#definable: i want to create a virtual world so i never have to interact with human beings again

[mihirjaiswal]

Lifebushido Stories: James Stewart

Bushido, Dinnerbushido, Coffeebushido, Lifebushido and BushidoSteve. This story is of James Stewart’s Bushido. Bushido is a word associated with Samurais in Japanese and Lifebushido, a word invented by Steve Kantor, resulted in creating many real life Samurai’s hurtling towards their passion.

James Stewart is one such Samurai. He defines Bushido as, “A unique gift or talent that you want or you want to improve. A passion that you want to pursue and make difference to the rest of the world.” Bushido had a definite impact on James. He has met tens of other Samurai’s pursuing their Bushido virtually or as a part of Bushido events like Coffeebushido and Dinnerbushido. He describes the impact of Bushido as, “There’s a big difference in having words up here (in mind) and actually writing down on paper. It (writing down) transforms them. It was challenging to codify my goals in words for first couple of times, but I kept doing it. It was like saying the magic word, abra cadabra. It gave a greater sense of care and deliberateness to my goals.” Another benefit James has realized is the community of Bushido enthusiasts that Steve has created. James mentioned about his own cultural awareness that he has achieved by traveling and meeting people all around the world. He says, “It never fails to amaze me how vast variety of different people that Steve knows. I have spoken to people from 4-5 different continents, from different walk of life. Every one of those is different, but the idea of following their Bushido and sticking to their passion was common. I probably had 20-25 one-on-one Bushido interactions and many more in groups. I have only not found less than five people exciting.”

James has been part of Gobundance men’s group. Few of the men from the group were regularly interacting through Marco Polo video chat, including Steve and James. In those interactions they would share ideas about mutual well-being. James was introduced to BushidoSteve in the middle of 2022. James became curious. He did not go looking for dictionary meaning for the word Bushido, but he knew few Japanese motivational words and he found that vibe in Bushido. In his own words, “It was a little wild. I heard word Bushido Steve before I heard the word Bushido (by itself). Steve is unique. He is not mainstream. So it certainly sparked some curiosity, but also Steve and Bushido connected. It had certain anticipation. Because I have heard few other Japanese motivational words, it sat with me in a positive way.”

James’ Bushido is to “Create space and facilitate transformational change in people with the power of breath work.” His goal is to help 5000 people by the end of year 2023, organize breathing retreats, and create digital product to spread the awareness of breath work. He has already helped over a thousand people. Born in Australia, and after doing business in four different countries, James is now settled in the United States. He is certified in Wim Hof method and The Language of Breath. His interest in breath work was born out of existential questions in his mind like ‘why are we here?’ and ‘who am I?’ He says that in younger years he was gravitated towards the external motivations, but as he was gradually attracted towards meditation and internal motivation his interest in breath work grew. In his own words, “Breath work is the easiest way to slow down, calm down and stop that monkey-mind that continuously chattering.” Over the years, James grew more proficient in breath work. He provided breath work service to many people, motivating them. At this moment in life, he is sure of his techniques, and confident of reading his audience to offer them breath work that is the most appropriate. With the help of Lifebushido community and motivation, and his own experience and expertise, James will achieve his goals.

#bushido #Lifebushido #motivation #goals #breath work #wim hof

[khadyniangccri1399]

Blog #1: Social Media khady Niang Comm-1400

Social media can be defined in a variety of ways, primarily as online platforms and applications that allow users to create, share, and exchange content, ideas, and information within virtual communities. It encourages a wide range of platforms, including Snapchat, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, among others. Also by enabling individuals to interact with one another, express themselves, and consume or contribute to a variety of content. Social media are used for the transmission of information and the maintenance of social connections. However, it can be described as something so harmful and addictive. I think social media is great in our society because it keeps loved ones in touch.

However, I would characterize myself as someone who is an active user who shares positive content and stays connected with family and friends on social media. I post my own content and share others' content. Also, It's important to me that social media usage can be highly individualized, and users engage with platforms in diverse ways based on their needs and preferences. For me, I use social media when I’m bored to keep myself entertained mainly and especially on the platforms like TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram. I post on social media occasionally when I need to post something important for others to be aware of. I'm the type of social media user that goes to post pictures on special occasions and when I’m online I’m there only to see if something is trending and I want to know more about it. Also to watch reels to kill time when I’m at work. Other social networking apps I use are school related when I’m working on an assignment such as blackboard or checking an important email than I really stay consistent in checking those applications.

In terms of strengths in understanding social media, I use it positively as long as I keep managing my usage otherwise it will tear me down. Getting on social media and knowing when to get out it’s really important to me because we live in a world where we have to interact with people and know how to deal with real-life difficulties. Being on social media all the time won’t help anyone be successful, not unless it's positive. Having the strength to limit myself on social media is important to me because it can be addictive. However, there are also challenges. Social media is a dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape, and it can be challenging to keep up with the constant changes, updates, and emerging platforms. This is why I keep everything in Privacy and Navigate the complexities of balancing my engagement, authenticity, and the potential for online abuse or misinformation because you can never be too sure about anything these days. Also, a lot of online bullying is going on. People say anything online because no one has any control over them. This is another reason to also know my way around social media or else I’ll end up being hacked and attacked by random users online.

Overall, one thing I hope to gain from this class is the ability to acquire new concepts and approaches to social media management. I need to know how you respond to negative remarks, online dangers, and cyberbullying. I likewise desire to acquire a lot more profound significance and comprehension of web-based entertainment all in all, as well as the effects virtual entertainment has on present day correspondence and society itself.

#susisummer22definesocialmedia

[skilluptamil2]

How Will Digital marketing change in Future?

As marketers, many of us now know that the seemingly impossible is probably only a few decades away at most. Being able to seamlessly move through various digital environments to deliver entertaining and cost-effective AR and VR experiences is the principle of the metaverse, and it is opening up a raft of opportunities that are iteratively transforming the internet as we know it.

As we get used to the idea of viewing the world through AR glasses and leveraging immersive technologies, we can start defining what the future of digital marketing will look like.

Ten years from now, social is likely to be a seamless fusion of on- and offline. I believe the metaverse, which may still seem futuristic right now, will have become mainstream. Most of its key components that already exist will have been refined, and new technologies, responding to our as yet unknown needs, will be woven into the mix.

Superfast broadband, lightweight VR headsets and always-on virtual worlds are already here. Expanded UX will likely be taken for granted, meshing AR and VR to create virtual worlds in which we all interact. I think brands, healthcare, entertainment and education will all dovetail in and out of a digital world designed to enhance our lives. Content as we know it will increasingly become richer as we learn to navigate these new environments. Those days of focusing on SEO-friendly websites will likely be superseded by enhanced AR experiences that call upon information-rich content to enhance brand perception.

By 2032, I also predict non-fungible tokens—NFTs—will have come into their own. As the metaverse expands, so too will the likes of NFTs as they shift beyond adding value to digital artworks, memes and video game avatars to replacing legal documents with smart contracts. As e-commerce continues to dominate, we could well see a time when everything we purchase is accompanied by an NFT. But the potential of NFTs goes way beyond authentication—the world of live entertainment could be transformed beyond our current memorabilia—autographs and T-shirts could become retro relics. I foresee concert attendees experiencing live entertainment and acquiring an exclusive and personal digital asset to keep as a memento.

It may seem that in this projection of our future, social has not been mentioned very much; actually, in time, I think social is likely to become a redundant term as it becomes an intrinsic part of our everyday lives.

Start preparing now.

While to some this may seem like a world away from their current marketing strategies, one of the best ways to harness these new opportunities is to let your imagination run wild. Regardless of the product you are marketing, start by analyzing the current roadblocks you are facing. Think about how to improve your customers’ interactions with your brand.

Outline the best possible experience you could offer your online customers, define the challenges your product could help them solve and then go back over this virtual journey and pinpoint the potential sticking points. Whether you want your customers to try on your merchandise virtually, take their shopping cart with them as they shift from one platform to the next, ask their friends’ opinions or smell your latest perfume, these things are all possible, and it’s important to think ahead.

The likes of immersive training promises to be more engaging and more compelling and by far more accessible. Anyone in the coaching sector, be it golf, tennis or public speaking, will be able to tap into a customer base who never have to leave their homes—the world is quite literally up for grabs as golf courses and meditation classes to cycling trips through Provence can be delivered to anyone anywhere. I think smells, sounds and sensations will soon all be part of what’s possible.

#digital marketing #online course

[sarahkearney05]

Task 3

Much like the rest of the world, I spend a lot of time on my phone. I’m part of a generation that has grown up with the internet which makes me a digital native. Due to this I’ve never been able to experience a world completely without the internet.

Through social media we are now able to access content from the other side of the world, at any time of the day, whenever we want. Online communication has brought information to people and audiences that previously could not be reached. It has increased awareness among people about what is happening in other parts of the world. Due to the internet, it has become increasingly easy to share your opinions and beliefs online and instigate societal change.

Today, I would like to discuss with you five key concepts of contemporary global media and communication as well as their significance for public relations. These concepts will include, globalisation, convergence culture, the public sphere, algorithmic culture, and agency. Although the internet has created many great things it has also created several problems. I will further explain these positive and negative aspects below.

German philosopher Jurgen Habermas (1989) introduced the concept of the public sphere as a classification of the establishment of public opinions and the legitimisation of state and democracy in post-war Western societies (Habermas, J 1989,). It is seen as an area of social life in which individuals can come together to openly discuss societal problems and through this discussion influence political action. The public sphere differs greatly to the private sphere as it is open to everyone and is generally much larger than that of a private sphere. Habermas defined the public sphere as a virtual or imaginary community which does not necessarily exist in any identifiable space. In its ideal form, the public sphere is "made up of private people gathered together as a public and articulating the needs of society with the state" (Habermas, J 1989,). The public sphere is a central aspect of democracy. Without an effective public sphere politicians and government officials cannot be held accountable effectively. For a democratic society to survive, it is key that people are heard and that they can instigate change. Through globalisation the public sphere has grown drastically and online communities are bigger than ever. Due to things such as filter bubbles there is a lot of biased opinions online as well as false information. this information affects the public sphere causing a plethora of biases form and for false information to spread. With this abundance of biases, the public sphere can become less democratic.

Algorithms are a piece of code that instructs a computer to do something, or a step of steps to get you to a result. An algorithm is the process in which something is completed. According to Ted Striphas “over the last 30 years or so, human beings have been delegating the work of culture – the sorting and classifying of people, places, objects and ideas – increasingly to computational processes”. In social media, algorithms are used to sort through posts in a user’s feed based on relevancy instead of publish time. Social networks prioritise which content a user sees in their feed first by the likelihood that they’ll want to see it. Algorithms determine the way that we participate and interact on the internet. Previously large media organisations had more control over what we would see, now that role has been given to algorithms as they determine the kinds of content, we have access to.  

Filter bubbles refer to the results of the algorithms that dictate what we encounter online. The concept of filter bubbles was first identified by Eli Pariser in his book “filter bubbles”. According to Pariser, algorithms create “a unique universe of information for each of us … which fundamentally alters the way we encounter ideas and information” (Pariser 2011). The things that you like, comment on, and that you share, teach the algorithm that will feed you more of the similar types, so they form a function as a gatekeeper. Filter bubbles essentially feed content that may benefit corporations monetarily and disregard the content you might actually want to see. They may encourage you to make certain kinds of decisions that are of benefit to certain companies rather than to you.

The internet has brought a plethora of information and services but with this advancement there have been several communication, public relations and social issues as a result. It is key to know these five concepts in order to understand how global media and communication impacts public relations.

Reference list

Barnaby Feder 2006, Theodore Levitt, 81, Who Coined the Term 'Globalization', Is Dead, viewed 31 May 2022 https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/06/business/06levitt.html#:~:text=Levitt%20defined%20as%20the%20changes,said%2C%20%22Gone%20are%20accustomed%20differences

Habermas, J 1989, ‘The public sphere: an encyclopedia article’, in SE Bronner & D Kellner, Critical Theory and Society. A Reader (ed), Routledge, New York, 136.

Matos, C. 2012, Globalization, and the mass media. In: Encyclopedia of Globalization.. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. doi: 10.1002/9780470670590.wbeog369

Melina Kolb 2021, What Is Globalization? And How Has the Global Economy Shaped the United States? Viewed 27 May 2022, https://www.piie.com/microsites/globalization/what-is-globalization

Pariser E 2011, The filter bubble: what the Internet is hiding from you, Viking/Penguin Press, London 

Striphas, T. 2015 ‘Algorithmic culture’, European Journal of Cultural Studies, 18(4–5), pp. 395–412. doi: 10.1177/1367549415577392.

T.E. Digital Marketing. 2015, 5 Ways to Develop a Digital PR Strategy. Accessed 7 Jun. 2022. https://tedigitalmarketing.com/digital-strategy/5-ways-to-develop-a-digital-pr-strategy/

Tom Sorell 2015, Human Rights and Hacktivism: The Cases of Wikileaks and Anonymous, Journal of Human Rights Practice, Volume 7, Issue 3, Pages 391–410, https://doi.org/10.1093/jhuman/huv012

The Next Scoop. 2020, The 5 Effective Ways to Leverage Digital PR to Boost Organic Presence Accessed 1 Jun. 2022, https://thenextscoop.com/digital-pr-to-boost-organic-presence/

Rajpara, S. 2020, The 5 Effective Ways to Leverage Digital PR to Boost Organic Presence. The Next Scoop. Available at: https://thenextscoop.com/digital-pr-to-boost-organic-presence/.

White, Livingston A 2001, “Reconsidering Cultural Imperialism Theory,” TBS Journal 6 http://www.tbsjournal.com/Archives/Spring01/white.html.

[sbrn10]

On my extremely low expectations and how SG continues to somehow limbo under them: A Saga

First of all, I am prefacing this with: I finally watched 5x11 actually, and it was like, fine? It was one of the better episodes of the season, honestly, minus the William stuff. And the William stuff is incredibly hamfisted and out-of-nowhere to the point that it almost feels like it has to be a red herring because it’s just so bad. But, I mean, history is not kind to us on this point, so who knows. BUT ANYWAY, to be clear, I am saying: maybe William doesn’t actually happen and this is an overreaction. MAYBE. Like, probably not, but there’s still a chance, so I am acknowledging it.

Second, this is a rant. Sorry. It’s also really long. I didn’t realize it was going to get this long.

On to the actual post I was going to make.

So I've said this before to various people but I came into SG in early-ish s4 (November 2018). I had somehow successfully avoided the show despite knowing that it was the big new femslash thing for two years and my last big media fandom had been Once Upon a Time (which hahahahahahaha fml), so, a while ago.

Anyhow, at that point after catching up to S3 my genuine reaction was that supercorp probably isn’t queerbaiting. (Definition: Intentionally “baiting” fans with a potentially queer relationship while having no intention of making it actually queer in order to capitalize on queer interest in bad faith. Keywords are intentionally, not queer, and bad faith. Depicting queer relationships badly, not queerbaiting. Being forced to keep things subtextual because of outside pressures, not queerbaiting. Completely unintentionally depicting a queer relationship, not queerbaiting, just oblivious as all fuck.)

S2 seemed to be a genuine mistake--they are all so aggressively heterosexual that they created these scenes without a shred of intentionality and seemed genuinely surprised when queer fandom reacted to supercorp. "Wait, wait, we had a canon gay couple RIGHT THERE. Alex had a whole coming out thing! WE LOVE THE GAYS, but Kara and Lena are straight? Y’all are weird," seemed to be the general vibe of their reactions. Admittedly, in retrospect, I understand if you don’t believe them, as an office overflowing with flowers tends to have certain connotations, but honestly, in my experience, sometimes people are just really, really straight. Harold, they’re lesbians! is a whole thing because queerness can be literally and flagrantly staring them in the face and they don’t see it until they’re told. Some people just be like that. Okay, let’s operate on that benefit of the doubt.

Then S3 was an entire season of aggressively no homo-ing--between the continuation of the Mon-El story for Kara, Lena/James becoming a thing, and the weird (as in OOC for Kara, honestly) kryptonite rift story, it was the OPPOSITE of queerbaiting. They were saying very loudly that it’s not queer--chemistry notwithstanding. Were they probably happy to keep supercorp fandom around, sure, but they weren’t noticeably courting it other than, like, Katie and Melissa just existing.

(Side note: P5 told me once that I had missed like valentine's promotions and stuff that seemed to lean into sc more intentionally but I tend not to count the twitter/instagram stuff as honestly that’s probably interns.)

(Side side note: I am not commenting on whether this kind of obliviousness or no homo-ing is homophobic or not; that’s a separate discussion and one I don’t have the energy for now. BUT at the very least it’s not actively malicious, is the thing.)

So that was where I was starting, like, as a baseline. Yeah, this show’s creators are oblivious, yeah, this isn’t going to be canon, but I enjoy these people’s faces when they’re on screen together and I can fill in the blanks, it’s fine!

And then 4b and the between season promotions (”fight for Lena’s soul!” “half the fandom says they should kiss!”) and 5a all happened and like... like... y’all... either this was going to be a huge about-face and supercorp was actually going to happen or this had turned into the most blatant queerbaiting since Rizzoli and Isles. (To be honest, I have mentally blocked out most of what actually happened in canon OUAT and remember almost nothing of it, but also maybe that.) S2-3, at least someone in that writer’s room can say with a straight face, “Well, we didn’t mean for it to be read romantically but if that’s what you get out of it, god be with you.” Once you start doing shit like throwing in fucking Romeo and Juliet imagery, you lose the right to say “we didn’t mean for it to be read romantically” ever fucking again.

(Because images and tropes have history and context, and if you want to write a scene about two platonic-ass friends staring yearningly at each other, choose a setting OTHER than a balcony, and if you really wanted a balcony for it, I’m sorry, but tough shit, get over it. Obviously, this is only one example, but it’s the lowest hanging fruit--these people are fucking professional writers (albeit not terribly good ones); they know or should have known what they are doing. It is often said that one shouldn’t attribute to malice what can be attributed to stupidity, but it is, in my opinion, actually impossible for a group of 10+ people to be THAT stupid.)

So, at this point, I’m still thinking, okay, so wait, even if it’s queerbaiting, it’s still not going to be canon, because this is CW Supergirl, but I mean. Maybe they just end the series with both of them single? Wrap it in “women don’t need to be in a relationship to be fulfilled!” feminism, call it a Boston marriage, and be done with it.

AND THEN. AND. THEN. William gets recalled from the “did this character actually exist?” no-man’s-land they had banished him to for half a season (well, okay, that’s not QUITE fair as Crisis makes it feel longer than it was in the number of episodes) to flirt awkwardly with Kara over a sandwich and I almost punch a hole in my laptop screen.

The series isn’t over, I guess, so there’s room for this still not to turn out to be incredibly insulting queerbaiting? (I mean, if nothing else, William and Kara potentially NOT happening would demonstrate that nobody in that writer’s room knows what romantic tropes look like at all so actually perhaps exonerate them in relation to the stupidity-or-malice argument.)

But... look, I already had low expectations, and now I have, like, none.

tl;dr:

Genuinely, the infuriating thing is that I WAS FINE WITH THEM NOT BEING CANON. (I mean, in some ways, that seemed preferable since all the canon relationships they tried to write were... not written well.) All they had to do was not be complete DICKHATS about it. But they had to go and be FUCKING DICKHATS about it! You know?

#also i would like to note that this entire rant is entirely separate from the huge problem i have with the whole non nocere/luthors arc #which is driving me fucking INSANE #5a was fine in terms of lena and kara's relationship being extremely unstable -- that's fine this is not a shipper thing #what i mind is that non nocere makes no flipping bleeding sense and i am over here bashing my head into the wall every time lena says q wave #i don't care if she's morally grey i care that non nocere is fucking stupid and not even lena should be that self-delusional #everything else lena has done has been at least definable and at least arguably beneficial in some manner #harun-el and the ability to make humans super (which btw is like a dead and gone concept i guess): problematic but achievable #and at least debatable on whether it would be a net benefit or not #non nocere: fucking nonsense indefinable bullshit because 'harm' is not a definable concept #definable: i want to mind control everyone so nobody hurts me again #definable: i want to make it so that nobody has the ability to lie -- it's radical honesty all the time #definable: i want to create a virtual world so i never have to interact with human beings again #non nocere: I AM GOING TO FUCKING SCREAM #i'm sorry i have a lot of feelings i just hate what they've done with her character so fucking much and i really should just write my #'lena fucked off to metropolis for 5 years because that is canonically what lena does when faced with personal feelings' fic instead of this #but here we are and i spent all morning writing this instead of working #i take small solace in that my employer is footing the bill for my self-administered therapy #also NO I WILL NOT STOP WATCHING THE SHOW IF IT BOTHERS ME THAT MUCH YOU THINK I CHOSE SUPERGIRL AS AN OBSESSION IT FUCKING CHOSE ME #musings #supergirl musings

[sleepless-in-southlands]

grumbot angst grumbot angst grumbot angst

standard disclaimer that my knowledge of grumbot is not 100% but i Think it's good enough u wont notice (though i note specifically any apparent references he may have had in s8 im ignoring, this bit here is goin with the idea he was left in s7)

enjoy! even though it is, y'know, angst (though if you’d like to read it h/c, here’s a follow-up fic!)

~

Grumbot is a very smart robot. It makes sense, after all, with such smart dads. They knew what they were doing when they made him, and fixed him, and revived him, and it showed! Want proof? Grumbot had helped its mayor dad actually win mayor. All because of Grumbot's decision making! He is a very smart robot indeed.

Grumbot is also smart enough to understand that humans have a different way of life than robots. When robots have to do things, it all gets delivered to them in a neat order, stored in memory until things are done in the precise way they are meant to be done. Humans don't have nearly as stable memory, and they don't have any clear-cut protocols or methods to work off of. This makes them much more busy than most robots, even if it's in a different sort of way.

That's why Grumbot's dads haven't been around lately, you see. They're busy. They'll visit when they can, and they have! It's just been a bit since the last time they've been free, that's all. Grumbot can wait.

Grumbot knows a lot of things. Like it said, it's very smart! He knows building and redstone, just like his dads, even if he can't work with them himself. It knows how mobs work, and weather, and blocks.

Grumbot also knows how destruction works.

He knows that, with enough time and not enough prey, creepers might start blowing up things that remind them or prey, like things they've built. It knows that, with enough time and not enough upkeep, rain and snow and wind can chip away at structures both natural and man-made. He knows that, with enough time and not enough logged player interaction, less stable blocks may break or fall even without any stress or pressure.

It knows that, when it comes to builds, it only takes one broken block to ruin the look. He knows that, when it comes to redstone, it only takes one broken connection to ruin the circuit.

Grumbot is a very smart robot. It knows how to identify a box, specifically a virtual reality cube. This doesn't mean, however, that Grumbot knows why he was in one. What about reality would it need to avoid? The only thing he can think of that would matter would be if mayor dad wasn't really mayor dad, if he hadn't won. But dads would never lie to it about that! Helping mayor dad win the election was his purpose. It's why it was created. Why wouldn't they tell him if he had succeeded or not?

It's alright. Grumbot will just ask its dads about it when they come back. It knows they'll be back soon. He'll ask then.

Time passes. Grumbot's not sure what to count as 'soon'. It can track time to the micro-tic, but that's just a technical, logical calculation of time. He can't define a human's 'soon', especially not a mayor's, or a mayor's trusty aide!

Because he's waiting for the mayor and the mayor's trusty aide. It just knows it.

Enough of the cube breaks down in the meantime that the world outside is spilling in. Mobs wander through. Rain falls. Grumbot is lucky to be so strongly built that these things can't hurt him like they had hurt his cube.

The wind blows through as well, and that gives Grumbot an idea. It still has paper. Maybe his dads will be able to take a break in their work and come visit if they know he's waiting for them. Not that they don't already know, they'd never forget Grumbot! But human memories need help sometimes. And Grumbot can help.

Grumbot ends up sending out all of its papers. He only sends a few at first, over the course of some days, but the wind isn't an exact delivery service. It needs to send out more than just a few papers to ensure at least one reaches the 'target audience', so to put it. He even sends out all his books, though they don't fly off in the wind. They're for its dads to read once they get there. Because they will get there- Grumbot sent out so many messages for them!

Dads?

Dads come visit Grumbot?

I know dads are busy, but I hope you will visit.

Being mayor must be hard, but I know my dads have been doing a great job with it. I wish it didn't make you so busy, though.

I've learned I was put in a virtual reality cube. Did you do this, dads? Can you tell me why?

You would tell me if mayor-dad wasn't actually mayor, right?

You wouldn't be mad at me if mayor-dad didn't actually become mayor, right?

Thank you for making me weather-proof, dads. There's a lot of rain. I don't know what would have happened if you didn't build me so well.

Did you know there would be so much rain, dads?

I miss you, dads. Please come visit Grumbot.

Please, dads.

Using 'dads' a lot insures whoever gets the message will know who it goes to. Grumbot's dads. Who built him, and fixed him, and revived him. Who would never leave it behind after all that, because why put that much effort into something you plan to leave? That's why it knows its dads are just busy. Because they wouldn't leave him.

Grumbot's a very smart robot. And it knows that its dads are going to come visit it really, really soon. Because he sent out messages. Because he's been waiting. Because they wouldn't leave him.

Are you even there, dads?

#*listens to hello world on loop while writing* #grumbot #hermitcraft #hc s7 #m.y funky words #filling graves (prompts) #messages in smoke #anyways OW #ik i barely know grumbot and ik im the one who wrote it but ow :( #i feel so bad now imma go think about au happy endings /d

[mediabasedlife]

A Look Back At...The Last Generation (2013-2020)

I’d like to start this off by thanking those who encouraged me to write this article, my friends and family who encouraged me to rekindle this project despite my own trepidation. I hope its quality lives up to those lofty expectations.

     Say what you will about the hobby, gaming is in many ways the gift that keeps on giving. Every year there are hundreds, if not thousands of new offerings for every brand of player out there. And wouldn't you know it, there's a fairly significant portion of that library that are actually pretty good. Now, people will argue ad infinitum about what games are the best, or what consoles, or even which generation trumps the rest. This diversity of opinion is what has allowed gaming discussion to thrive just as potently as the medium which it encapsulates. Like any opinion, all of this is especially subjective; great games have been coming out pretty much every year since gaming began, a trend that seems like it will continue as long as gaming itself continues to thrive. While some may argue, I would say the latest generation thrived especially well. Ignoring the Wii-U, since I never owned one, and skirting around handhelds, the latest generation spanned the life of the Xbox One, the PlayStation 4, and technically, the Nintendo Switch. And through their seven-year life [switch notwithstanding], we saw the release of some truly excellent games - from top budget AAA titles to humble indie offerings. Now, in 2020, while we as a community are taking our first steps into the new generation of gaming, I think it fair to take pause, gaze back, and remember some of the games that made the latest generation so memorable for so many.

2013

    2013 marked the start of the last-gen, with the release of both the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4. Both consoles were built to shepherd out their predecessors, marking leaps in visual fidelity and infrastructure that would empower them to become the monoliths of gaming that they hoped to be. I won't say that both consoles had an equally vibrant launch, but they both tried to put their best foot forward. While the Xbox was busy desperately trying to become the multimedia center for your living room, Sony kicked off the next generation in style, releasing a whole seven days earlier than its competitor. With the Xbox not far behind, both consoles brought a suite of new, shiny games to play. Well, in theory, anyway. I'm not here to speak of the quality of the launch lineups of either console, but what I can do is list off the game that stood out, and why it made it onto my list.

-Assassin's Creed Black Flag      Black Flag actually saw its initial release on the PS3 and Xbox 360 almost a month prior to the soon to be current generation, but with both new consoles came a second release, one that came equipped with all the bells and whistles you'd expect from what was then a next-gen game. It doesn't look good for my list to start things off on a technicality, but this game is worth it. Black Flag remains one of my top three Assassin's Creed Games, which is saying a lot considering the sheer scale of the franchise. Fresh off the love it or hate it Assassin's Creed III, Black Flag looked to take a revitalized approach to the franchise formula, playing off of fan feedback, expanding upon what fans loved from AC3, and adding in new activities and a broader, fresher open world to explore. In it, you play as Edward Kenway, a charming rogue of a pirate who kicks the game off by stealing the identity of a defected Assassin. Expecting nothing more than riches and glory, his masquerade instead goes quickly sour, thrusting Edward into the conspiracy filled, secretive world of the Assassin and Templar conflict. What makes this story stand out is how different Edward was as a protagonist, seeing him acting largely indifferent to the traditional formula the assassin's creed games had followed thus far. The game's setting also helped it immensely; the game plays more like a pirate simulator, seeing players sail the Caribbean searching out treasures and fame, gathering a sturdy ship and a hearty crew, engaging in thrilling naval battles, and basking in the warm glow of the sun-drenched sands that define the game's many islands. Along the way, you interact with a bevy of historical or mythical figures, such as Blackbeard, Captain Kidd, Calico Jack, and many more. All of this came together to create an immensely satisfying game, a standout amidst its peers and predecessors, and an experience that still stands the test of time despite the numerous sequels it has received.

2014

    2014 was the year the new generation really started to pick up. The consoles had begun to get their footing, truly ushering in the next wave of quality games and proving their value to the players. Several critically acclaimed games got their start here or saw revitalized releases on the current generation of consoles. However, there were a few strays, games that elected to release on the prior consoles first and foremost, games that wouldn't see new-gen ports for some time, and others that never did, but still merited recognition and praise. But how many will make it onto my list? Well, you'll just have to read on.

-Titanfall     Titanfall was, for me, the first game on the Xbox One that truly cemented it as a worthy purchase. It was a melting pot of ideas and innovation that I immediately fell in love with. Built with an always-online principle, Titanfall sees players engaging in a pseudo-campaign of multiple, looping competitive matches. On the surface, you could easily glance Titanfall's way and see nothing remarkable. Another first-person shooter in a sea of competitors, all of whom had far more clout at the time. But what set Titanfall apart from the start was its dedication to movement, satisfying and fast-paced gunplay, and especially, robots. See, Titanfall's whole gimmick is this; players take on the role of Pilots, better than average soldiers of the far future who are deployed in times of conflict as superior ground troops, but more importantly, heavy artillery. As pilots perform well on the battlefield, they can call in the titular Titanfall, summoning their respective Titan to the fray. Titans are large, deadly mechs that can be piloted by the player to give them a distinct advantage in battle. What this translates to in gameplay is simple; as players make their way through matches, they build up a meter which when filled allows them to call down a massive robot to wreak havoc. Every player can do this, usually multiple times a match if they're good enough. Titans are fast, tough, and lethal, and fun as hell to control. But what kept the game balanced was the fact that titans weren't invincible. All players came equipped with anti-titan weaponry, alongside their usual loadout of rifles or handguns. This meant that anyone could take a titan down if they were savvy. The titans, coupled with the frantic movement and satisfying shooting, made Titanfall a one of a kind game. It's fitting, then, that the inevitable sequel would go on to improve on it in virtually every way, but that'll have to wait for later.

-Diablo 3     I will admit to not having played this in its initial release window, in fact, some years would pass before I finally picked it up on console during a sale. And though my time with it was quite belated, I would still consider it to be a genuinely fun game, one worthy of being on this list. In Diablo 3, players choose between seven classes; Wizard, Monk, Necromancer, Witch Doctor, Demon Hunter, Barbarian, or Crusader. From there, they are thrust into the demon-plagued land of Sanctuary, beginning their adventure in the town of New Tristram. Each class has a different backstory and a slightly different narrative throughout, but the core throughline is thus; you are sent to the village to investigate reports of a falling star, only to be swept up in a fight against hell and heaven itself for the fate of the world. In terms of game difficulty, the game sports an impressive twenty difficulty tiers; easy, normal, hard, master, and then sixteen levels of torment. Should players want an even greater challenge, there's also hardcore mode, which starts you off with permadeath: you get one life, no exceptions. Die, and the character is gone for good. Overall, I would say that Diablo's biggest strength is in its gameplay loop; Diablo plays like a top-down, hack and slash role-playing game, with players exploring the various levels in search of loot all the while battling hordes of enemies and leveling up, earning new abilities and skills that players can swap out to create their ideal builds. The core gameplay loop, while simple, is wildly addictive, with a massive loot pool to chase in an effort to grow ever stronger. Each class plays differently, but all of them are easy to learn. Diablo also supports local and online multiplayer, making it a great game to play with friends or family.

-Sunset Overdrive     Sunset Overdrive is a game I've previously covered on this blog before. In fact, I'd say I did such a good job that if you want to read about it, go read that article. But if you'd rather not click away, let me give you the TL;DR. Sunset overdrive is a satirical open world game made by Insomniac in which you play as a cocky and comedic hero out to save their city from a bogus energy drink that caused a pseudo-zombie outbreak. It's built around movement, with the player grinding on rails and running on walls and doing everything they can to stay mobile while gunning down the mutated enemies and exploring the environment. It's funny and feels great to play while being hampered by an underwhelming character creator and suite of customization options, but still manages to come out on top as an immensely satisfying game.

-Destiny     Destiny is the brainchild of one Bungie studios, the original creators of Halo, the next game on this list. Fresh off their amicable split from Microsoft, Bungie did what they did best; develop a truly great FPS. But this time, they added a twist; Destiny is equal parts Shooter, Looter, and MMO. It took these three core ingredients and mixed them together with gusto, delivering an immensely entertaining game that felt incredible to play both alone or with your friends. The story of destiny is a long one, but can be summarized simply; Some years in the future, Humanity met and allied with an alien being known as the Traveller, an alliance that heralded massive technological and social leaps, ushering in the new Golden Age of humanity. Unfortunately, the Traveller's natural enemies, The Darkness, attacked the solar system, destroying much, and whittling down the last survivors to a single safe city. In response, the Traveller created Guardians, reanimated protectors infused with the Traveller's power, tasked with defending the earth and all its colonies from the encroaching forces of evil that threaten this dwindling peace. Resurrected by a ghost, an emissary of the Traveller, you play as one of these Guardians; taking on the role of either the agile Hunter, the cosmically magical Warlock, or the strong and stalwart Titan. From there, you could either progress alone or join up with friends to take on the challenges of the solar system, pushing back the forces of darkness. Although lacking in longevity in its first outing, destiny was quickly expanded and iterated upon, turning it from an already impressive game to a true powerhouse and pillar of its genre.

-Halo: The Master Chief Collection     I won't pretend this started off as a flawless, perfect compilation of prior Halo games. But I love Halo, and I loved playing these games again, so it makes the list. Especially after all of the improvements and subsequent additions 343 made to the collection post-launch. On release, it featured Halo CE, Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo 4, but has since gone on to include Halo 3: ODST and Halo Reach as well. If you're unfamiliar, Halo is a staple franchise in the Xbox lineup, and the master chief collection sought to unify all of the prior releases under one umbrella for the newest console. Halo is a sci-fi FPS franchise, largely following the saga of the titular Master Chief Petty Officer, John-117. John, or Master Chief as he is more commonly called, is a Spartan; a supersoldier of the future, who fights to protect humanity from an alien collective dubbed The Covenant. In the first game, Master Chief crash lands on an alien ringworld known as Halo, which later turns out to be an ancient superweapon created to exterminate all sentient life in the galaxy. Subsequent games only build the stakes from there, seeing John stave off one intergalactic threat after another in a franchise that continues to satisfy time and again. What the Master Chief Collection does is bundle everything up in one convenient package, while simultaneously offering tweaks and improvements to complement the technological advancements of the new consoles. It offers local and online multiplayer, both for its story and its competitive modes. Overall, even with the flawed beginnings, I would consider The master chief collection a must-have for Xbox players.

-Grand Theft Auto V     Ah yes, GTAV, the game that refuses to die. Technically, this game released on the Xbox 360 and ps3, but it's been put on the PS4/XBO and now even the PS5 and the latest Xboxes too. I won't be surprised if this game gets ported to the consoles that come after that, too, in seven or so years. This game just won't quit. But that's also a testament to the dedication of its player base and the overall quality of the game itself. GTAV is an irreverent, biting joy of a game, replete with humor and charisma. It was, and remains, the latest in Rockstar's open-world crime franchise, in which players take on the role of not one, but three separate characters trying to make their way through life in Los Santos California; Michael, a retired crook stuck in the witness protection system, Michael's former, quite deranged partner Trevor, and rounding out the cast is Franklin, a street-savvy up and comer. Together they go about committing numerous heists, shady deals, and more than a few moments of mayhem in their quest for glory. Its secondary selling point was a robust and open-ended online mode, where players could create their own character and participate in myriad activities with and against their friends and strangers for fame, money, and clout. This is the mode that has kept GTA going in the years since its release, and it is the mode that has seen the most improvements and updates as well. I spent a not inconsiderable amount of time in it myself, but it was always the story of Michael, Trevor, and Franklin that drew me in overall.

-Tales from the Borderlands     Tales from the Borderlands is the only Telltale game I'm putting in this whole list. Not for lack of quality on the other games' parts, but simply because this one has to be my favorite. For those unfamiliar, Borderlands is a series of FPS games that take place far in the future on the fringes of space; the titular Borderlands. It follows a revolving door of ragtag Vault Hunters, people who go in search of mythical, alien "vaults" that are rumored to contain vast amounts of treasure. They are incredibly popular, addicting looter shooters that match satisfying gunplay with beautiful cell-shaded graphics, topped off with charming and funny characters and not too shabby storytelling. Telltale games, on the other hand, are traditional point and click adventure games, released in episodic formats and usually broken down into seasons. They focus on storytelling first and foremost, showcasing incredibly compelling narratives influenced by player choice. You'd think, then, that these two dichotomous formats wouldn't pair well together at all, but Tales from the Borderlands proves that sentiment is wildly false. Tales from the borderlands took what was great about previous telltale games, and matched it perfectly to an original tale set in the Borderlands universe. It weaves an incredibly compelling narrative, filled with equal parts humor and feeling, and manages to tell one of the best Borderlands stories to date.

2015

    I don't have a lot to say about 2015. The new generation was still going strong and saw some truly excellent games grace its shelves, many of whom are going to appear below.

-Bloodborne    2015 kicked off incredibly strong with Bloodborne, the latest instant classic from the studio behind the equally popular Dark Souls franchise. Bloodborne melds the skill-oriented, punishing combat and exploration heavy maps of the Souls games with an eldritch, psychological atmosphere, a match so perfect it went together like peanut butter and chocolate. To espouse the story of Bloodborne would be an effort in itself, but  I shall do my best to summarize it; Shirking the more medieval settings of the Souls games before it, Bloodborne sees players navigating the victorian gothic town of Yarnham, a city plagued by beasts and monsters. It is these monsters you are tasked with dispatching, taking on the role of a Hunter of Beasts, sent to cleanse the town of that which ails it. But not is all as it seems, and the beasts may not be the only monsters Yarnham has to offer. Outside of its interpretive yet incredibly strong narrative, Bloodborne offered equally polished gameplay, iterating on the previously mentioned combat from prior dark souls games to create a punishing yet wildly satisfying gameplay loop that was easy to learn yet hard to master. Bloodborne forced players to always be on their guard but gave them no shield or barrier with which to do so, believing that offense was the greatest defense, making success hinge on your willingness to fight and your skill in surviving the nightmares that Yarnham had to offer. A melding of horror, action, and exploration, Bloodborne was a true success, cementing itself for years to come as a top tier action-RPG, and saw countless fans that remain dedicated to it to this day.

-The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt     I'm going to be blunt; This is one of my favorite games of the last generation. It is a top tier RPG, made up of an incredibly charming cast of characters, a beautiful open world, and a thrilling, fantastical narrative that all come together to make one of the best games to release in the last seven years. Though a sequel to not only two prior games, but also a long line of books, The Witcher 3 was surprisingly friendly to newcomers, of which I was one at the time. Despite its pedigree, I felt right at home in the world of the Witcher, quickly picking up on what I had missed in its long and storied life. The Witcher 3 puts players in the role of Geralt of Rivia, the titular Witcher, a magically enhanced human tasked with routing out monsters that threaten the world of man. This time around, Geralt is searching for his ward, Ciri, as he navigates a world fraught with monsters and men in equal measure. what starts as a simple search for a missing friend quickly blossoms into an adventure for the fate of the world itself. Though a fantasy RPG at its heart, the witcher manages to tell some particularly grounded and human stories, and this game is no exception. One moment will see you stalking a beast out in the wild, the next will see you navigating political intrigue in the courts of royalty. But it all flows together to create one of the best RPGs I've ever played, and one that earned a not inconsiderable amount of well-deserved praise when it first debuted back in 2015.

-Assassin's Creed Syndicate     Hot off the heels of the muddied AC Unity, Syndicate was the last proper Assassin's Creed game before the franchise would experience a massive genre and gameplay shift in its next entry. Where Unity saw too much focus on graphics and not enough care anywhere else, Syndicate finely balances all of its parts to create an impressive experience overall. This time around, players get to visit London, at the tail end of its industrial revolution. Out goes flintlocks and swords, in came steam and steel. This entry sees players in the role of both Evie and Jacob Frye, siblings fresh off their induction into the Assassin Brotherhood, tasked with dispatching justice on their Templar foes across London. The setting isn't the only big change for this game, as Syndicate saw an overhaul in both visual quality, scale, and gameplay. London feels lived large and lived in, with plenty of ground to explore and streets filled with people going about their day-to-day. Missions are split between Jacob and Evie both, with some allowing you to pick and choose and others forcing you into the shoes of one or the other as they work together to clean up the city. It innovated on the traditional gameplay loop, with this game having you going from borough to borough, toppling its templar leaders and expanding your sphere of influence with the aid of historical figures like Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, and Nikola Tesla. These famous faces are not the only people lending the Fryes their helping hand, as Syndicate also put the Fryes in charge of their own street gang, a ragtag group of brawlers and scouts that would come to their aid at the press of a button. Most times, conquering a borough involved you and your gang scrapping it out with those of the templar order, dusting knuckles to see who got the final say in the control of the area. This may seem at odds with the traditionally stealth-oriented approach prior games focused on, but that side of the game was not neglected either. Assassination missions saw fine-tuning and innovation as well, with players able to plan out and partake in uniquely tailored kills that matched the locale and personality of their target, from disguising yourself as a scientific cadaver to kill a corrupt doctor to allying with a guard and feigning capture to infiltrate and kill a target in the Tower of London. The game saw improvements out of combat as well, with Syndicate receiving a large overhaul in its parkour movement and general navigation. The Frye twins come equipped with a grappling hook that allows for speedy travel across London's many rooftops, while ground travel was made all the more expedient with the inclusion of horse-drawn carriages. The general parkour itself was also tuned, allowing for freer player movement and tighter directional control. All of this to say, Syndicate saw some truly welcomed improvements, iterating on the legacy and creating a lasting impression that stands up as one of the better games of the franchise.

-Star Wars Battlefront     While I've spoken of a Battlefront on this blog before, this is not that same game. Rather, this is Battlefront 2015, a soft reboot to the previous Battlefront line of games for the new generation of consoles. This Star Wars Battlefront was helmed and developed by Dice, famed for the Battlefield franchise, a line of competent and entertaining military-focused first-person shooters. They were known for solid campaigns, but more importantly, massive scale competitive multiplayer modes. This pedigree is shown heavily in Battlefront, with the game sporting 64 players competitive multiplayer, with teams taking on the roles of either the empire or the rebellion as they fight their way through maps taken straight from the star wars universe, from the snowy plains of Hoth to the immense forests of Endor and everywhere in between. The game was replete with game modes and had the ability to be played in either first or third person. Players were given access to a modest selection of in-universe weaponry, and could even take the role of recognizable star wars heroes on occasion. Visually, the game was stunning, with incredibly faithful and detailed recreations from everything to weapons to the maps themselves. It felt like a genuine passion project, built from the ground up by competent developers and made for fans and first-timers alike. Battlefront, much like many games on this list, has since been usurped by a sequel but remains an incredibly competent shooter and a genuinely fun game to play.

2016

    While 2015 saw the release of some truly impressive games, 2016 was a genuine powerhouse of a year. It saw the rise to prominence of Virtual Reality, through the oculus rift and the PlayStation VR. 2016 also saw the first re-released console of the current generation, in the form of the Playstation 4 Pro, a trend that Xbox would follow as well, seeing the release of 2016's Xbox One S, and in 2017, the Xbox One X. These were touted as faster, better performing, better-looking consoles than their base model predecessors, offering several enhancements to graphical fidelity and console performance, running games even better than they already did. And with these new consoles came an all-star suite of excellent games, a multitude of instant classics from big-name studios and fresh indie developers alike. Many of the games that released this year are ones I've individually covered before, but they still deserve their spot in this article. So without further ado, here are some of the most noteworthy games of 2016.

-Oxenfree     Where Bloodborne was the standout hit that kicked off 2015, Oxenfree did the exact same thing for 2016. Developed by the California based indie team at Night School Studios, Oxenfree is a supernaturally infused, slice of life adventure game that follows Alex, a witty, rebellious, soon to be high school graduate as she makes her way to the fictional Edwards Island, accompanied by her best friend Ren and new stepbrother Jonah. This small group of friends is meeting up with what they assume will be a large group to have a weekend bash, But what was supposed to be a boisterous weekend party turns out to just be two extra guests; Clarissa, a fellow student who has ties to Alex, and Nona, a mild-mannered girl who just so happens to be Ren's current crush. Their modest get together quickly goes south when Alex uses a small handheld radio to tune into a weird signal emanating from the island, unleashing the spirits of a sunken military submarine, long since lost at sea. These wayward souls possess one of the kids and scatter the rest across the island, forcing Alex to uncover the mystery of their death and find a way to save her friends and escape the island. The game wears its inspirations on its sleeve, taking queues from classic ghost stories as much as it does retro coming of age stories, but it adapts these ideas masterfully. As for how it plays, Oxenfree is a side scrolling point and click adventure game, built around exploration and dialogue rather than complex game mechanics. It explores the interpersonal relationships between all the characters as much as it explores the haunted nature of the island itself. It easily shifts between these disparate tones, with a story filled with as many supernatural spooks as sarcastic teenage banter, seamlessly integrating player choice into the mix to create a truly excellent narrative. Oxenfree also features a high amount of replayability, with player choice going on to influence which of the game's many endings, as well as touting a new game plus mode that adds an extra smattering of content for your subsequent playthroughs. Oxenfree was a gift that kept on giving, more than earning its spot on this list.

-Firewatch     Firewatch is the first of several 2016 games I've previously written about, and while my opinion of it may have not been the highest initially, ruminating on it since has led me to a new appreciation of the time I spent with it. I would recommend reading my original review, but the short summary is thus; you play as Henry, a man on the run from his troubles who takes a job in the Shoshone national forest, keeping an eye on the wildlife and ensuring nothing is amiss. Your companion through the game is Delilah, a voice through your walkie talkie, somebody else who has taken the same job as you over in one of the adjacent watchtowers. Throughout the game you explore the forest, keeping the area safe while exploring the mysteries of the area you now inhabit, all the while developing a friendly relationship with Delilah as you go. It's a simple, but satisfying first-person adventure game, with an emotionally charged but comedic narrative about one man's journey to get lost and find himself.

-Stardew Valley     Stardew Valley is a retro-inspired simulator game about a down and out office worker who inherits their grandfather's farm in the titular Stardew Valley. They leave their mundane life behind and embark on a new journey in rural life, building up the farm from a rundown, untamed field into a bustling agricultural powerhouse, all the while making friends and forming bonds with the locals that you meet along the way. Stardew plays like a dream and features a stunning pixellated art style that complements its easygoing nature. Stardew is a game you can get lost in with ease, featuring an incredibly satisfying gameplay loop; It's a charmingly simple sim, one that encourages players to make their own way and their own choices, with a multitude of different ways to spend each in-game day. You're encouraged to play the game at your own pace, experiencing its range of content as it comes, rather than being railroaded into any one path for progression. It's a game that encourages exploration, diversity, and freedom, one that never really ends. Stardew made waves when it first came out for being such an open-ended, friendly experience, and it has since gone on to be heavily expanded upon by its developer, seeing releases on even more platforms and accruing even more fans along the way. It's a game that's easy to love and hard to put down, a comfort food game that makes you want to revisit it time and again.

-Titanfall 2     Where the original Titanfall was an excellent Xbox exclusive, Titanfall 2 bloomed the franchise into a multiplatform powerhouse. While it kept the excellent multiplayer modes, Titanfall 2's biggest change was the inclusion of a proper single-player story, and it's this inclusion that sees Titanfall 2 earn a place on my list. Titanfall 2's campaign is short, but sweet, seeing players take on the role of Jack Cooper, a pilot in training under the mentorship of an experienced soldier named Lastimosa. Unfortunately, on their first field mission, Lastimosa is killed, forcing Jack to embrace his future role as Pilot in an effort to survive and keep Lastimosa's experimental Titan out of enemy hands. This Titan, given the codename BT, is unique among Titans in that it can freely equip the various titan weapons and abilities, while simultaneously having an expanded AI that allows it to perform better in combat than its contemporaries. Together, Jack and BT make their way through the Frontier, coming into conflict with the varied enemy forces that they were originally sent in to stop. The campaign is brief, but what it lacks in lengths it makes up for in entertainment; the banter between Jack and BT makes for some great dialogue, and the campaign is perfectly built around the shooting and movement tech that made the first Titanfall so distinct, creating a series of levels that are just as built around gunfights as they are around precise first-person platforming. The game's environments are also beautiful to look at, varying from gritty industrial complexes to lush jungle environments that are as nice to look at as they are to maneuver through. Accompanying the stellar story mode is the recurring suite of multiplayer offerings, all of which have been upgraded and improved upon to complement the innovations of the sequel. Where Titanfall was good, Titanfall 2 is great, and it's a continual shame the series hasn't been given more time to shine.

-The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - Special Edition     This is another game that I've previously covered on my blog, and it's also another technicality. See, Skyrim technically released back in 2011 but saw so many re-releases in the years afterward that at this point the only device that doesn't natively play it are phones. With this particular re-release, Bethesda sought to give console players the same quality of life changes that PC players had been seeing for years, namely graphical improvements, stability patches, and most importantly, player-created content. Skyrim had developed a bustling and dedicated community of creators in its years since release, all of whom had made countless mods for the game that ranged anywhere from simple tweaks to full-on expansion sized stories, and the special edition release marked the first time Xbox and Playstation fans could get their hands on this library of unique content. It created a situation where the already hefty game could be made all the more robust with fan contributions. Don't like the music? Download one of the unique music packs somebody put together. Want any number of pop culture-inspired items? Looking for some new quests to spice up this five-year-old game? It's all there and more.

-Watch Dogs 2     You might be wondering why I've put Watch Dogs 2 on this list while its predecessor is nowhere to be found. While the first Watch Dogs was a middling revenge story that happened to incorporate some neat hacking based features, Watch Dogs 2 is where the franchise really found itself. It follows the story of one Marcus Holloway, a bright and witty young man who's been framed for a crime he didn't commit by a faulty surveillance network that monitors the city of Los Angeles in a pseudo-dystopic future not so removed from our own. So Marcus does what he does best, hacks into the network and removes himself from it entirely, embarking on a campaign to take the whole system down with the help of white hat hacker collective Deadsec. What sets this game apart from its predecessor is the charisma of its cast and the far more varied ways in which you can use the game's technology to your advantage. Hijack cameras, remote control vehicles, manipulate streetlights, the world of Watch Dogs 2 is yours to manipulate all at the press of a button. And if hacking doesn't get you where you need to be, Marcus has some skills of his own; he's particularly skilled at parkour and quite handy at non-lethally dispatching foes with a weapon of his own design, a billiard ball attached to a bungee cord. And if playing non-lethally isn't your thing, you can also accumulate quite the arsenal of homemade weaponry, all 3D printed from the base of your hacker collective. Watch Dogs 2 is a game about a group of people trying to take down a corrupt system using whatever means they can. It's a witty, satirical, but surprisingly grounded story told across a beautiful open-world recreation of Los Angeles, one that drew me in far more than its predecessor ever managed to do.

2017

    2017 might not have had the same pedigree of games as its predecessor, but it did see the belated release of the latest current-gen console; The Nintendo Switch. A revolutionary step up from the Wii and Wii U, The Switch took the gaming world by storm thanks to its ability to seamlessly transition from a home console playing on your TV to a handheld console able to go with you anywhere. The Switch remains a staple of the console market to this day, easily standing tall next to the Playstation and Xbox consoles both new and old. Aside from the Switch, there was still a healthy collection of games for people to enjoy, some of which will be highlighted below.

-Night in the Woods     Night in the Woods marks yet another game I've personally reviewed, and also stands proud as one of my absolute favorites of this generation. A humble offering from indie studio Infinite Fall, it was a gorgeously animated sidescroller of an adventure game that followed college dropout Mae Borowski as she returns to her small home town of Possum Springs to rekindle old friendships and reconnect with her family. Despite its anthropomorphic cast, it tells a genuinely human story, one that perfectly reflected what it feels like to revisit old haunts; how things can be so familiar yet change so much, seamlessly blending an emotionally charged narrative with a dark, suspenseful hometown mystery. Night in the Woods remains an absolutely incredible game to experience, showcasing themes like mental illness, sexuality, and identity through the lens of youthful wit and clever, dry sarcasm. I haven't played many truly perfect games, but Night in the Woods came damned close to being one.

-Kingdom Hearts 1.5/2.5     Ah yes, another collection of re-releases. Kingdom Hearts technically started back on the PS2, with the release of Kingdom Hearts 1. From there it blossomed into an incredibly diverse and lengthy franchise that saw releases on consoles and handhelds alike, from the PS2 to the Gameboy Advance. What these re-releases did was bundle all of the Kingdom Hearts games into one complete package, and tossed them all onto the PlayStation 4. It created a cohesive collection for this storied saga and presented it all in an easy to follow order that anyone could pick up and work through. Both games also offered the previously exclusive Final Mix content to the west for the first time, expanding on the already hefty games with more difficulty options, more enemies, more story content, and more challenges to keep the fun going and going. But what is Kingdom Hearts, I hear some people ask. Kingdom hearts is a series of action RPGs that follow the adventures of heroes known as Keyblade Wielders as they fight against the forces of darkness that threaten the worlds beyond. They play great, feature an especially enjoyable cast of characters, and tells a heartwarming story of good and evil. A joint project between Square Enix and Disney, Kingdom Hearts features an abundance of Disney characters and worlds, crossing over with various Square Enix properties in this epic struggle against light and dark. That's the easiest summary of the story by far, as delving any deeper would almost certainly confuse the casual reader, but let me say this; The Kingdom Hearts games are fantastic, well worth the time, and with these remastered collections, more approachable than ever.

-Nier Automata     Nier Automata is a tough game to talk about in-depth, on account of just how easy it is to spoil for people who haven't experienced it. But it was also one of my favorite games of 2017, so I'll do my best to give it its due. Nier Automata is somewhat of a hybrid game; it blends so many genres together but somehow manages to do each one of them justice. Equal parts open world, action RPG, Bullet Hell, and more, Nier Automata takes place in the far, far future, in the ruins of earth. Humanity has long since abandoned the planet and sought shelter on the moon, entrusting a group of humanoid androids to defend the planet from an encroaching alien threat. The story follows several of these androids; 2B, 9S, and A2, as they wander the ruins of humanity and fight back against the robot foes that the aliens use as soldiers. It tells an amazing story that all but demands subsequent replays to get the full breadth of its narrative weight across, with each subsequent playthrough seen through the eyes of one of the other characters. Equal parts sci-fi story and humanist breakdown, Nier Automata is a deconstructive, philosophical pondering wrapped in the guise of an anime action game. That's not to say it doesn't wear the disguise well; Nier Automata plays like a dream, with stylish combat and an accompanying score that makes for easy listening both in and out of the game. It's another must-play, especially with the remake/remaster of its predecessor soon to release in 2021.

-Persona 5/Persona 5 Royal     Persona 5 is an absolute joy of an RPG. It's slick, stylish, has a superb soundtrack, and tells a top tier story to boot. You take the role of a down-and-out high school kid who's been forced to transfer from his hometown in the countryside to Tokyo, thanks to a bogus police incident. Labeled a criminal and looked down on by the adults of his new school, the protagonist goes about bettering himself, raising his grades, and making the most of his new life in a new city. He forms bonds and relationships with the people around him, making fast friends with many of his classmates and even some chill adults along the way. Oh, he can also use a supernatural phone app to dive into the corrupted hearts of society, utilizing a special power to battle the evils that lie within and force them to change their ways and confess their deeds. Herein lies the dichotomy of the Persona 5; Much like the other Persona games that preceded it, the story it tells is a hybrid of supernatural mystery and coming of age drama, blending mundane highschool life with a fantasy adventure. It is equal parts life simulator and stylish role-playing game, as you and your friends do their best to repair a broken system using the fantastical powers they've been imbued with. These powers are the titular Persona, powerful creatures that embody the sides of ourselves we keep hidden behind the masks of society. These personas allow one to do battle with the shadows that lurk within these corrupted hearts, creatures that take on myriad forms inspired by religion and myth. Wielding this power, they embark on a journey of social reform, fighting a revolving door of less than scrupulous individuals that all culminating in a battle to change society itself. In spite of its overtly fantastical elements, the story it tells is decidedly grounded and surprisingly relatable; at its core, Persona 5 is about a collective of disenfranchised individuals trying their best to make it through life and change things for the better, a story that was and remains especially poignant and a welcomed escapist fantasy to fall into time and again.

-Slime Rancher     Slime Rancher is an adorable simulator game and one I've praised before on my blog. It blends first-person shooter elements with the farming simulator genre, tasking players to manage and explore a planet on the fringes of space that's almost entirely populated by a race of creatures known as Slime. Slimes come in a varied selection of types and sizes, but all of them have one universal similarity; they all produce a resource known as a Plort that you can trade to an intergalactic trade center for currency, which in turn allows you to upgrade your slime farm and expand into new territories. The gameplay loop is nothing but fun, with each new expansion bringing in new species of slime that you can wrangle and combine to make hybrids that in turn create more valuable plorts. As you make your way through the planet, you start uncovering logs left behind by your farm's prior owner, that weave a narrative of love and loss, a story that drives you forward in your quest if only to see how it concludes. You're not alone in this quest, though, as you have your slimes for company as well as several long-distance conversations via the computer in your home between friends and fellow farmers alike. Subsequent game updates have only expanded upon the experience, seeing new opportunities for trade, daily activities, and more, making an already invigorating and enjoyable game all the more so.

-Destiny 2     It's no secret that Destiny 2 had a complicated launch window. Many fans felt that Destiny 2 left too much of what made its predecessor great on the cutting room floor, electing instead to reset the player base back to zero and tell a brand new story. While I missed some of what Destiny 2 left behind, I was still somebody who found a lot of joy in Destiny 2, as evidenced by the thousand-plus hour count it tells me I've poured into it since its 2017 release. The game has also seen countless improvements and additions in the years since its release, adopting a new seasonal model and even going free to play after a point. Most recently, Destiny 2 saw the release of Beyond Light, the first in a new trilogy of expansions that hopes to continue the game forward over the next few years. So, while it might have had a rough start, it still remains destiny at its core, making it one of the best shooters on the market, coupled with a satisfying loot hunt and a rewarding structure that continues to keep its fans coming back for more. That alone lands it in my list of games for 2017, and the generation as a whole.

-The Sims 4    Though this game technically saw the light of day back in 2014, I didn't end up playing it until its console release here in 2017. Thus, I place it here. There isn't a lot of complication with Sims 4. If you're at all familiar with its predecessors, you know exactly what to expect. An engaging simulator game, in which you craft an individual or family and set them on the path of life, influencing them as they go or leaving them to their own fates so as to see what happens. You tailor their looks, personality, aesthetic...it's a premier example of micromanagement as entertainment. This installment shirked some of the advancements made by its predecessor but still manages to be a robust and enjoyable game all on its own, made all the better by continued additional content releases in the years since its premiere. It's a game that keeps on giving and seems primed to continue doing so for some time yet.

2018

    2018 saw the release of some genuinely top-shelf games, with the Switch continuing to establish itself against its contemporaries, while the Playstation continued to add excellent exclusives to its lineup.

-Far Cry 5     The Far Cry games have always been known for being competent shooters with large open worlds, and this one is no exception. Shirking the usual foreign locales, Far Cry 5 takes place a lot closer to home, seeing players cleaning up the rural backwoods of Montana, taking place in the fictional Hope County. In it, you play as a rookie cop sent in to apprehend an evangelical doomsday cultist; John Seed, The Father. This arrest quickly goes south, leaving you as the last lawman willing to stand up to the Seed family and free Hope County from their grasp. To do so, you systematically break the hold of his lieutenants, dismantling their bases of operations and taking down his associates in a slow climb to face him once more. Along the way you make friends and allies out of the locals, people with a similar drive to rise up and clean up their county. As far as the gameplay, Far Cry 5 is a mix of FPS and RPG elements, with a rudimentary character customization system and plenty of powerful guns to acquire. You level up and earn skills that augment your preferred style of play, be it stealthy or over the top, all in your pursuit of justice. Augmenting this quest is the world it takes place in, with players exploring lush forests, vibrant fields, and the general detritus of rural America. Hope county feels real, with looks to match, despite its farcical tone and over the top gameplay. All of this came together to make a Far Cry that felt fresh and fun, a genuine step forward for the franchise.

-God of War     Prior games in the God of War series were not known for subtlety, nuance, or humanity. Rather, they were violent hack and slash games that featured the titular God of War, Kratos, seeking and exacting bloody revenge on the greek pantheon for their slights against him and his family. They were by no means bad games, but they weren't what I would consider masterpieces either. Then, we were given God of War (2017). This soft reboot/Sequel for the franchise saw Kratos embarking on a distinctly more grounded story than its predecessors, navigating the perils of fatherhood while on a journey to deliver his late wife's ashes in the world of the Norse Pantheon. He is joined by his son, Atreus, a bright but rebellious young boy who seeks only to prove his worth to the gruff and distant Kratos. This more human story is accompanied by a more grounded approach to combat and gameplay; while it retains the emphasis on action, it feels more deliberate than prior entries, shifting the combat style from the hack and slash nature to a more measured approach, with players needing to conserve stamina and plan their attacks lest they get easily overwhelmed. The game also incorporates a more open world structure than its predecessors, seeing Kratos and his son freely traversing their environment, unlocking shortcuts, and finding means to double back on past areas in a level progression that feels more like a Souls game than the God of Wars of old. All of this came together to make a game that felt genuinely innovative, a fresh new direction for a pre-established franchise that was as welcoming to newcomers as it was to prior fans.

-Donut County     Donut County is a silly, short indie puzzle game in which you play as a mischievous raccoon delivering "donuts" to the unsuspecting populous around him. These donuts are, in fact, large sinkholes that expand as they eat different objects, eventually growing to swallow the entirety of the lot they were sent to. The core gameplay lies in this concept, with you controlling the various sinkholes from level to level, figuring out the order in which to consume the various objects on each map in order to grow in size. As the game progresses you unlock various upgrades to these sinkholes, like the ability to spit things out of them, adding new layers to the simple puzzles the game encapsulates. It isn't a terribly long game, as already said, only taking an hour or two to finish, but it cemented itself as a charming indie game amidst a sea of big-name titles.

-Marvel's Spider-Man     Developed by Insomniac, previously mentioned in the Sunset Overdrive excerpt, Marvel's Spider-Man is a rare example of a genuinely amazing superhero game. In it, players take on the role of Peter Parker, a Spider-Man who has already established himself as the hero we know and love, but one that still has room to grow and learn. What starts off as a triumphant takedown of one Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin, soon blossoms into a complicated web that involves a shady group known as the Demons that Spider-Man must stop from wreaking havoc on the city. But the game isn't just about the Heroics of Spider-Man; The Game showcases the best aspects of Peter's character, splitting the game equally between his time as Spider-Man and his normal life as Peter Parker, a scientist working under the apprenticeship of one Otto Octavius, while simultaneously working with his Aunt May at the local Homeless Shelter and trying to rekindle his forlorn relationship with Mary Jane. All of this unfurls simultaneously, weaving a web that melds incredible movement with fast and stylish combat, stellar characters, and a heartwarming tale, cementing itself not only as a great game but also as one of the best Spider-Man stories out there.

-The Missing: JJ Macfield and the Island of Memories     The Missing is a heartfelt, down to earth story told through the lens of a grisly but goofy premise. In it, you play as the titular JJ Macfield, a young girl who goes on a trip with her close friend Emily to a remote island off the coast of Maine. What is supposed to be a fun excursion takes a turn for the worse, as Emily goes missing, leaving JJ to track her down. Unfortunately, this quest quickly leads JJ to her death...but not for long. Resurrected by a bolt of lightning, JJ gains the ability to remove various parts of her body, as the island quickly goes from an idyllic wonderland to a psychedelic nightmare. Undeterred, JJ uses her newfound ability to traverse the island, ever searching for her lost friend. The Missing might sound like a horror game on paper, but it uses these macabre themes to tell a distinctly grounded story about dealing with personal identity and navigating a hostile and unfamiliar world, culminating in a heartbreakingly bittersweet twist that I won't spoil here. This is all to say; the Missing is an excellent game. It's a joy to play, despite its harrowing content, and it manages to convey its themes in a way that feels genuine and meaningful, telling a story that's still relevant to this day.

-Super Smash Brothers Ultimate     Smash games have always been good, and Ultimate more than earns its moniker. This is the Ultimate Smash game; iterating on its predecessors without changing anything for the worst, Ultimate is an unabashed love letter to the series as a whole, incorporating every character and every map from every prior game all in one upgraded package. If you don't know what Smash is, let me explain; Nintendo is known for a lot of fantastic first-party titles, from Mario to Kirby to Metroid, and countless others. Smash takes all of these well-loved characters, throws them in an arena, and has them fight for supremacy. Debuting on the Nintendo 64, Smash has seen one major game release for every Nintendo console since, culminating in Smash Ultimate on the Nintendo Switch. As earlier stated, it features an absolutely enormous roster of playable characters, featuring every fighter from the previous games and several new additions for good measure. This roster was only further expanded with the release of the fighter passes, seeing an additional eleven fighters across the two that have thus far been released, ranging from surprise hits like Persona 5's Joker to fan favorites like Banjo and Kazooie. While not featuring a traditional story mode, Ultimate makes good use of its characters in a suite of different game modes that can be played both alone or with friends, online or locally. It's a fantastic party game and an equally praiseworthy fighter, rewarding skilled play but catering to casual players and newcomers alike.

2019

    2019 marked the slowdown for the current generation, shadowed by the whispers of a new age of consoles. This made for a simple year for games, but one no less stacked with noteworthy games and worthwhile experiences.

-Kingdom Hearts 3     After years of waiting, 2019 finally saw the release of Kingdom Hearts 3. The wait might have been long, but the game delivered on the hype, simultaneously closing out the narrative arc that had begun so long ago with Kingdom Hearts 1 and beginning a new chapter for fans to look forward to. In service of this goal, Kingdom Hearts 3 wrapped up the majority of dangling storylines from all the previous games, while still leaving a handful of mysteries to chase into the future of the franchise. It featured a new suite of Disney worlds to explore, and incorporated Pixar properties for the first time in franchise history. The new content accompanied refined and polished gameplay mechanics and a complete visual overhaul, while still retaining the heart and soul that defined the games thus far. It all came together well enough but was later expanded upon through the release of Re: Mind, the game's beefy expansion that rebalanced gameplay and added in hours of new story content to better cap off the story. All told, Kingdom Hearts 3 was another great game, building on a legacy that seems like it will continue well into the future.

-Devil May Cry 5     For those not in the know, Devil May Cry is a series of games that follow the life of Dante, a half-demon sword for hire as he does his best to kill monsters and eat pizza. It's a franchise known for skillful, precise, stylish combat mixed with goofy, over the top stories, usually involving Dante and his associates contending with the fallout of his family, the demon king Sparda and his brother Vergil. While not a flawless franchise, it saw several excellent releases over the years, but then went depressingly dormant. Devil May Cry 5 was the perpetual waiting game, but 2019 saw it finally come out, accompanied by mass acclaim and praise. it really seemed like all the years of waiting were well rewarded. DMCV features three playable characters; Nero, a fellow demon hunter first introduced in Devil May Cry 4, Dante, the series' staple protagonist, and lastly the mysterious V, a newly introduced character for this game. Together the three were tasked with working together to take down the demonic Qliphoth and its master, Urizen, an immensely powerful demon lord. The game looks gorgeous, marking the first time the games have looked truly next-gen. Accompanying this boost in visual fidelity is the franchise's staple; combat was finely tuned to be more stylish than ever, with each character having a variety of tricks at their disposal to dispatch the demon hoard that stood between them and Urizen. Devil May Cry was back, and it was better than ever.

-Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night     Bloodstained is the spiritual successor to the Castlevania series, helmed by its most prominent contributor Koji Igarashi. Starting its life as nothing more than a simple Kickstarter, it blew through its funding goal and a few years later saw its release on the current generation of consoles.  It's not a particularly complicated game, but it is particularly fun, with it adapting many of the staples that made Castlevania so great. As a spiritual successor to Castlevania, the games play very similarly; both are side scrolling hack and slash games that take place in fantastical gothic castles, and both see protagonists with varied combat and magical aptitude on their quest to take down the castle's owner. In the case of Castlevania, that owner is Dracula, but in the case of Bloodstained, players are tasked with defeating Gebel, an alchemically modified human known as a Shardbinder. You play as another one of these Shardbinders, Miriam. Miriam and Gebel are the lone survivors of an alchemical experiment that gave them the ability to wield a power called shards, crystalline embodiments of demonic essence. The narrative is simple, but the gameplay is where it shines; as players progress through Gebel's castle, you can accumulate more and more shards, all of which give Miriam access to new abilities, abilities that go on to aid her in her continued exploration. This creates a very satisfying loop; explore the castle, collect shards, unlock more of the castle to explore. Augmenting her shards are a suite of craftable and upgradeable weaponry, a selection of melee and firearms that allows players to diversify their preferred playstyle and experiment with what works best in any given situation. Subsequent content additions have added even more to the game, in the form of new modes, difficulties, and playable characters, adding to the replayability and longevity of what was already an excellent experience. Despite starting from simple roots, Bloodstained rose up and became something all on its own, paying homage to its inspirations while cementing a name for itself as a new staple of the genre.

-Catherine Full Body     While originally releasing in 2011, 2019 saw an expanded re-release complete with new characters, new stages, and hours of extra story content. At its core, Catherine and its Full Body re-release are unique gems in the gaming world. One part puzzle game, one part dating simulator, it blends the complicated world of relationships with macabre block puzzles, all the while weaving a beautiful tapestry about one man's quest for love. In it, you take the role of Vincent Brooks, an unambitious 30-something simply going through the motions of life. He has a steady relationship and a stable job, a group of colorful and enthusiastic friends, but it's clear from the start just how much he's stagnated. His current girlfriend, Katherine, is starting to ask the big questions; marriage, children, their future. Unable to parse these ideas, he loses himself in his time at the local bar with his pals, shooting the shit and getting sloshed. That is, until, a new flame suddenly appears; the seductive temptress Catherine. One thing leads to another, and it comes to pass that they spend the night together...maybe. This is where the game's narrative really kicks off, with Vincent having to navigate the day to day, attempting to reconcile his long-time love with his possible new fling. This story is juxtaposed against the game's core gameplay loop, which sees Vincent forced to climb the deadly tower of babel each night in his dreams. To do this, players must stack blocks and avoid the perils and traps that each stage presents, making a mad dash to the top of the tower before the bottom collapses in on itself and Vincent plummets to his doom. For you see, this isn't an ordinary dream; if you die on the tower, you die in real life, making this desperate ascent a race for his very life. Each stage of the tower represents the game's various core themes, and each gets more and more complicated as the game progresses. In the interim of these climbs, players are set about answering multiple-choice inquiries that influence the direction of Vincent's relationships, with each answer adjusting a conspicuous morality meter that eventually comes to determine which of the 8 endings you could attain. With Full Body, this number was increased to 13, to adjust for the inclusion of a new paramour; Rin, a mysterious piano player that sets up shop in Vincent's favorite bar. Both Catherine and its Full Body re-release are excellent games, but I was especially smitten with the layers of extra content and story that Full Body brought to the table, additions that made Full Body one of my favorite games of 2019.

-Untitled Goose Game     Untitled goose game is a simple premise on paper; players take on the role of an ornery, mischievous goose as it wreaks havoc through a small English town. Equal parts puzzle and stealth game, the goose has a laundry list of tasks it seeks to complete, from stealing hats off people's heads to infiltrating the local pub. It's not a long game by any means, but it has a ton of replayability in the form of additional tasks and challenges that only present themselves after your first playthrough. These range from time-based completions to additional bouts of mischief and all of them are incredibly satisfying to chase down. Untitled Goose Game has a quaint, painterly art style that compliments the charming simplicity of the game's premise, accompanied by a dynamic, classically-toned score that rises and falls in prominence as you go about your goosely business. All said Untitled Goose Game is a genuine treat, a brief but whimsical game that's just about having fun and goofing around.

2020

    It's no secret that 2020 has been a rough year for a lot of folks. Between a pandemic, political controversy, and general drudgery, it's a year that feels like it can't end soon enough. But in spite of it all, 2020 was also a fantastic year for games. Serving as the last hurrah for the Xbox One and Playstation 4, we saw the release of some truly excellent stories that kept players going through the long months of an otherwise mediocre year.

-Animal Crossing: New Horizons     Releasing right at the start of widespread quarantine, New Horizons supplied people with something they couldn't easily do in their own lives; escape. Animal Crossing New Horizons is the perfect escapist fantasy for the year it released in, seeing players partaking in an island getaway in the hopes of colonizing and forming an idyllic town on an untamed paradise.  At their core, the animal crossing games are simple simulators. You create your character by selecting a few presets; hair, eyes, skin color, and then you're let free to explore your new locale. With this latest release, that locale is the aforementioned island, a small paradise in the sea dotted by trees and rivers, accented by flowers and weeds. You start your life on this new Island with a handful of other residents; the Nook Family, the proprietors of this island venture, and two random villagers who are looking to make a life on this island the same as you. Things start small, with everyone working together to set up tents and create a bonfire and find some food for a welcome party. Afterward, the game synchronizes itself to your console's date and time and sets you off on your way. Unlike other simulators on this list, Animal Crossing is a unique breed, running concurrently to the real world, continuously progressing in real-time. Flowers grow, trees produce fruit, and each day is a new adventure. It follows the general turn of the seasons for your respective hemisphere, celebrating holidays and alternating available activities with each passing day. As for what you can do yourself, the opportunities are legion; you can catch bugs, go fishing, search for fossils, chat up your villagers, visit other islands, and much more. As you progress, more ventures open their doors to you; catch enough bugs and fish, and you can elect to have a museum built to showcase your finds. Collect enough resources, and you can build new furniture and create plots of land that encourage more villagers to come and move to your island. Everything you do is in service of continued growth, but also serves just as simple fun, a charming, easygoing distraction from the concerns of the day-to-day.

-Final Fantasy VII Remake     The Final Fantasy franchise is a long and storied one, replete with highs and lows. One such high was 1997's Final Fantasy 7, a game that quickly cemented itself as a fan favorite and an absolute classic. Now, in 2020, FF7 is back...sort of. See, FF7 Remake is the first in a line of games that will eventually go on to tell the entirety of the original FF7's story, which means that this release is only the first portion of a much larger narrative. Adapting what was originally the first few hours of the original game, FF7 Remake expands upon the opening section of its predecessor, simultaneously remaking the old content for modern audiences and adding in new aspects for old fans. FF7 Remake improves upon the original in practically every way, serving as a genuine remake that still manages to retain what made that original game so memorable and important to fans. The game might be new, but the heart is the same; FF7 Remake follows the story of Cloud Strife, an ex SOLDIER turned mercenary hired by an eclectic group known as Avalanche to dismantle a local power plant that's poisoning the planet. What starts as a well-intentioned but extreme case of eco-terrorism quickly explodes (pun intended) into a much larger story that sees Cloud and Avalanche bringing the fight straight to the corrupt Shinra Corporation and beyond, culminating in a battle against fate itself. Because this remake only covers a portion of what will go on to be a much larger narrative, it only scratches the surface of what makes the original FF7 so great, but it does so with gusto; the game plays and looks better than ever, bringing with it a heartfelt and compelling narrative that keeps you hooked the whole way through.

-Minecraft Dungeons     Minecraft Dungeons takes the charming, voxel visuals and world of Minecraft and melds them seamlessly with a charming, easygoing dungeon crawler that's approachable for casual and experienced gamers alike. Where Minecraft is an open-ended sandbox game about building and exploring a blocky world, Minecraft Dungeons sees a collective of heroes on a quest to defeat the evil Illager, a powerful sorcerer whose armies have been sweeping the land leaving destruction in their wake. It's not a very complicated story about good and evil, but it doesn't have to be; Minecraft Dungeons prioritizes it's simple and easy to master gameplay first and foremost. You collect loot, battle recognizable Minecraft enemies, and progress through a litany of stages on your way to fight the big bad. It's not very long but encourages you to play it time and again, collecting better gear and trying your hand at the many difficulty levels for additional challenges. It's not the best looking or the best playing game that released this year, but it had heart and made for a short and entertaining way to pass the time.

-Ghost of Tsushima    Ghost of Tsushima isn't a game to scoff at. One of the best looking games of the generation, this PS4 exclusive is one part historical timepiece, one part action-adventure, and one part stealth game. It follows the story of Jin Sakai, a samurai and one of the last survivors of the Mongol invasion of his home island of Tsushima, Japan. Left to die, he is found and nursed back to health by a wayward thief who teaches Jin the art of stealth and subterfuge, seeing him off on his quest for bloody revenge on the Mongol invaders that have encroached upon his homeland. To do this, he must first build up a fighting force of equal minded, skilled warriors, all while dismantling the various camps and operations the Mongols have set up in the absence of the defeated Samurai army. Jin can approach this in one of two ways; relying on his prowess as a formidable Samurai, Jin can challenge the many enemies in the game to flashy yet precise sword combat, or he can utilize the recently learned skills of stealth, infiltrating their encampments and silently picking the Mongols off one by one. There's no wrong answer to how you choose to play, although it takes some time for Jin to accept his new roles as both Samurai and assassin. Both methods of play feel equally as stellar, too; Combat in this game is incredibly polished, finely tuned swordplay that focuses on timing and well-planned strikes to dispatch your foes with ease, while the stealth feels tense and requires a distinctly tactical approach, planning your routes and cleverly dispatching foes so as to not raise suspicion. But the game isn't just about taking out your enemies. Ghost of Tsushima boasts one of the most beautiful open worlds I've ever experienced, a vibrant and gorgeous landscape dotted with myriad activities and side quests for you to explore and enjoy. One moment, you could be doing battle with a wayward group of Mongols or bandits, while the next could see you tracking a friendly fox to a shrine, composing a haiku in the shadow of a large tree, or recuperating your strength at a small hot spring while you ruminate on your adventures thus far. Ghost of Tsushima is an incredibly varied game, alternating between intense highs and calming lows, all coming together to become one of the best games of the last generation.

-Spiritfarer     While I have not finished this game, it more than deserves recognition on this list. In it, you play as Stella, a young girl who takes over as the ferryman for the River Styx once Charon retires to the afterlife, tasked with providing for the wayward souls who live on the river as you ferry them to their final rest. To do this, Stella must collect various resources and build up her ship, outfitting it with living spaces and various commodities tailored to her current passengers. These aforementioned passengers will, in turn, begin to open up to Stella, tasking her with making certain foods or visiting different locales, all in an effort to give these wayward souls a proper farewell on their trip to the afterlife. Spiritfarer is a simple simulator game about resource management and exploration that showcases a lovely, genuinely heartfelt story about love and loss, one that will put a smile on your face as easily as it brings a tear to your eye.

     And with that, I close out this hefty list, closing out the last generation. This compendium hardly scratches the surface of the last seven years' library, but hopefully, I did a good enough job remembering some of the games that made this last generation so great. There are a lot of games that I've still yet to play, resting in wait in my backlog for the time they get pulled out and given their due, but for now, this concludes my walk down memory lane. The last generation saw some excellent additions to the vast and ever-expanding library of video game history. Here's hoping the next several years can say the same. The start of the new consoles is off to a very promising start; in the last month or so alone we've seen excellent releases from both indie and big-name developers, fresh takes on old franchises, and new IPs alike. So, here's to the Last Generation, here's to the Next Generation, and here's to gaming overall; may it continue to thrive for years to come.

#A Look Back #Gaming #Game Review

[dappercritter]

Once More Unto the Bre-er, Black, I Guess:

Quick Thoughts on that Pacific Rim Anime

Having given into my curiosity, I have decided to start watching Pacific Rim: The Black.

While, I am still skeptical of the significantly darker tone and how much farther they’ll take it before it becomes unwatchable, I am pleasantly surprised that that’s not all there is to it. The series is going to some bleak places, make no mistake, and this will no doubt turn off those who want lighter and more uplifting fare from their Pacific Rim content. But I was pleasantly surprised to see that the series has a good dose of heart and wit—with colour to boot! So far the series feels like an enjoyable blend of the pathos and heart of the first movie, with the escalated stakes and saturated colour and sense of humour of the sequel.

In a way it feels like a welcome change of pace and a course correction of sorts: It learns from the mistakes of Uprising while building on the foundation the original set in place.

The characters and story already have me engaged. Right from the get-go, you get a sense of how dire this fight is, being plunged right into the action at its most intense. You feel the stakes even before anything that serious has happened yet. The Travis family already shows a healthy balance of resolve, charm, and angst that even at it’s earliest, you can’t help but care for these folks. Hayley already strikes me as my favourite for her spunk and her soft-heartedness. Taylor is a bit rougher around the edges and can feel bit like a jerk at times, but he’s got just as much of a heart, and you quickly learn why it’s hardened.  Loa is already stealing the show, as you can imagine a snarky mecha AI would. The first training scene gets special mention just for how hilariously inspired it feels.

When the tragedy does strike—and believe me, friends, it strikes fast here—you will be caught off-guard. I won’t ruin the surprise because I don’t want to overhype it or spoil it for anyone who wants to watch it too, but in short, you are lulled in a sense of secure tranquility. You get the feeling that things aren’t so bad where the story starts off. You get to know the other characters just a little bit, but you get a real sense of connection between everyone. Then just as when things seem to be getting fun, things take a drastically dark turn. There is a shocking loss, that while sterile in some ways, makes it clear right off the bat, that no one is safe in this world and it sticks.

Ordinarily, I’m not one for tragedies, but after Polygon’s last giant monster-based sci-fi tragedy, the infamous Godzilla Earth anime trilogy, it feels like a drastic even welcome improvement. In Gen Urobochi’s controversial high sci-fi take on the King of the Monsters, you got a barebones story where everything was either inferred, vague, or explained in an almost unbearable level of technical detail. You never got to see things at their best, or got an idea of what there was to care about or fight for. There was virtually no sense of connection between anyone, or a feeling that this universe was lived in. The characters had no real personality, defined almost entirely by their archetypes and positions, and some looked almost indistinguishable from one another. Here, the writing, art direction, and character design, all come together to create an undeniable sense of life. That’s right: not only is this an improvement over a Pacific Rim movie, but it’s an improvement over three whole Godzilla movies from the same studio. (Although having a Western writing team who is more accustomed to character tics and interactions probably helped in that regard.)

That said, the art and animation do leave some things to be desired. Again, while Polygon is clearly improving in some areas, this is pretty standard fare for them. While the character designs are nicely made and the cinematography easy on the eyes, with some shots looking beautifully rendered that I mistook a CG character for a 2D one at least twice, there are still some framerate and composition problems that stick out like sore monster thumbs. While only momentary, I did notice that sometimes the framerates for character movement would jump from smooth for a shot or two and then return back to Polygon’s normal stiff one immediately after, and while the backgrounds are beautiful sometimes it easier to tell there are CG characters walking on 2D pictures than others. Especially when it looks like the they are literally walking on a flat service at an angle.

Moreover, while the kaiju and jaeger design continue to impress in Pacific Rim fashion, they do feel like they suffer from similar problems as Uprising had. The jaegers you see in the opening and the main jaeger, Atlas Destroyer included, continue the trend of smoother and more vibrantly coloured mechas in the vein of Striker Eureka and G Danger/Avenger than the more characterized, robotic designs of the original, and if not for Atlas’s striking colour scheme and unique status as an unarmed training jaeger, probably would not stand out from any of the others. The kaiju are all looking good—and come from rifts that open on the mainland rather than the ocean this time—with distinctive new outlines and even new species for some added peril, but they do lack the monstrous alien aesthetic of the original movie’s monsters in some places, but not enough so to bother you. Although you will be wondering when the Precursors (or whoever made them, because Boy, does this show raise some questions fast) thought straight-up giant shrink-wrapped Dobermans were they way to go when it came to picking off humans, or when they decided to experiment with their colour palette. Most jarringly though, while the show does it’s best to regain that sense of weight and scale Jaegers had in the original film, they still feel lighter and faster like in Uprising, but with Polygon’s suddenly fluid framerate and stiffer range of motion, it might just stick out more here.

The music is alright. I’m not a fan of the subdued opening title music. I get it supposed to set the mood for the dire and dramatic tone and while it does, it also feels strangely too serious for a show from a franchise with as much punch as Pacific Rim. The main titles themselves are alright too, but they’re nothing too special. There’s some cool imagery and the stills of kaiju fighting jaegers remind me of the opening and end credits of the first movie, but some of looks less rendered than other parts and a lot of it feels just bland. (In short, my thoughts have improved since I first saw it, but not by much.) The series soundtrack itself is fine—it has a somewhat similar feel to the films’ scores but it’s also has some stock cues sprinkled throughout. So not much to talk about at the moment. The end theme is pretty good, since it reminds me the most of the original movie’s main theme. Hopefully we’ll get more of that.

I think my biggest gripe is one that simply cannot be overcome. The name: Why is it just “The Black”? Race-related jokes and unfortunate implications aside, it is just dumb. Bland. Uninspired. It reeks of trying too hard to seem nuanced and dark, but it just makes sound like it will be generic grimdark pretentiousness. Which is especially damaging when that is clearly not the case here. Even in the story, it makes no sense. From what I can tell about the plot and world so far, there was literally nothing stopping them from calling it “The Blackout”, which would have just been so much more appropriate. And don’t tell me “Pacific Rim: The Blackout,” wouldn’t sound even cooler.

(Or perhaps “The Mucky-Muck,” but maybe that’s just my Tenacious D fan-brain speaking.)

TLDR; the show definitely has it’s flaws and I’m concerned how far they’ll take the darkness with the series, but it’s pleasantly surprised me in a lot of ways. I look forward to seeing where it goes.

#pacific rim #pacific rim anime #pacific rim the black #pacific rim loa #hayley travis #taylor travis #atlas destroyer #kaiju #jaeger #mecha #monsters #anime #netflix #ramblings of the critter

[lacquerware]

2020 Recap - My Year in Gaming

2020. What a year for video games. I had big plans for last year, but in the end I did very little besides play video games, and I don’t think I’m alone there since we were all stuck at home looking for a way out of reality. I wanted to do a year-end recap as I’ve done sporadically in past years, but this one will be different than the typical “Games of the Year” format because despite all the games I played in 2020, almost none of them came out in 2020, and some of the things that defined my year in gaming weren't even games. 

Resident Evil 3 Remake (PS4)

RE3 was one of the only games I played in 2020 that didn’t coincide with the deadly pandemic's spread across the US. RE3 is, of course, a game about the spread of a deadly virus in Anytown, USA. It was an appetizer, I guess. 

When the Resident Evil 2 remake dropped in 2019, there were some things I loved about it, and a few things that felt like steps back from the original. I feel much the same about RE3. I had also theorized that a Resident Evil 3 remake would be better off as RE2 DLC than as a separate full-length game, and considering how short RE3 turned out, with some of the best sections of hte original cut entirely (namely, the clock tower), I stand by my theory. 

Oh well, at least Jill gets this rad gun, which for the time being is the closest thing to a new Lost Planet we can hope for anytime soon.

Sekiro (PS4)

Sekiro is the first video game I ever Platinumed. This is partly because conquering the base game was such a spartan exercise that going the extra mile to get the Platinum didn’t seem so bad, but it’s also surely a result of the pandemic. I needed a project and a big win. Who didn't? 

I wrote at length about why I like Sekiro more than every other modern FromSoft game, and also about the game’s cherry-on-top moment that reminded me of blowing up Hitler’s face in Bionic Commando. Please read them!

Death Stranding (PS4)

Release date notwithstanding, this was obviously the Game of 2020. I wrote about it here, here, and here. This game bears the distinction of being the second one I ever Platinumed. It took 150 hours. Only then did I learn I had a hoverboard.

Streets of Rage 4 (PS4)

This is the only 2020 game I played for more than a few hours. In fact, I cleared the entire game at least five times. I still don’t think it captures the gritty aesthetic of the prior Streets of Rages (nor even tries to), but this is probably the best-feeling bup I've played. Huge bonus points for finally bringing back Adam, but in the end I found it hard not to pick Blaze every time.

Blaster Master Zero 2 (Switch)

What impressed me about this sequel from Inti Creates was that it wasn’t just more of the same, even though that would've been fine. BMZ2 builds on its already excellent predecessor with a catchy new format where players can freely cruise the cosmos and stages take the varied form of planets—some big and sprawling, others short and sweet. Hopping at will from planet to planet without ever knowing what experiences and treasure each one held felt like system jumping in No Man’s Sky and island hopping in The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass, both of which felt like opening presents.

Dragon Force (Saturn)

Charming, satisfying, and addictive as a bag of chips. Unlike a bag of chips, when it’s over, you can do it all again. And again. And it’ll be different each time! This might be the first strategy game I've truly loved. Better late than never.

The PC Engine Mini

The PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 Mini seems a particularly justifiable mini-console for people outside Japan because so many missed these consoles entirely, the games are hard to obtain, and the lineup includes titles spanning the entire convoluted Turbo/PC Engine ecosystem—the TurboGrafx-CD/CD-ROM², Super CD-ROM², Arcade CD-ROM² and SuperGrafx, in addition to plain, old standard HuCard games. I myself didn’t know the first thing about these systems before. It’s like reliving the nineties again for the first time. 

Most of the titles included are simple action games that don't require a command of Japanese, but make no mistake: being able to understand Snatcher and TokiMemo does make me feel like an elite special person worth more than many of you. 

(Side note: From a gender representation perspective, the difference between Snatcher and Death Stranding is stark. Virtually every interaction with every woman or girl in Snatcher is decorated with ways to sexually harass her. Guess someone finally had a conversation with our favorite auteur.)

A Gaming PC

I’d threatened to transition to PC gaming for years after beholding the framerate difference between the console and PC versions of DmC in 2012, and last July I finally took the leap, buying an ASUS “Republic of Gamers” (ugh) laptop with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Max-Q GPU. It seems like consoles are getting more PC-like all the time, especially with all these half-step iterations that splinter performance and sometimes even the feature set (à la the New 3DS and Switch Lite), so with the impending new generation seemed like a fine time to change course.

In the half-year since, I’ve barely played a single PC game more recent than 2013, but just replaying PS3-era games at high settings has been like rediscovering them for the first time. 

I also finally experienced keyboard-and-mouse shooting and understand now why PC gamers think they're better than everyone else. Max Payne is a completely different game with a mouse. Are all shooters like this??

The USPS

Early in the year, I rediscovered my childhood game shop, Starland, which is now  an online hub known as eStarland.com with a brick-and-mortar showroom. To my delight, it has become one of the best and most modestly priced sources for import Saturn games in the country, and I scored Shining Force III’s second and third episodes, long missing from my collection, for a mere ten bucks each!  

In June, I treated myself to a trio of Saturn imports from eStarland: the tactics-meets-dating-sim mashup Sakura Taisen 2, the nicely presented RTS space opera Quo Vadis 2, and beloved gothic dungeon crawler Baroque. Miraculously, this haul amounted to just around thirty dollars total. Less miraculously, they never arrived. This was the second time I’d had something lost in the mail in my entire life, and also the second time that month. Something was wrong with the USPS, and it wasn’t just COVID pains. We would soon learn Trump had been actively working to sabotage one of the nation’s oldest and most reliable institutions in a plot to compromise the upcoming presidential election.

Frankly it’s a miracle there’s still such a thing as “delivery” at all, and a few missing video games is the last of my worries considering what caused it, but nevertheless this was an experience in my gaming life that could not have happened any other year. I won’t forget it.

*By the way, USPS reimbursed me for the insured value of the missing order, which was fifty bucks. So I actually profited a little off the experience.

Mega Everdrive Pro

I love collecting for the Genesis and Mega Drive, but I will not pay hundreds of dollars for a video game that retailed for about sixty.  The publishers never asked for that, and the developers won’t see a (ragna)cent of the money. I'm also far less inclined to start collecting for Sega CD, since the hardware is notoriously breakable, the cases are huge and also breakable, and the library just isn't that good. 

Still, I'd been increasingly curious about the add-on as an interesting piece of Sega history, so when I learned Ukranian mad scientist KRIKzz had released a new Mega Everdrive that doubled as a Sega CD FPGA, I finally took the plunge into the world of flash carts. This has proven a great way to play some of the Mega Drive’s big-ticket rarities I will never buy—namely shmups like Advanced Busterhawk Gley Lancer and Eliminate Down—as well as try out prospective additions to the collection. I never would have discovered the phenomenal marvel of engineering and synth composition that is Star Cruiser without this thing, but now that I have, it’s high on the shopping list.

The Mega Everdrive Pro is functionally nearly identical to TerraOnion’s “Mega SD” cartridge, but slightly less expensive, comes in a “normal” cartridge shell instead of the larger Virtua Racing-style one, and supports a single hardworking dude in Ukraine rather than a company with reportedly iffy customer service.

Twitch

Getting a PC also resolved issues that had long prevented me from achieving a real streaming setup, and much of my gaming life in 2020 was about ramping up my streaming efforts. I even made Affiliate in about a month. Streaming has been a great creative outlet and distraction, as well as a way to connect with other people during the COVID depression and structure my gaming time. Find me every Monday through Thursday 8-11pm Eastern at twitch.tv/lacquerware.  

Metroid: Other M (Dolphin)

PC ownership also gave me access to the versatile Dolphin emulator, liberating a handful of great Wii exclusives from their disposable battery-powered prison. 

One of the Wii games I fired up on Dolphin was Metroid: Other M, a game I’d always wanted to try but had been dissuaded by years of bad publicity and the fact that I never had any goddamn batteries. I know I should temper what I’m about to say by acknowledging that I was playing at 1080p/60fps on a PS4 controller so my experience was automatically a vast improvement over that of all Wii players, but I’m increasingly confident Metroid: Other M was the most fun I’ve ever had playing a Metroid game. I haven’t decided yet if I’m willing to die on this hill, but I will just say that if you like the Metroidvania genre in general and aren’t particularly attached to the Metroid series’ story or its habit of making you wander aimlessly for hours, there’s a very high chance you will enjoy Other M—especially if you play it on Dolphin.

Don't Starve Together (PC)

Don't Starve is the only game my friend Jason plays, so last year I tried to get into it with him. I respect this game's singular devotion to the concept of survival, but make no mistake: every session of Don't Starve ends with you starving to death. Or freezing. Or getting stomped by a giant deity of the forest. The entire game is staving off death until it inevitably comes. Even when death comes, you can revive infinitely (in whatever mode we were playing), which means even death is not an end goal. There is no end goal. You don't even have the leeway to "play" and create your own meaning as you do in similarly zen  games like Dead Rising. 

Don't Starve is a game for people for whom hard work is the ultimate reward in and of itself. Don't Starve told me something about Jason. 

G-Darius (PS1)

In the early fall, Sony announced they were dropping PS3, PSP, and Vita support from the browser and mobile versions of their PSN Store, and since the PS3 version of the store app runs like a solar-powered parking meter in Seattle, I decided this was my last chance to stock up on Japanese PSN gems. 

Among my final haul, the PS1 port of G-Darius proved an instant favorite. Take down the usual cast of mechanized fish in a vibrant, chunky, low-poly style that perfectly inhabits the constraints of the original PlayStation hardware. I believe this is the first Darius game that lets you get into giant beam duels with the bosses, which is quite definitely one of the coolest things a video game has ever let you do. The PS1 port is also surprisingly feature-rich, including some easier difficulty levels that present an actually surmountable challenge for non-savants.

This one’s coming to the upcoming Darius Cozmic Revelation collection on Switch alongside DARIUSBURST, a good-ass romp in its own right.

Red Entertainment

In my effort to shine a tiny spotlight on some of the unsung Interesting Games of gaming, I found myself drawn again and again to the work of Red Entertainment. First there were cavechild headbutt simulator Bonk’s Adventure and twin shmups Gates of Thunder and Lords of Thunder on the PC Engine Mini. Then I streamed full playthroughs of the PS2’s best samurai-era, off-brand 3D Castlevania, Blood Will Tell and the Trigun-adjacent stand-‘n-gun, Gungrave: Overdose. Then I was dazzled by Bonk’s Adventure’s futuristic spin-off cute-‘em-up, Air Zonk, which was also sneakily tucked away on my PC Engine Mini in the “TurboGrafx-16” section. It turned out all these games were made by the same miracle developer responsible for Bujingai, the stylish PS2 wushu game starring Gackt and a household name here at the Lacquerware estate. How prolific can one team be???

Month of Cyberpunk

In November, I started toying with the idea of themed months on my Twitch channel with “Cyberpunk month.” It was supposed to be a build-up to Cyberpunk 2077’s highly anticipated November release, but holy shit that didn’t happen, did it? Still, I always find myself gravitating toward this genre in November, I guess because I associate November with gloom (even though this year it was sunny almost every day). A month is a long time to adhere to a single theme, but cyberpunk is such a well-served niche in gaming that I could easily start an all-cyberpunk Twitch channel. The fact that we’re so spoiled with choice makes Cyberpunk 2077’s terrible launch all the more embarrassing. Here are just some of the games I played (and streamed!) in November:

Ghostrunner Shadowrun (Genesis) RUINER Remember Me Transistor Rise of the Dragon (Sega CD) Shadowrun (Mega CD) Cyber Doll (Saturn) Binary Domain Shadowrun Returns Blade Runner (PC) Deus Ex: Human Revolution Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Observer

Shadowrun on the Genesis gets my top pick, but the two most recent Deus Ex games are great alternatives for those looking for something in the vein of 2077 that isn’t infested with termites.

Lost Planet 2

Every year. I played through it twice in 2020.

Dead Rising 4

I slept on this one too long. While it's a far cry from the original game, it's easily the most fun I've had with a Christmas game since Christmas NiGHTS. This is the game a lot of people thought they were getting when they bought the original Dead Rising with their new Xbox 360--goofy, indulgent, and pressure-free.

Devil May Cry 5: Vergil (PS4)

Vergil dropped for last-gen consoles in December and breathed a whole lot of life into a game that was already at the head of its class.

Nioh 2

I’ve only played a few hours of Nioh 2 because I promised my friend I’d co-op it with him and wouldn’t play ahead. But he’s a grad student with two small children. Nevertheless, Nioh 2 is my Game of 2020.

And that's it! Guess I'll spend 2021 playing games that came out last year, and maybe eventually getting vaccinated? Please? 

#2020 year in review best of games of the year game of the year goty recap lacquerware death stranding sekiro darius g-darius video games gam #dragon force #2020 #year in review #best of #games of the year #game of the year #goty #recap #review #lacquerware #death stranding #sekiro #darius #g-darius #video games #games #gaming #nioh #nioh 2 #devil may cry #devil may cry 5 #dmc5 #vergil #dead rising 4 #dr4 #frank west #christmas games #lost planet #lp2

[yumeka36]

Frozen 2 review

I’ve seen Frozen 2 twice now and feel like I’m ready to review it (somewhat) objectively. Obviously there will be spoilers so read at your own risk.

I’ve looked at a number of reviews of the movie both from fans and general critics/moviegoers, and it made me realize exactly what kind of movie this is: pretty much all of the criticism I’ve seen has to do with the plot being unfocused and rushed at times, with points made about the convolution of the mythology elements. On the other hand, the praise I’ve seen has to do with the growth of the characters, how appealing Anna and Elsa’s development is, and the overall message of accepting change, righting past wrongs, and being who you’re meant to be. It’s almost like the critics who didn’t like the movie and the fans who did had completely different expectations for what they wanted to see, with the former expecting some intricate fantasy plot that all clicks together and is fully fleshed out, while the latter is expecting to see their favorite characters face new adventures while growing their relationships and personal identities. And this latter interpretation is the defining point of Frozen’s appeal, even more so in the sequel: the franchise is all about the story arcs of Anna and Elsa and how their bond as sisters helps them grow stronger together as well as individually. In Frozen 2, it’s the characters that are driving the plot instead of the plot driving the characters. And because of this, the movie would rather spend more time focusing on character songs and interactions (not just Anna and Elsa but Olaf and Kristoff too) than exposition and fleshing out of story elements. It would rather spend time showing Kristoff singing about his pining for Anna’s love, give Olaf scenes showing how his new-found knowledge has made him view the world, and give Elsa a follow-up to “Let It Go” in “Show Yourself,” than to spend time explaining, say, the Northuldra culture, how the spirits can make decisions like giving Elsa powers, or exactly how the magic of Ahtohallan works. Yes, this does make some story points lacking and hurried, but I feel that the filmmaking team relies on the fact that we’re so in love with these characters that not understanding every detail in the lore and plot won’t ruin our enjoyment. And, from the acclaim the movie’s getting, I’d say they’re right.

Frozen has always been about quality character story arcs as opposed to quality world-building, but the reason this is more prominent in Frozen 2 is because the first movie had a smaller scale story with minimal lore to focus on, so the character arcs stood out more. Because the sequel brings in more world-building elements, it’s easy for someone who’s not invested in the characters to focus on and judge the movie based on the fine details of the plot. Of course it would be nice if we could have both: intricate, solid world-building as well as character development, but that would probably make the movie too long – it could work for an ongoing series but not for a time-restricted Disney movie that only has a degree of creative liberties and still has to adhere to certain story flows and formulas. So then the questions are, did I feel enough was explained in Frozen 2 to make sense of the story even if a handful of things were lacking? Did the quality of the characters and their developments and relationships make up for a plot that was a bit messy and unfocused? I’d say the answer to these questions is yes.

With that in mind, as a fan judging the movie based more on how the characters are handled rather than the plot, and considering the hype the movie had to live up to and the insane number of directions they could have gone with the story, I think the final product turned out to be very good. The few things I had issue with are as follows:

-as I discussed in most of this post, I admit that the movie is a bit rushed at times, with certain scenes and plot points that needed more focus being glossed over. An extra 5-10 minute runtime would have benefited it immensely: a few more scenes of Agnarr and Iduna in Ahtohallan, more discussion in the finale of Anna becoming queen and what Elsa’s role as the fifth spirit is…even just another 30 seconds for each of these would have made a big difference. But at the same time I feel enough is explained to satisfy a general audience and the main appeal of the movie – the character arcs and relationships – is very well done.

-Kristoff’s failed proposal in the wagon felt way too forced. Anna was just way too quick to misunderstand him, making it feel very unrealistic and it only made their relationship look regressing rather than progressing. The other attempt in the forest was a bit forced too but not as bad as this one. These scenes definitely could have benefited from another rewrite. But thankfully they’re short.

-the new characters like Matthias and Honeymaren contributed virtually nothing to the plot: they could have been replaced with just nameless Northuldra and Arendelle soldiers and nothing would have changed in the story. I think the only reason these characters were made is because there’s some rule that Disney sequels have to have new characters and can’t just rely on the strength of the old ones, so these guys were created even if the movie didn’t necessitate them. Even the four spirits were more plot devices than actual characters. As cute as Bruni is, as soon as I saw him I was like “yeah, he’s just there to sell toys, not gonna contribute anything to the narrative flow” and I was right. This again goes back to what I was saying before about how Frozen 2 chooses to focus more on its (star) characters than world-building through new characters. So in a way, having these new characters isn’t a flaw and it actually shows just how good the original Frozen characters are: they still have so much depth and personality that hasn’t been explored that they can carry this new story on their own without the help of new characters.

But other than a few missing and rushed plot pieces and a little poor writing in Kristoff’s scenes, I thought the movie delivered very well. The love Anna has for Elsa is so amazingly conveyed in this movie that you don’t even need to see the first movie to understand it. All of their interactions and conversations felt so genuine. Olaf was very funny even if all of his jokes didn’t hit their mark. Most of the songs were great and really felt like they were written to move the characters and story forward and not just to be earworms kids will always want to sing. “The Next Right Thing” is one of the darkest moments I’ve seen in any Disney movie, but also one of the most emotionally moving and I have to give kudos to the creative team for keeping it in. “Show Yourself” is the true successor to “Let It Go” (why do they keep pushing “Into the Unknown”?) and is such a beautifully sung and beautifully animated sequence. Speaking of the movie’s animation, it’s gorgeous and it’s so amazing how far the technology has come since the first Frozen. There’s so much detail and nuances in the characters’ expressions and actions that only multiple viewings can pick up on.

Of course, I can’t complete this review unless I discuss the elephant in the room – the ending. Anyone who’s been around the fandom the past couple months knows how bent out of shape everyone got once a vague description of the ending leaked online. Now that I’ve seen it for myself and know all the context, I’m okay with the message: Because Iduna did the right thing and saved Agnarr despite him being her enemy, the spirits gifted their child with powers that could be used to correct the past wrong, should she choose to. And because Anna did the right thing by choosing to destroy her kingdom to save the forest, the spirits freed Elsa who, in turn, was able to save Arendelle. Elsa fully embraced herself and is able to live as she wants, but still able to see her family when she wants. It’s not that she didn’t like being queen of Arendelle and living with Anna and the others, but now that she knows exactly what she is – the fifth spirit – she wants to explore that, but is still able to have a life with her family too. Likewise, Anna has found a purpose she never had before. Even though it’s a major change, she’s happy because she knows Elsa is happy and they can still see each other whenever they want. But as I said, exactly what Elsa does as the fifth spirit should have been explained more (hoping it does in future installments). For what we got though, it was a happy ending, but I won’t say it’s satisfying until we get some more information in future books, filmmaker interviews, and, hopefully, future animated shorts and sequels.

I’m still trying to get over the shock, not just of the fact that a movie I’ve been speculating and daydreaming about for six years is finally here and known, but also the fact that it ended up being very different from what I ever imagined in my theories and headcanons. But now that I’ve watched it twice, I understand the direction the filmmakers went and can appreciate the message they wanted to convey even if the execution was a bit messy. I’m hoping I’m high on Frozen 2 for a while because once it wears off and, assuming, there’s no announcement of new Frozen content by then, I’ll have to figure out what to do with my life! This movie is all about coming to grips with change and I’ll definitely be doing that in reality depending on what the future holds for the Frozen franchise. But as of now, I’m still willing to follow Anna and Elsa into the unknown.

Art credited to @pacota22ma on Twitter

*Crossposted from my main blog, Yume Dimension*

#frozen #frozen 2 #frozen 2 spoilers

[yenivercondro]

IS TUMBLR A BLOG OR SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE?

When we hear about ‘Tumblr’ the first thing that comes out in our mind is ‘Blog‘. YES! Tumblr is the hottest blogging platform that most users are millennials and If you have the social networking part of it right, it has the potential to absolutely skyrocket your content in terms of eyeballs and shares (Boone, 2020). 

BUT is Tumblr actually a blog? Or its consider as social networking? Here, I am going to start defining it one by one.

Firstly, let’s talk about the blog.

According to Team (2020), weblog or in its clipped form ‘blog’ is defined as a web page regularly updated by someone who shares his / her own thoughts on a regular (or periodic) basis. The concept unexpectedly finds its immediate visual parallel in the picture of an individual who replaces his / her journal, paper, and pen with a PC, computer, and keyboard. Significantly, when the blog was declared work in 2004, in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a blog is defined as a website containing an online personal journal provided by the writer with thoughts, feedback, and sometimes hyperlinks.

SO, WHAT IS BLOG?

Basically, a blog is a website in a journal format. How we usually use a blog? So, we can use a blog as often as we want. A blog can be used to write and express our daily life for example our hobbies, travels, what we read, our thoughts as well as our opinion. We also can use it to publish our stories or poems. Like a journal, it can include everything you want to be it. However, the differences are a blog published online so we cannot keep it private. It means that we as bloggers cannot control who will read what we post.

HOW ABOUT SOCIAL NETWORKING SITE?

Let’s move on to the definition of SNS.

According to Rouse (2016) social networking site is a virtual community where the users can create their individual public profiles, interact with real-life friends, and meet other people based on a shared interest. The concept of social networking has quickly spread all over the world. On social networking sites, many Internet users have set up their own profiles, for instance, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook (Rourke, 2020).

HOW PEOPLE USUALLY USE SOCIAL NETWORKING?

Basically, the users of social networking are mostly a teenager. This website can be used as self-expression especially for introverted people who are shy to express their opinion. It allows us to socialize and make friends with people we ordinarily would not know. People usually use social networking to write down a thought, post a video picture of themselves. Not only that, users can design their homepage such as link their profiles to others and accumulate online ‘friends’ who never actually spoken or meet face-to-face.

SO, IS TUMBLR CONSIDER AS A BLOG OR SOCIAL NETWORKING?

Here is my opinion.

For me, Tumblr could be categorized as both a blogging platform and a social network. It is because it can be used strictly for blogging or social networking with other users. When we start using Tumblr, we can see that there are many similarities between Tumblr and other social networking such as Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter. We have the following and followers on Tumblr. Even though ‘blogging’ traditionally tends to involve writing. In reality, Tumblr is highly visual and focuses more on publishing short blog posts with images, animated GIFs, and videos. In addition, if we use Tumblr rottenly, the more trend that you can identify and it gives us hints about what our friends like and share.

So, can be concluded that the power of this platform really shines when you use it as both.

References List

Boone, B 2020, How Tumblr Works, viewed 27 September, 2020, <https://computer.howstuffworks.com/tumblr.htm>

Rourke, S 2020, What is Social Networking? - Definition & Information, viewed 27 September, 2020, <https://www.marketingterms.com/dictionary/social_networking/>.

Rouse, M 2016, What is social networking? - Definition from WhatIs.com, viewed 27 September, 2020, <https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/social-networking>.

Team, S 2020, What is a Blog, Blogging & Blogger? Definition, Meaning & Examples, viewed 27 September, 2020, <https://startbloggingonline.com/what-is-a-blog-definition/>

#mda20009 #week4 #digitalcommunities

[mobius-prime]

239. Sonic the Hedgehog #171

I Am

Writer: Ian Flynn Pencils: Tracy Yardley! Colors: Jason Jensen

This is a fantastic story, and a great example of the kind of storytelling Ian is capable of in comparison to his predecessors. Shadow is pissed that Eggman was leading him on all this time, holding onto both Eggman and Snively and coldly interrogating them on the location of Gerald's diary. Eggman is furious, claiming ownership of both the diary and Shadow and demanding that Shadow put him down, but Shadow merely turns his attention to a terrified Snively instead. Snively gives up the information out of fear, and Shadow rips off the six solitary hairs on his head as punishment for "wasting his time." As Snively freaks out, Shadow heads to Eggman's private study to locate the diary.

Well that's a weird bait-and-switch, hiding a disc in a book like that. Shadow makes for Knothole, while Sonic enters Freedom HQ next to Knuckles, still frustrated about not being able to find Fiona. When he mentions her recent disappearances, Tails becomes distressed and runs out of the room, confusing both Sonic and Knuckles, as Sonic had thought they'd resolved their disagreements over him dating Fiona despite Tails' infatuation. Before they can discuss much more about Fiona's absences, however, Tails comes running back in, this time with news about Shadow's approach and Eggman's robots giving chase.

This is why you wear clothes, Shadow. Clothes with pockets. Shadow swallows his pride and begs Sonic and Tails for help, knowing that this disc is his final hope to find out his true purpose in life. Sonic cheerfully agrees, but once Tails gets a good look at the data on his computer, he says that the combination of damage from the attack and the age of the disc has corrupted a lot of the data, meaning that if they try to dig around on it the entire thing might become unusable. Nicole chimes in with an idea - namely, that she pull Shadow into the disc in a kind of virtual reality simulation, which might give them a chance to sift through the relevant data more quickly before everything falls apart. Sonic insists on coming along into the disc with Shadow, while Tails and Knuckles stand guard in the real world. Soon, they're in, with Sonic pleasantly surprised to see Nicole standing next to them in her lynx form, complimenting her on her "look." I feel like a compliment like that goes further when you're not just talking about someone's outfit, but their entire body that they designed themselves from scratch. They begin to wander the digital halls, which look like the halls of the ARK, but right as a figure in a dress approaches them, alarms begin blaring within Freedom HQ. Tails and Knuckles realize somehow they've been tracked here, and turn as one to look at Snively's six stolen hairs, discarded on a nearby table. Yes, that's right. Snively put trackers on his hairs, apparently for just such an occasion as this, because he's insane. Great use of your uncle's technology, Snively! Tails remains behind to keep an eye on the digital travelers while Knuckles races out to hold off Snively.

I've often thought myself that a potential friendship between Shadow and Knuckles has been severely neglected within the games. After all, Shadow's had quite a few life experiences that would likely strike a chord with Knuckles, and vice versa. I like that Ian actually acknowledges some of this here, and that Knuckles takes Shadow's search for a purpose personally. In the diary, Shadow is stunned to find himself face to face with a digital version of Maria, who happily greets him. When Shadow tells her that he's been locked away for fifty years and is still searching for his life's purpose, Maria leads them into an adjacent room, where Professor Gerald awaits. Unfortunately, the data is fragmenting more quickly by the moment, so Gerald quickly explains the true circumstances of Shadow's creation. Those who have played his titular game already know it all, but I'll give a brief summary here for those who haven't - Gerald was searching for a cure for Maria's rare and fatal disease, Neuro-Immune Deficiency Syndrome (this never got a name in the games), and ended up with the idea to create an immortal life form to research a potential cure. However, without the necessary knowledge to create such a being, he ended up seeking the help of Black Doom, the head of the Black Arms hive mind, who donated his own DNA to go towards Shadow's creation. However, the price was that in fifty years he and his race would return to the planet to eat every living being on it, so Gerald ensured that Shadow was also equipped to be a savior of the world, with all the abilities necessary to fight off the Black Arms and save Mobius. At this point, the diary begins to degrade in earnest, and Nicole insists that they have to leave immediately.

I love that in the comics, Shadow actually gets this final moment to say goodbye to Maria. I mean, a huge part of his past with her is meant to hinge on how sudden and tragic her death was, but this ultimately allows him some closure, even if he's only saying goodbye to a digital facsimile of her. Sonic and Shadow emerge from the digital realm, and a panicked Tails informs them that Knuckles is losing his fight against Snively outside, as Snively is still pissed about the loss of his hair. Shadow, without a word, snatches up the hairs from the table and rushes outside to smash Snively's mech and deliver perhaps the best version of his "I Am" speech in any Sonic canon, ever.

You go, Shadow! After everything he's been through, he deserves this moment of certainty and power. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails watch, simultaneously proud and amused, happy for him but also sure that he'll be back to brooding after all this is over. Sonic then says that now that that's taken care of, he's going to go find Fiona and finally figure out why she's been disappearing on him so much lately. Good luck, buddy, cause I have a feeling we already know why…

Separating this story and the back-up, we have not just one or two, but four pages containing data files on various aspects of Mobius! In order, they cover the Master Emerald, power rings, Chaos Emeralds, chao, and Flickies. As is common with these data files, most of the information is stuff we already know from previous issues, so there's no need for me to recap here. The info on chao is mostly taken from the games, particularly the information on how they grow up, reincarnate, and express their emotions. The only real new info we get is that apparently, recently, some Flickies have been spotted around Knothole, and no one is really sure if this means that the portal to their home dimension has opened back up, or if there's another flock of them out there somewhere that hasn't been discovered yet. Ian has a distinct penchant for planting plot seeds and bringing back plot points from much earlier in the series, so you can be sure that they'll be coming back at some point in the future.

Enforcers

Writer: Ian Flynn Pencils: Tracy Yardley! Colors: Jason Jensen

In contrast to the previous one, I have… some problems with this story. Well, I suppose it's not with this story in itself, but rather some details shown within it that have an effect on the comic's larger plot as a whole. If there's one big criticism I do have of Ian, it's the fact that he seems very eager to get rid of a lot of Penders' old worldbuilding, or at least render it useless. Case in point: despite one of Penders' final issues depicting Echidnaopolis being rebuilt after the dingo occupation, apparently it's been razed once again, and the few survivors have relocated to some random wilderness clearing and built suspiciously-Knothole-esque huts and named their crappy little village "Echidnaopolis" after their fallen city. How can a city that once contained over a hundred thousand people have fallen so far as to be represented by a dozen huts? Well, apparently over 90% of the city's inhabitants were killed during the occupation, either in concentration camps or otherwise in the Egg Grapes! I actually actively dislike this quite a bit. Of course not all of Penders' worldbuilding was stellar, but I was fond of a lot of it, particular the intricate interactions between different factions that defined a lot of his work. By wiping out both the city and most of its population, Ian has quickly rendered most of that build-up completely meaningless, and the ensuing plots that involve the echidnas feel oversimplified, because they're missing a lot of that rich backstory that once defined them as a race. Unfortunately, this isn't a one-time thing, as future plots are not kind to the echidnas either. I can't help but feel that a storyline that combined Kenders' worldbuilding skills with Ian's storytelling skills would have been utterly fascinating, but alas, that's not what we're getting here.

Well, no use moping about it I suppose. "Echidnaopolis" is under attack from yet another contingent of dingoes, who threaten Lara-Le and Wynmacher along with their baby, but a warp ring suddenly appears and the Destructix emerge from it. They begin fending off the attacking dingoes, and a nearby Locke, watching but not helping (asshole) is surprised to see them fighting for his people, as he only knew them as villains before now. Finitevus then appears behind him, and despite Locke's surprise at seeing him again, he explains that the Destructix work for him now and he truly wants to help his people. Locke is naturally highly suspicious, so Finitevus brings in a familiar face to vouch for him…

Well, I suppose this explains Dimitri's comments from the revised M25YL timeline! Nice to see you again, Dimitri! Remember, the last time anyone has seen him in this timeline was right after Knuckles saved his life at the cost of his own before the Tossed in Space time skip. Finitevus offers Locke one of his warp rings, so that Locke can leave and continue his hunt for his missing family members, promising that he'll look after things here. Locke continues to remain suspicious, voicing his intentions to come back to frequently check up on him, but eventually, is swayed by Finitevus and accepts the ring.

Wow, we never saw a betrayal from Finitevus coming! Dimitri follows Finitevus through yet another warp ring into the Chaos Chamber, disgusted with himself - apparently Finitevus convinced him to lie to Locke in return for some mysterious favor. Finitevus approaches the Master Emerald, and reveals his true intentions - he plans to use the emerald's power to bring back Enerjak, once again transforming Dimitri into his superpowered, deadly alter ego. I'm sure that will go well…

#nala reads archie sonic preboot #archie sonic #archie sonic preboot #sonic the hedgehog #sth 171 #writer: ian flynn #pencils: tracy yardley #colors: jason jensen

[gamespa276]

What computer monitor is best for gaming

Why You Really should Start Your Gaming Blog On GameSkinny (Alternatively Of WordPress)

Enthusiast Gaming is a media and technologies organization building the biggest neighborhood of authentic gamers. Travel into a virtual world with a VR headset , exactly where all of your senses will be treated to a barrage of stimulus from numerous sources. With the Oculus Rift + Touch Virtual Reality Method , you'd have to prepare oneself for extra intense gameplays, more immersive action, and a completely new and exhilarating gaming present experience as the package currently comes with 6 VR games that will maintain your heart pumping by means of your chest. The Oculus Touch controllers are ingeniously developed for optimum and unparalleled interaction with the many components in the virtual globe. You will will need to meet certain system specifications on your laptop, though. This also makes a perfect gift for nerds in your life.

As you can see, gaming studios have to have to discover their own way to perform client service into the gaming expertise. It means fully understanding their players, and that means understanding how to communicate player help in the most perfect style. Rovio, Nexon, and Riot are all wonderful examples, but even when providing optimal player support is not so apparent, studios can do proper by their audience by staying quickly with their customer service. The sooner the player gets the support they require, the more quickly they can get back into the game.

You have played thousands of unique board games, yes that is ideal not hundreds, but thousands. You are a member of several gaming groups, and you have come to realise that distinct groups have unique personalities and unique dynamics. You realize what style of games you get pleasure from and precise mechanics that you do and don't like in a game. You never actively preach or tell persons about board games, but when asked you are an ambassador for the genre and with your vast expertise you can usually add thoughtful discussion and predictions with regards to games you are but to play. Your collection is the great variety of games that you like. It is not simple for a new game to make it into your collection, and you have a defined a rigorous trial of fire that any game must meet to make it successfully into your collection.

Nowadays is the day! I will be steadily releasing the names of the top rated ten gaming blogs of 2014. Searching more than this list, I am positively blown away. So quite a few amazing posts this year! If you had been disappointed by the Ennies… if you feel that the real deep thinkers in gaming commentary don't get the focus they deserve… well, folks, we are going to fix that.

When it comes to graphical intensity there actually is no comparison in between mobile gaming and Pc and console gaming. Even though handheld devices such as the Nintendo Switch offer a mobile alternative , it nevertheless doesn't pack enough punch to truly compete on an even field with the Computer and console market — and the average smartphone possesses even much less graphical energy. Although there have been massive advancements in mobile technologies, with new devices coming equipped with extra potent processors and RAM than ever just before, only Computer and consoles are in a position to deliver the power required for 4K imaging, the hottest new issue in gaming.

Operating as the assessment editor for Destructoid and working as a gaming writer for Destructoid, Jim Sterling also runs a weekly video game http://frantik.online series on Youtube. Sterling discusses lots of of the unethical organization practices in gaming like gender inequality and early access games. The main gameplay series that you will locate from Sterling is titled, Jimpressions,” and he covers topics like new-release video games and covers the gameplay with his pre-recorded sessions.

The wonderful factor about the gaming niche is that video games are a hobby. This indicates that folks will continuously spend extra cash to fund this hobby, irrespective of whether it be via new games, new equipment, or both. You can capitalize on this by building an e-mail list, which will keep these buyers purchasing from you once more, increasing your income regularly. When one particular game gets old, basically send them out an e mail and get started promoting the next a single to them. When the next fantastic headset comes out, send out an email. New CPA platform? Promote it! With an email list, you can get these purchasers coming back to commit their revenue more than and over once more.

The gaming labor marketplace is evolving like lots of industries impacted by the development of technologies. Jobs for game developer might be declining, but jobs in other gaming-associated fields are developing. This is reflective of the altering nature of video games and the gaming sector. The definition of video game and video game creator is totally distinctive. And the labor industry reflects this.

It is very crucial to have your own information hub no matter if you are an indie developer who tends to make the games or beginning a new eSports gaming league. It helps your fans and shoppers to find out much more about your group or enterprise perfectly. These days gaming is expanding day by day which has become the most profitable industries in the globe these days. A easy YouTube channel is sufficient for you to earn millions of dollars by merely streaming gaming videos. But having a web site will assist you to market and sell your official merchandise as nicely as be extra discoverable on the net.

Gaming consists of diverse genres and systems, and it is critical to know what type of gaming web site you would want to be. Gaming web pages consist of on the web magazines that focus on gaming-related articles, gaming portals, on the net retail and distribution, and gaming blogs. Gamers are specific with what content material they want to access, which means that defining what your web page is would make certain you get the appropriate audience.

To People That Need to Jump GAMING But Are Affraid To Get Started

A bustling community of great-minded persons, the game website is very best recognized for producing original & fresh content associated to newly & well known gaming gears such as headsets, keyboards, laptops, mice, controllers, computers and extra. The game web-site is loaded with different sections that include professional evaluations, previews, game trailers, cheat codes, discussion forums & video game news. A single of the most common game websites ever, VideoGamer has an intuitive interface & they also run their own podcast as effectively.

These historical cloud gaming services, while revolutionary, had been often somewhat niche. But will cloud gaming go mainstream any time quickly? Both Microsoft and Google have recently announced forays into the sector, with trials of Project xCloud” and Project Stream” respectively. Even Nintendo, a far much more standard gaming brand, has established some key cloud inroads on its platforms. Streamed versions of demanding games like Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Resident Evil 7 - originally developed for Xbox, PlayStation and Computer - are becoming accessible on the comparatively weak Nintendo Switch hardware. If the actions of the main players are anything to go by, gaming on demand could achieve critical traction more than the next decade.

So you want to commence a gaming weblog? Very good for you! Gaming is a terrific topic to write a blog about, with a lot of people out there interested in this niche. Whether you want to start out a blog as a hobby or you're hunting to make a bit of dollars from blogging, the following suggestions can support you get began.

And this is where cloud gaming has fallen down historically. In the past, bandwidth just wasn't higher enough to provide responsive gameplay - but now, we're starting to see web speeds that make cloud gaming a viable option. 5G broadband is noticed as a crucial enabler, with a reasonably higher quantity of users now in a position to take complete benefit of remotely hosted gaming solutions. That mentioned, it's essential to note that high-speed internet is far from widespread even in created markets like the US, exactly where poor connectivity and bandwidth caps are still problems for a lot of customers.

Alia Lia” Shelesh, far better identified as Sssniperwolf is the very first female gaming influencer on our list. She started her YouTube profession by playing first-individual shooter games like Get in touch with of Duty, Halo, and Far Cry. Her account today consists of vlogs and various video games that she plays and has far more than 7 million subscriptions.

[russellacali]

What is Empowerment Technologies?

This blog, Empowerment Technologies, is an insight into what I have learned on our lessons about Empowerment Technologies: ICT for Professional Tracks, for 11th grade, under the teaching of Miss Shaira Denise Dela Cruz. The goal of this blog is to promote ICT and give you some insight into ICT

The first lesson that was discussed was, what is ICT? ICT is the abbreviation for Information and Communication Technologies. It refers to technologies that provide access to information through telecommunications such as mobile phones, wireless networks, telephones, and other communication mediums. The current state of ICT is WWW or World Wide Web.

The World Wide Web(WWW), commonly known as the Web, is an information system where documents and other web resources are identified by Uniform Resource Locators, which may be interlinked by hypertext, and are accessible over the Internet. It has three versions which are Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Web 3.0. Web 1.0 is the first version and most web pages were static or “read-only web.” 

The second and most used is Web 2.0, which allows users to interact and contribute with the page instead of just reading a page, the users are able to create a user account. Web 2.0 offers us five features: Folksonomy, Rich User Experience, Long Tail, User Participation, and software as a service.

The last is Web 3.0. Its aim is to have machines understand the user’s preference to be able to deliver web content specifically targeting the user. Web 3.0 hasn’t released yet as it still has some problems. Those problems are compatibility, security, vastness, vagueness, and logic.

Moving on to the next lesson which is all about ‘Online Saftey, security, ethics, and etiquette.’ 

The Internet consists of tens of thousands of interconnected networks run by service providers, individual companies, universities, and governments. It is defined as an information highway, which means anyone can access any information through the internet. That is why the internet is one of the most dangerous places, the reason why it is important how to keep yourself and your personal information safe. Some of the information that is in rick when spoiled on the internet are names of your immediate family, address, phone or home number, birthday, email address, your full name, and your previous and current school. It is important to keep this information top secret as cyber-creeps can use these to find you. 

To keep yourself safe:

Be mindful of what you share online.

Do not just accept terms and conditions, read it.

Keep your passwords to yourself, and make sure your password is long, strong, and unique.

Do not talk or meet up with someone you don’t know.

Never post anything about a future vacation. This can signal some robbers about which date they can come and rob your house. It is better to post about your vacation when you got home already.

Add friends you know in real life, don’t accept someone you barely know or met.

Avoid visiting or downloading anything from an untrusted website, make sure to check the icon beside the search box. *picture* According to DigiCert Blog, “How to Know if a Website is Secure?”, Look at the URL of the website. If it begins with “https” instead of “http” it means the site is secured using an SSL certificate (the s stands for secure). SSL certificates secure all of your data as it is passed from your browser to the website’s server.

Make your home wifi private by adding a password.

Make sure to install and update antivirus software on your computer.

Do not reply or check links from suspicious emails as it can lead you to an untrusted site and can hack your laptop or social media.

To give you more information, here are some of the internet threats that we need to be aware of and try to avoid:

The Malware, stands for malicious software. It includes virus, worm, trojan, spyware, adware, and ransomware. The virus is the most common malware. It is a malicious program designed to replicate itself and transfer from one computer to another (internet, local networks, FDs, CDs,etc.). Worms is a standalone piece of malicious software that reproduces itself and spreads from computer to computer. The trojan is a malicious program that disguises as a useful program but once downloaded or installed, leaves your PC unprotected and allows hackers to get your information. Spyware is defined by Webroot Cybersecurity as "malware used for the purpose of secretly gathering data on an unsuspecting user." It is a program that runs in the background and spies your behavior as you are on your computer. Adware is malware that forces your browser to redirect to web advertisements, which often themselves seek to download further, even more, malicious software. Lastly, Ransomware, also known as scareware. This is a type of malicious software from cryptovirology that threatens to publish the victim’s data or perpetually block access to it unless a ransom is paid.

The Spam, this is any kind of unwanted, unsolicited digital communication, often an email, that gets sent out in bulk.

The Phishing, is a cybercrime in which a target/s are contacted by someone posing as a legitimate institution to lure individuals into providing sensitive data such as personally identifiable information, banking and credit card details, and passwords.

Lastly, before we move to the next lesson it is important to know ‘The Core Rules of Netiquette’ are excerpted from the book Netiquette by Virginia Shea.

First, Remember the Human.When communicating online, practice the Golden rule:  Do unto others as you would have others do unto you. Remember that your written works or messages are read by real people, therefore you should ask yourself, "Would I be okay with this if someone else had written it?" before sending it. 

Second, Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life. It is a must that your best to act within the laws and ethical manners of society whenever you inhabit "cyberspace." Standards of behavior may be different in some areas of cyberspace, but they are not lower than in real life. Be ethical. Don't believe anyone who says, "The only ethics out there are what you can get away with."  

Third, Know where you are in cyberspace. What's perfectly acceptable in one area may be dreadfully rude in another. And because Netiquette is different in different places, it's important to know where you are. Thus the next corollary: Lurk before you leap.

Fourth, Respect other people’s time and bandwidth. Online communication takes time: time to read and time in which to respond. Most people today lead busy lives, just like you do, and don't have time to read or respond to frivolous emails or discussion posts. It's your responsibility to ensure that the time they spend reading your posting isn't wasted.

Fifth, Make yourself look good online. One of the best things about the virtual world is the lack of judgment associated with your physical appearance, the sound of your voice, or the clothes you wear. However, you will be judged by the quality of your writing so keep in mind the following tips: (1)Always check for spelling and grammar errors, (2)  Know what you're talking about and state it clearly

Sixth, Share expert knowledge. The reason for asking questions online works is that a lot of knowledgeable people are reading the questions. And if even a few of them offer intelligent answers, the sum total of world knowledge increases. The Internet itself was founded and grew because scientists wanted to share information. Gradually, the rest of us got in on the act. So do your part. Despite the long lists of no-no's in this book, you do have something to offer. Don't be afraid to share what you know.

Seventh, Help keep flame wars under control. "Flaming" is what people do when they express a strongly held opinion without holding back any emotion.g. While "flaming" is not necessarily forbidden in virtual communication, "flame wars," when two or three people exchange angry posts between one another, must be controlled or the camaraderie of the group could be compromised. Don't feed the flames; extinguish them by guiding the discussion back to a more productive direction.

Eighth, Respect other people’s privacy. Depending on what you are reading in the virtual world, be it an online class discussion forum, Facebook page, or an email, you may be exposed to some private or personal information that needs to be handled with care. Thus, Just as you expect others to respect your privacy, so should you respect the privacy of others. Be sure to err on the side of caution when deciding to discuss or not to discuss virtual communication.

Ninth, Don’t abuse your power. Some people in cyberspace have more power than others. There are wizards in MUDs (multi-user dungeons), experts in every office, and system administrators in every system. Knowing more than others, or having more power than they do, does not give you the right to take advantage of them. For example, sysadmins should never read private emails.

Tenth, Be forgiving of other people’s mistakes. Everyone was a network newbie once. So when someone makes a mistake, whether it's a spelling error or a spelling flame, a stupid question or an unnecessarily long answer, be kind about it. If you do decide to inform someone of a mistake, point it out politely, and preferably by private email rather than in public. Give people the benefit of the doubt; assume they just don't know any better.

The last lesson that was taught to us is ‘Advanced Word Processing Skill’. This lesson focuses on the software word processor the ‘Microsoft Word.’

A Word Processor is an electronic device or computer software application that performs the task of composing, editing, formatting,  and printing of documents.​

Microsoft Word is a word processor developed by  Microsoft and the first released on  October 25, 1983.​ Microsoft Word has features and functions which are not mostly known by others. These are the Auto-Correct, Grammar Checker, Read Aloud, Template, Thesaurus, Mail Merge, and Text Wrap. 

Advance Features of Microsoft Word are discussed. Beginning with the kinds of Materials we can have in Microsoft Word.

The first is Pictures. Generally, these are electronic or digital pictures or photographs you have saved on any local storage device.​ There are three file formats that pictures have which are JPEG or Joint Photographic Expert Group, this can support 16.7 million colors so that it is suitable for use when working with full-color photographic images, GIF or Graphics Interchange Format, this is used for computer-generated images that support animation,  can only support up to 256 colors., lastly, PNG or Portable Network Graphics, this is similar to GIF except it has smaller file size but does not support animation, it can display up to 16 million colors and allows the control of the transparency level or opacity of images.​

The second material is Clip Art. This is generally a GIF type; line art drawings or images used as a generic representation for ideas and objects that you might want to integrate into your document.​

The third is Shapes. These are printable objects or materials that you can integrate in your document to enhance its appearance or to allow you to have some tools to use for composing and representing ideas or messages. The fourth is Smart Art. Generally, these are predefined sets of different shapes grouped together to form ideas that are organizational or structural in nature.

The fifth is Chart. Another type of material that you can integrate into your Word document that allows you to represent data characteristics and trends.

The sixth is Screenshot. Sometimes, creating reports or manuals for training or  procedure will require the integration of a more realistic image of  what you are discussing on your report or manual.

Moving on to the most focused part of the lesson which is the Mail Merge. Mail Merge is a useful tool that allows you to produce multiple letters, labels, envelopes, name tags, and more using information stored in a list, database, or spreadsheet. When these two documents are combined  (merged), each document includes the individual names and addresses you need to send it to. The two components of Mail Merge are the Form Document, this contains the main body of the message we want to convey or send., and the List or Data File, This is where the individual information or data that needs to be plugged in (merged) to our form document is placed and maintained.​

It was demonstrated to us, how to use and make mail merge, and here’s mine:

Before ending this blog, I would like to show you some of my modules for the subject Empowerment Technologies(ETech): ICT for Professional Track.

First, the open forum about the “How can you promote Netiquette?”

Second, an assignment about “Cyberspace:  Share an experience that you have always tend to do but later did you discover that it is not a standard of ONLINE SAFETY, SECURITY, ETHICS, AND ETIQUETTE. “

Third, another open forum about “What is the importance of Microsoft office in your education?”

Lastly is another assignment, making an Infographic: Promoting your specific track/strand. My infographic is a promotion of my strand, STEM or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.

Hope you learn a lot from this blog as I learn a lot from my subject teacher for  Empowerment Technologies(ETech): ICT for Professional Track. 

Let this day be filled with success in all the ventures you make today. Have a great day!

Photo Credits:

1

https://curatti.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/WWW-Image-1.jpg 

2

https://go4customer.com/articleimages/1581925569Safety_Internet_Day.png 

3 

https://futureofsourcing.com/sites/default/files/articles/internet_attacks.jpg 

4

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/fc/37/e1/fc37e162244d19115d88ab58e07ccc2b.png 

5

https://cdn.guidingtech.com/imager/assets/2019/05/226896/Image-Best-Microsoft-Word-Online-Tips-and-Tricks 2_4d470f76dc99e18ad75087b1b8410ea9.png?1558678050 

#ICT Performance_Task

[cregames645]

What is best gaming rig pc or mac

Thinking of Moving To Pc Gaming?

Enthusiast Gaming is a media and technology business developing the largest neighborhood of authentic gamers. Travel into a virtual world with a VR headset , where all of your senses will be treated to a barrage of stimulus from different sources. With the Oculus Rift + Touch Virtual Reality Program , you'd have to prepare your self for extra intense gameplays, much more immersive action, and a completely new and exhilarating gaming present experience as the package currently comes with six VR games that will maintain your heart pumping via your chest. The Oculus Touch controllers are ingeniously developed for optimum and unparalleled interaction with the many components in the virtual planet. You will want to meet particular technique specifications on your laptop, though. This also makes a perfect gift for nerds in your life.

It really is difficult to evaluate 15mm rulesets due to the fact they're typically so various, so rather than try I will merely say this Patrol Angis stands on its own laurels as an exemplar of contemporary wargaming. It is rapid to play, it has sophisticated systems, and it is not overburdened by rules. It has a working points technique. It benefits drastically from the great fluff of the Ion Age and the miniatures that go with it but could easily be applied for any 15mm games you want to play. Regardless of its billing as a one-platoon skirmish game I can not see any reason why it wouldn't hold up nicely with 10+ units on the board.

You have played thousands of distinct board games, yes that is ideal not hundreds, but thousands. You are a member of various gaming groups, and you have come to realise that distinctive groups have distinctive personalities and exclusive dynamics. You realize what style of games you love and precise mechanics that you do and do not like in a game. You do not actively preach or inform individuals about board games, but when asked you are an ambassador for the genre and with your vast knowledge you can usually add thoughtful discussion and predictions with regards to games you are yet to play. Your collection is the perfect variety of games that you like. It is not simple for a new game to make it into your collection, and you have a defined a rigorous trial of fire that any game should meet to make it effectively into your collection.

Do you appreciate to fight even though constructing your own town or village in a game? If yes, Clash of Clans is the greatest option for your gaming requires. It is a single of the most popular games by Supercell. It is a multiplayer game that comes cost-free of cost with in-app purchases. The major aim of the player is to construct a village and fill it with every little thing that the villagers will need to have. A town hall, gold mine, army camp and much far more get unlocked through the course of time.

With Giving Assistant, you can now get money back just about every time you get a new game. Stop by the web page to obtain coupon codes valid on Green Man Gaming. You can then adhere to the hyperlink offered to check out that web-site and get started buying. As long as you use Giving Assistant and remain logged in to your account, you are going to get a double money back with each and every buy that you make. Providing Assistant pays out earnings every single week on Monday, which aids you get your money back more quickly than you believed achievable. You also get peace of mind mainly because Providing Assistant will respond to any challenges rapidly and assist you get the cash that you earned automatically deposited in your account. Video game lovers can now earn cash and save funds at the exact same time.

Functioning as the assessment editor for Destructoid and operating as a gaming writer for Destructoid, Jim Sterling also runs a weekly video game series on Youtube. Sterling discusses several of the unethical enterprise practices in gaming like gender inequality and early access games. The most important gameplay series that you will come across from Sterling is titled, Jimpressions,” and he covers subjects like new-release video games and covers the gameplay with his pre-recorded sessions.

The fantastic thing about the gaming niche is that video games are a hobby. This means that individuals will continuously invest additional money to fund this hobby, irrespective of whether it be by means of new games, new gear, or both. You can capitalize on this by building an e-mail list, which will preserve these buyers getting from you once more, increasing your income regularly. When 1 game gets old, simply send them out an e-mail and begin advertising the subsequent 1 to them. When the next excellent headset comes out, send out an email. New CPA platform? Market it! With an e-mail list, you can get these purchasers coming back to spend their money over and over once more.

A gaming site solely committed to Computer Gaming for over 20 years. The platform brings expert testimonials on most up-to-date gaming gears, introduce you to strange new mods & ground-breaking news about-the-clock. They also organize yearly events such as Computer Gaming Show & Computer Gamer Weekender which is really well known all more than the planet. Apart from posting every day updates on video game news & previews, user can also discover amazing hardware getting guides and very best gaming bargains here.

Like gaming? With the support of a screen capture device (or a video camera) you can pass on your experience on a particular game (or level) and Extra resources entertain individuals at the same time. Video games as a spectator sport is a relatively new phenomenon, but immensely common. Take Twitch, exactly where millions of gamers gather every single month. Some gamers have even turn into celebrities as a result.

Gaming consists of distinct genres and systems, and it is vital to know what sort of gaming web site you would want to be. Gaming web pages consist of on line magazines that focus on gaming-related articles, gaming portals, on the internet retail and distribution, and gaming blogs. Gamers are distinct with what content material they want to access, which indicates that defining what your web site is would ensure you get the suitable audience.

Get Rid of GAMING For Good

The tactile satisfaction of the mechanical keyboards is frequently missing in membrane keyboards. It mimics the feel of writing on an old college typewriter, like in the previous. Now, this doesn't imply that the modern day mechanical keyboards are missing functions. They are packed with the things that the consumer desires for every day use and even in most instances for gaming as effectively.

With years of business-major QA experience behind us along with a team of gaming and domain professionals, we are properly-placed to serve the end-to-finish and cross-platform gaming QA needs, which we meet by way of a extensive service portfolio that incorporates functional testing, localization testing, compatibility testing, and certification testing.

So you want to commence a gaming blog? Good for you! Gaming is a wonderful subject to write a blog about, with plenty of men and women out there interested in this niche. No matter if you want to get started a weblog as a hobby or you happen to be seeking to make a bit of dollars from blogging, the following suggestions can aid you get began.

Never you wish you had your very own arcade machine proper in the comfort of your household? What if we told you that we have identified a gaming method that is not only reminiscent of retro gaming arcades but is also made to fit suitable in your hands? That's what the My Arcade Retro Arcade Machine Handheld Gaming Program is all about. This handheld gaming console is created pretty a great deal like an old-school gaming arcade total with authentic D-buttons and joystick. However, its compact style makes it a pretty handy arcade comprehensive with 200 of your favourite laptop games of the 80s and 90s.

If you are in the market place for less costly or more cost-effective games, make confident that you verify the Hot Offers section of the internet site. Green Man Gaming involves a link to that page on all its pages. You can appear at the Deal of the Day or at present specials that let you save up to 75% off the MSRP on common games. The Hot Bargains section also incorporates some VIP specials chosen by major games from around the planet.