#every time i watch the music video for it i get jumpscared by the sudden switches to the awkward 3d models and their dance sequences | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

xxstarryxeyedxx · 5 months

Text

{Blank Dream}

Video game playtime length estimated:short 2015

Creator:Kanawo

Blank Dream is a Horror RPGmaker game,following the blueprint of other such creations.A young girl wakes up in a strange world called The Mirrorworld with no recollection of her name or memories,only that,she has a wish to grant and that she was not particularly fond of her life.Sounds pretty standard right?Well..that's because it is.Story wise this game is v e r y janky.It explored some really sensitive topics in a very surface level way that I felt wronged the very interesting cast of characters it had set up(Win for wlw rep).

!TW!

(and spoiler(?))

One of those plot points being heavy themes of incest relations between father and daughter.It progress in a "tell don't show"way which works in some of the narrations but detatches the immersion and shock of what otherwise could have been a great plot twist(if also it had been handled a bit more carefully and less for shock factor).Not being a huge fan of the "Doomed By The Narrative" trope in media regarding the fate of characters,ESPECIALLY when that narrative is through an unexplainable higher power(and not symbolism of human nature or the cycle of trauma for example)..I felt that they could have done a bit more with it.Sure the allegory is there but it is nothing we haven't seen before.

Puzzles in game are also a bit wonky and a little unfair at times and the AI of enemies or chase sceenes is so broken that it's either extremely furstrating or very laughable at times.It does however balance it out with a very fair save system that appears very often,as it should,in a game riddled with traps and classical "jumpscare to sudden death"

Despite all of that two things I absolutely enjoyed in this game were it's music and environments.The music tied in with every space so incredibly well (the World's Center track is my favorite) and the emotional or tense scenes are also quite well established by the music in tone.All of the mirror world areas are really well thought out,especially to their symbolism and aesthetic, regarding what each represents,that had me fully immersed in the world at points,thus getting the air scared out of my lungs in certain moments or jumpscares(which are very cliche and some are even seen from a mile away but suprisingly most still hold up)

Overall it's a very mediocre short game but somewhat enjoyable to watch and very furstrating to play

5.5/10

#sammy talks

1 note · View note

trashy-croud · 4 years

Text

Home Sweet Home 🏠

So this is it, the final level. I adored this level as a child - well, watching my dad play it at least. It was always stuck in the back of my head that this level was a “bonus” level for getting all of the secrets, it was what I used to think constantly and I continued to think that to this day. So you can possibly guess my surprise when this level popped up all of a sudden because I knew for a fact I missed a few secrets. But this was a nice level, it truly added to the story.

We begin in Lara’s house with her admiring her newest addition to the collection. She’s sat on her bed by (what I suspect to be) a nice toasty fire and then the nice times are ruined. Even from beyond the grave, Bartoli seems to follow us everywhere as his men have broken onto the estate, their cars pulling up in the long driveway. I thought the instant this happened, I could perhaps use the dagger, I mean, it seems like a wild chance but a great opportunity, a bit sad we didn’t see a Croft Dragon, but nonetheless, we would try to get rid of the last few who continued to pursue to treasure.

Before we did so though, I went downstairs to the main hall, which was at one point the training room, and would press the button for some music. Oh, how I have missed this music. It was from the Venice levels, oh Venice Violins, it was absolutely perfect for taking down some people and drowning out the eerie silence. It did make the task of finding people more difficult, sure, because now I had to really listen for the footsteps, but I will not deny that I enjoyed the music. I don’t honestly understand how I found it, I was literally just running around the house to try and find some people as they had scattered absolutely everywhere when I came across the button. And I’m ever so happy that I did!

It was a pretty easy level overall, wasn’t too bad at all to deal with, though me using a shotgun? That had to be the worst part purely because I am useless with the shotgun in these games. My aim with them are shocking and it always will be. There was a lot of darkness, purely because it was night time and we managed to get some outdoors-time with this level. This was pretty much the only level where I had flares, or at least enough flares to survive. I kid you not, I was so happy when I picked them up in the weaponry cupboard. I managed to survive the darkness outside with the help of some flares and with the help of my mum pointing out the enemies that I couldn’t see. Then we were up against the last guy, the one whom we have met before in the opera house and he had unfinished business with us. Either that or it’s his twin brother. Either way, it was take two on the fight and I have never cheered so much when I have beaten an enemy. He wasn’t difficult to deal with, it just felt like the perfect wrap-up. The last grunt to finish the job that his boss had left him to do, and we foiled it yet again. Ah, the joys.

After it all, it was the final cutscene, or better yet, the famous cutscene. We all know this cutscene too well as it was one that broke the third wall. After you have been shot for being a nosy pervert, in roll the final credits and oh my god, I never fell in love more with a game. It had been a long journey and terribly long from the looks of the final stats. Oh, how @jaybird1306 would be ashamed of me for not collecting them all! But I am happy with all of this, I wasn’t aiming for a full secrets run or anything, this was more of a trip down memory lane game for me and I have fallen in love with every minute of it.

Final Overview

This game is my childhood, and coming back to it was an absolute pleasure. It really sparked some memories for me of times when I would watch my dad play it in my childhood home. He would sit at the computer and I would watch in awe, sometimes running around and unable to sit still, sometimes even copying some of the moves Lara did in-game because I just adored her. This was the game which started my absolute adoration for such a video game icon and Queen. I have absolutely fallen in love again and I highly doubt it will stop any time soon. Now, for some of the features I loves the most.

The use of darkness. It was absolutely phenomenal, especially in the later levels such as the China levels and some of the underwater levels, as much as I don’t want to remember them ones specifically. But that draw distance truly made each level seem much bigger than it was, it also made you wary of what could be in front of you and to think before you act, something I rarely did to be honest. But as I mentioned before, the way they used it in levels such as China, more specifically the Floating Islands, was incredible. I was basically wary of every step and it made you fear the darkness all around you. It gave you a sense of the void and the unknown, a constant theme which I enjoyed greatly.

The use of sound. Oh god the sound and the music, I could honestly gush over it all day. Music truly makes the game and although all games have music, none have struck me as hard as this game did. Right from the menu screen alone, it struck a cord with me. It was beautiful and I almost found myself humming just the menu tune by itself just whilst I was at work or doing chores around the house. They have always impressed me with their timing for sounds or music. The use of silence was just as good as well as they keep you on end when there is utter silence. And then, all of a sudden, BAM, you are hit with some intense music and you have no idea why or what because whatever it is is still in that darkness! It’s just great, it even makes these games seem very thriller-esque with the jumpscares (at least in my eyes) that the music produces.

The graphics and colour palettes. Bring it all back in because I’m about to gush some more. I adore colour palettes and the contrasts they used in the levels, more specifically, as everyone may know, I adored the colours they used in the Temple of Xian, the Tibet levels and lastly, the underwater levels. Although I did not like the underwater levels, the colours used absolutely caught my heart, the contrasting colours made my heart leap a little. The bright colours of the Temple of Xian level was beautiful as well, they were so fancy and beautiful, much like the colours used in the Barkhang Monastery and they started to introduce to us in the Ice Palace and the Catacombs of the Talion. The snowy peaks of the Foothills though were just as nice, although bright on the eyes, they certainly used it as a way to hinder your view of particular enemies or even rolling boulders. Although the graphics, as some would say, are quite outdated, I enjoyed the blocky graphics. They helped to give me a better idea of what to do and where to go, to become more calculated with my jumps and actions to take. It may also just be me having a moment and being a bit biased, but I adore these graphics. They are perfect to me. Although I do enjoy a lot more realistic graphics for games, the ones for these games were just perfect to me. The graphics suited the game itself and I understand they will change over time the more I progress, but I believe I will still fall in love with these graphics time and time again.

Lastly is the story. As a child, I took not much notice to the story, but replaying it now, I have started to understand the story a bit more. It is beautifully written and is clear, so long as you pay attention to cutscenes or any sort of dialogue, which I made the mistake of missing during the diving area, but nonetheless, I watched back the scene and was able to catch up to understand properly what was happening and why we were collecting particular relics and items. The enemy himself, Marco Bartoli, was a formidable foe, continuously sending enemies to cover his tracks but sadly, he made it too obvious for us to follow after and foil his plans. He was a very interesting villain, and he got his wish in the end, to become the dragon of his dreams. Just bad timing on his part that we were also aiming for the dagger at the same time. But the story was fun to watch unfold and was, in all honesty, quite new to me, bearing in mind, I thought it all as just a “shoot-em-up”, adventure game. How naive I was as a child, but at least now, I properly understand it all.

This game has certainly left its mark on me and I’m glad it did. It got my mum more involved as she told me what she thought I'd need to do whenever I was stuck. My dad, on the other hand, would only chip in with comments such as "that's not how you do that" and then would quickly try to go back to his little cat nap afterwards. Two completely different types of help, one more so than the other. But overall, I have enjoyed this game and I hope you guys have enjoyed watching me play it as well, or at least have enjoyed hearing my thoughts, opinions and what I encountered. This has been Tomb Raider 2, and this ends the chapter on my favourite Tomb Raider game, whether that changes though is another story. But we’ll have to see. I will now begin playing the third instalment and boy, we are starting with a clean slate this time because I barely know anything on this game, save for the first level (which I never finished) and a couple of cutscenes. Otherwise, we are about to trek into new territory and I hope to write about the next game to come. Now I leave you all with a song and want to thank you all for joining me on this bumpy ride! See you all on the next one!

#croud's playthrough #tomb raider 2 #tomb raider #classic lara #lara croft #home sweet home #tomb raider 2 medley #classic tomb raider #long post #thank you for everything and for the childhood memories

38 notes · View notes

ravens-rambling · 6 years

Text

Jump out of your skin

A/N: Aka Roman being an idiot . This was pretty fun to do honestly XD Hope you enjoy!!

Inspired again by @sanderssidesspook

summary: When Thomas is dared to watch a horror movie by Joan Roman’s pride gets in the way and he couldn’t refuse.

WC: 1,656

ships: Romantic LAMP

warnings: crying, anxiety attack, blood, knife, mentions of jumpscares, Deceit, gore

Tag List: @punsterterry @frostedlover

"I don't like this. Why did Thomas agree to this??" Virgil mumbled his hoodie already up to hide his face.

"Because that would show cowardness and Thomas is not a coward! And besides this might be fun! I thought you would enjoy this being a dark emo and all." Roman eagerly said already having a large bowl of popcorn in his lap.

Virgil shook his head, "Well I don't. Who cares about being a coward or not? That rich coming from you." Even though he tried to ride off his growing anxiety and fear it was starting to show in his voice as it was a bit sharper than normal already. That wasn't a good sign at all.

Patton sat next to him wrapping his arms around him so Virgil can dig into his chest as he heard Roman's offended noises. "I don't like this either Virge. Why don't we hide under the blankets to ride this over?"

Virgil nodded curling more into Patton, "Sounds great Pat.."

As they were grabbing some of the blankets they had brought down to hide their faces in Logan sighed loudly from his rocking chair not far away, "Honestly I don't know how anyone would find this scary. I mean a house haunted by a vengeful ghost? Ghost are not real how do people buy into this?"

Virgil poked out of his mound of blankets and glared at him, "Ghosts are indeed real! This is based off a true story after all! Look it says it right on the box."

He pointed to the box that was on the nightstand and Logan sighed even more, "That was obviously a lie to get even more people to watch it-"

"You called?"

They all jumped when a sudden voice piped up and Roman huffed, "Oh get out of here you slippery snake! Go on!"

Deceit glanced towards the TV than at the box on the coffee table and raised an eyebrow. "Well, this doesn't seem fun. Maybe I should stick around..."

Roman stood up growling a bit under his breath, "Nah your leaving. Go we don't want you here!"

Deceit glanced to the others before huffing, "Fine fine geez calm down there any more growling and you'll turn into a lion Princey."

And with that, he dropped out leaving them all to shiver in his wake.

Roman flopped back down on the couch placing an arm around both Patton and Virgil protectively who hasn't said a word during that entire thing. When he glanced over at them he could see that Deceit only added more fuel to the pressing fire.

Leaning forward he placed gentle kisses to their foreheads, "Don't worry I'll protect you for I am the mightiest prince aren't I? He won't come near you guys again."

They both smiled at him Patton giggling and hugging him, "Yes you are Roman! Your the best!"

Logan crossed his arms looking a bit flustered.

Virgil picked up on it and smirked at him, "Aw does the nerd want kisses too? Come here." He made grabby hands as Logan huffed though he stood up and sat right next to Virgil who shook his head, "Nope. On my lap."

That was the only warning Logan got before he had arms wrap around his waist and was pulled into Virgil's lap. Before he could let out a squeak Virgil placed kisses after kisses over Logan's face and neck.

"Aw! He gets all the kisses-" Roman was cut off as they heard the movie start off making them all focus on to the task at hand. Virgil and Patton instantly cuddled into whoever was holding them wanting anything but to see what was on the screen.

The first sound they heard was a loud painful scream causing Patton and Virgil to collectively jump and whimper. Roman and Logan glanced at each other holding them close and sighing. This was gonna be a long few hours...

Every once in a while one of them would look up at the screen and watch a bit of the movie. And every time they would jump as a jumpscare would happen soon after that causing them to shake more. Logan tried to sooth them the best he could by sprouting facts on how none of it could possibly happen in real life while Roman told them even if it did he'll be there to fend them off.

But during one particular scene and that was thrown off the edge. It was one that scared Thomas even more then the entire movie has and in turn Patton, and certainly Virgil. Even Roman and Logan got a spike of fear coursing through them from their host and from themselves though they won't attempt it.

Virgil's shaking got worst and his breath came in short bursts now. He was definitely making Thomas be on a verge of an attack now, which means it would take ages for them all to calm down. If they don't calm him down fast then they all would go into a panic.

"Verge? Can you look at me?"

Virgil slowly, it took a few long seconds, glanced up to Logan tears were in his eyes as the sound of flesh being ripped apart were the only things going through his mind. Patton was already bursting into tears his loud crying filled his ears as well only making his fear that much worse.

Logan placed a hand through Virgil's soft purple hair to try and ground him as much as possible. Roman was too busy trying to calm Patton down so he couldn't help.

"It's okay it's all fake remember? Those are just actors screaming, like what we did for your accepting video you remember that?"

A small nod.

"It's like that and those blood? They are-"

His voice was cut off as another loud scream filled the room and as Virgil looked at the screen he saw body parts all over the cabin and what looked to be a young girl with an eerily familiar face holding a bleeding knife in her hand he swore he could see yellow in those eyes. His eyes went wide as they all heard Thomas scream and they could even feel Thomas shaking now. All he could do was let out a shaky whine and dig his face and hands more into Logan. His breathing was becoming more rapid and his shaking only grew in volume.

What really made him even more scared was when he didn't hear anything from Logan again after a few minutes, surely he would be trying to comfort him again right?

But when he glanced up he could see that Logan was opening and closing his mouth only for nothing to come out, only breaths of air.

Gulping he pulled away from Logan, he knew what that meant, he was becoming too powerful. He was silencing Logan and in turn influencing Thomas into a panic attack. Through his fear, he didn't even realize that the sounds from the TV stopped as Joan stopped the movie.

Virgil tried to get to the stairs wanting to not hurt them even more but he found arms wrapping around him slowing turning around he saw it was Patton who was still crying and hasn't stopped crying for well over the hour. "V-Verge it's okay. I-Its not..your fault." He managed to say through his sobs.

Right after that, he felt more arms around him and he saw it was Logan. He smiled gently and gazed at him with gentle eyes letting him know he was fine.

Next came Roman who wrapped them tightly into a bear hug, "Joan turned off the movie it's alright Virgil. I'm sorry for making you sit through that, you too Patton. I..shouldn't have let my pride get in my way."

As Virgil glanced over their shoulders to see that indeed the movie was turned off that made him feel somewhat better. And being in the arms of his boyfriends slowly calmed him down, it made him feel safe and protected.

After some time of Joan attempting to calm down Thomas and the sides calming down both Patton and Virgil Logan realized he could finally speak again.

Coughing a bit he shook his head, "Please don't do something as stupid like that again Roman. Think better next time."

Roman stuck out his tongue as they tried to slowly go back to the couch, "Oh I already apologized. Why couldn't you have stayed silent longer? It was very peaceful you know that?"

Patton still was clinging to Virgil side but he lightly hit Logan and Roman's arms, "Hey no fighting you two. I don't know about you guys but I'm in the mood for a cheery Halloween movie how does that sound, kiddos?"

That sounded like music to Virgil's ears as he eagerly nodded though now he was drained he knew he couldn't stay awake for even a single movie.

As they settled into the couch Roman summoning more blankets as Logan went to their movie collection rummaging through it. Patton and Virgil didn't move an inch from their pile of limbs they have made and slowly cuddling up into the mound of blankets once again.

"What movie are you picking Logan?" Virgil piped up from Patton's chest.

Logan turned around with a grin on his face and hit play making it way to their cuddling pile. "Something I know you'll like."

And as the familiar tuns of The Nightmare Before Christmas started up causing Virgil to grin and snuggle up even more Roman came over with steaming cups of hot chocolate causing Patton to squeal in joy.

And as Virgil snuggled into his boyfriends' snuggle pile, even more, he couldn't help but smile brighter. Sure he couldn't handle horror movies. And sure he was a bit..much to deal with sometimes but in the arms of his boyfriends he felt..happy. Content with where he is right at this moment.

133 notes · View notes