#that was mostly a animated cool weapon effect up in the camera

[asleepinawell]

possibly a controversial opinion and absolutely not trying to take a shot at anyone who disagrees, but I think having portraits show up for comms at the end of a dungeon/raid is a terrible feature. great in theory but terrible in actuality. I don't care about my comm count (and couldn't tell you what it is) but it was always nice to get some in instances where I knew I'd done a kick ass job supporting the team (as a healer or rdm usually). it was people saying thank you

I'm a really average player but there's some content I know very well and can help other players in. I love helping people and it's just a good feeling when you get thanked after. like hey, I was useful! I made a contribution!

that vanished completely when portraits came out (I've done roulettes almost every day for the last 8 months due to leveling all the jobs and just enjoying it, so it was really really easy for me to track the change...there were a few exceptions but overall it was like night and day from before). (and yes, people could obviously see your glam before but having it directly in the comm ui is different)

I got a trickle back when I put some effort into making fun portraits (something I personally don't enjoy doing but felt obligated to do), but I don't play a cute cat boy or a lady with big boobs (two things I've actually seen people online say tempt them into giving comms) and my portraits are definitely not as fancy as a lot of people's and more than that it just feels like that shouldn't matter

so yeah, not a fan. actually turned them off for myself the first time they popped up because it just felt strange. leave them at the start and take them out at the end would be my best solution since, like I said, really neat idea in theory and I think people should be proud of their cool glams and show them off. but it also really sucks to be in what feels a lot like a beauty pageant

[cocoa-rococo]

Koopaling Headcanons: Morton

Larry | Morton | Wendy | Iggy | Roy | Lemmy | Ludwig

The gentle giant who's solid as stone, and the main enforcer of Bowser's army! A wonderful lad, he is.

Right-handed.

Fond of scrapbooking! He has a few about his siblings and growing up together, but also keeps some about his interests. Wendy likes to gift him cute papers and pattern clippers, and Lemmy finds him cool stickers.

Likes watching wrestling with Roy, which often becomes wrestling with Roy.

He likes watching cooking shows for recipes ideas with Larry, and listening to him ramble about how people are doing things incorrectly.

Has a fairly good memory, and is the most likely to not get distracted on a mission, a trait Ludwig is incredibly grateful for.

Favorite season is winter, due to the novelty (but he can't stay in the snow for too long). Summer is a close second.

A pretty decent writer. His prose is fantastic; it's speaking aloud that he had trouble with.

Surprisingly good at healing magic, possibly more so than Ludwig or even Kamek.

He got gifted a camera from Iggy when he was ten, and he's been taking good care of it ever since. He uses it for scrapbooking, mostly, but he likes taking pictures of what surrounds him.

Very fond of yarrow flowers, due to the colors and how so few of them grow in the Darklands. He first discovered them when he was stationed on a mountain fortress waiting for Mario, and picked a whole bunch to keep inside.

Favorite candies are butterscotch and caramel chews, as well as crunchy rock-candy.

While his favorite pastries are donuts, Wendy once gave him a slice of her patisserie’s strawberry shortcake to try, and he’s been hooked on the flavor even since.

Prefers keeping his notes on pen and paper rather than a phone. He likes the feeling of writing.

Favorite fruit is raspberries and oranges.

Allergic to peanuts, but he prefers Nutella anyway.

His skin is actually much thicker than his siblings to help resist temperature extremities, and since he likes to burrow in sand a lot, it sometimes can get cracked and dry. He and Wendy like to get treatments and make a day of it together.

One of his favorite things is just sitting with his siblings and seeing what they're doing. He's happy to help with whatever they're involved in.

The physically strongest koopaling out of the seven. He's sometimes not quite aware of his strength, but he's trying to get better at it.

Has a soft spot for cute, fluffy animals. Probably aware of Larry's love for a ‘girly’ pony show, but doesn't mind.

Likes listening to Ludwig go on about his mystery novels, and helps as a sound-board for when he needs to bounce theories off someone.

He keeps a miniature zen-garden in his room, and likes to spend time raking little patterns in the sand and moving the rocks around.

The first of his siblings to figure out how to transform his wand into another weapon.

Magic is a weird case with him; trying to cast was difficult, even if the effect was fine. When he learned how to wield his hammer, however, it felt much more intuitive.

Really good with kids, even if he doesn't see a lot of them. He was the most excited out of all his siblings for when Junior was born.

Easily the best secret keeper out of the seven. That koopaling is a VAULT.

Has a fondness for birds, especially ducks. He once got to go to a farm with little ducklings and hold them, and he was crying happy tears almost the entire time.

Coincidentally, he's got an amazing rubber ducky collection. It's very cute, and touching it without his permission will very likely kill you.

Is a big fan of sculpture work, and sometimes will make little trinkets and carvings from chunks of rock he finds. His love of making things is also what convinced him to create Morton's Construction, when his siblings were making businesses.

Wendy is on a persistent quest to make him an Instagram for his scrapbooks and carving work. Morton is on a persistent quest to remember to use it, but always gets distracted.

One of the best taiko drummers —and kumi-daiko performers — this side of the Darklands. He practices with the Hammer Bros.

Can and will stop everything and anything he's doing to make sure an animal crosses the street safely.

Has an almost mom-level accuracy for knowing where lost things are. Any time his siblings can't find something, they go to him, and ninety percent of the time, his guesses are right.

Loves giving hugs! Does not love how he sometimes hugs a little too hard and people get squished.

He likes experimenting in the kitchen with Larry, offering spice suggestions and combos, even if he turns the heat on way too high.

[animehouse-moe]

Shangri-La Frontier Episode 1: What Do You Play Games For?

What happens when a gamer who only plays shitty games decides to pick up a so called god-tier game? Shangri-La Frontier is the answer to that and provides an insane opening episode for the concept. I'm just so excited to get 2 whole cours of this, and I really want to explain why.

Also, SiM's vocalist (MAH) on the OP with FZMZ? And Chico on the ending song? This series was made for me man.

First of all, C2C is an incredibly underrated studio considering the quality of the projects that they enjoy. This is one such project. Right from the start the quality is insane. 2D camera movement, detailed animation and character acting, the whole nine yards. Just look at this walking cycle! There's no 3D and their shoulders move!

It's just crazy to see the detail they put into these pieces early on. Walking cycles are super neglected due to how "plain" they are, but there's just something incredible about seeing that effort put into it with stuff like these examples.

And then there's this (sort of misleading) litmus test. Does your anime have really good art for a random cut? Odds are the production's doing really well. And, well, there's this really good looking beetle shown early on in the episode.

Anyways, to Shangri-La Frontier the game. The direction understands the assignment right away. This is a video game, we need to know it's a video game. So they show us it's a video game. First person perspective is our very first cut shown in the welcome screen and once we enter the world, setting the tone perfectly for what's to come.

But of course, a video game has more to it then just first person perspective, and of course C2C grasp that as well. Slow motion (which you'll see later), and more importantly camera movement are important in establishing that feel. The slow draw towards an endless expanse of world, the bird's eye view of a landmark or feature as the camera slowly rotates. It gets it, and it's able to create a living, breathing trailer for Shangri-La during the episode because of that.

And then, there's the fact that it's a video game. There's talks of skills and abilities and levels and whatnot, but I think most understand that that's a "staple" and that C2C/Shangri-La handle it quite well.

Let's talk about the good stuff, let's talk about action. C2C nails it. They put incredible effort into video game-styled choreography, and it pays off in spades. The slow motion, the harsh camera angles to accentuate the fight, the camera rotation, the way that attacks linger in the air. It's incredible stuff that's augmented by insane animation and visual effects. Seriously, pay attention to the fight and you'll see that they did an impact frame for a crit. Not in the traditional sense, but that the impact frame was the crit. This sort of stuff just makes me so excited because of how well it's handled.

And then there's the worldbuilding. The OP comes into play as well of course, but the details are super great. The enemies Sunraku faces in the starting forest are (mostly) beginner enemies. A goblin with a stone axe and some sort of large pig seem to be the "typical", but there's more to it than that. The Vorpal bunny is a "rare" enemy which makes sense, but the pig enemy only appears as Sunraku ventures closer to the second town rather than the first.

There's considerable detail and effort placed in the creation and appearances of these creatures in the world. The Vorpal Bunny featuring a better crafted weapon than the others that most likely came from somewhere else. Don't forget - we saw a rabbit in the opening.

It's just insanely cool stuff. The world is already shown to be more broad and deep than "it's a big video game world!". There's all sorts of little pieces like this peppered about, and it's just so damn good. Even the concept of Sunraku's "Wanderer" dropping him in a forest rather than the starter town. The detail to really sell this game as god-tier is so damn good.

But it's important to not forget, the god-tier part of the game is only one part of the puzzle. Sunraku here is famous for playing garbage games.

And it's a great way to offset the story and provide a fun angle, I'm serious. It allows them to add fun commentary and responses in regards to frustration from playing bad games, and at the same time provide a novel and excitable approach to a genuinely good game. The best of both worlds that sets the perfect stage for how they want to explore this story.

So, understandably so, I'm very excited about two cours of this and everybody else should be too. C2C is showing us they've got the potential to make the absolute most of Shangri-La Frontier and it's fun and surprisingly unique concept. Can't wait to see what they bring with the next episode!

[ronnytherandom]

I forgot to watch content all week so i wrote about games ive been playing

9/2/2021: The Truman Show

You should fear your fears but embrace them and use them to guide you into the unknown, to explore and experience what life has to offer. Fear stands between you and the fullest experience of life so you must pass through it to better yourself. Heed not the walls built about you and the chains made to hold you. Though the architects insist it will preserve your life, containment is anathema to life. Do not take in faith the benevolence of powers that be; instead trust those who would support and liberate you, guide you through fear and into life.

As best I can lay it out, I think this is the philosophy of the Truman show but there is so much more to read into it also. There is critique of systems of commodification and celebrity (i.e. capitalism) reducing human beings to a consumable good as well as encouragement to find and pursue your goals despite adversity and even sensibility which is also tied to the illusion of economic responsibility. You can’t put a camera inside a human head, you can never “know” them without being an active and intrinsic part of their life, but also there is need for reciprocation. If one half exists with ulterior motive then the entire relationship is rotten; sincere humanity is what creates real connections. Without such your world is fake. A world built around one person is a world where no one can truly live. All these actors have given up basically their entire lives for the sake of watching Truman have his life built around him by outside forces, have allowed themselves to be commodified and dehumanised for the good of one man, Christoph. The man at the top has delusions of grandeur and thinks only of his own bottom line, he cares not for his subjects but simply wants them to do as he tells them because it benefits him to commodify their lives and interactions. Even then he cannot stand to lose control and in seeking to demonstrate Truman’s “realness” he structures his life so thoroughly that eventually there’s no reality left, only a script and adverts. But the people watching still empathise with Truman because everyone in the working class understands what it is to be trapped because real life is our own Truman show and one day we must all pass through fear, step out of the dome and create a real life for ourselves outside of the system of commodification which consumes everyone’s life and removes all realness and sincerity and emotional catharsis from it.

I unreservedly love this film.

14/2/2021: Assorted Game Reviews

Horizon Zero Dawn (Unfinished due to technical issues, 45 hours inc. parts of Frozen Wilds): This game is really cool and really fun. I think it is defined by its incredible setting which somehow creates a fresh feeling post-apocalyptic environment. Said environment creates intriguing alt-future lore and some very interesting environments to explore. I love the machine designs (especially tallnecks!) and was very sad to hear one of their contributing artists passed away recently but I’m glad their work lives on in this visually stunning game. I’m a sucker for Ubisoft-style open world games simply because it tickles a certain kind of itch and somehow this non-Ubisoft game has outdone Ubisoft on their own formula, which is hilarious, but also good for me as running around this world exploring and clearing map markers is engaging fun. Not least because of the combat. I have a minor criticism here that the combat feels slightly awkward on mouse and keyboard, the arrows never seem to go where I’m aiming, but aside from that the experience of fighting is a grand one. Enemies never lose their threat and I love the weak spot system the game employs which makes every tool useful in niche circumstance and rewards curiosity. It specifically manages this in a way that I feel the Witcher series could learn from if it ever returns; by making head on assault less viable and encouraging tactical hunting. I do feel this system makes hunting robots so fun that by contrast hunting humans becomes a chore however, though I noted this improves in the dlc with the addition of humans with elemental weaknesses limited in number as they are. I cannot speak for the story in entirety but what I encountered was pretty good, though I feel as if it was only just really getting going at the point where I could not continue. I find Aloy to be a compelling and well portrayed protagonist and though I can guess about her origin and the ultimate end of the alt-future apocalypse I still want to see how it plays out on screen, so will return to this as soon as I’ve fixed it.

Rimworld (122 hours. Familiar with but do not own Royalty Expansion):

Rimworld is one of those super special games that I don’t think I have a single problem with. Fair warning it can be brutal and is heavily dependent on RNG but this allows it to create truly unique and interesting scenarios on a constant basis. In the wider perspective it could be described as formulaic, with regular cycles of managing the settlement between raids and random events, but the devils in the details. Colonist traits, health and skills dictate how you play and sometimes you’ll be forced to adapt as some colonists simply refuse to perform some tasks. The depth of health particularly amuses me, in that each little part of someone’s body is modelled in a way. If you’re in a firefight you may take a single bullet which grazes your finger and you’re fine. Alternately it could pierce your human leather cowboy hat, your skull and kill you instantly and the game will tell you exactly what happened. The risk/reward element is addictive enough, and that’s without accounting for just how cool it is to see your colony slowly expand. Establishing more and more options for crafting is fun and shows off the full range of different items in the game which is fucking extensive. Between clothing, weapons, armour, sculpture and drugs to name only a few you have the opportunity to create many varied production lines either for your colonists or to trade for money and there is a lot of fun to be had here as well as it is quite satisfying to see psychoid you have grown personally become the cocaine your colonists snort to help them stay awake on limited sleep. From an archaeologist’s perspective it is especially cool to look back over your base and see the hints of how and why structures were built and remember the history of your limitations and development through structure. I think the lore of the universe is really cool too, a very 40k-esque kind of place except with far less order, somehow. But the universe does an excellent job of feeling alive and moving constantly on both a planetary and interstellar level. You can fully believe that while you build wooden shacks to shield yourself from terrifyingly low temperatures there are simultaneously rich pieces of shit living it up on the glitterworld that’s one system over. The music does an excellent job of creating the wild west frontier atmosphere the game cultivates to great effect. Ultimately, for just being a grid with a series of different numbers attached, this game does a fantastic job of creating a compelling, brutal and very real colony management experience. I dont think I can properly put into words the grandness and scope of this one. I didnt even mention the modding scene, which is expansive and tailors to basically any need you could have. The Rim is a terrifying place but theres so much fun to be had.

Factorio (86 hours, mostly 1.1): Having completed a game of Factorio I can tell you reliably that this is one of the best games ever made, thoroughly addictive and fun. If you like numbers, logistics, TRAINS, its gonna be your thing. Not to mention its probably the only documented case of a game with no bugs (so far as official forums are concerned). Strictly speaking this games combat is not the most engrossing thing but good lord do you feel it when you acquire a flamethrower. The way each aspect of the game (production, research, logistics, combat, upgrades for everything therein) feeds into the next is a really well constructed balancing act such that you must experience the full game in order to complete it and I always appreciate this kind of design. I think its one of the best tenets of factory game design especially as its something present in Satisfactory too. Beyond all of this generalised good the game is also excellent in its intricacies, the architecture necessary to build a maximum efficiency base, the level of planning and organisation that can be employed is mind-blowing. Not to mention the mod community, factorion is already an extensive experience and some mad bastards have seen fit to complicate it further, hats off to them. This really is a great moment in gaming.

 Destiny 2 (198 hours, all expansions, played some post Forsaken release, mostly Season of Arrivals onwards, spent roughly £20 on microtransactions):

This is a very interesting and enjoyable experience, but I must say it can be a bit controversial at times. What its does particularly well is moment to moment gameplay and design in all aspects. The game is stunning; between environments, cosmetics, shaders ships and ghosts there’s a vast range of incredible things to see, all rooted in the “pseudo-magi-science” aesthetic it’s got going on. The class design is excellent and you really do feel like you embody this rampaging madman / agile gunman / space wizard archetype, whichever you choose to play. The abilities, especially supers, are very satisfying. Everything has heft and power behind it which can be felt in all aspects of design; sound and animation is top notch. Movement is cool, you can feel how fast you move both on foot and in vehicles and the navigation has a little fun subtlety depending on your class jump, even if you can bounce unpredictably occasionally. But for the love of god why is the wall kick in there? It has only ever served to push me from a ledge into a bottomless pit. You're looking to remove antiquated content? Start there. Some guns are not so good to shoot but there’s such a great range of guns that are fun its like complaining about one drop in an ocean; and enemies are fun to shoot at, each faction distinct in meaningful ways and presenting an effective challenge. Speaking of oceans, that’s one way to describe the lore. I haven’t dived too deep but it keeps going down forever and everything I’ve read is intriguing. As a former Elder Scrolls lore nut this is something I could definitely sink my teeth into, though its much more of a pulpy sci-fi vibe than a pure nonsense vibe. I do think the game has a bit of a loot problem, primarily in regards to the conflict between high stats and looking good. This should never be a conflict, and yes you can apply ornaments to any purple gear but that’s not enough when I spend the entire time grinding power levels and thus must change armour and weapons on a constant basis to progress. This game needs a true transmog system and if not that, rethink how gear power level works. Perhaps rather than earning new instances of gear you always possess a version of it and the loot you acquire in missions just upgrades your instance to your current overall power level? This would serve to do away with the current upgrade system which I think is a needless additional grind. Perhaps it could be retained in using enhancement cores to empower gear as present but necessitating a whole upgrade module to keep your favourite weapon on hand is kind of painful honestly. There is also at present the issue of sunsetting gear, mildly controversial to say the least. If it’s necessary to streamline the game and make it function moving forward so be it but surely loot pools should be adjusted so you can actually get useful loot from older locations? And why sunset personal instances of gear which can be acquired at the regular power level anyway? I had to throw away my favourite bow and hunt down a new version of the exact same weapon for… what reason? I do think destination navigation leaves a little to be desired also. I get that having a physical hub world is meaningful but Destiny does not have a very extroverted community; I can count the times someone noticed me in the tower on one hand. And its not even like there’s fun activities to be found in the same sense as say Deep Rock Galactic, which really does take advantage of its hub. Perhaps for players who simply want to go about their business all of the vendors could be set into a menu system where just clicking an icon takes you to their menu from anywhere in the system rather than, per se, having to go through an entire loading screen (Which takes you to orbit and back) to reach a location which serves simply as the front for four menus. These are established player problems. As a dedicated PvE player I can say that this game is immensely fun in combat and growing in power does feel really good. It’s something I recommend getting into, there’s just some very large creases that need ironing which the Bungie should really take the time to address rather than pushing out new in game content every three months.

[tomyoungwrites]

Adventures in backloggery with Homefront: The Revolution

To say the first Homefront left me lukewarm after playing it would imply that I was left feeling anything after that game finished. Painfully derivative with nothing to say about it’s interesting premise, I left that game fully understanding why so many people dismissed it. 

For those unfamiliar with the premise of Homefront, here it is, fresh from the wikipedia page: “The game tells the story of a resistance movement fighting in the near-future against the military occupation of the Western United States by a Korea unified under Kim Jong-un.”

Sounds interesting right? Telling a guerrilla warfare story based on American soil gives you a chance to take a lot of war-story tropes and twist them into new, interesting forms. Turning America into the occupier instead of the occupier offers a lot to explore. Sadly the original game does nothing like that - instead opting for a very simple “We wanted to take back America and we did” story.

So when I overheard through my gaming circles that the general perception of Homefront: The Revolution was hovering around the 6/10 mark, I was under the impression that while it was an improvement over the first game, it was still not a title that was worth my time. I assumed it was a decent yet uninspiring corridor shooter just like the original game.

Imagine my surprise then when I watched one of the latest videos from Jarek the Gaming Dragon and discovered that my preconceptions about shooting dudes in corridors were entirely wrong! This was an open world shooter, in the vein of Far Cry. And not only that, but the story actually has things to say this time!

Instead of North Korea invading the USA due to them being weakened, North Korea becomes a tech powerhouse. Due to poor decisions by their government, the USA slowly goes into financial ruin while they opt to purchase military technology from North Korea.

North Korea provides aid to the US, but this is just a pretence to establish a foothold and exploit the natural resources within the continent. This is presented as the real reason behind the occupation - because we all know that only evil governments invade foreign countries in order to exploit their natural resources, right?

It’s important to note when talking about the story of this game that playing Homefront: The Revolution in the apocalyptic year that is 2020 makes it hit much different than it would have in 2016. For example, the USA neglecting it’s citizens while spending billions on military weaponry is far too close to reality to even be called satire at this point. However, the he game is very ‘gung-ho’ in it’s expression of American values and honour - which clashed with my current view of the country.

At this point in time, seeing America do things wrong is something that happens on a monthly basis - and seeing people who want to shift the blame for that onto other people is an equally common occurrence. So seeing America ruin itself definitely removes a lot of the sympathy I have for the country as a whole - I of course still sympathise for the common citizen underneath this new regime, but seeing America complain about a foreign power using military might to seize their natural resources isn’t something I can sympathise with the American government suffering through at this point.

Speaking of regimes, seeing Americans actively fighting against a regime who happily deploy lethal force against American citizens (who resist and go against their military police enforced status quo) has also sparked many comparisons to recent events in the US in my mind. I mean, how can it not at this point?

The game does make some effort to comment on the fact that you’re creating more bloodshed and destruction through your actions, but that voice is drowned out by two of the main characters - who’s attitude is “Fuck you, this is America and this is war.” Seeing these characters passionately talk about standing up against the exact evils that America is committing right now makes the whole thing smack of hypocrisy - which isn’t the games fault, but I’d be disingenuous if I didn’t admit it has coloured how I viewed the plot heavily.

Overall, I think the plot does more to explore the themes of the setting than the original Homefront did, but it’s still bogged down in presenting America as the flawless and eternal hero who channels the ‘American Spirit’ through their actions. And this absolutely smacks of hypocrisy in the nightmare-world of 2020.

Also, there is an area of the game where you have to wear a gas mask to survive, but none of the other characters do. They’re expressing their freedoms to breath deadly toxins, I guess?

When it comes to gameplay, it’s not quite true to say that Homefront: The Revolution is a open world game - rather the game is split into a number of open world areas that you unlock as you progress. Keeping different parts of the world silo’d off from each other definitely has benefits from a programming point of view (you don’t have to account for players deciding to go from one side of the map to the other without a loading screen, for one) it also has interesting design implications.

Instead of having to level-gate certain areas of the open world, the game can properly pace each area to your current skill and gear level. You’re also introduced to the different types of zones in a more natural way, and their different mechanics are able to exist separately.

There are two types of area in the game - red zones and yellow zones. These both behave differently in how they express the thematic oppression through gameplay, but I was impressed at just how effective the systems in both areas are at making you feel oppressed.

And that brings me to one of the best things about Homefront: The Revolution - the sense of oppression it expresses through gameplay. It’s important to note that I was playing the game on the hardest difficulty, so this might colour my perception slightly, but I always felt outgunned during almost all my time in the game.

The red zones play similarly to a Far Cry open world, with objectives to complete, collectables to hunt and roaming enemies to attack/get attacked by. Unlike Far Cry however, the environment being full of ruined buildings adds a degree of verticality to the encounters and exploration that makes the smaller world feel much denser than the jungle floor ever did. Here, the game expresses the oppression of the player character through the constant vigilance of patrols and ever-present seeker blimps. These patrol the sky and scan the ground (think the flying drones in Terminator) and will always call in enough reinforcements to kill you. Having to hide under the ruins of collapsed buildings to avoid their search light as they slowly flew overhead always felt tense.

The yellow zones play more like the open world sections of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, with a bigger emphasis on stealth and avoidance of security cameras etc. These areas are typically much more dense than the open red zones, with plenty of corridors and corners to help you break line of sight with enemy patrols. The sheer density of enemies and ways to get spotted in these areas makes you feel constantly on edge, especially when fighting your way out is often a risky option.

And while it doesn’t have as much of an impact, even the health system helps contribute to this sense of oppression. Gone is the regenerating health system, now replaced with a more traditional health bar that must be topped up with healing kits. When you get spotted and enemies take some of your health away, they’re actively chipping away at your resources. This makes each encounter far more threatening, because even if they can’t kill you, they can still whittle you down.

I’m not really a gun guy when it comes to games. It usually takes a game going above and beyond, like in DOOM (2016), to make me actually notice the guns in a game. And oh boy, did I notice the guns in Homefront: The Revolution. Not only do they sound amazing, but they’re extremely well animated and customisable.

The coolest gameplay mechanic in the game is by far the gun customisation mechanic. To summarise, each weapon has two drastically different alternative modes that effect how the gun performs. For example, you can change the stealth-enabling crossbow into a room clearing flamethrower should the need arise. And you can do this on-the-fly while you’re in the game.

Hoping behind cover to change my assault rifle into a sniper rifle in order to take out distant enemies never stopped feeling cool. Seeing the detailed animation of you customising the gun yourself went a massive way in that feeling of coolness. You can also add attachments to your weapons such as silencers in order to adapt to situations as they arrise.

Having you perform these actions yourself adds a lot to the feeling of being a scrappy resistance fighter, having to create your own tools for the job at hand.

Despite all this praise, I can still see why this game sits at a 6/10 rating. Numerous times during my playthrough I would get hard crashes that would require a complete exit from the game. At one point, an NPC blocked a doorway and I needed to reload from a recent checkpoint to escape my new NPC created prison.

I’ve heard that on launch the game was even worse technically, and while the game is definitely good in my eyes, I can see how technical issues could make you easily lose patience with it. It doesn’t quite reach the levels of praise where I’m willing to fully overlook the crashes I’ve experienced, and if it was worse I could see that effecting my view of the game.

Also, the stealth system leaves much to be desired. Despite coming out 4 years after Far Cry 3, the game does nothing to improve on the basic stealth system that game established of “If I see you, my triangle is going to get bigger until I really see you”. This under-baked stealth system led to me mostly abandoning stealth once I’d gained enough gear to handle encounters, despite me being a big fan of stealth options.

Overall, I’m glad that I gave Homefront: The Revolution a shot after all these years of it sitting in my Steam library. At this point, open world titles have a long list of ‘must haves’ thanks to the ubiquity of Ubisoft titles refining the genre. When looking at these titles then, it becomes a case of looking at what is done differently, and the gun system, feeling of oppression and divided world have definitely left an impact on me as a game design nerd.

If you’re looking for an open-world game and don’t mind the occasional crash, it’s definitely worth looking past those 6/10 reviews for the 7.5/10 game that is lurking underneath.

[doctorocsid]

THE MAKING OF PHOENIX WRIGHT’S SECOND DAY OFF

Or: The Immense Struggle of Trying to Make Decent Content

A good year and a half. That’s how much time passed between me starting Phoenix Wright’s Second Day Off and me uploading it to YouTube. What a hell of a load off my back that was. If you couldn’t tell, making this video was a bit of an undertaking, to say the least. And by “undertaking” I mean “an exercise in pure agony”. So, I figured I’d do a bit of a writeup here so I can get across to you the absolute hell of an experience making this video was.

PART 1: THE INITIAL PLANNING STAGES

The original “Phoenix Wright’s Day Off” was released in February 2018 to, though not a lot of views, a generally very positive response. Despite its janky animation, people seemed to enjoy it for its complete ridiculousness, comedic timing, and overly-choreographed fighting. Not to mention literally being the only Ace Attorney-themed Garry’s Mod video ever made that actually uses the Ace Attorney characters. (I’m still the only person to ever do that as of the time of writing. Woohoo.)

Given the positive reception and the fact that I literally ended the video with a “To Be Continued”, I was ready as I could ever be to start work on a sequel. The first one only took me a couple weeks to make, so surely a sequel wouldn’t take much longer, right?

Oh, how wrong I was. Still, I started planning out exactly how things would go. Throwing around ideas in my head. I needed it to be bigger and better than the original, of course. How was I gonna do that? Well, my initial plan was, uh, misguided, to say the least. What I wanted to do at first was create the sequel entirely in Source Filmmaker, along with giving it a darker, more serious tone to contrast the ridiculous slapstick of the first. Not a great idea for a sequel to a video that mainly relied on throwing ragdolls around for comedy.

https://streamable.com/taxrn

The original intro for PW2DO, based off the intro for “Fargo”. A lot less cool-looking than the final intro I made. (Even though I intended the video to be made in SFM, I made the intro in Gmod solely because I could just film myself driving the car instead of having to animate it manually.)

The final intro was done in a not too difficult fashion - the characters were animated in Garry’s Mod on top of greenscreens, which I then imported into Premiere and changed to solid colors. Added some extra video effects I found in places. Set it to an instrumental of Propane Nightmares. I’m proud of how it turned out, mostly. I won’t deny after I introduced the characters I didn’t exactly know what else to do with it, so I just filled it with some random actiony shots I thought might look cool. Incidentally, this was the only part of the final video that was made in Premiere - the rest of it was just edited together in Vegas Pro. Which crashed many times during editing. Fun.

PART 2: THE PAINS OF INDECISION (AND ALSO SOURCE FILMMAKER)

Nonetheless, I got to work, despite not actually knowing how to use Source Filmmaker. “I’ll figure it out as I go along,” I figured. And over time, more or less, I managed to figure it out. Sort of. And by “figure it out” I mean “become subject to the true hell that is SFM”.

Let me give you some quick background here. SFM has two main editors for animation: The “motion editor”, and the “graph editor”. The motion editor uses a relatively easy-to-understand method of animating: you select an object you want to animate (a prop, weapon, ragdoll, etc), select the span of time in which you want the thing to move to its new destination, and then you move it to the new destination. Sounds simplistic, but can be used extensively to create good-looking animation. (I myself used this method for the bar fight in PW2DO.) The graph editor on the other hand, is much more involved, depending on the tried-and-true method of using keyframes for animation. Some people prefer this one because it allows you to directly edit and fine-tune each little animation curve to your liking. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUXnpk8xDLg

This unfinished PW2DO prototype was animated entirely with the graph editor in SFM.

Really, you can use either one for animating, whichever suits you best. For me, personally, the graph editor feels like something designed in the seventh circle of hell specifically to torture me. Why does adding a new keyframe screw up all my preexisting animation? Why does adding a new keyframe make the ragdoll’s bones stretch out to infinity? Those are just a couple questions I shouted at my computer screen while trying to figure it out.

Eventually, I just gave up. I came to terms both with the fact that I wasn’t satisfied with what I was making, and with the fact that trying to use SFM’s graph editor to animate was making me want to julienne my keyboard. (I hadn’t figured out, or really even considered the motion editor at the time.) “Screw it,” I said to myself. “I’ll do in Gmod, like the last one.”

PART 3: OH RIGHT, GMOD SUCKS TOO

The first PWDO was relatively simple to make, at least compared to the second one. There were two main tools I used: Stop Motion Helper (a tool for animating stuff within Gmod itself without the need for actual stop motion or whatnot), and the classic technique of “throw stuff around in front of the camera”. I had little to no experience doing 3D animation when making it, but it worked out anyway. It let me practice some camera framing stuff, too. All I was really doing for most of it was animating the characters moving along with the camera. But for the second video, I desperately wanted to up the ante. I wanted it to be cooler. More edgy. More cinematic. Turns out, there’s one main reason that proved difficult for me. And that’s that Garry’s Mod kinda sucks for long-term animation.

Here’s the difference between animating in SFM and animating in GMod. SFM is made for animation. GMod isn’t. So, if you want animating in GMod to be anything less than horrendously tedious, you need some addons to help you. Stop Motion Helper is a neat little addon that lets you animate stuff in Garry’s Mod with the “tweening” type of animation. Simply put, you pose something in point A, make a keyframe, move it to point B, and then make another keyframe. Stop Motion Helper will then automatically animate it moving between the two points. Thus, instead of the stop motion method where you have to pose every individual frame, you technically only have to pose the beginning and end. Not that it looks very good if you only do that. Of course, like any kind of animation, it’s still something that requires a lot of effort if you don’t want it to look cheap and robotic. But it works. Sort of.

Doesn’t work too well with vehicles, though.

There were a multitude of small limitations and annoyances, however, that proved to be annoying to deal with in GMod nonetheless.

FIRST PROBLEM: Because GMod isn’t made specifically for animation, resuming a project within it is kind of a hellish endeavor at times. Unlike Source Filmmaker where you can just open a project file and everything remains the same, Garry’s Mod’s saving tool doesn’t save a lot of the addon-related data when you create a save file of whatever scenario you’ve made. That includes stop motion helper animation. While SMH does have its own support for saving animations, you have to save every single animation as its own separate file. Take the scene in PW2DO, for instance, where Phoenix shoots those cops to get the security footage.

https://streamable.com/2ikd1

There are seven moving parts in this scene - Phoenix, the picture frame, both cops, the gun, the shampoo bottle, and the camera. Note how many of these are moving in each camera shot along with how many shots there are (ignoring after the cop goes out the window, because that’s not done with SMH). That’s ten shots, if you didn’t want to count. If I wanted to save this whole scene for potential later tweaking, I’d have to make a save file for the session along with saving the animation data for all ten shots - that’s ten separate animation files for this one scene - and then I would have to manually reapply the animation to each individual moving element. 

On top of that, not everything can be saved at all just by sheer concept. The muzzle flash, for instance. While the flash graphic over the gun was added in post, the actual light emanating from it was something I had to do in-game, and it’s not something you can animate with SMH. Therefore, I had to play the animation in GMod, and then specifically time me hitting a button on my keyboard to make the flash happen at just the right point. That’s just one workaround in a program that, when animating in it, is like 80% workarounds.

But nothing about Garry’s Mod frustrated me quite as much as the final fight scene.

PART 4: THE BAR FIGHT

The final fight scene of PW2DO was the one thing that kept me from releasing the video sooner. Seriously, out of that year and a half or so, I’d say only a month or so was spent working on the GMod portions of the video. The rest was just that stupid, godforsaken fight scene. (And mostly procrastinating on making it.) Allow me to try and outline to you what I went through doing this.

Now, the fight scene went through three specific incarnations. They were all based around Maya and Athena tracking down Phoenix and beating the crap out of him, it just differed on two basic things: the location, and the fight music. The first idea I had was them fighting Phoenix in an alleyway while ABBA’s “Waterloo” played in the background. (i know that sounds silly but i swear i couldve made it work) That one didn���t get beyond planning stages - I’d kinda choreographed some of it in my head, I know Phoenix was supposed to get a crowbar at some point, but it didn’t get any farther than that.

The second incarnation was much more well-developed. The way I figured it was as such: Phoenix, after retrieving the security footage from his office, would go on the run and get on a bus. However, when he got on the bus, it’d be revealed that Athena was driving it, and Phoenix would fight Maya as they went down the road. (No comment on how Maya and Athena got a bus.) This was gonna be set to “Let’s Go Crazy” by Prince, inspired by the opening car chase scene from Kingsman: The Golden Circle. (Meh movie, neat fight scenes.) Eventually they’d crash the bus, all go flying out the window, and then Phoenix would get arrested by the cops as he did in the final video. Sounds neat, right? So, what stopped me from doing this?

jesus christ so many things

Everything wrong with this concept centered around one particular problem. I absolutely could not, for the life of me, figure out how to animate a fight scene in a bus that was moving down the road. In SFM that might’ve been possible, but in Garry’s Mod? Good luck with that one. I practically tore my hair out trying to come up with a single working solution to this. Allow me to present to you the various ideas I had and why they all failed miserably.

IDEA 1: Animate the bus moving and the characters moving in it at the same time

This was the fastest-thrown-out idea because the complexity of something like this was just too much for Gmod and an animation addon. What’s that? You want to be able to stay with the scene as it animates? No, that’s basically impossible to do. It’s not like SFM where you could just attach yourself and a camera to the moving vehicle and animate from there. It just wasn’t feasible.

IDEA 2: Create moving textures and place them outside the windows to give the illusion of movement

This one went out the window too, unfortunately, as rotating the camera to any degree kinda just seriously killed the illusion. I could’ve done the scene without the cool cinematic fighting camera movements, but… is it really Phoenix Wright’s Day Off without those?

IDEA 3: Create a 3d video of going down the street in GMOD and paste it onto a greenscreen outside the bus, and animate it rotating properly in Premiere

I don’t blame you if you don’t understand what the hell I’m talking about. See, miraculously enough, there is actually an addon for GMod that allows you to record 360 degree videos within it - and after a decent amount of finicking around with it, I actually managed to make one that seemed to work fine. It was from this point I actually set out and started making the scene - I got about ten seconds in, mostly comprised of driving shots, a neat easter egg with Homestar Runner (not something i’d do nowadays tbh) and a single shot of Phoenix beating on Maya. I was all set to get going.

And then Premiere just refused to work with the 360 video. Don’t get me wrong, I was able to animate it rotating and stuff, but it wouldn’t let me do this at the same time as the normal 2D video that was meant to be pasted on top of it. It frankly just. Wouldn’t let me. And after a lot of struggling, I just. Gave up. That ten seconds of video, trashed.

https://streamable.com/4omnep

I did manage to re-piece it together from the old files on my drive, though. With mostly missing sound effects.

So, that was scrapped. I wasn’t doing the bus fight. What, then, would work out better than a fight scene based off the first fight scene of Golden Circle? Apparently, my mind decided that would be the last fight scene of Golden Circle. Cool.

Thankfully, things went a lot smoother there, but it wasn’t without hiccups. Now, if you’ve seen Phoenix Wright’s Second Day Off - I don’t know why you’re reading this if you haven’t - there’s a chance you might’ve found the music choice for the bar fight scene a bit odd. If you’re not aware, it’s a cover of the 1986 Cameo song “Word Up”, by a German country band called The Bosshoss. This is the song they used in the movie so you’re not allowed to question me on this.

Given how western-y the song sounds, though, I had to at least make the context fit. Despite that, I couldn’t really find any GMod maps that had a good enough bar interior for a while - and I really wanted it to be a bar fight. Bar fights are cool. Thankfully, I did eventually manage to find one. This one, in particular: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=806759276&searchtext=

Yes, that’s a My Little Pony based map. I worked with what I had, okay? That was the least of the issues, anyway. By this point I’d had enough of trying to animate with GMod, and as such I’d decided to move back to SFM, but that caused a whole new issue. This map wasn’t made for SFM. And opening it in SFM just. Crashed. I won’t go super into detail of how I fixed this, but essentially I had to download a program called BSPSource so I could decompile the map, re-open it in Hammer, and export it to properly work with SFM.

Still left me with some annoying issues though, as you can see. Not too difficult fixes, though - The first one I just covered up with another corkboard, and the second thing was fixed by typing mat_specular 0 in console. Was a bit annoying that I had to do that every time I reopened SFM, but whatever. It was working, at least. (that’s something you’ll think to yourself a lot if you ever get into using SFM.)

 Anyway, things went pretty okay from this point on. You know, aside from me proceeding to barely ever work on the thing for like a year and a half. I didn’t have many hardships during it other than my own procrastination, so instead take a look at some of the funny tricks I pulled to get this scene to go the way I wanted.

https://gfycat.com/OldfashionedForkedFlatcoatretriever

Engineer telekinetically swooces his shotgun back to himself.

https://gfycat.com/SleepyShadowyLadybird

I had to make Phoenix hover over Engie to let his arms reach him without his legs obscuring the camera.

https://gfycat.com/AptHomelyGoral

The rope was way too short to reach the soldier, so I had to have Phoenix basically throw the rope in order to reach his gun. I also forgot to detach the rope from his hand afterward, so it kinda gets flung around with it off-camera.

https://gfycat.com/AgonizingScrawnyAbalone

Phoenix apparently decided for himself he wanted to go out the window.

Aside from all that, though, things finally went okay. Eventually. I managed to finish up the animation, add some extra ending stuff in GMod, and do a neat credits sequence to David Bowie music. All in all, it went okay.

And that’s it. After all that waiting, I finally managed to put an 8 minute video out from one and a half years of it not being finished. It was quite a load off my mind, for sure, and to this day it stands as my proudest video. It’s silly, has its down moments, but I can at least confidently say it’s the best Ace Attorney gmod video. If only because there is basically no competition.

So, what’s in store next? Not much of anything as far as I feel right now. I could make a third one, one day - I did envision it as a trilogy - but although I do have some ideas for it, I still have zero motivation to actually make it. So who knows. We’ll see how it goes. Maybe Phoenix Wright will escape from prison one day.

So, this was the experience of making Phoenix Wright’s Second Day Off. I hope this gave you something of an idea on how agonizing this video was to make, and totally means you should go and share it everywhere to get me more views because I DESERVE it after the hell I went through.

Seriously, though, thanks for reading, and may this post serve as a warning if you ever decide to do Garry’s Mod or SFM videos. Not a warning against it, mind you, you can make some totally cool stuff. Just be prepared to suffer a bit in the process.

[metalgearkong]

MediEvil 2019 - Review (PS4)

10/28/19

Developed by Other Ocean Emeryville / Sony Computer Entertainment, released October 2019

It has risen again! The original MediEvil from 1998 is one of my favorite games of all time, and one of the games I have completed the most. Like other games from the PS1 era, I discovered MediEvil on a demo disc and replayed it constantly. I loved the Nightmare Before Christmas aesthetics and music, and liked that it stared a cowardly bumbling skeleton. The late 90′s was a time of experimentation for 3D action/adventure games, and while some people hold Ocarina of Time or Super Mario 64 as their favorites of the genre, MediEvil has always been my personal favorite. MediEvil II released two years later, but lost a lot of its appeal for me because it took place in Victorian London instead of the graveyards and spooky locations of the original. MediEvil: Resurrection was made in 2005 for the PSP, but was more of a re-imagining of the original game, and not a true remake.

I had heard about MediEvil being remade yet again a couple years ago, but tried to have tempered expectations, and not buy into what could amount to be rumors. I imagined it would be akin to a big screen version of MediEvil: Resurrection, or at least the developers would butcher the original game. Last year was when I saw the trailer for this MediEvil remake, and I felt more confident in it. While most people were anticipating big triple-A or franchise games for 2019, my sights and hopes were dead set on this. Finally, after all this time of waiting, MediEvil 2019 has released exclusively for the PS4, and I couldn’t be happier with the final product. Other Ocean Emeryville has created a deeply loyal and extremely faithful remake of the original game I cherish so much, but I feel like only true fans will be able to truly appreciate it for the accomplishment it is.

Before I talk about the game proper, I have to elaborate on the unexpected odyssey it took to actually get the game going. Not only do I have to make a three hour round trip to the nearest Gamestop to get a copy, the game had to immediately download a day one patch: version 1.01. This update was a massive 16GB, and with my super slow mountainous wi-fi speed, my PS4 predicted it would take at least 50 hours. There was no option to begin the game without this update. I was floored. It put me in a state of blue-balled depression and denial. So I took my TV, PS4, and all the necessary cords, and physically hooked in my PS4 to my work’s ethernet cable in a public building, hoping no one would disturb it. The estimated time dropped to a meager four hours, and it made me feel a lot better. Ironically, my PS4 only realized I didn’t have enough storage space to download the update, and somewhere along the line it quit. Thankfully, it let me play after giving up.

Expectations mean a lot, and leading up to this MediEvil releasing, I intentionally did not do a lot of research on the game in order to discover it in person as I was playing. I didn’t realize this was a fully committed remake of the original. MediEvil: Resurrection disappointed me because it changed a bunch about the game and left out a lot of my favorite levels. 2019′s MediEvil recreates every inch of the original game with modern graphics. I was so thrilled I can’t even describe how cool it was to see one of my favorite games of all time with a new coat of skin, especially because I never thought THIS game would be chosen to be remade. Not only that, but the game uses the same exact audio for most of the dialog; each and every gargoyle head and character Dan meets plays the same audio as I’ve had engraved in my skull for over twenty years, only with new character models and more elaborate animations.

The developers even used the same music for each level, only re-recorded it with only small differences or flourishes. Even insignificant things like textures on a doorway or on the ground were recreated in 3D to look just like they did. I would have been perfectly okay with the developers simply using modern graphics and textures to remake certain pieces of architecture or focal points in this game, but no, every corner of Gallowmere represented the original locations, and I constantly had to pick my jaw off the floor (no offense Dan). Cinematics also play out exactly the same, with the same camera angles and movements. Part of me thinks about how maybe Other Ocean Emeryville could have taken these short cinematics sprinkled throughout the game and elaborated slightly on lore, but that would veer dangerously close to a “re-imagining” territory, and I’m just thankful everything is kept so faithful in the end.

The banished necromancer Zarok has raised an army of the dead to conquer the realm of Gallowmere. Unwittingly, Zarok also brought back to life Sir Daniel Fortesque, King Peregrine's captain of the militia, who perished embarrassingly years prior in an earlier battle against Zarok and his armies. After Fortesque’s death, fables, songs, and legends told of his false bravery and battlefield accomplishments, but now he has the opportunity to live up to his own mythical status as the hero of Gallowmere. I’ve always loved this story, wherein the bad guy accidentally raises the very hero who would thwart him. I’ve always loved Dan because he’s so unlike most knights and heroes. He has to live up to his own reputation, and prove those wrong who know what truly happened. We play as Dan and travel from the hum drum graveyards of Gallowmere all the way through more exotic levels such as a pumpkin gorge filled with demonic pumpkins, crystal caverns filled with Minotaur-like monsters, an enchanted forest containing a demonic prison, and much more.

The first advantage to the modernization of this game was being able to see the Hilltop Mausoleum (the 2nd level) from The Cemetery (the 1st level). It would make sense if you had an expansive cemetery, and the very next level, adjacent to that level, had a massive building on top of a hill, and you could see it from far away. As a PS1 game I’d never expect to see something like that, but with this remake, they had the care to include things such as this, which only helps the world feel that much more real and connected. The controls and mechanics are nearly the same as the original as well, only made slightly more convenient. Dan can still equip a one-handed weapon and a shield, and switch between weapons in a menu. He can block attacks, but only as long as the shield’s HP holds out, until you need to find a new one. Dan has all the same moves as the original, but the more free-form camera makes the game a bit more convenient to play by making platforming and seeing things easier.

As you slay enemies in each level, you fill a chalice, and bringing back a full chalice to the end of each respective level grants you a visit to the Hall of Heores before the next level begins; this world’s version of Valhalla, where the most accomplished heroes of history drink, feast, and arm wrestle for eternity. A side goal of this game is to collect the chalice from every level so Dan can also become a member of this ethereal warrior’s afterlife (twenty in all). This is something I struggled with as a kid, but in the past many years I’ve always gone out of my way to make sure Sir Fortesque gets into the Hall of Heroes where he rightfully deserves to be. Sometimes items can be found in a level which are to be used in entirely different levels, something the game only hints at. Case in point are the Ant Caves, which is a maze-like level hidden within a level that is completely optional to complete (but not if you want all twenty chalices). 

Some of the original game’s drawbacks could be regarded as similar drawbacks for this remake. Criticisms like haphazard combat and imprecise platforming are somewhat the same case here, but I would argue that’s half the point playing as a gangling hero who hasn’t yet earned his stripes. I honestly can’t take an unbiased position on some of the game’s more objective problems, not only because I’m such a fanatic and have played the original so many times, but also because it’s impossible for me to have a fresh perspective on the game. I can’t tell you how hard the puzzles are or how tough the game is simply because I’ve played the original so many times, I’ve gotten used to any perceived problems and solved all the puzzles so long ago. Reviews for this game seem to be lukewarm, and it’s an opinion I can’t share because I’m so impressed by how faithful one of my all time obscure favorites has been recreated.

In fact the very few changes the developers did make I could count on one hand. Mostly these changes have been made to a few of the game’s boss fights. Most of the bosses have always been very easy, especially compared to today’s obsession where bosses are meant to be extremely punishing. I can honestly say the changes are for the better and improve on these boss fights. For example the fight with the captain of the ghost ship has been improved, allowing you to manual aim a canon before firing it at him, rather than running back and forth between two fixed canons, hoping one of your shots hit the captain as he paces back and forth. Another addition are the “Lost Souls” which are hidden collectibles, one in each level that can be found by Sir Dan. This basically makes you replay every level to find the Lost Souls, as they only appear once you’re already near the end of the game. I can’t say I was motivated to find them, at least not right now, since it appears to be a shallow fetch-quest.

Besides getting the game booted in the first place, I did a have a few technical problems while playing the game. These are probably because the version 1.01 patch never actually downloaded and installed, and I may have been experiencing what the developers were trying to fix. One example was a door not opening once I had defeated all the enemies in the room, effectively trapping me there forever, forcing me to restart the level. The problems were mainly things such as this, and I bet I’m the only person in the world who had to complete the game from beginning to end raw without the day one patch. Otherwise the game ran great, and looks good as Hell.

I’m so glad Other Ocean Emeryville didn’t try to subvert expectations or put a clever twist on certain things, leaving it as is. MediEvil 2019 constantly impressed me, and I don’t think I’ve felt this much fan service and satisfaction since the Shadow Moses chapter of Metal Gear Solid 4 from 2008. The music, dialog, weapons, level design, aesthetics, enemies and controls have been painstakingly remade, giving this cult classic an impressive new look. Its the restrictive nature of the developer’s design philosophy I appreciate the most; this is simply a game for the fans, and very obviously by the fans. MediEvil was my most anticipated game of 2019 and I am deeply satisfied and surprised about how well it turned out. Annoying day one patch download aside, I had an incredible time experiencing this remake. While some gameplay flaws might still exist, and those who don’t already love the original may not see it in the same level of reverence, this was a big payoff for me and I’m sure other dedicated fans feel the same. Thank you Other Ocean Emeryville, this has been a wonderful gift.

9/10

[jake-richmond]

Thoughts on the Anthem demo:

Since I had to take a day off anyway I decided to try out Anthem. Its a 3rd person adventure shooter by Bioware. I had gotten excited about it last year because it looks a lot like both The Division (game play wise) and Destiny (world design wise), both of which I loved. I spent the day playing the demo with my brother Nick and our friend Gabe (who I also played The Division and Monster Hunter World with). They both seemed to like it quite a bit, but I had very mixed feelings...

Good: Anthem takes place in what appears to be a very large open world. Its interesting looking, with lots of space to explore. I love exploring science fiction spaces, and flying around checking out caves and weird alien architecture was fun.

Bad: There's not a ton of stuff in the world. Its hard to tell since this is just a demo, but Anthem's neat world seems to be mostly empty. Theres not a lot of reason to stop and look around. Even the neat features like the ruins of small communities, giant alien structures, huge waterfalls, etc, are mostly just decorative. There doesn't seem to be much to do. There are a scattering of enemies, but not much reason to stop and shoot them.

- Good: Anthem has a setting kind of similar to Destiny, as far as I can tell. You're the last humans in the last human stronghold, trying to protect your way of life and keep your society and technology alive in a very hostile world. Thats not super original, but destiny had a visual style that I liked a lot,and Anthem's visual style, especially for its hub city and its NPC inhabitants seems to be a direct copy. Which is just fine with me!

- Bad: There's no character creation,and you never see your character. The game asks you to select a masculine or feminine voice, and then starts you off in the hub city with no other customization. Anthem is a multiplayer game, but like Monster Hunter World and The Division your hub is an instanced area available just to you, so no other players will ever see you there. While in the hub you're stuck in first person mode, so you never get to see what you look like. This is incredibly frustrating to me.It immediately killed my immersion. Instead of feeling like i was an inhabitant of this interesting world I felt like I was just me playing a video game. In Destiny, monster Hunter World and The Division I felt like I was directly involved in those worlds through my character. Here it felt more like i was going on a theme park ride. Weirdly, as soon as you put on your futuristic Iron Man style armor suit and leave the hub city the rest of the game is played in 3rd person. So you can see your armor, and so can everyone else. And while you can customize your armor a fair amount, this feels less like having a unique character and more like having a fancy cell phone case.

Good: You can fly. Anthem is a big place, and the main way you get around is by flying in your Iron Man style armor. And the terrain of the game really encourages that. You'll fly through underground tunnels, over vast waterfalls, in and out of ravines. Theres a lot of chaotic vertical terrain to explore by flying. Bad: Unfortunately flying sucks. once you're actually in the air the flying controls are okay. They're a little clunky,a nd don't feel super responsive, but they're okay. Unfortunately, getting in the air is awkward. You can't just take off like superman. you need to actually be in the air before you can activate your jets, which means jumping up and taking off, or falling off something and taking off. Its the "taking off" action thats the problem. Hitting the button sends you into a kind of twist animation that sends your thrusting forward toward wherever your camera is pointing. The action can be disorienting, especially since your character isn't always facing the direction your camera is pointing. As a result, you often start your flight going slightly the wrong way, or even crashing into a wall or object (which can send you falling back down to the ground, sometimes hundreds of feet). The move gets easier to do with practice, but after hours it still felt awkward to me.

The bigger problem is that  you can only fly for about 10 seconds at a time. Flying is both the main way you get around the game and one of the game's main mechanics. You're meant to be flying  and hovering in battle often. But flying has a resource gauge (a  heat gauge) and it only takes about 10 seconds to overheat. Which means flights tend to be short and stressful, and using flying to explore the world, or even just enjoying flying for its own sake, is really limited. You can extend your fly time by cooling down your engines by flying through waterfalls or skimming rivers, but that mostly requires hugging the ground, and that kind of defeats the point?

Good: Missions are fun. Missions in Destiny and The Division tended to be short and mostly revolved around going to a place and killing a guy or flipping a switch.The 3 missions in Anthem are all more involved than that, and while none of them are super complicated all involve multiple locations, lots of different enemies and a boss fight. For this type of game they're satisfying. The game also has some public events in its freeplay exploration mode which seem fun. In one I was blowing up supply tents in an enemy camp while waves of enemies tried to take me down. In another i was collection alien tech while a giant monster chased me through a swamp. I wouldn't say these were more compelling than Destiny or The Divvisin's public events (and nowhere near as fun as coming across a random monster in Monster Hunter World), but they were enjoyable and I can see myself stopping to participate in them over and over. The demo's one Strike/Dungeon was also pretty enjoyable.

Bad: Missions do a very bad job of actually telling you the mission mechanics. Each of the three missions and dungeon had a puzzle mechanic, but I missed the explanation for all of them. Partially this was because the game just says "collect the thing", but doesn't tell you what the thing looks like or where it is. It took me forever to figure out the tiny glowing ball (hidden amidst the explosions, power effects, glowing plants, acid baths, strobe lights, exploding insects, grenade blasts, etc) was the item we were supposed to collect.In another puzzle I totally missed that there was a puzzle at all, and thought the game had just glitched and wasn't opening a door. My second time through the dungeon, after having nick explain the puzzle mechanic to me, I watched the poor random 4th player who had joined our party run around the puzzle room in confusion looking for the item, because he didnt realize that the very unobtrusive and hard to notice pouch that had appeared on his character WAS the item. unfortunately all we could do was  watch, since he didn't have  a microphone connected. 

Good: In addition to being able to equip 2 guns, each of the 4 types of armored suits has a selection of built in options hat allow you to attack, defend or support other players. These can be swapped out or upgraded too, which gives you some fun choices.  I started out with two different throwing weapon attacks, but eventually upgraded to a mine launcher and an acid spray. There seems to be lots of options. Lots of guns too.

Bad: However, gun play sucks. Maybe its just because I've played Destiny for so long, but gun play in Anthem is stiff ad unresponsive. The guns are also just not very fun to use. Theres several types of guns, but they all kind of feel the same and none of them seem very effective.  Thankfully you don't have to rely on just your guns, since the suit abilities are much more powerful. But shooting is a BIG part of the game, an the guns and gun play are just lackluster. The guns themselves may get more interesting as the game goes on, but I'm not sure gun play will at all.

So I'm undecided on the game. This is just a demo, and the game itself could end up being a lot better. But I was pretty excited about this game, and now a lot of my enthusiasm has died. In fact, more than anything its just made me want to go back to playing Monster Hunter World. I'll wait for the game to be released and see what people have to say before I decide for sure.

[eorzeasntm]

ENTM Tumblr Cycle 11

Round 3 Results

Hi everyone!  Last week I challenged our models to go out into a dungeon and find a Boss Monster, inspired by one of my favorite card games.  While all of the models fought their monsters valiently (or ran away screaming as is the case with our winner), the best shot this week belonged to 

Ni’ko Shae

The votes were actually quite close this week but the community tipped it in Ni’ko’s favor.  The judges loved the unusual choice of the filter as well as the unconventional pose, since for once “visibly engaged with the monster” was not a battle requirement.  

Our guest judge this week was Misia, the new host of ENTM Instagram Cycle 2.  If you are interested in auditioning for IG cycle, please hit up our Discord channel and join in the fun!  IG Cycle 2 auditions will end on March 24th. 

For all the models, we have judges feedback below the fold.  

Judge Terrini

Adam: I quite like the framing and elements of this shot. The effects aren't obscuring anything important and the boss' pose definitely looks like it's responding to your blow, so it works well. Your glamor however doesn't pop all that much and while all the elements work well together, I'm not getting a lot of excitement from the shot. A closer zoom would have given more drama here I think. 

Bria: WATCH OUT! Haha I love how it looks like you avoided the dragon's breath weapon by jumping on it's nose and the filter giving the pink tinge is actually really cool! You've framed the boss really well and being in full dragoon armor says explicitly that this is your job and it's all in a days work. I have no complaints but only a few nitpicks. While I love the more classic dragoon coloring and you do stand out in some ways, it might be nice to use spotlights to give you a bit more outline. 

Haila: The effects of this shot are fantastic! They make this fight look very epic and I love your style and flare for this satisfying image. I do think that the portrait view gives a nice frame of the effects but it does feel a bit cramped horizontally and too tall with empty space at the top of the picture. I know how these things can be hard to capture just right though and how hard it is to get the enemy posed just right with the right animation fram and the right angle. Still great work! 

Kota: I love this shot... you have this perfect framing with blocking that darn jester from stepping on you and him being just ever so slightly out of focus but still up close and personal is a really nice effect. The only thing that might be nicer is if your outfit popped a bit mor, particularly the bust area seems a bit lacking in shades of brown and it would be nice to see the light coloring and white continuing there to contrast with your opponent. 

Luma: I am a bit underwhelmed by this shot. It's a lovely framing of the boss, but your hair is blending into the background and your framing is weak. You are not in a strong action pose so I'm not getting much of a sense of interaction between the two of you besides that you're a bit wary of this great big ape... and for a scenic shot, being perfectly centered is not getting the most out of the background (I would recommend shifting the camera to the left to monopolize a bit more of that nice sunset peaking behind that cabin and cut out the boss gate barrier). 

Ni'ko: Oh wow, I'm quite impressed by this composition and I can draw a lot of emotion from your posing and effects, it's like you're fighting off the demons in your head. I actually really love this shot a lot. My main nitpick is the filter makes the actual boss monster particularly undefined and it's a big risk in a round meant to highlight him, but I think you managed to pull it off with artistic integrity in having it tell a story. 

Peaceful: Your skill is really nicely framed and I love the effect of the bright light arcs from the arrows streaking towards the boss. Your pose is dynamic and expressive which is really satisfying as well. The weakest part of the shot, in my opinion is that you've managed to mostly obscure the boss monster in effects, so in a round called "Boss Monster" this is risky as we are expecting to see both of you as features to the shot. It's not an automatic bad thing, sometimes the risk pays off, but since this is a smaller boss at a distance from you and obscured by effects, the result leaves me wanting. 

Yojimbo: I'm not completely sure what you are trying to accomplish with this shot. The limb darkening and ability both blur and obscure most of the interesting features of the background so it's not much of a scenic, and what we can see clearly is rather uninspiring and empty. The action of the shot is also pretty tame and even as a glamour shot you're also rather out of focus. Being up close does make you really stand out overall and I actually quite love your glamour, the red in the clothes matching the stripe on your face is an awesome combo and I think the pose is great. 

Yomu: This is a very strong shot, like an exchange of blows and waiting to see who came out on top. I like the theme of being a dark knight versus the angelic statue, and the high contrasts of the angel's darkened bone white, reds of abilities, blacks on you and with the blues and greens in the the background is an interesting effect. I know quite well the trouble of framing, but I would have like to perhaps have been a bit more up close on you, looking up from a little below and getting more of a sense of the angel looming above you.

Judge Wulf (Kusuh)

ADAM I have some serious stressful memories from this dungeon, so it’s pretty satisfying to see Siren being taken down a few pegs, honestly. My favorite part of this is the red line created by the DRK skill, it creates a nice line to follow, crossing through Siren and passing the tip of your sword. The way you’ve captured siren leaning back also adds an amazing sense of action to the shot as well! My note for you this week has to do with zoom and framing. It’s small, but I think this shot would do well to be just a bit more zoomed in. There is quite a bit of empty space behind you and behind Siren, and I feel like that is what makes everything seem smaller, and therefore less impactful. I feel like just raising up the camera a tad and zooming in juuuust a little bit would alleviate this problem! With all that said though, I am very much loving this shot, keep it up!

HAILA This is 100% my favorite Machinist skill! I’ve always wanted to get a a good shot with it, and I’m glad you were able to make the opportunity! Going vertical for this shot was really a stand-out unique choice for this shot, and it’s not an unwelcome one. The way the lights are flashing out from the monster really creates a sense of impact  and the roaring makes it seem like the hit hurt! A note for this picture, and it’s a small one: The way you’re angled plus the direction you’re looking really hides your face and from what I can tell, you’re eyes are open and staring downward. I feel like the image could be made a but stronger with you looking directly at the boss’s face/neck area. Keep in mind, though, that’s just a small suggestion, this is a wonderful shot overall!

YOMU Please allow me to get a little bit silliness out the way really quick, The frown on the boss is an absolute MOOD and I would use it for reaction images forever. With that out of the way, I’m gonna come right out and say that this is easily one of my favorite shots this week! One of my favorite things is to follow the lines that effects create in battle shots, and you’ve made excellent use of the DRK effects to make my eye follow across you and right through the boss. The way that line cuts through the center of the picture is an excellent use of framing as well! It gives a very nice “split screen” effect that  divides you and the boss, therefore creating conflict. If I had to give a note for this week (and I always try to!), I’d say that if you moved the camera up just a smidgen, then the boss’s head wouldn’t be caught off just at the tip. That’s it though! Amazing job on this shot.

KOTA The first thing that sticks out to me about this shot is how I can feel the impact of the foot crashing down onto the shield, and the very nice sense of action this creates. There’s a lot of discussion in the ENTM community when it comes to the use of a dutch angle, but I think it works for this type of shot. Also, I enjoy how your outfit fits together with your weapon choice as well as with how it contrasts with the boss’s dark coloration! Here’s my note for you this week: I feel like some of the impact is lost with the boss being blurry due to the DoF effect. Try messing around with the DoF settings, or try a similar shot with it off all together, I think having the boss in full focus would have a greater impact. I can’t wait to see what you have next week, and every shot has shown excellent improvement!

Judge Ona

Adam: While I am personally partial to Siren, I am a little disappointed that this image doesn’t let me see her face and that magnificent hair of hers. The image is not as strong as others you have submitted in this cycle to date. Your face is hidden in the shadows and obscured by your hair. The main light source is directed onto Siren’s chest and not the action below. You are not looking at the enemy, however it could be the follow through to the massive sword swipe. The colors in the image are also very similar and tend to blend across elements.

I do love the angle of the image. The Dutch angle you used here is a great way to draw the eye upward to the enemy. I love the background as well. It is a beautiful space and backdrop for this fight scene. The colors, although tending to cause elements to blend together, are fitting to this scene. I also love the elements from the bottoms of the pillars casting a hint of light upward.

Don’t forget about you light source next week Adam, and take notice to let the viewer see your face, and more of Garuda’s as well.

Luma: While you have definitely added a light source to this image, I think you over-implemented it. You can definitely see the ape’s face and your glamour, this strong of a direct light source now casts a shadow too hard on the rest of the image. Ape-man’s arm has now become the mountainside.

I think this is an interesting location for this image, the background of tropical huts adds a jungle flair, and the banana tree is perfect for a battle with a giant ape. The use of the pencil filter creates a unique texture to the buildings. The unfortunate thing with pencil, is that when it is applied to overly pixelized graphics it can create a more noticeable distortion to them. I also want to point out that the sky in this image is gorgeous. Those colors are beautiful!

I love how you are engaged in this battle with the ape, but I can’t see your face. Change the angle of the camera and essentially reverse the image so that your face shows and the viewer can see your expression. I can see the boss’ expression, but not yours, and no offense, I am sure your Cat-boi face is prettier than that hair ape. I am looking forward to seeing your image next week!

Peaceful: I love your expression! You find pure joy in destroying that monster and landing the final blow! It is without question that no one wants to find themselves on the other side of your bow! I love the juxtaposition of you to the monster, causing you to be the largest thing in the image, without overtaking all the elements. The battle effect is interesting in this filter.

I struggled to see which boss or enemy this is on first look, needing to really zoom in the see the Gobby feet and armor. I also wish you could have somehow angled him, or had placement of him that obscured the purple battle zone line. It is interesting that it remained so bright of a purple with the rest of the elements of the image all becoming a sepia type tone. Try to capture enemies with less of a battle effect so that they are more identifiable in future rounds.

Your glamour is a perfect fit for fighting an armor encased enemy. Steam punk outfit and bow work well in this arena too, I just wish I could see your entire foot at the bottom tip of the bow. The lighting along the walls fills the room and leaves little dead space for the eye to find. I look forward to seeing what future images you bring to the table!

Yojimbo: Red ninja mask, rhinoceros enemy, green oozy glow… Please tell me this was a TMNT cosplay! If not, it is definitely something you can just pretend you tried to do!

I love the red in your glamour! The mask and the red on your arms is enough to make you stand out without distracting from the entire image. With the green glow throughout the image, the red draws the eye to your character and makes you the focus of the image. The slight blur to the image slightly causes the image to lose some clarity, but I would assume that the intent was that this would be like looking through the smoky haze. It is initially difficult to discern the enemy upon first glance, however, because of that same blur. I do like the intent here, however, and applaud you for your creativity in using this effect.

I like how the background is non-descript allowing for the focus to be on the battle, and it may have done some benefit to the image if you were slightly closer to the rhino. Another suggestion may have been to throw a small light source to the right of the rhino, putting some definition on it, without taking away from the overall feel of the image. I look forward to next week’s submission!

 Kota: This shot feels very neon. Very vivid, while still being void of being bright. The color palette reads heavy and aggressive, but is still attractive to the eye. I love the edges and how they seem to glow throughout the image.

I would have liked to see a different hairstyle on you so that your face was not obscured by it. The angle of your body position in the image seems a bit out of proportion as well. From this angle your foot looks to be the same size as the boss. Obviously this is not the case, however, it is something you should keep in mind when having such extreme angles.

I absolutely love how the boss is slightly blurred, and you are the main focus of the image. You utilized the rule of three here perfectly, and balanced the image out well to include minimal dead space in the background. Your glamour definitely suits your tank in this image as well! Don’t forget to add a small light source to your face in your images as well. Even with the hair across your face, a small light may  have helped to highlight and provide definition to your expression. I really enjoyed this image from you!

Judge Nadede

Bria:  I do have to say that this week’s image from you is your strongest one so far. With that said, it was not easy trying to spot you in this shot because you blend in with the surrounding colors. It might have helped you if you had zoomed in on yourself a bit more so than having the dragon in its entirety being seen. YOU should be the main focal point, not the dragon. Other things that might have helped would be getting lights on you a bit more and maybe wearing something that had colors that are complementary to what is around you. In your case, something along the lines of yellows and oranges (complimentary colors are opposite of each other on the color wheel). I also feel that you should be facing the dragon instead of away, especially with the spear end of your lance is pointing downward as if meaning to attack. I will say that this boss does present a challenge when working with lighting and finding ways to stand out. I say that as I used him during a theme we had last cycle. Keep on improving and can’t wait to see what you come up with for the next round.

Haila:  Not too bad of a shot this week. It is somewhat growing on me after seeing it zoomed out to see the whole image at once instead of scrolling up and down (that is on the site hosting the images, not you). With that, it still feels like there is still a bit of space above and below you and the Zu. I wonder if either having the shot horizontal or even zoomed in more would have given your shot even more tension than what is already there. You also blend in a little bit with the background of your image. Some back lighting and lighting on your face would have helped that as well as maybe wearing something that has colors complimentary to the background (like the orange seen through the ceiling windows). Keep up the good work and can’t wait to see what you bring to the next round

Ni’ko:  First off, thank you for the laugh. It was really needed *hugs* It is one of those “What do I do, what do I do??!” moments when seeing all those mobs coming right after you. The diagonals radiating from the main boss helps move the viewers eyes from the center of the shot outwards and back again. All the angles that are being used within your image (including the direction the eyes and faces of everyone is facing) gives the scene a much sense of action being taken place. The only thing that I’m finding distracting is the color filter you used within the image. I appreciate the old comic book feel your image has (dunno if that is what you were going for) but I wonder how the image would have turned out using a different filter. Overall good job this week, and again, thank you for the laugh.

Yojimbo: Yojimbo, sadly this is my least favorite of the images you have taken so far. Your mount one from last week is my favorite so far. One thing that I have noticed amongst all of your images thus far is needing to work on your lighting. You have some interesting ideas in your shots that would be further enhanced. Play around with the light settings from up close to far away along with playing with the light intensities and color sliders. I would even urge you to ask for advice from Katarh or other former models/judges with your images as a second set of eyes never hurts. I know you can do an awesome job and waiting to see what you will bring to the table next week. 

Judge Misia

Peaceful Ursa: I just love the sepia tone you picked for this shot, especially with all the lights you have that frame the picture. It’s easy to pick you out and know what is going on. Your Roe is the star and you are kicking major booty from afar! Only thing I would say is careful with the coloring. My eyes were drawn to the purple behind the enemy. Make sure if you have a color tone to keep it throughout the picture. Also the boss is very hard to make out so either you dismembered him or he just never existed. Otherwise, beautiful job!

Luma Lee:  Your picture is a beautiful shot, and the colors pop out very well. I feel there were a lot of miss opportunities here though. My only thing with this picture though is there doesn’t seem to have very much going on within the picture. The gorilla seems to be the star and you are the co-star to the role without much of a face. This also might be a personal preference, but the purple dungeon blockage also takes away from the beautiful colors you have in the picture.

Yomu Kazul: I am so in love with this shot, it brings me back to the trailers for Shadowbringers! What I love about this shot is that I feel I am watching a battle scene, going toe to toe with an enemy twice your size (And you are already a huge character!) The effects don’t drown you out and the colors pop in so many ways, I want more and more from it .If I have to nitpick something, maybe nudge the camera up a bit to get rid of dead space and see more of the boss but that is me trying to find something. Keep it up! You did an amazing job!

Bria Rirsa: An epic battle against a dragon! How can you pull that off? You surely did! What I love is that you created a scene that shows us exactly what is going on. It even looks like you landed on his head, ready to give the next strike! Watch out dragon! One thing I would work on would be to be careful with colors. You almost blend in with all the purple and light blues. If you are a small part of a picture, make sure you are standing out more so you don’t get lost in all the action. Great job though!

Adam Evershot: A battle with the harpy herself and it looks like you got the upper hand here! I do like how you were going with this shot, especially when it looks like your knocking the snot of of her with your sword. I was a bit disappointed though that I couldn’t see you face very well and your glamour choice didn’t seem to fit the theme very well with what you were going with. You almost blend into the background and the villian seems to really steal more the spotlight. Try something more of a glam that contrasts from the brown so that you shine brighter as the star! Good job though!

Haila Wetyios: Interesting approach on this theme, I love how you are in the battle with the boss and obviously giving it more then it can handle. I feel there was many miss opportunities here. Though you picked portrait for your picture, I feel it cut off a lot of the action and created more dead space in your picture. I love the action and effects but they drown out the boss and your character in general. If you are creating a fight scene, bring more of that action by maybe zooming out from the fight, or showing more of the boss in the picture. In the end, you are the star, so don’t blind yourself out from the fight. Good job otherwise though!

Ni’ko Shae: Great job this week! This picture reminds me of my first time in dungeons when I had no idea what to expect! The face expressions were priceless and the monsters were so easy to make out. I will say that the filter threw me off though with how blended the colors were but they make sense in a almost comical scene you have here. Only thing Ill point out is the line you have going straight through your character. I believe that is one of the filters but it didn’t fit well with the theme you did. Beautiful job though!

Kota Tumet: Man! I would have you protect me any day for you are just a shining warrior in battle with a foe that might just kill us all. I love how you created something that shows what is exactly going on. The boss has thrown a mighty blow and you have blocked it with ease. Your face shows how in the moment you are and I feel I’m right there with you. One thing I will point out that I feel would have made this picture so much better is that you blurred half the boss. If you are in battle, make sure to fully commit to what you are fighting, you are the star, but make sure your co star isn't almost blended into the background. Otherwise, you did wonderful!

Yojimbo Kasai: This boss better watch out cause there is a ninja in town! I will be honest though, this picture was very hard to look at. The edges blurred out so much that not only were you captured in that blur but the boss as well. The dark edges were also not needed because it adds so much darkness to a already dark picture. I would next time take advantage of the environment and let the fog create the ambiance for you, no need to add to an already beautiful backdrop to an epic picture. You want to stand out and not blend in with your effects for they have stolen the show. You have so much potential, keep it up!!

[seeksstaronmewni]

Bryan Andrews and The Powerpuff Girls: Heating up the City of Townsville!

A week ago I decided to get screencaps from The Powerpuff Girls episode “Live and Let Dynamo” to reference and study the action, explosions, designs, all of that cool stuff. They really went all out on the action--so many explosions, so much destruction, such bright glows all over the place--and I’d like to thank storyboard artist & writer Bryan Andrews (Samurai Jack, Marvel flicks) for doing some pretty nice choreography. The episode itself may very well be an excuse to test out their action, extremes and direction on the show.

Often, when I study explosions in cartoons, particularly those of Genndy Tartakovsky or Don Bluth, I reference key frames of the explosion. In the pics above, I note the very short, specific shots of the explosion’s beginning as a missile sets off next to Bubbles, where there’re shots of extreme flashes, strong bursts of energy and whatnot as the missile explodes. Following the flash are 2 main shots of the explosions--one is in good view of the flash surrounding it and the other is the explosion filling the screen.

Another important part to note is how the action is displayed and portrayed. In this shot, the angles aren’t parallel to the ground--they’re very specific. Also, the background is composed of buildings that’re CGI props (probably done by Savage Frog!) to make background panning be easier and smoother, namely with how many directions the camera seems to go. This isn’t too common in the series, but it’s certainly something we currently see not in the Nick Jennings & Bob Boyle episodes. Compare the shots below from Live and Let Dynamo vs. Toy Ploy:

In my opinion, designs in the 2002-2005 episodes’ are far better, which’re very detailed, threatening-looking and firey with dynamic, sharp light streaks, whereas the current designs are mostly colored dust clouds (similar, perhaps, to explosions in PPG episodes from 1998-2001)--simpler detail with rounder-edged light streaks, which convey less energy in the explosion.

Now, this explosion from the episode Power of Four act 1, “Find Your Bliss”, in the segment “Space Towtruck vs. Judge Tread”, is a big improvement. (Props and Effects Designer: Nathan Rico; Storyboarded by @chanimations & @gracekraft)

Also, like many current Cartoon Network Studios projects, though Robert Alvarez & Randy Myers still direct animation, the timing/animation appears to be pervasively slow-paced, excluding Samurai Jack Season 5.

Glow effects, as I said before, are highly emphasized in this episode, occasionally greatly poignant. Stephen Jennings did the “Digital Effects”.

In some shots, of course, the glows are used for the atmosphere, similar to the glow effects in Star Wars: Clone Wars CHAPTER 23.

(picture reveal regarding the below coming eventually)

One of the coolest weapons in Live and Let Dynamo are the 2 missiles that explode to release hundreds or more of mini, bee-striped explosives all over the city. That kind of weapon is a very realistic representation of highly dangerous, violent explosives--in a kids’ show. The result is high-octane and all over the place.

(Better picture comparison regarding the below coming eventually)

Another cool thing about Live and Let Dynamo is a more or less subtle reference to Star Wars: Clone Wars CHAPTER II, where Blossom flies toward Dynamo’s missiles and calls for “evasive action!” Obi-Wan did the same thing in Clone Wars, and both episodes were storyboarded and written by Bryan Andrews. Like I tweeted before: Coincidence, Cartoon Network?

It’s worthy to note that Roque Ballesteros storyboarded on Star Wars: Forces of Destiny, the most recent 2D Star Wars cartoon, and storyboarded and wrote The Powerpuff Girls episode “Power-Up Puff”. I compare this to Bryan Andrews storyboarding and writing Star Wars: Clone Wars and The Powerpuff Girls, so, though I’d love to see Bryan work on PPGs again, Roque may be the future “Bryan Andrews” of action in animation. Likewise, David Krentz (Hotel Transylvania 2, Marvel flicks) storyboarded for Samurai Jack EPISODE XCIV with Genndy Tartakovsky in place of Bryan, so Krentz could be another future “Bryan Andrews” of action in animation.

Speaking of action in animation, what this episode of The Powerpuff Girls has that the current ones don’t is well-timed animation. While most everything in CN shows these days are slow-paced throughout in animation, most cartoons like Samurai Jack and Star vs. the Forces of Evil have well-balanced animation that is occasionally slow in pace, but the action movements usually have faster-paced animation. I know not if Robert Alvarez or SMIP is responsible for the pervasive slow-pace, but it seems obvious.

Lastly, I feel that uncredited sound designer/editor Joel Valentine and his team deserve credit. That was probably a whole LOT of sound to cut for this action-packed 11-minute episode, and certainly compared to his recent sound design work on Disney’s Big City Greens. Also, props to @chrisbattleart @serapiocalm and Charlie Bean for the prop design!

Share this post if you agree! It’s one thing we need to see in The Powerpuff Girls again--more action and better explosions, with faster-paced, well-balanced animation timing.

[i-am-the-entertainer]

RevieWBY: Volume 6, Chapter 1 “Argus Limited”

Spoilers for Volume 6, Chapter 1

This is the first of what I hope are gonna be regular RWBY review posts. It’s hard, nay almost difficult to review individual episodes of RWBY considering each part is only a single piece of an overall product, but I think there’s value in giving special attention to what the show gets right in its individual episodes.

I want to emphasize a bulk of this was written in response to the premiere screenings, which is a significantly different experience from watching it on RoosterTeeth.com, considering everything is in your face and you’re watching it with fellow fans, which makes it a more visceral experience I think. I have edited this here and there after watching it again on the website, but since my first experience with the episode will always be from a giant screen, take what I say with a grain of salt.

As I suspected, it looks like the trailer is made up of footage from the first few episodes. About 50% of what we saw in the trailer came from this episode, mostly the stuff involving the action sequences. Two possible explanations for this:

The pipeline for production hasn’t changed: they’re still producing the episodes as they come out.

The pipeline has in fact changed but they don’t want to spoil stuff.

If it’s 1, I’m worried because I and several other people felt a rushed production timeline was why Volumes 4 and 5 had major storytelling issues. The thing is, it’s clear from the BTS stuff they showed that the general production pipeline has changed: the studio has gotten bigger, and I think production on gen:LOCK has forced them to fix the problems they already had: meaning, they’re spending more time on the finished product. And it makes sense not to spoil the latter half of the season in the trailer: considering it’s serialized storytelling, it’s a big no-no to give that kind of thing away before the show even comes out.

And this episode? They clearly had a lot of time to work on it. This is the best animation-wise the show has looked: there’s a lot of attention paid to minute details in the show. Character movements are more fluid, the choice to turn to more anime-like gags is making the show feel more like RWBY that we’re used to (which to be fair the first episodes of the last two volumes also did and did nothing with so take that with a grain of salt), and during our first big battle sequence minute things like firing effects and visuals are so much better than they’ve been: the show looks more like a cartoon/anime now more than ever before, which is coming down to the movements just as much as the visuals. But it even comes down to the little details, like how Weiss’s mouth is at a certain angle when she’s complaining about having to go back to Atlas, and how it seems like characters’ faces use more than just the mouth and eyebrows to convey emotions.

Characterization was, as usual, excellent––let’s be honest, the characters have always been at least the second best part of the show, next to the fights. The dynamic between team RWBY, despite their long separation, is the same as ever. And appropriate for what’s happened, there’s definite tension between Yang and Blake over what happened back in Vale in Volume 3. Considering this fandom’s seeming inability to accurately predict story direction (which I myself am guilty of), I don’t want to make too many calls about where I see the story go, but I think it’s safe to say they’re not going to gloss over a firm reconciliation between Yang and Blake: we get a strong hint of that in the opening.

The humor in this episode was a lot better as well: jokes didn’t seem forced, and at my screening the laughs really came from entertaining character interaction. They’re definitely trying to lean back into the anime vibe from the earlier seasons, but the jury’s out on whether that’s gonna be consistent for the rest of the season.

I don’t have much to say about how Ilia and Sun were removed from the plot other than, “Yeah, that’s a good call.” Let’s be honest, having too many characters doing too many things was a problem even during the so-called “golden age” of the show, so removing them from the equation would have had to happen or we all would have been moaning for the Volume to end sooner. And I think they got proper send-offs: Ilia’s been redeemed and gone off to her own adventures, and SSSN is back together (Neptune had everyone at my screening doubled over in laughter).

The choice to start the episode with the fight, then cut to earlier, then show a small portion of the fight before continuing the story was an interesting one, one I enjoyed. For one thing, it gives us a chance to see the whole Team RWBY in action right off the bat, and definitely sates everyone’s desire to see an action scene: we don’t need any context as to why they’re fighting, we just know for sure that they are once again a team. Honestly? After two seasons of waiting, the fan in me is relieved they didn’t waste any more time for that. Plus it would have saved the fight sequence from going on longer than it needed to with a weird pause to have Oscar tell Dudley to turn off the turrets.

So, uh, speaking of the fight...

Regarding the big battle sequence: it’s an improvement, there is absolutely no denying it. But on first viewing I didn’t think it was particularly memorable.

There was a lot going on, sure, and after watching it a few times I think we can all agree they’ve definitely improved the fight animation: characters are once again on the move constantly, they’re using their weapons in the way they were designed to, no more awkward pauses, etc. But it felt like a battle that was inserted specifically to give the show a reason to set team RWBY on its own path. Which, granted, it was, but the problem was bigger than just it didn’t have very high stakes (and I applaud them for trying by having Dee get killed off almost immediately, but killing off a character we weren’t given much time to appreciate or even given the chance to like isn’t very high stakes––same reason why Sienna Khan’s abrupt death felt more annoying than shocking). The problem was the fight scene had too much going on.

Let me explain. If you’ve seen Lindsay Ellis’s Transformers film theory series, you might have seen her video essay about why it’s so hard to remember what happens in Michael Bay’s Transformers series. Basically, the Transformers films have a whole lot going on in terms of visual: explosions! Guns! Robots that transform into cars! Cars that transform into robots! Yeah yeah, lot of spectacle, but because the action is non-stop, you don’t have the mental power to retain it all.

One could argue that madcap fight sequences have always been part of RWBY’s charm. But the thing about previous fight sequences, especially Monty’s (look, I know it’s been some years now, but it’s an inevitable comparison, he set the bar), is that nonstop visual spectacle was never really all they were: in terms of pacing, shots of action were followed by moments that gave characters time to breathe: the separation of actions would then lead to a new way of shooting the fight. For reference, look at the gunchuck fight from Volume 1: camera angles and movements changed based on what portion of the fight is happening, with appropriate breathers in between. This contrast gives the fight maximum impact: it’s why the gunchucks’ introduction was so cool. For one of the best examples from Volumes 4 and 5, look at the Qrow v. Tyrian fight for a similar rhythm.

And while the shots in Volume 6′s premiere certainly showed off the movements well, the pacing was fast, the characters’ actions made sense, I wasn’t snoozing during the fight––basically covering a lot of the problems I’ve had with the post-Monty era of fight animation––because there wasn’t a whole lot of room to breathe in the fight, I didn’t get a very big impression from it. And it’s a pity, because there are some genuinely creative things going on that I couldn’t recall after the premiere and had to actually be reminded: I especially love the split screen of Qrow and Ruby using their scythes to to attack the Grimm, and I’m guessing based on the splitscreen’s presence in the opening that we’ll be seeing it used more (once again adding a more anime-feel to the show). Last volume’s Cinder vs. Raven fight actually got the right contrast down in terms of giving the battle time to breathe, but again it was still mostly non-stop visual explosion. I’m hoping we’ll see some improvement on this front. Plus, I can understand why they may have felt obligated to do this, as they wanted to make sure the season premiere was telling you “You want action? Here’s some action!” And this was a shitton better than the Volume 4 premiere fight and basically every fight that wasn’t Qrow v. Tyrian, Yang v. Bandits, and Cinder v. Raven (...damn. They haven’t had very good fights for a while, huh?). We’ll just have to see how the other fights hold up.

So overall verdict? Genuinely optimistic. They definitely seem to be taking viewer feedback into account with the little stuff I picked up in this episode (it helps that some of the relentlessly positive RWBY reviewers that I’m sure Rooster Teeth follows got so annoyed with the last volume I think they finally realized “Huh. Maybe we aren’t doing so great after all”). I can’t make a call on whether that logic applies to the whole Volume. So we’ll just have to wait and see.

Nitpicks/Observations

The relic is inexplicably smaller. Why is the relic inexplicably smaller? Look, I get it, maybe you made it too big in Volume 5, and ultimately I can’t bring myself to care that much about it, but don’t just retcon it. Either just keep it that size and try to work the story around it, or show some sort of explanation as early as possible.

An accusation was made in the rwde tag shortly after the film screenings that claimed the shot of Ilia’s feet as she walks over to hug Blake was queerbaiting because the shot is framed as though she is going to kiss her. Look, that wasn’t the impression I got at all on first viewing, I’m still doubtful about it after rewatching the scene a few times, but the fact is queerbaiting is not an accusation that is leveled lightly. Representation is important, and I would hope the team understands that and that someone in the CRWBY would call out any moment of concern. That said, I also don’t think queerbaiting is an accusation that should just be made without some thought put into it (lest we forget the whole Lapidot thing on a show known for representation), and the thing is we haven’t gotten any signs from the show that Ilia and Blake are in any way meant to become a couple and the fact that both she and Sun (one of the characters most shipped with Blake) are leaving the show for now was enough for me to not interpret that show as romantic. But I think it’s important that the queerbaiting accusation not be just tossed aside. Have thoughts? Comment.

Look, as dramatic as “don’t let anyone else die” may have seemed, I really didn’t care that Dee died, and probably could not have been made to care.

Yet I should add––they weren’t gonna kill off a major character in the premiere. At this point I think they’ve learned deaths and major character injuries should only be done for emotional impact, if they’re done in the way where it’s just shock value (like Weiss getting impaled), it’s going to be very hard to get people to care (like everyone being like “Oh, that’s just stupid” when Weiss got impaled and there was a cliffhanger).

Like, I dunno, maybe just have the Grimm cause a significant amount of damage? That still gives them a reason to separate the relic from the rest of the car, and still gives RNJ something to do in the name of removing them from the plot.

The shot of the train crash was a little awkward. I think there was an issue with the framerate, or maybe the physics of it didn’t seem to work. I remember seeing it in theaters and thinking “Oh. That doesn’t look that great...”

Good intro to the mystery lady, who we now know is named Maria Calavera. So...when do we learn more?

Predictions

All the posts seem to be saying “Oh that hooded figure is Neo because of Torchwick’s hat floating nearby and she’s the only one without a parasol” or “Oh, that hooded figure is Cinder because of the Grimm arm and Cinder’s sword.” And the thing is: they’re two separate shots, and the latter is really darkened to hide their identity, moreso than the other. I am almost positive they’re two different people...

A note: Cinder’s return to the series is basically guaranteed. Unlike Torchwick, in public statements the writers have avoided outright confirming she’s dead. It would make sense for her survival to be revealed a couple episodes in, with her shot in the opening then brightened.

As for Neo, it’s been 3 years. If they don’t bring her back now, what exactly is the point of the character continuing to exist?

Whoever our mystery person is...they are probably the one whom Kerry claimed in the BTS bit would be the one we’d sympathize with. I don’t think he’s referring to Adam: it doesn’t feel as though Adam is being set up for a redemption arc, especially given his characterization in the character short.

The moon is whole...and then it shatters. Symbolism? Could this be another Volume 3?

Judging by the trailer and the intro, we might finally get some “Ozpin is not what he seems” explanation...

Death flags for Qrow: he already had the major injury in Volume 4. If a major character is going to die this Volume, it’s him.

[clickbliss]

Battle Princess Madelyn is an enchanting Ghosts N Goblins tribute that's hard to recommend

by Amr (@siegarettes)

Battle Princess Madelyn

Developer:

Publisher:

PC, PS4, Switch

Born of a daughter’s request to have a version of Ghosts ‘N Goblins with a playable girl, Battle Princess Madelyn carries both the spirit of that childhood desire and the series it pays homage to. This results in a game that both challenged and charmed me, bringing spooky character designs with a sense of cuteness, alongside familiar chaotic action.

It leaves a good first impression. I was drawn into the world and simple joy of warding of the assault of the undead. Changing the damsel into a pup that needed to be avenged (and watches over you as a spirit) was a cute, if sad, touch. But as I went on it slowly dawned on me that it wasn’t the game I wanted. The levels were unfocused, too often full of sprawling areas that felt barren and tedious to navigate. Alternate paths and secret areas seemed promising but often led to...dead ends? Or side quests with no tangible reward.

I felt pretty down on it. Until I was met with the realization that Battle Princess Madelyn was actually two totally different games.

It’s true! Selecting Story Mode from the main menu gives you a sprawling quest, complete with dialogue, cutscenes, collectibles, side quests and a non-linear hub world that unlocks as you gain new abilities. Selecting Arcade Mode, however, leads you to a very different game based on the arcade Ghosts ‘N Goblins style! The stages here are remixed from the Story Mode into more compact stage designs with a straightforward action game approach.

I stuck with Story Mode for a few more bosses to get a better feel for it and see if it could impress me, but ultimately I didn’t enjoy it. Simply put, it’s not very good. Battle Princess Madelyn namedrops Wonder Boy 3 as its secondary inspiration, and while I can see its influence here it doesn’t take any of the elements that game successful. Wonderboy 3 uses its different abilities to recontextualize the world and force you to play differently upon revisiting other areas. Metroidvania style games has a different approach, gradually unlocking the world with each new ability.

In either case, it results in a world that gradually begins to feel bigger as you gain new abilities. Battle Princess Madelyn fails to resolve either of those approaches, instead feeling as if it was designed with a moveset in mind then had the character stripped of those moves to crush down the world. It doesn’t feel empowering, just restrictive.

By contrast Arcade Mode gets off to a much better start. You aren’t given a very extensive moveset, but having the double jump and chargeable ghost dog attack from the go allows for better navigation and stage design. Immediately I was leaping around, changing course mid-air and dashing through its spaces while tossing lances and ghost dogs around. It definitely captured that arcade sensibility, and the more compact level design kept it dense with action and demanded my attention at every second. I was having a grand time, but there was one problem: I couldn’t get past the first level.

I don’t mean that the first stage was too hard. It was difficult, but not unreasonably so. Instead I was stopped in the first stage after defeating the boss, with the victory screen just hanging there announcing how legendary my battle was but refusing to move on. This didn’t happen on every playthrough, but it did happen a few too many times and made me terribly anxious that the same thing would happen after each boss. Thankfully it didn’t, but another major obstacle stood in the way instead.

Stage 2, to put it mildly, is a massive, unfair difficulty spike that almost made me quit the game entirely. I eventually got through it after literal hours of practice, but it was a huge early roadblock that kept me from seeing most of the game. A combination of projectile enemies that never let up and a long precision platforming section repeatedly aggravated me until I could find a solution. The archers in the stage barely give you a gap to retaliate once they become active, and the platforming section involves climbing on precarious platforms with snakes around them who also spit venom as bats fly around you, with a single hit sending you falling for seconds to an instant death. This section tormented me with its cheap deaths, leaving me with barely any health to try to figure out the boss. And if I died? Back to the start of the level.

Worse, there was no coming back to this stage later after a break. Unlike Story Mode, if you quit in Arcade Mode you need to start the whole game over. So I decided fuck it, I’m going all in and completing as much as I can in one sitting.

While the game can apparently be completed in less than an hour if you know the stages, I didn’t and there wasn’t exactly a way to practice them. Instead I spent several hours grinding through the stages. Completing Stage 2 confirmed my suspicions that it was out of whack with the rest of the game, as most of the following stages were more reasonable in difficulty, and I even defeated a few bosses within a few or even the first try. Plenty of these stages are memorable in their own right as well, with stages set during storms as you cross on a rickety boat, or one set in a snowstorm, prompting Madelyn to change into a winter coat for its duration.

The bosses are enjoyable as well. It’s a familiar bestiary, with large wolves, crabs, possessed trees and the like, but they often have a fun gimmick for taking them down. For instance, you might have to drop a load of cannons onto the crab, or distract the wolf with a large chunk of meat. These gimmicks aren’t very involved, mostly requiring you to shoot something to open up a vulnerability, but they add variety and remind me of some of the cool boss fights in something like Dragon’s Crown.  

Despite enjoying these later stages it became really hard to ignore Battle Princess Madelyn’s faults. There are many bugs that make it more difficult that it already is. Objects frequently get stuck in walls, at times I repeatedly became stuck in a ladder climbing animation or had the walking animation freeze to a single frame. Your ghost dog is also the only way to attack at oblique angles, but it frequently fails to detect enemies, wasting your charge and leaving you defenseless as enemies approach.

The camera is by far the worst offender, constantly obfuscating platforms from view despite having plenty of screen estate to work with. A certain area on the pirate ship area kept having the camera briefly flicker to a different view, and jumping on a ladder causes the camera to instantly snap to it in an unpleasant and distracting way. All these problems mean it frequently forces blind jumps, which become more of a problem as the stages progress. One later stage even has an area where a horizontal platform you need to jump on isn’t synced up with a vertical one, forcing you to go to an area above where the horizontal platform is totally out of view, forcing you to make a jump with nothing but a guess of where it is based on the timing of its movement. If you miss you of course die and start the section over.

Even the once charming art started to wear on me. The heavy use of glow effects to simulate lighting isn’t my bag, but I can take it or leave it. What looks worse are some of the background art, which don't’ seem like they were originally created as pixel art but are rather higher resolution art that’s been scaled down. This gives it a highly compressed look not unlike the use of pre-rendered backgrounds from the PSX or Saturn era. It’s just a blurry, hard to look at mess.

This is especially true for the title screen and opening cutscene, which were clearly lovingly hand animated. You can see the high resolution art of opening scene in the trailer, but in the game it’s inexplicably compressed as if run through a terrible ancient codec. My guess is that this was an attempt to make it feel more in line with the pixel art aesthetic but it doesn’t work and ruins perfectly good looking artwork.

I hate to admit it, but Battle Princess Madelyn is hard to recommend. The initial charm wears off quick in the frustration of trying to overcome both its daunting challenge and technical issues. You might argue that this brand of frustration is in line with its source material, but the best of the Ghosts ‘N Ghouls series, as well as spiritual successors like Prinny or Maldita Castilla bring a consistency that’s missing here.

Even as I began to enjoy Battle Princess Madelyn my run was eventually ended by sheer randomness. A random weapon drop gave me a leg up early in my run, then a subsequent drop cut my range short and made ever encounter more difficult. Unlike other games in the style drops are inconsistent and you retain weapons after death, so a bad pickup means you’re forced to play with a disadvantage for a while. After hours of struggle this finally killed my run.

I kept playing after, but the decision of choosing between the meandering stages of the story mode or the forced marathon of arcade, stopped my momentum. Between that, the bugs and the inconsistent general direction, Battle Princess Madelyn has too many caveats to recommend. Maybe you could argue its lack of saves in Arcade Mode and unrelenting difficulty are in line with the games it draws from, but it’s hard to stomach that excuse when it so many other problems plague it. There’s a core to the game that might be salvageable, but as it is Battle Princess Madelyn brings back the frustration of the arcade without its magic.

[megos95]

God of War 2018 Review (SPOILERS)

          What seemed to be something of a walk from point A to point B while talking in a dramatic tone style reboot, Dad of War is a legitimate happy surprise that offers a lot more past its TLoU inspired surface. To be frank I was dreading this game because of all the articles on it prior to its release. With reviews hyperfocusing on how mature the story apparently is (it isn’t really) I was expecting it to be a pretentious semi-movie with very limited and boring gameplay. BUT NOPE! The gameplay has a ton of stuff going for it and I very much appreciate all the cool shit in the game so here we go!

Gameplay

o   Combat

The game utilizes a trigger button style layout with R1 being light and R2 being heavy. L1 to block and parry and R2 aiming your weapon for a light/heavy throw. One could say its inspired by souls but this layout makes sense because previously Kratos attacked with face buttons and did spells/ranged attacks with the trigger button, but this game is more up close and personal with its combat. This isn’t saying that there isn’t any souls inspired things but I see it mostly in the setting which I’ll evaluate later. Holding the left stick and pressing X allows kratos to evade, double pressing X has him roll. His roll is much shorter and not a gymnastic-tastic style roll he had in previous games; Kratos is getting older y’know. Square is the boy button, its where in combat Atreus fires his arrows either via aiming them with L2 or the enemy you have locked onto. Circle is for interactives. Directions buttons are for cycling through weapons or arrow types. Pressing R3 can lock on. Locking on can be finicky because the lock on can break or if the enemy breaks away from your gaze it’ll unlock. This can be frustrating fighting very mobile enemies, it’s as if the camera is an enemy itself.

Rage meter from previous entries returns, as you fill up the meter via attacks you can unleash a mode where you do hefty damage, regenerate health, and take zero damage. However you will be melee only but youre slightly more mobile and can make yourself more effective with upgrades.

Enemies are following: Draugr, Dark Elves, Nightmares, Tatzelwurm, Wolves, Revenants, Hel-Walkers, Reavers, Wulvers, Ogres, Trolls, Travellers, and ancients.

Draugrs and Hel-Walkers are the most diverse type of enemies with having variants of mobility, tanky or fast, and weapon type. Some will carry shields, act as archers, or dual wield. These foes are the most common enemies.

Dark Elves are flying enemies that can shoot projectiles and inflict debuff that can limit your vision or cause a flash. A unique type is a summoner which can call about two more elves until he his killed. The toughest form of this enemy are the Dark Lord Elf which has a larger health bar and stronger attacks

Nightmares are the weak projectile firing enemies that can be more a hassle than a challenge. Often Nightmares can posses enemies and give them fast regen, strength, and speed. So when you see them take em out!

Tatzelwurms are enemies that can burrow underground then spring up to attack. Use arrows to keep them from escaping.

Wolves are fast enemies than can hold you place with bites

Revenants are the most frustrating enemies as they will evade your attacks and move far away from you spamming projectiles that inflict poison status. Theyre deceptively strong with some attacks taking huge chunks of your health. Use arrows right before attack to keep them from doing their evade. You will learn to hate them will all your might.

Reavers are weak human types. They will mostly be projectile lobbing enemies and sometimes have a heavy type that can regen health while doing a pose standing stll.

Wulvers are werewolf type enemies that will have fast high damage attacks and can take a hit. They will have 2 or 3 at a time and can overwhelm you. At certain low health threshold they will go into berserk mode that will increase their speed and damage. They are mid to late game enemies that put you to the test.

Ogres are very reminiscent of the cyclops from the previous games where at a certain stun, the can be rode and made to attack other enemies. Focus on them first to use them to clear out other enemies.

Trolls act like a sub boss and carry a large rectangular pillar. They will come in different flavors: cold, hot, and hel. You’ll encounter them often and it can get lame since they’re used so frequently as the sub boss and not other types of big epic monsters.

Travellers are unique humanoid enemies that carry large heavy Asiatic swords that will wreck you. These will often be optional enemies that you can fight for good loot. Sometimes they’ll be a sub-mini-boss but those ones are weaker.

Ancients are also optional hard enemies that are too simple. All you do is wait for them to open their chest and throw your axe. They have good drops but are boring to fight. Travellers at least will have two variants but if you fight one ancient you’ve fought em all.

Enemy bars come in different colors to indicate difficulty aswell as a level number. Green means easy, orangish brown (me bad at colors) indicate hard, and purple means come back later chump. A skull accompany the purple bar means dude don’t bother you will get owned so hard in front of your son. Beneath the bar is a stun meter, build up stun to do an execution on weaker enemies and a high damage attack for stronger enemies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6PG-xytQYI

Kratos can acquire and use runic attacks which have a heavy and light attack. They’re sorta like specials and are influenced by your runic and cooldown stats. They’re very useful in fights when youre being overwhelmed or have a very tough single enemy.

o   Arrows

Atreus will get two types of arrows: electric and blue magic. Electric inflict a shock status effect which can cause an enemy to be paralyzed, useful against enemies that can dodge easily. Blue magic inflicts more stun and can cause a weaken status effect which weakens duh. Upgrade Atreus’s quiver to hasten his arrow reloading and his bow to do more arrow damage.

Atreus is a badass lil squirt, he can disable enemies but choking them with his bow. Atreus can trip enemies and whack him with his bow. Prioritize his leveling so that he can make fights much easier and fluid.  

o   Armor

Kratos has 3 armor slots while Atreus has 1. Each set of armor can affect your stats of Strength (DMG), Runic (Runic DMG),  Defense, Vitality (Health), Luck (perk activation chances, xp earning, hacksilver earning), and Cooldown. Chest, arms, and waist armors can be found or crafted. Progressing in the story unlocks more recipes. Overall the ones you craft are often better than the ones you find in chests.

Upgrade armor at the shop to unlock enchantment slots which can either enhance the stats given by the armor or balance out the stat boost provided. This makes the approach to combat more diverse and can be tailored to one’s liking.

Loot has levels of common, rare, legendary, and epic. Obviously the higher the rarity the more resources needed to upgrade. This is problematic when the game ends and you do not feel obliged to fully max your armor unless you’re fighting the valkyries

o   Talisman

Talismans are equipable doodads that can boost your stats and the more legendary talisman the better, since it will allow you to do another move of L1 + Circle. These can have high or low perk activation which can a huge beneficial passive, for example cooldown reduction occurs after successfully blocking. That kind of thing

o   Weapons

Kratos for the first half holds the Leviathan Axe, a nice frost flavored axe that after upgrading can inflict frost status affects. Hurl your axe then recall it with a very satisfying axe return animation. Down the upgrade path, you can unlock a stance switch which allows the axe to twirl like no other all around kratos making fighting big groups of enemies much more easier.

Surprise! The Blades of Chaos make a return by being the second weapon of choice. Much like the Axe, the Blades are elemental giving a burning effect. The blades have two other puzzle/clearing of rubbish. Hel-brambles can be burnt off to get to chests and the blades can be imbued with the Hel-Wind Energy to power mechanisms to solve puzzles/open chests. The Blades’ upgrade path involves a stance switch where instead of being more ranged, you get up close and personal with fiery stabs.  

Unarmed combat is actually quite viable. Punch enemies to build stun faster than axe swings or blade slashes. This involves upgrading the shield which can add to the punish that comes with a successful parry.

Both weapons have pommels that can be upgraded much akin to armor upgrades. However, they do not have enchantment slots, that’d be too much girth!

o   Summons

The BOY can summon spectral animals that help clear the wave. The summons have varying degrees of Stun, Damage, and Runic. One summon, squirrel finds consumables (health pickups or rage builder) and will talk mad shit to you!

o   Valkyries

Valkyries are optional super difficult bosses. Find 8 scattered across the realms. Each Valkyries shares similar moves, but has a general gimmick to them or attack pattern that’s easy to follow. Beat all 8 and put them back on their thrones to unlock the HBIC Sigrun who has all their moves and will kick the crap outta ya until you’re like super mega kratos and then you might have a chance kid.

They drop good loot and have probably one of the best armors and pommels in the game, so you should take on the less difficult ones in order to make later sections easier so you can feel BIG! Overall, I like the idea of this optional content. It puts the player’s skill to the test and has high rewards for beating them. Very satisfying stuff I gotta say.  

 Setting

o   Midgard

The majority of this game takes place in Midgard as it’s the biggest zone you can explore. The game isn’t open world but has open zones if that makes sense. When I think open world, I think something like a skyrim or MGSV and this is more akin to arkham asylum or nier2. In the center is the lake of nine which has Tyr’s Temple smackdab in the middle. In the radius of the temple are the towers that represents the realms. On these towers have realm tears which can hold difficult enemies or straight up realm dust that can be used to upgrade talismans. There are plenty of side areas that you can clear to get loot. Invest time exploring the side areas to increase your overall BIG.

o   Alfheim

Elf-land, the first other realm you visit. It’s the third largest zone, where you visit and once you solve all the optional areas you don’t really have reason to go back unless you’re doing the Valkyries, maybe DLC? Possibly? Hope so.

o   Musphelheim

Trials hot world, here you do combat challenges for fire loot where you can upgrade legendary and epic items. This is good for bettering your playing habits and increasing your hugeness. This adds to the continuing of playing, not replayablity I’ll get into replayablilty later.

o   Niflheim

Musty land. Here you can explore this challenge area with respawing lootchests and enemies. You have a timer that once time is up your health takes huge DoT. Replenish your timer by having the right gear and opening up chests. This is another way to continue playing the game out of seeing how well you can do a run or getting loot to upgrade your Valkyrie gear.

o   Helheim

Helheim is the second biggest realm that serves more of a story purpose than more side content. Here you will use your blades than axe. This area is more of a character building and story progressing area as after you finish you have no real reason to go back unless again your taking on Valkyries.

o   Jotunheim

Technically a long playable cutscene where you wrap the game story up. See the devs flex on you because this area serves as an indicator of future titles. Eh area.

 Story

The real question around this game is, “IS GOD OF WAR MATURE NOW?” well….. yes and no. Yes, as its left behind the more edgy early to mid 2000s aesthetic of the previous entries. However, all this game does is follow almost every trend it can possibly follow. It does retain its own identity by having Kratos in it so theres that I guess. The story itself is very basic, its not this groundbreaking video game story but since the medium is fulla chumps who actively avoid games like yakuza or nier or hell even new vegas for western titles.

I do however appreciate some aspects like how its one continuous shot no cuts, it adds to the games’s immersion and I just think its neat. I do like how the setting is this empty desolate world where the actions of the gods have affecting the mortals and how no matter what they do the apocalypse is going to happen. You don’t see Odin but the game does a good job of telling you this is all his fault. How his paranoia and desperation to prolong the eminent is what caused the end to happen.

 Characters

o   Kratos

How’s Kratos? Still a bit peeved. I attribute Kratos cold almost aloof personality to that his wife died. It’s implied that the wife was the one leading him and without her he’s lost. Kratos is generally cynical and borderline nihilistic, he hates the world and no matter where he goes he has to deal with gods in power. We do not see Kratos’s “change” from old Kratos to this Kratos, instead we’re introduced to this new Kratos who’s still mad but clearly changed. Why don’t we see this arc? Because Old Kratos is very difficult to make likeable.

Old Kratos was a violent unnecessarily cruel buttmunch. One can argue he’s like that because he’s not been given what was promised for his ten years of service which is ending his nightmares. For ten long years for every time he dreamt he had to see his wife and child be murdered at his own hands. Retconning has seen the blame been shift of Kratos but let’s just say hey Greek tragedies just do that have tons of family murder ie Hercules. The game doesn’t pretend he isnt without sin because they reiterate “you cant hide from your past asshole” and kratos realizes that he and Atreus must “Be Better”

We see Kratos gradually warm up to his son and lighten up a bit. His reasoning for his coldness is to try to speed up Atreus’s grow up. The world is mean and cruel and Kratos is not good at this being a dad see his previous kid.

I generally like this New Kratos, he’s tired but loves his son. He’s stern, strict, reasonable, and much less impulsive. He still breaks shit but HEADCANNON what if Kratos is the Greek god of Destruction. Sure Perses represents destruction, but think about Kratos has sorta caused the Greek world to end and now has brought about Ragnarok. Just something to think about.

o   Atreus

BOY. Atreus is a good boy, being the perfect foil for Kratos. The optimist to Kratos pessimist. We see Kratos teach Atreus to be more discipline and Atreus teaches Kratos to have some hope and not expect the worst.

This must’ve taken a lot of effort to make a child character likeable and not grating. He’s well done for the most part (barring the reveal that hes a god and his character switches for a good minute like what the fuck). But I like the boy. I like how you can attribute his bad decisions to being a child who had good intentions. He’s smart but is naiive. He’s frustrated because he feels that he’s capable of doing more than Kratos assumes. I like the dynamic and boat convos they have.

o   Mimir

Mimir, god of knowledge’s head accompanies the duo by giving you lore and background to almost everything mentioned in game. He acts a something to clear the awkward silence between kratos and Atreus have since kratos doesn’t like talking for stretches or at all.

Between him and Helios, hes the better head.

o   Sindri and Brok

Your merchants/blacksmith who will give you side quests. Sindri the germaphobe and Brok the danny devito. Funny guys that serve as a break from all the drama.

o   Freya

Freya is first the witch of the woods who helps the duo with getting around or healing. She’s revealed to be Freya much to Kratos chagrin. Kratos assumes all gods are jerks, but she serves as example that not all gods are selfish assholes (but a lot of em are). She is from the vanaheim realm which could be DLC land as they tease it in game. Also her actress is SMOKIN!

o   Magni and Modi

At first I thought Magni was thor but the 2/3rds of the game boss duo. These guys are very basic and are just there for you to kill or lay pipe not that kind the plot kind.

o   Baldur

YO this is a good villain. Baldur in norse mythology is a god who can’t be killed by anything, but with that he can’t die and cannot feel anything ANYTHING. He cant starve and doesn’t need to eat and if he did he doesn’t taste anything. His existence is pointless in his eyes he’s beyond bored. He’s moody because of this and is longing for something. Freya (his mom who loves him very much) justifies his condition because she did it out of love, but that overprotection brought him misery. I like how his design reflects that, it’s in snowy-ass Scandinavia yet he’s shirtless and barefoot. He’s scrawny because he’s malnourished. He looks exhausted because he doesn’t sleep. I like where they went with this character and I very much appreciate it.

 Graphics

Games PRETTY OH MY GOD. God of War has always tried to push the limits of the current graphical landscape by being grand and awesome. I remember first seeing GoW3 and thinking wow this is crazy. Hell even GoWA is incredible despite being forgetful. This is incredible you just see the money ooooozing when you look at this game. Great stuff, especially Alfheim.

 Overal

God of War was nice surprise, as a fan of the series I was wary of this title but found myself playing this game for hours on end for entire week where I did as much I could and be satisfied. Please play God of War for a good ole time!

[zachsgamejournal]

COMPLETED: Mega Man Legends

Move over Sahelanthropus, I got all the walking mechs I need right here.

This game is great!

I BEAT IT!

I think it took about 8 hours (not counting a few reload/restarts here an there). While a few of the games I’ve played recently also took around the same amount of time, I kept feeling...frustrated about my progress. Mega Man Legends, on the other-hand, was a constant joy to play! I’m so blown away by how great this 1997 game is. I could gush over it all day, but Imma try to be focused...

The Story

This is where the game started off light and unimpressive, but ultimately turned out quite well. The story felt very basic: “The world needs crystal energy (refracters), and I play a ‘Digger’ that looks for them be exploring ancient ruins. But while I’m a well-meaning digger, there are ill-meaning pirates to worry about.” While the story wasn’t much, it did present the story very cinematically. The cutscenes told the story the gameplay couldn’t, but they didn’t overwhelm the player like Metal Gear Solid. 

The player eventually crash-lands on an island with a city and lots of people. The player may speak with these people, even performing sidequests and developing relationships. The characters aren’t super deep, but they all have some personality and story. It helps build the charm of this world. I really appreciated it.

The antagonists are a family of pirate siblings. Tron Bonne is interesting in that she’s a bit of a brat, but has affections for Mega Man. She’s also moved by his heroism and genuineness. She finds herself emotionally conflicted between her older brother who insists on being “bad” and her feelings for Mega Man that shows there’s a better way to live. Though this is mostly used for comedic effect, it also makes her the most interesting and well-rounded character. At one point, Mega Man thinks he may have killed the pirates (including Tron) in a major battle. The heroes treat this as an unintended tragedy, and do not rejoice in their victory (I love it!), then later, Mega Man finds Tron alive is over-the-moon. She’s put off by it, but conflicted. After Mega Man defeats the trio again, the eldest brother, Tiesel, offers his honorable recognition of Mega Man’s superiority and offers to leave in peace. Tron is surprised and touched, but then it turns out to be a ploy.

It’s all pretty silly but still engaging character development.

The game’s story contains quite a bit of mystery. Why are Reaverbots activating? What’s hidden beneath the island? What’s the connection? It’s revealed that these ancient ruins (which are from a more advanced civilization) actually contain a weapon. This weapon feels that humans are over-populating and that it should  purge the island as a population control effort. Mega Man finds this cruel and stops it. In the process, it’s revealed that Mega Man has a deep connection to system that wanted to purge the island. It’s hinted that he may serve some deeper purpose: maybe to act as the moral compass of unfeeling, ant-human protocol? The message I got was that humans destroyed the earth, causing a great flood and societal/technological collapse. So then machines were created to limit human influence, but their purpose is so old and outdated, it’s become an artifact itself.

There’s a fun twist here where Mega Man is captured. But the pirates realize that it’s more important to save the island than defeat Mega Man, so they release him and support his victory against the boss.

It’s still not super deep, but much deeper than I realized. And with all the various characters and personalities, it’s one of the best story experiences I’ve had in a game (though a bit goofy).

The Graphics

Are great! There’s a few issues. I think PS1 games pre-1998 had a different look and feel than post 1998 (and then again, post 2000). It feels like early game artists were still trying to figure out 3D modeling with limited hardware. So a lot of the best known tricks hadn’t been discovered yet. So MML definitely has a few Pre-1997 qualities, but it also has plenty of areas where it really looks great.

The savior is the cartoon-styled graphics. Most characters have solid-color clothes and accessories with few details. Because the art is consistent throughout, it just feels right. And then the facial animations are great. Games like Tomb Raider, Resident Evil, and Metal Gear Solid had in-game cutscenes, but the characters’ faces were unanimated. Sometimes they’d bob their heads to imply speaking--but it was all kinda goofy. MML, on the other hand, included moving mouths and changing face expressions during cutscenes. It really sold the cinematic vibe and is quite impressive for  PS1 game.

So even though technical limitations really prevent this game from looking great, the art-direction and advanced facial animations keep this game looking great!

The Gameplay

1. Controls

Unfortunately, the controls kind of suck. Mega Man controls somewhat like a tank. A tank that can move side ways. While games like Mario 64 had free 3D movement with a camera that tried to keep up--MML has a camera that stays firmly facing forward that only rotates when the player rotates MM.

It’s a little off-putting. If I push “down”, MM runs toward the screen: completely facing the opposite direction of the camera. In most 3D platformers, the camera would try to rotate behind the character. Not MM. It keeps facing the same direction. When I stop moving, MM turns back to face the same direction as the camera.

I think they were trying to make shooting and combat easier. And I think their head was in the right place. But it makes the game hard to learn. Still, once you get used to it, it works ok. This is the worst part of the game, but the difficulty is well balanced that I don’t feel punished by the controls.

2. Combat

The combat isn’t super deep, but that also means it’s not overbearing. The combat feels more like Crash Bandicoot, with each enemy having an attack pattern that must be learned and subverted. But mostly, you just got to know when to shoot it. So it keeps the combat accessible while also interesting and mentally challenging. This is better than a lot of American Shooters that just have you fight a variety of projectile based enemies--run, dodge, shoot...

Adding depth to the combat is a cool customizable Buster (gun). You can collect a variety of parts that boost Attack, Range, Attack Speed, and “Reload”. Some parts affect more than 1 stat, allowing the player to try a variety of combinations to boost their effectiveness and compliment their play-style. You may also change configurations based on the boss or enemy type. It’s a simple, and fun system that adds plenty of depth to what could have been a straightforward action title.

What’s also neat about these parts: they’re often rewards for side-quests. Such quests might be rebuilding a clubhouse, participating in game shows, or finding a lost loved-one. It’s great because it provides a lot of bonus quests for the player that meaningful and rewarding both as an experience and on a material level.

The boss fights are also pretty interesting, assuming you’re properly equipped. They can be a bit challenging or confusing, but they’re quite diverse. Maybe you’re defending the town from bull-dozer bots, or engaged in air-to-air battles, there’s plenty of unique experiences. I was especially impressed with the walking-mech battle. I think there’s another boss just as tall, but this involved a very destructible city block. It reminded me of the Sahelanthropus battle of Metal Gear Solid V...or does that battle remind me of this? Either way--it was just more icing on top of a great experience.

3. Adventure/Pacing

I like to differentiate between action and action-adventure. Action, to me, is very linearity and to the point. Action adventure often asks the player to do more than fight their way to the exit, but to discover the path to the exit. Even better, they allow the player to discover much of the game--allowing for maximized freedom in progress.

Zelda Games are often the best examples of letting the player set their own pace and find their own way. Ocarina of Time is a true stand-out here. The game doesn’t tell you want to do, but pushes you in the right directions. Still, you’re not often limited to one set order of events to proceed and can do some quests in any order. Mega Man Legends does this as well.

Once you get past the first hour or so, the game really opens up. There’s people to talk to, secrets to find, and there’s rarely a rush to complete the next objective. You’re free to grind for resources and buy that gun upgrade, or just push through--relying purely on your skill to overcome challenges. But what really makes the game like this work is the “down time”.

Dark Forces 2, Mysteries of the Sith, and Jedi Outcast are fun action games--but there’s only one thing to do: fight your way to the end. Even if there’s sub-objectives to the over-all level, there’s no freedom. While several Mega Man battles take place in the town, the city is usually a place of no combat. But there’s plenty to do, secrets to find, and characters to interact with. And once a dungeon has been defeated, it’s nice to go back and look for secrets or grind. It makes the game way more diverse and I feel more in control as a player.

This is really important. Because the Star Wars games (and even Thief) are sooo straightforward and 1-dimensional, I get fatigued very quickly. And seeing as I like to beat a game before moving on, I get frustrated. I feel like these games are in the way of me finding happiness. Not a good reason to play games. But MML made me happy to play it. Even if I didn’t feel like taking on the next dungeon, I could do side quests or grind on an easier dungeon and not feel like I’ve wasted time. It all helps me succeed in the future. And that gives me joy.

Mega Man Legends is joy!

I started this game way back in 1997 or 1998, and I restarted it many times since. This was the first time I beat it, and I love it--absolutely. Likely a top 10 game for me. I hope to add this to my rotation of games to replay till the end of my days--but then again, I’m curious if Mega Man Legends 2 will outshine it??

[dweemeister]

Braveheart (1995)

The summer of 1995 provided moviegoing audiences with a third Die Hard movie, Casper, batnipples, Disney’s problematic Pocahontas, Apollo 13, Waterworld, and one of the most understanding children’s films of all time in Babe. That is a busy summer to say the least. Amid that clutter, one of the most successful movies of that period could not possibly have been made now, let alone find the audience it did twenty-three years ago. Released by Paramount in North America and 20th Century Fox internationally, that film is Mel Gibson’s Braveheart, a thirteenth-century war epic about Scottish knight William Wallace (played by Gibson) taking arms against King Edward I of England in the First War of Scottish Independence. Braveheart was Gibson’s second directorial work after more than a decade as a figurehead for 1980s Australian cinema and presence in the Lethal Weapon series. This is a visually striking, technically accomplished film rife with homophobia, misogyny, and historical howlers that continues to sharply polarize viewers about its cinematic merits. Through the fires of these controversies, the extremely violent Braveheart has bludgeoned its way to becoming an iconic fixture of 1990s Hollywood.

It is 1280 in Scotland. As a child, William Wallace survives King Edward “Longshanks” (Patrick McGoohan) invasion of Scotland. Following Scottish defeat, Wallace is taken on a European journey by his uncle Argyle (Brian Cox). Years later, Wallace (Gibson as an adult; James Robinson as a child) will return to his village and marry childhood friend Murron MacClannough (Catherine McCormack as an adult; Mhari Calvey as a child). But Longshanks has granted his English nobles in Scotland right of the first night, and Wallace’s successful attempt to save Murron from rape eventually ends in her execution. Enraged, Wallace – assisted by his fellow villagers – massacres the English forces sent to his hometown and drives the remaining English military from Scotland. Longshanks will not take military defeat without response, ordering Prince Edward (Peter Hanly) to quash the rebellion. War and royal intrigue breaks out, leading to Edward’s wife, Isabella of France (Sophie Marceau), being sent to negotiate with Wallace and the two falling for each other far too quickly.

With that plot in mind, viewers should understand that the only historically accurate aspects of Braveheart are the names of the historical figures involved and place names – really, that’s it. The Scots wear kilts, despite the fact kilts would not be invented for another several hundred years. If one wants to understand the First Scottish War for Independence and the history surrounding this era, read a book instead. Screenwriter Randall Wallace admitted that his script was based less on history than on the epic poem The Actes and Deidis of the Illustre and Vallyeant Campioun Schir William Wallace, written by Blind Harry in the fifteenth century.

In its medieval swordplay, Braveheart has more to do with Spartacus (1960) than anything in a 1930s-40s 20th Century Fox or Warner Bros. swashbuckler. The film’s enormous battle scenes – shot in Ireland with over 1,500 members of the Irish Army Reserve participating on both sides of this cinematic conflict – are excellent collaborations in deploying men on foot and horseback smashing into each other on a grassy plain with a frantic camera attempting to make sense of the scrum. The use of 200-pound mechanical horses running on nitrogen cylinders even fooled an animal welfare organization that decided to investigate the film because of the effect’s realism. When not indulging in ill-advised slow-motion, these battles, perhaps too frequently placed into the film to the point they becoming fatiguing, are spectacular in their choreography. The collaborative effort between Gibson, cinematographer John Toll (1994′s Legends of the Fall, 1998′s The Thin Red Line), editor Steven Rosenblum (1989′s Glory, Legends of the Fall) and second unit crew members contributes to a blood-soaked, crashing symphony of mangled limbs and human brutality that no other film depicting medieval warfare has since equaled – especially the Battle of Stirling Bridge, which is horrifying in its impact despite the absence of the crucial, eponymous bridge. Many films since Braveheart portraying contemporary war likewise pale in comparison.

Braveheart would be a disastrous film without John Toll’s cinematography, whether in action sequences or peaceful moments. The use of natural lighting and the on-location shooting in Ireland and Scotland appeals to Toll’s strengths for exterior shots, lending Braveheart a near-mythical angle amid large landscape shots blessed with eerie cloud covers and looming, verdant mountains. Toll makes Scotland a place of dreams – especially in the blue of twilight when the sun’s reds have retreated westward, welcoming the cool and comfort of the evening. This suits the film, as Gibson is not filming a historical drama. No computerized flourishes or too many swooping helicopter-aided vistas pry the viewer from the film. Toll’s camera for these landscapes and shots of the village (reportedly built by the production crew to Toll’s specifications) remain still or are gently heightened or lowered by crane shots. Close-ups are mercifully spare, reserved almost entirely for violent scenes.

The word “freedom” is tossed around with such promiscuity and depthlessness that Braveheart’s 178 minutes cannot be justified. Wallace’s screenplay touches lightly on the era’s politics, Wallace’s love life, and the ideas why Scotland should be independent from England. Political philosophy this is not. Look elsewhere for films of military leaders with a wracked conscience, psychologically impacted by the slaughter they have initiated. Instead, we are presented with anachronistic dialogue like this: 

WILLIAM WALLACE: Before we let you leave, your commander must cross that field, present himself before this army, put his head between his legs, and kiss his own arse.

Sure, dude. If possible, maybe that commander might have a future as a contortionist.

Braveheart presents William Wallace as a man on a revenge-fueled mission who will consider all possible means to liberate his people – he has an irreverent sense of humor that makes given scenes a tonal mishmash. Wallace’s romantic interludes with Murron and Isabella? Gibson, McCormack, and Marceau, respectively, are all unconvincing – despite an enormous assist from Toll in these passionate scenes.

Casual homophobia is directed toward Prince Edward (later King Edward II), the son of Edward Longshanks (Edward I; who was a bellicose monarch, but becomes a cartoonish archetype in this film). Prince Edward is depicted as effeminate and gay, and his lover Philip (Stephen Billington) is killed by defenestration. The film further compounds this depiction by associating the Prince’s homosexuality to his ineffectual character – Longshanks constantly chastises his son’s lack of masculinity and Princess Isabella also disapproves of her husband for those qualities. This is not to say homophobia did not exist in the late thirteenth century, but that Gibson and Wallace are doubling down on the Prince, making him a punchline puppet of a leader because of who he is. Aggressive masculinity and sexual expressions inundate the battle scenes, too – swinging swords should be interpreted as one might think.

Women have almost zero agency in Braveheart, as they are depicted as sexual vessels to remain pure and chaste while the men fraternize and fornicate all they wish. Wallace’s campaign of violence begins not because the English lords have invoked right of the first night (prima noctis) for other women, but because prima noctis has been invoked for Murron (whose sexual faithfulness is idealized after her death in a pair of visions Wallace – who, by sleeping with Isabella, does not return that same faith – has). One of the few topics that women speak of throughout the film is sexual interest/satisfaction or lack thereof – Isabella’s only purpose in the film is to bang Wallace so that she can deliver an inflammatory piece of news to Longshanks on his deathbed.

Other than Toll, another craftsperson showcases their mastery in this film. That master is composer James Horner (Glory, 1997′s Titanic). 1995 proved to be a career year for Horner, having composed the scores for Apollo 13, Balto, and Casper. His second-best score of the year behind Apollo 13, Braveheart’s score is mostly devoid of the wanking masculinity described above, combining cultural elements that might seem inappropriate for a film about Scottish warriors – given the use of Japanese woodwinds in Legends of the Fall (a generational epic drama about a Montana ranching family), Horner’s instrumental appropriation knows no bounds, for good and ill. Along with the requisite bagpipes (rather than the Great Highland bagpipes that are generally associated to be “bagpipes”, Horner utilizes Uilleann pipes – Irish in origin, Uilleann pipes are softer and considered to produce a less harsh sound than Great Highland Bagpipes), this heavily orchestral score also benefits from a boys’ choir reminiscent of Casper, Horner’s affinity for Irish music, and quena (an Andean flute) for “The Secret Wedding”.

Three major motifs exist in Horner’s score: for Wallace, Murron, and Isabella. Wallace’s motif is first in the main title through the Uilleann pipes and will be the most-repeated theme in the film, fragmented up by percussion in the battle scenes, and often accompanied by strings in melodic unison (most heroically at 6:05 in “Freedom/The Execution Bannockburn”). Murron’s motif assumes melodramatic, (and very quickly afterwards) tragic connotations upon its most memorable appearance on quena in “The Secret Wedding”, chorally reprised at 3:10 in the “End Credits”. Dominating the final third of the film is Isabella’s motif, best outlined in “For the Love of a Princess” by the entire orchestra, and containing echoes of “The Ludlows” from Legends of the Fall. Credit the London Symphony Orchestra for providing a gorgeous recording, even if Horner’s score to Braveheart is not the most musically interesting effort of his career.

Producers Bruce Davey (Gibson’s longtime producer) and Alan Ladd, Jr. (son of legendary Paramount contracted actor Alan Ladd) navigated numerous obstacles at 20th Century Fox and Paramount to complete the film. This enormous, nearly three-hour production of a time period unfamiliar to North American moviegoers could not be produced at this scope today. A 2018 Braveheart would require even more major studios from various nations to finance the project, as epic films have all but disappeared from the multiplex because of their forbidding costs and lack of action star/superhero connections. Gibson’s ambition is staggering here. Yet Braveheart is let down by Gibson’s hypermasculinity and homophobia – reflective of his troublesome political dimensions.

The film’s cultural importance when it was released is unquestionable, but it remains to be seen how time will treat Gibson’s directorial breakout work. By being released in the mid-1990s, it is among the last Hollywood epic films largely untouched by excessive CGI – the effects are gruesome because they are practical. Though the characterizations are simplistic, Braveheart is an effective character piece for many, if not for this writer. Caught between the praises of fanboys of a certain demographic and those who loathe Gibson and/or Braveheart, I can neither adulate nor dismiss this movie outright. Bring on the insults on my manhood, but say it with a Scottish accent, would you kindly?

My rating: 6.5/10

^ Based on my personal imdb rating. Half-points are always rounded down. My interpretation of that ratings system can be found here.

[rinaris-skyrim]

3. Immersion Mods

Again, I wish I had a better category for these. These are mods that mostly add their own systems to the base game, to increase immersion. This is only a rough category, and of course they touch on the game in some way, but they aren’t a huge overhaul to the core gameplay or AI.

---

Alternate Start - Live Another Life

Tired of the long starting sequence? Don’t actually want to be a prisoner headed to the chopping block? This has you covered. The reason I prefer this over other alternate start mods, is the way it provides a jumping-off point for a character backstory, giving you appropriate weapons, armor, items, and a starting location. It also offers a nice segue into the main quest, with rumors of increased Legion patrols around the area you can investigate if you’re curious — and of course you arrive just in time to see the city sacked and the dragon taking flight towards Whiterun. [link]

Bathing in Skyrim

No one wants to talk to someone stinking of sweat and covered in blood and dirt and cobwebs from exploring some moldering ruin and fighting bandits. You’re also going to be carrying a bunch of germs around, if you do that. Keep yourself clean! This adds a passive effect based on your cleanliness, affecting mostly your speech skill and disease resistance, as well as craftable soaps and washrags. [link]

Campfire - Complete Camping System

Adds an excellent camping system to the game, with all the gear and items you’ll need. Build fires to roast food, pitch a tent if you need sleep, and just generally enjoy the Skyrim landscape with a touch of rugged living. Requirement for Frostfall, HearthCraft, and Tentapalooza. [link]

Carriage and Ferry Travel Overhaul (CFTO)

Extends the vanilla fast travel system in a lightweight and immersive way. You can now also ask to be “dropped off” at local villages “along the way,” and boatmen will take you to other stops along the same lake, river, or shoreline. Prices are also adjusted based on distance and danger. Just really nice and convenient if you want to travel somewhere, immersively. [link]

Diseased - Diseases System Overhaul

I like Realistic Needs’ diseases system, really, but it felt a bit too easy, especially once you learned the “cure disease” spell, or found a “cure disease” food. iNeed’s “Dangerous Diseases” felt far too punishing, on the other hand — requiring hard-to-find expensive potions or else you’d deteriorate and die pretty fast. This is just right. Diseases have stages, and after a certain period of time will either evolve or devolve. Rest, cleanliness, and good food will help you recover on your own. “Cure Disease” effects now increase your disease resistance, meaning that you’ll succeed the next “evolution check,” but won’t make anything magically go away. You can also craft simple recipes for specific diseases from common foods and items, which will also help you recover — but you still should rest! This is compatible with RND, just needs to be loaded after. [link] You’ll also want the patch for Droops medication, to deal with the disease added by Dragonborn. [link]

Dynamic Immersive Seriously Dark Dungeons

Wonder why fires are still burning in ancient Nord ruins, or torches are still lit in those abandoned mines? None of that will be an issue now! This also adds the ability to extinguish candles and firepits to make yourself harder to see if you’re the sneaky type, or re-light them (for whatever reason) if you have a torch or fire spells. Incredibly useful and atmospheric. [link]

Dynamic Things

Want to actually pick up wood from wood piles? Hack mammoth tusks off skulls? Look inside those strangely unopenable barrels? With this, you can! This expands the number of containers and resource sources available in the world, and allows you to interact more immersively with many elements. You’ll want both the original Dynamic Things [link] and then the Enhanced “patch”/update [here] installed over it.

Frostfall - Hypothermia Camping Survival

I really hope you didn’t think I’d omit this one, did you? Skyrim is a northern province, with driving wind and snow, and ice-caked seas. This mod makes it all feel real. If you don’t pay attention to the weather, bundle up, and build a fire during cold nights, you’re liable to freeze! [link]

Hunterborn

Another survival-geared mod that harmonizes well with Frostfall and your needs mod of choice. Skin, butcher, and harvest ingredients from animals, slowly gaining more as your skill and knowledge increases. Roleplay as a hunter surviving out on your own in the wild, or just bring down a few deer to tide you over until you reach the next town. Don’t forget to download the Campfire patch and the batch of other miscellaneous patches as well; you’ll need both. [link]

Hunterborn - Scrimshaw Expanded

This significantly adds to the capability of Hunterborn’s Scrimshaw, allowing you to craft a whole lot of gear, armor, weapons, and items from the bones and pelts you find in Hunterborn. Play as a Forsworn living completely off the land, or simply make several trinkets to exchange for a few drinks at the inn once you next get to town. More possibilities! [link]

Loot and Degradation

Your sword edge isn’t going to stay sharp forever, is it? Armor gets dents that need hammering out. This mod simulates that. Once you’ve tempered your gear, it will slowly “devolve” back to its “default” state through combat. NPCs will also have gear of varying states. Just a nice simulation tweak, and also provides more opportunities to hone your smithing skills. [link]

New Beginnings - Live Another Life Extension

Adds more options for your alternate game start, which I very much appreciate. [link]

Realistic Needs and Diseases (RND)

I know, this isn’t the snazziest or most compatible mod out there. I’ve tried other needs mods, I really have, but this is the one I keep coming back to. It’s just the one that feels the most immersive. Boil water to make it safe for consumption, or face the consequences. Soups, stews, and fresh fruits also help quench your thirst — but stay away from raw meat, as that can carry diseases. You need sleep, too — but a dirty bandit camp carries its own risks. You can also toggle food spoilage, and drink directly from a body of water if you’re severely dehydrated. It’s just an excellent needs mod. (There are two versions out there. 2.0, found [here] comes with some snazzier features, such as hotkeyed food categorization for new foodstuffs and a few other tweaks, but I’m not fond of the either its widgets nor its weight feature. I might try it again with those turned off... but for now 1.9, found [here], works perfectly well, too.)

Skyrim - Enhanced Camera

Allows you to actually see your body when you look down, and prevents forced switches to 3rd person. SKSE plugin, makes it all way more immersive. [link]

Spell Learning and Discovery

Instead of the vanilla face-smash-spell-learned-book-destroyed method, you now convert any new spell tomes you acquire into “spell notes,” which you study in the evening before you go to sleep, with a chance of then adding a spell to your repertoire (out of the list of spells you’re currently trying to learn). (This synchronizes well with a needs mod, too.) You now have the opportunity to talk with other mages about magic theory, take dubious memory-enhancing potions, summon an otherworldly magical tutor, and just generally feel like an actual student of magic! [link]

Spell Research

Man, I love this mod. It... can get tedious at times, I’ll admit, but I love it. It lets me feel like an actual magic researcher, and provides the opportunity to acquire spells through my own study, not just by buying a tome from someone else. Find cool artifacts! Translate ancient texts (or try to)! Read dangerous grimoires (at your own risk)! Dissolve potions! Analyze spells! Write theses on spell “types” and techniques to try to combine into new spells! (Fail sometimes, and try again!) Honestly, you won’t regret this mod — it’s also good for passing the time if you’re recovering from a disease or resting a broken limb (see some other mods on this list). I recommend version 2.1, however, instead of the newest 2.2, as 2.1 comes with all the patches for the major spell addition mods. [link]

Skyrim Reputation

The people of Skyrim now actually care about what you’ve done. Word spreads, and people will treat you accordingly. This mod adds three axes of “alignment,” Aedric vs. Daedric, Law-Abiding vs. Criminal, and Dependable vs. Power-Hungry, calculated according to the prevailing Nord culture. The effects of your reputation will also become more pronounced as your reknown spreads. Help out the law, do favors for people, and align yourself with the Divines, and reap the benefits. Being feared does come with its own perks, too, though, however dubious. [link]

Tentapalooza for Campfire

Adds more craftables to Campfire’s system, including themed tents and décor. Honestly, I mostly wanted the placeable washtubs, to be able to bathe in some places I wouldn’t otherwise be able to (e.g. a player house without a nearby water source or bathing room). The placeable containers are nice, too, though, as well as the craftable and placeable shrines. [link]

Wintersun - Faiths of Skyrim

The denizens of Tamriel are religious, and now you can be too! You’re offered a choice of deity at the start depending on your race; however, you can change allegiance later if you so desire, depending on what you’ve done and who you’ve encountered. Gain passive bonuses and active abilities based on favor with a particular deity... but take care to follow their tenets, as well. [link]

Wounds

I know the health bar is kind of a general abstraction of your bodily state, but do you ever find it... well, strange, that you never break bones or have any lasting wounds from combat? Welp, now you do! No extra visuals, just a simple mod that adds long-lasting consequences to combat. Craft medical supplies, brace fractured limbs, keep cuts clean or risk infection, and feel the effects of your bruises and concussions for a while. I’ve tried playing without this mod, and I honestly can’t anymore, even as annoying as it is to limp along on a broken leg for a while, or sew up my arm that sabre cat tore to shreds. [link]

---

As always, will likely be added to later.