short and I could use it as a palate cleanser from the very lengthy Fire Emblem: Engage. Plus, you know, the claymation style also tickled my fancy.

From the moment Link awoke, I was on my way gathering up all the necessary things I'd need to wake the Wind Fish and to explore Koholint Island. Along the way, I encountered nightmares trying to prevent the Wind Fish from waking, along with the occasional meta fourth wall breaks from the denizens of the world.

Over the course of the time I spent with the game, I managed to collect all of the heart containers, upgrades for my weapons and fish up Cheep Cheeps and Ol' Baron.

Unlike the sprawling open worlds that have come to dominate the wider video game landscape, Link's Awakening was downright compact, even as I occasionally backtracked because I missed a Secret Shell or unlocked a new way to reach a heart container. The world felt alive in a way so many open-world games lack because of the forethought when it came to item placement and the construction of the world.

From a gameplay perspective, Link's Awakening follows a tried and true formula of unlocking specific items that help you in the following boss battle, which in turn allows Link to explore the rest of the island as new routes open up.

Given how short the game is, it helps gate certain content while also leaving players salivating for what might come next. I know I was always keen to see where Link would be directed to go next and how the new tools in his arsenal would help him solve the problems placed before him.

Special mention, though, needs to be placed on the Roc Feather, which allowed Link to jump. Oh, and the grapple hook. Those were some of the most useful tools in Link's arsenal and in most situations, they were the two items I kept equipped unless I faced an enemy that needed a different approach.

While some puzzles and dungeons could be a little obtuse, especially the latter ones, I didn't find myself too aggrieved. After all, in the day of the internet, it's easier to find the path I need to go to unlock the next path forward before putting my phone down to enjoy the game as is.

Still, a hint system wouldn't hurt on the odd occasion when the going gets tough. Especially when it came to figuring out how the horse chess pieces worked.

As for story, well, there's not much to say. There's no real threat beyond the nightmares preventing the Wind Fish, and by extension Link, from awakening. Indeed, their actions are only confined to the dungeons they're located in and are only exacerbated by Link's attempt to get off the island to, no doubt, rescue Princess Zelda in some part of Hyrule.

There's no underlying subplot waiting to be uncovered.

Link's objective is clear. Wake the Wind Fish. Get off Koholint Island.

And once he's completed it, the game ends.

There is much that could be said of the minimal plot but it serves its purpose to keep the players plodding along. While the reveal that Koholint Island is only a dream might offer up a dilemma to players', Link, for his part, keeps on pressing on.

But as with all stories, be they video games, books and dreams, there always comes an end. If anything, Link's Awakening only serves to make it clear that although something may end, they can remain with us for as long as wish. Certainly, the creation of fanfiction is one such way. And even now when I look back on a wonderful, they all serve as a means to keeping Koholint Island alive although my time with it has gone, vanishing into the swirling mists of the subconsciousness as I rise to the surface and wake.

[fictoromantik]

My name is Fictoromantik! I am a 20+ year old college student born with Autism and is a Genderfluid Transmasc that does drawing as a hobby and is regrettingly doing an art course in Level 3: Art and Design. I’ve been drawing throughout my entire life ever since I was a young kid and hope to do commissions to earn my own money in the near future.

Besides drawing, I have many hobbies and interests that I enjoy doing in my spare time, and what I enjoy doing other than drawing is: writing my own stories, taking photographs, listening to music, playing 90s/00s video games, consuming a lot of fandom content I’m apart of, and fantasizing about my fictional husbands and myself in fake scenarios I love thinking about 24/7. 

I’ve been a self-shipper and have done self-ship art of myself being paired with my fictional Other(s) since I was a young dumb teenager, and my first ever fictional crush/main crush being Link from the manga book version, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords. But my love for him has died down a bit nowadays (I still adore him!) and is now my comfort character. The fictional character I now main now when shipping myself with him is a character from a Michael Haneke film called Funny Games, most specifically the 2007/US version, and the character from the film is called Paul.

Read before following me: Before anyone who stumbles onto my blog and follows me straight away, is that this blog is 18+ only, meaning no underage users allowed on my blog! Plus, as a self-shipper, I tend to ship myself with villainous/morally questionable fictional characters that do heinous stuff and are terrible people! So if you are uncomfortable by that, I suggest you block me! Also do not forget to read my DNI link below before following me!

⛧ My fictional husbands ⛧ Art status ⛧ Do not interact ⛧

[talking-revolver]

It’s gotten to the point where I have to start judging people a little bit for buying the next big AAA game for upwards of $60.

These companies pump out unfinished, unoptimized games, which often come with predatory microtransaction and live service models, while mistreating their employees and customers alike. And they keep doing it and getting away with it because people keep giving them money. No matter what bullshit they pull, they'll get money out of it. And that's all they care about. They don't care if you support them morally or not, only financially. If they get called out, they just have their PR team whip up an apology jpeg, then take the money and run.

Like, at this point, if you shell out money to a corporation just so you can play the next Zelda or whatever, you are just affirming that they can do whatever heinous shit they want and still profit. You are part of the problem.

Before anyone screams “think of the devs!!!!”: they’ve already gotten paid, and as far as I’m aware, the actual developers don’t get royalties, only the companies that hold the IPs.

Like, I know this may sound harsh, but there genuinely is no good excuse to keep supporting these corporations. Not fun, not nostalgia, not even the games being decent. A good, polished game does not excuse the human cost.

Stop letting them manipulate your fear of missing out. Stop letting corporations guilt trip you into funding their greed machines. Spend that $70+ on a few indie games that have actual love put into them. I guarantee you there’s stuff out there and coming soon that’s way better than Open World Grindfest #57685 or Point-and-Shoot With 200% MORE Gambling Addiction!!

Better yet, learn how to pirate shit. It is morally correct to pirate AAA games.

[heinousactszx]

actually the more i think about it, the zelda series is way worse about the damsel in distress thing than mario is. when mario does it it's almost always just the excuse plot to get you playing the game, which isn't great. but zelda games throw up this facade of a deeper story that keeps boiling down to "rescue the helpless princess" as the ultimate plot point. bleh

(yeah, i know it's not literally every zelda game that does this. enough of them do to make it a frustrating pattern worthy of criticism)

[unsanctitude]

opening my hands up politely. may i have some of your octavo and/or shadow link + zelda thoughts. its ok if not !!

ya! i like to think about them : ) ill talk about Shadow link and zelda first and then how they relate to Octavo

-Since Shadow Link is described as the manifestation of Ganon's evil thoughts and resentment, i personally like to think of shadow Zelda as being that of Vaati's, since him being a dead god loaded with inner turmoil warrants him leaving traces of himself with unfinished business lurking around Hyrule for the rest of time

-I also like Shadow Zelda being the manifestation of Vaati's feelings surrounding Zelda just because of how conflicted his feelings were between games; in TMC he essentially tried to kill her to obtain the light force, while in FS he tried to marry her cause he thinks she's pretty. i like to think Shadow Zelda embodies both of these Vaatis, which makes her have very conflicting (and dangerous) feelings towards present-day Zelda, though she's strictly forbidden from acting out on her more power-hungry tendencies since Zelda is a friend to Octavo and Shadow Zelda obeys him.. to an extent

-Shadow Link's loyalty towards Octavo stems from the fealty he swore to Vaati ages ago during FS/FSA, since he still recognizes Octavo as being the "true" Vaati even though he's rejected the mantle of becoming the wind mage. Despite his devotion to Vaati, Shadow Link refuses to recognize Shadow Zelda as being related to Vaati at all, seeing her as his equal, and spurns her demands of deference to her

-Thus, Shadow Link and Shadow Zelda's clashing opinions and constant arguing gives them a very hatred-fueled, sibling-like dynamic in their never-ending cycle of "proving" who is the more powerful, respectable shadow; Shadow Link often touts that he is eons older than her and "he was there" during Vaati's glory days as his trusted servant, and Shadow Zelda argues that her being the reflection of a princess by default has her outrank him, and he should naturally obey her like the real Link "obeys" Zelda. needless to say neither of them will ever have their minds changed

-Octavo wants to see something more to them besides being mindless pawns of evil, so he does try to treat them as such and makes attempts to "humanize" them by giving them hobbies that dont involve violence. Obviously as a music teacher he tries to get them to play instruments (a very, very wide array of them to see if they click with any) met with little success

"Do either of you know how to play any instruments?"

"Do instruments of torture count"

-Along the same vein, he very patronizingly tries to get the two Shadows to get along with each other and "play nice" like an actual parent scolding his children. it doesnt work

-In general, his attempts to get them to go against their very nature of trickery and malevolence goes just about as well as you'd expect, and he finds the most he can do is order them to simply not commit heinous atrocities. The Shadows grow increasingly frustrated by not staying true to their purpose and more often than not will do things behind his back; they enrich themselves by inconveniencing Link and Zelda, but only just enough so they don't get in trouble

-At least, Shadow Link is the one who is careful about disobeying Octavo, since Shadow Zelda isnt exactly bound by fealty to him. In the back of her mind, I think she very secretly wants Octavo to become more like her, and that in fact might just be the whole point of her existence. I think of them like two halves of Vaati-- Octavo is the physical reincarnation and inherited much of Vaati's magic and skill, while Shadow Zelda embodies his hatred and the inexplicable drive to do evil. Shadow Zelda doesn't want to turn against him per se, especially since he's much stronger than her and fears he would destroy her, but she feels the need to "fix" him, and takes advantage of his kindness to try and get into his head

-And.. depending on what "ending" you go with for Octavo, she may or may not have succeeded. I think Shadow Zelda played a part in turning Octavo into the Necrodancer once she recognized a seed of corruption sown into him by the Golden Lute, nudging him towards madness by asserting herself as a voice of reason, especially since they've been ""friends"" for so long. She would have been the one to convince him to hang on to the lute instead of destroying it once he realized what it was doing to him, since he does possess enough willpower to do so otherwise.

[thevisualtwins]

Interactive video games are new inspirations for the creation of cinematographic adaptations!

Most video games suggest gamers to follow the story of the characters they play in a linear way and to go with them throughout their quest. This question aims to mentally speaking evolve interpreted characters. This dramaturgical construction is close to cinematographic dramaturgy and is also very present in video games played by children and teenagers. These games are globally adventure games (the Mario, Sonic and Zelda video games saga) and “creation games” (Imagine, Style Savvy…). The ending of these video games is the same for any payer. Other video games have a more complex “screenplay” where several stories get mixed together in the same video game universe: the player does not follow the journey of a single character anymore, but of several characters. The story of a character is linked to another one. In these same video games, the gamer can choose the actions he wants his character to execute. These kind of video games are called interactive video games and the main target audience are adults (PEGI 18 video games, PEGI 12 for The Sims). Sometimes, players' choice can be minimalist such as in Heavy Rain or The Sims. In the first part of Heavy Rain (PEGI 18), the gamer plays the role of young Shaun's father, Ethan. Shaun is home from school and Ethan has to take care of his son. The player can make the father cook Shaun's dinner, ask Shaun to do his homework or take him to bed. The player can also make Ethan drink a beer or some orange juice. These small actions which, at first sight, seem not to be very important to the progression of the story, let the gamer free to play as he wants until the end of the game. We conclude that Heavy Rain  gives the impression that the player is the scriptwriter of his own story. Then, choices become more complicated for Ethan; the player has to take good decisions in order for Ethan to save his son, kidnapped by the Origami killer. The characters' lifes in Heavy Rain depend on the player's game choices.

Until Dawn is a horror interactive video game. Joshua Washington invites his 7 friends to come back to the Washington family chalet where his two sisters, Beth and Hannah, died a year ago. The 8 teenagers will have to face a serial killer and the monstrous and heinous Wendigo: the player is also  here the only person capable of saving the life of each character. There is an additional difficulty in Until Dawn: the player has a time limit to choose one of two actions that his character will perform, which makes the situation more stressful. In the end, if the interactive video game is a form of creation for the player, it can also become another one for a film script writer. Let's imagine that a screenwriter decides to adapt a video game into a movie. Thanks to the interactive video game, the screenwriter would be as free as the gamer to choose the end that seems to him the most suitable for his adaptation.The video game appears as a kind of virtual storyboard where the possibilities of stories are multifaceted. The video game can be considered as a tool for staging a story. This situation would even give the scriptwriter the possibility of producing several possible endings for a same movie. In Until Dawn for instance, the scriptwriter can decide to let all the teenagers survive or to kill every one of them, or anything in between.

This situation can also exist for the video game Detroit: Become Human. In Detroit: Become Human, the story takes place in a world where droids live with humans. Droids are exploited and discriminated against by humans (droids also physically look like humans). During the entire video game, the player's choices will bring him to start a droid revolution which will destroy the entire world or to begin building a new egalitarian world. Interactive video games adaptation into movies with alternative endings would manage to play with the public's feelings and reactions.

In a situation where the director decides to adapt two endings for the same movie (the adaptation of an interactive video game), several questions would also be of importance, starting with the one of the movie broadcast. We can imagine that a same movie with two different endings would be broadcasted in two different cinemas. In theaters, the spectator would have no idea which ending awaits him, such as for the release of the horror movie Unfriended Dark Web (4 different endings). Thanks to these different endings, the spectator also uncovers new aspects of the characters.

Another question concerns copyrights. Will the director of the adaptation get copyright for one or two creations (because there are 2 endings)?

[ibijau]

a list of my wips because apparently I need to do that to myself from time to time to realise I’m out of control.

Zelda side:

Spit it out / the fuck fate AU. It’s slow going lately because I can’t find the time to play the game, and I can’t write it without immersing myself in the game, but it’s still going. I have two divine beasts left and probably some shrine bullshit will be covered just for the joy of pissing on the sheikahs and then we’ll reach endgame territory

arranged marriage: slow going to but I’m. Hoping that I’ve reached the halfway point? Not much to say I still need to get back to the drafting board and decide how stuff happens

revali learns empathy: almost finished but slow going because I’m not good at finishing things and also because I’ve been distracted by other stuff

Mo Dao Zu Shi side:

kidnapped LWJ: needs to be continued but I wanted it to be funny and I keep leaning on somewhat dark and it’s frustrating so lol

ABO verse: I’ve got one extra almost finished. Then I want to do the wedding, and probably Sizhui’s first heat after they get married. That’s the bare minimum I want to do, though I have other stuff I’d like

Wangningxian: I’ve written a good bit on the next installement for that, with wwx trying to make his boyfriend less dead and lwj teaching wn how to play the guqin but it’s... slow.

post canon lxc/nhs that I’ve posted the beginning of: currently one of the two things I’m most working on but it’ll be long (I’m expecting around 20K) so lol

AU where lxc married nhs after nmj died: also working on that one lately, also gonna be long as fuck

So that makes for 8 wips, which we can all agree is too much. And that’s with my partner because a heinous bitch who keeps throwing plot bunnies at my face.

I need to figure out a way to do this and not burn myself out lol

[suresaint]

Like a moth to a flame Zelda had come, ever so eager to gaze upon the abyss that hidden behind possessed flesh or twisted shapes. Yet now she stood before the dark ethereal of the divine. Mutated eyes tethered to the burning gaze of the most luminous crimson pits. Silver sword drawn yet held by one of the four arms of Xathael as two others caressed the witcher woman's cheeks. Gentle like a lover as her clawed thumb brushed against the scar of her left cheek.

Cast aside your arms...

A smile formed upon darken, poisonous lips. Long, ebony locks draping over ashen shoulders. The draconic horns upon her head like a crown, of the classic characteristics of what mortals perceive as evilness. Of the depictions of demons and devils as her long skeletal tail wrapped around Zelda like an embrace as her last hand settled upon the woman's hip. Pushing her against her body.

You know you cannot harm me...

The sounds of hundreds of insect wings faded as Xathael, under the alias of Lilit, beckoned her prey towards her destiny. Forged, manipulated, to see her raise statues like the one that she had destroyed. One of two that existed in this world. A statue that was not of Lilt, but truly as the Destroyer - Xathael. Foretelling of the time when she would finally slay The Bride, The Mother that had replaced her and would bring about the end of creation.

I know your dreams...your lusts...

"My dearest Witcher." The voice of a god, of the beautiful and deceptive tune. Of how it echoed out sweetly, drowned by the deeper demonic whispers. Of the plucked note that hung within the air.

Let go...embrace me...

Leaning down, Xathael pressed her cold lips to the warm flesh of Zelda's forehead. Humming as she did before withdrawing slightly. Gently tugging, straining the witcher woman's neck so that she may gaze upon her. Before descending, capturing her lips in a kiss. A kiss most loving as her fingers wove within Zelda's hair. Cradling the back of her head.

Serve me...

@rosawept​

There was a time, growing up, where she had considered the existence of the Gods. She had contemplated what part religion might play in her life as she grew older, if any part at all, and as a child had burned with a kindling curiosity. She had been all the more fervent in her pursuit of knowledge in her younger years, like a young knight desperate to prove himself upon the battlefield; to know the rush of power which came from being swept into the midst of a hard and bloody fight, naïve to its horrors and, with all his youth and vigour, believing himself utterly untouchable. 

     Those years had long since passed her. She was not as unworldly as she once was. Her fanciful adventures, like all childish pursuits, were abandoned over time. She had realised how pointless it all was. Indeed, if there were any Gods at all then they were all heinous, selfish beings for turning a blind eye to the tragedies that their subjects endured. War, famine, plague. All of it. If not to defeat all evil, what use was a God to a mortal? There would be no need for Witchers if Gods were kind. 

     Vesemir had never been a pious man. He had never preached any one particular religion to her growing up. He would say that theology was not important to a Witcher, whose lot in life was to kill monsters for a living and nothing more. Men spent their whole lives debating the significance of something they could not even see, let alone touch. But Monsters were real. If there were any Gods at all, then they came in the form of the Kikimora, the Striga, the Sylvan. If she was to place her faith anywhere, then it would be in her blade.

     Now she was forced to confront it all, without the freewill or choosing to shut her eyes to it, or to turn away from it in blissful ignorance. The Deathless Mother had stripped her of that decision. But worse than that, in touching her the Deathless Mother had condemned her to a life of excruciating bleakness. Henceforth, no one thing or person would fill her with such divine euphoria as the corporeal touch of a God. She had been deprived of all earthly pleasures for as long as she lived. She felt herself fracture under its cosmic weight, splitting apart her skin like the over-stuffed seams of a toy. Mortals were never meant to experience this! Their bodies too fleshly, their minds too feeble! Even she, with her mutated blood, felt its force like molten gold through her veins. Searing her. She was on fire. Paralysed by a single touch. 

     The spider shall never lie down with the fly. The Deathless Mother was in her head, a voice scratching at her skull like talons. Her heart shuddered in its hiding place, beating hard against her ribs. It clung to life desperately, grasping at its final dregs of autonomy. When finally she was kissed, a pink-tinged tear crept out from the corner of her eye. She was bound in terror, yet even crippled by fear she felt the allure of the Deathless Mother. Shew as losing to the spell she had been placed under.

     She closed her eyes, trembling in the arms of Divinity. Serve me. The words threaded themselves into her soul. Gradually, her hold on her sword’s grip weakened. The blade slipped from her fingers and struck the flagstones, clattering at her feet. Zelda leant into the kiss and slipped into Her darkness.

[the-nerdy-alpaca]

Future Stories Series ft. Arkas (Arvis x Lukas)

@valmey-me has converted to her crackship that is Arkas (I think that is the ship name) which is a pairing between Arvis from Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War and Lukas from Fire Emblem: Shadows of Valencia. Also this post contains some spoilers.

I had played the Fire Emblem Games as a child so the games that I had played were G7 and G8, I am just starting to play Fire Emblem Conquest and have not started to play the other games due to financial reasons. However, this does not stop me from shipping and therefore I will investigate, learn, and then write about the pairing.

In each of the Future Stories Series that spotlights a different pairing, I will talk about the possible story routes that I may choose (these are not plots but possible scenarios), as well as headcanons. 

It must be warned that headcanons may change as I learn more about the stories, characters, and their relationships.

The death of Arvis in Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War transfers him into the world of Fire Emblem: Shadows of Valencia.

Lukas is dropped into the world of Genealogy of the Holy War before Arvis meets Deirdre

The worlds of Genealogy and Shadows of Valencia are actually one world, resulting in Lukas being somewhat entangled with Arvis’ family

Same as number 3 but Lukas is the son of an ambassador and grows up being friends with Arvis

Fire Emblem Heroes: The two are partnered by the summoner since their abilities balance one another. 

This is one is unique as there different phases in which both Arvis and Lukas can be summoned. For example, a Lukas who has yet to fight in Shadows of Valencia and an Arvis who already died in Genealogy of the Holy War.

I may make another post like this but that is up to debate.

Modern royalty AU Arvis and Lukas growing up together since they were children, but Lukas keeps his own distance due to Arvis’ social stance.

Lukas’ Headcanons (I don’t have many but with collaborating with @valmey-mewe worked some things out):

Lukas is the mellower, nicer, and calmer of the two

Lukas does gets somewhat jealous of Deirdre but grows concern/creep out when it comes to light that Deirdre is Arvis’ half-sister.

Lukas gets somewhat embarrassed to overwhelmed (he gets so flustered that the color puts Arvis’ hair to shame) when Arvis goes overboard in showering Lukas with gifts, praises, or when Arvis does something adorable, kind, or beautiful.

He likes Arvis’ children and is slightly (high key terrified) scared of not getting their approval to be in a relationship with their father (for Arvis’ daughter by the way, not sure about his son)

He finds it both enduring and annoying that his friends try to assess Arvis in being “worthy” for Lukas

Arvis’ Headcanons (Now this boi):

Arvis gets very jealous when another person shows interest into Lukas, even when the two are together

Arvis is very possessive of Lukas but never to the point it would psychological draining or damaging for Lukas.

Please be advised that I am familiar with how possessive people can damage another from the smallest wounds to the most heinous ones.

Arvis is not one who would murder Lukas for leaving him, he is not someone who would punish Lukas for bringing someone he didn’t like or left without permission, Arvis would never want Lukas to ask for permission for anything because Lukas is his own person and has free will, and so much more.

Arvis controls himself in a way he never done for another for Lukas

In Heroes, when Arvis and Lukas recover from their “death/defeat” in battle they don’t talk about it, first being with one another, and then later opening up to one another

He gets annoyed when he believes Sigurd is cockblocking him.

Arvis forgot Lukas’ name the first few times they met and kept refereeing to Lukas as “you” or “Luke”

If there is something I missed so far, a canon I should include, or just want to talk let me know.

Be aware. Just because you want a canon does not mean I will include it if I feel I cannot write such a thing. I will talk to you about it but if I say no then that is no, unless I offer a compromise.

This is the first of the Future Stories Series. The next two I will cover will be Seth from Fire Emblem Sacred Stones x Xander from Fire Emblem Fates and after that will be Ike from Fire Emblem x Link from Legend of Zelda.

If you don’t like those crack pairings don’t argue with me. These I promised to make with friends earlier and/or ones I like.

Until then,

Be safe and have a good day.

Regards,

The Nerdy Alpaca

[maxthommusic]

Royally Meta

Persona 5: Royal is an expanded, improved version of Persona 5. Coming nearly two years after the original, of course I decided to revisit Tokyo as a Phantom Thief and check-in on the new additions. However, what I didn’t expect to find was an utter distaste for the quirky, juvenile dialogue. Especially with a game rated “Mature” (in the States) that explores themes of sexual assault, exploitation and more, how come the game doesn’t feel as evolved as its subject matter? But why do I still absolutely love it in spite of those glaring details?

The first problem I noticed about Royal’s script is that everything is over-explained. While I definitely recognized this flaw on my first play-through, sometimes it’s easier to overlook problems when the experience is so novel. In that regard, Persona is as fresh as they come. Hearing all the music for the time, meeting the characters, visiting locations, etc.; it’s extremely easy to forgive its failings. However, on round two, I just can’t ignore the fact this this hefty script drones on about the explanations of people, concepts and objectives. The hand-holding while trying to explain The Metaverse and cognition and personas gets exhausting quickly. A lot of the script feels like fluff preventing you from getting straight into the action. Plus, there’s a lot of fun in interpreting things for yourself. This is something Final Fantasy VII did so expertly back in 1997. Remaining cryptic and interpretive let fans create their own worlds giving way to a fanclub mystified by its subject matter. Nowadays fans demand answers to everything and are miffed when something doesn’t make sense. This absolutely hinders Persona 5, making it slog when it should chug. And what’s worse is that the script is plenty juvenile, relying on a “kids versus adults” motif that wears out its welcome pretty quickly.

As a 30 year old male, I love the idea that a high school teacher is physically and sexually assaulting students. That’s a heinous crime which demands justice. Great narrative fodder. But juxtaposed to Ryuji kicking cans going, “Stupid adults, getting away with whatever they want” just doesn’t add up. And I get that the game is about high school students, so isn’t that the demographic? Perhaps. Maybe I’m too old for Persona, which is a grave disappointment to admit. Yet some of the themes are incredibly mature and explore really deep waters. The introspective nature of the Persona series (and 5 in particular) tells me there’s a wider appeal here and it’s just a bummer that the script can’t transcend it’s younger audiences. Films like Star Wars were made openly for kids, yet it elevates among that ground. Games like Zelda: Ocarina of Time are, no pun intended, timeless due to their execution. Persona 5, unfortunately, has a totally bloated script that ages itself poorly and makes for some rather annoying cutscenes.

Nevertheless, I can’t put the game down. It oozes style and god-tier design; the various mechanics and systems are completely irresistible. Overlooking the juvenile dialogue is easy when every new day practically implements a new Confidant or location to explore. Confidants are links you unlock, characters that have entire side-plots that keep unraveling as the game progresses. And there are so many places to visit that offer different activities, investigating them all is about as much fun as catching every Pokemon. The game even employs a great “Metroid-Vania” component, forcing you to unlock other features before you can visit certain places or talk to specific people. For example, there’s a jazz bar in Kichioji I want to scope out, but I haven’t unlocked the resource to get me through the door. And as much as I’d like to call my teacher, Kawakami, to come over for a date, I don’t quite have the guts to make it happen.

The constant implementation of novel experiences makes Persona 5 a complete win, cramming the game with so much content that you’re not entirely sure if you’ll see everything. Even the dialogue options can feel like potential missed opportunities. But that’s the carrot on the stick, isn’t it?

If Persona just gave me the ability to easily replay moments in order to get different outcomes, where would the incentive be to choose thoughtfully? Every time I give the wrong gift to a Confidant, I need to feel that pang of regret. Because it’s that kind of misstep that actually leads to obsession. Or maybe I didn’t spend my time after school so wisely... Do I reload my last save and re-do the past thirty minutes? Or move-along and live with my decisions?

Persona 5 has a killer meta-game that’s all about maximizing your interactions with the characters and its world. And while that pesky mainline script can sometimes feel awkward and over explanatory, the side details are almost always beautiful. Since we don’t get bogged down in sci-fi concepts like parallel worlds and personal cognition, the writers are free to explore themes like desire, trust, ambition, guilt, loss, regret and so much more. These elements they handle much better since the moments are more bite-sized. Often times the side-hangs are much more concise, allowing the player to chime in frequently to steer the conversations too. Again: how these relationships build and grow are completely up to you. How do you respond? Who do you see and when?

While the game is mostly linear, Persona presents the player with the illusion of agency. We’re all gonna reach the same end. And we’re all gonna have access to the same cutscenes. Yet there’s so much content that how we get there will be completely unique. And depending how we spend our time, some of us will see the end of roads, some of us may never even depart on a path. It’s this free reign that makes Persona 5 endlessly intriguing. It’s also why I’m able to ignore it’s most massive short-coming.

For everything Persona 5 gets wrong, it gets 10 things right. While I firmly believe my first play-through was a little less than a beautiful fever dream (who didn’t voraciously race through that hulking story when they first obtained a copy?), my second visit has been a bit more tempered. But as I unlock more features and obtain a better grasp on the gameplay and its mechanics, I find myself slinking back into that dream-state. In-game days go by mysteriously as I sink deeper and deeper into Tokyo, unlocking more and more features, increasingly trying to make sure I see and utilize every function available. The meta-game is incredibly strong with Persona 5. And while heavy storylines are the premier feature of most JRPGs, we are reminded once again that gameplay is king. Don’t be fooled by the herald that Persona 5 is too long. I dare to impose: is it just long enough? There is much to see and explore. Only focus on the main task at hand and you’ll miss much of the wonder and merriment available. The game consistently reminds you to take your time. So be sure and do just that. Because the flowers you stop to smell may be the sweetest parts of all.