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malinastharlock · 11 months

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Malina Reviews Diablo 4

Okay so I am a fan of Blizzard's games and have been since I first played The Lost Vikings and the original Warcraft. So of course I'm going to pick up the new Diablo 4 game and okay the fuck out of it. I've grown used to games having a few glitches and maybe some bugs here and there but omg this is stupid. I have always held Blizzard to a higher standard than other big game companies cuz they only make like 4 titles and they normally go hard as fuck on them and release something amazing. I will not just sit here and bash a game just because a few bugs either but, Oh My Fucking Cthulhu! This is shit! It's a sparklie fun steaming pile of shit, but still shit. So from here I'm going to break down this steaming pile.

1. THE STORY

::SPOILERS ALERT::

The story is basically like any other Diablo game you are the glorified custodian of a war between good and evil and you're just basically cleaning up the crap fest that they leave behind although this time they change it up with the story of Lilith, a demon who got tired of all the bullshit between the forces of good and evil and decides to do her own thing, she found herself an angel who was also tired of the war too, and both decided to make a nice home have some kids but then baby daddy was like naw fuck this shit, I don't want these kids being so powerful that they could destroy me or heaven. So bro bounced and locked her ass up and decided these kids are mine and I'm gonna make sure they never live up to their potential. Mommy got released from the slammer and decided to go on a revenge kick and whoop the shit out of her baby daddy, while also trying to empower her children, but some of her kids are like, "Naw we like being bitches.", so decided to be punk ass bitches and kill her.

Now me personally, I didn't like it at all. I found myself rooting for Lilith and wishing she won but ::SPOILER ALERT:: she doesn't. No instead she get offed and much like the other day SX ma kina evils can't I don't think she can actually die, but who knows, we might see her later on sometime, much like how he ended up seeing Mephisto again. Yeah, Blizzard made sure to plug as much of Diablo 2 into this Diablo 4 game as a possibly, cuz you know, got to milk that franchise and all that. I will give them props. On one thing, there were several instances in this game where I actually ended up crying, because I was like, "Why? Why did you kill that character you fucker? I liked that one."

I did, however, find a lot more enjoyment out of the side quests in the game, which there are plenty of. There were actually a few side quests that really got me and made me cringe a little. Cringe, as in, Great Cthulhu, that is gross! Still not that bad. I enjoy gross sometimes.

2. The Gameplay

🤢🤮🤮🤮🤧

I am sorry you got to give me a second, sometimes when I think about the gameplay it makes you want to puke.

Ok, so normally, blizzard is known for releasing beautiful games. They release games that are good, they look good, they play good, their story is at least adequate, however, I can't say the same for this one. I don't know what happened, and I don't know where they drop the ball. I mean, its still plays like your normal dungeon runner. I really don't know where they went wrong or where to even start, so here's a try.

youtube

They brought several elements from Diablo and mortal into the game that I don't mind. It makes it more fun in multiplayer, since if I really wanted to do multiplayer, which is not what I normally like to do with Diablo games. Seriously it's all multiplayer now. 🤢🤮 I really don't think they play tested this game enough because the overwhelming amount of glitches I have found in this game is astonishing for blizzard game. That's not even the worst part. They make you so underpowered at the beginning that everything is a struggle. Unless you run through the entire game and collect every single Lilith statue, you can find then you'll become OP in the game feels like an normal Diablo game. Oh, and collecting all the Lilith statues is pretty dag-on hard unless you get your horse, which you won't get until after act 3, then running all over the ginormous freaking world map that they are creating and probably plan on creating more of sanctuary to go with it as time goes on, or they end up scrapping the whole thing because they screwed up so bad to begin with. Knowing Blizzard, they might do that. I'm seriously starting to think that blizzard is becoming as bad as Netflix, but that's a gripe for another time.

Another huge problem, I see with this right now is the grind after you hit level 50. From level 50 to 100, you have to grind and grind and grind, and it is so tedious, that after reaching level 60, I was like, fuck this I'm out. I'm not out out but I am definitely not going to waste all my time grinding to 100.

As much as I seem to like the horse on the console version, there seems to be a huge problem with the horse just going in general. Like you, you click on the horse and it just stops or it's super slow, and you end up getting hit by all the creatures you're trying to run from or you're just, what is the word I'm thinking of? inconvenienced in a way that it's really irritating.

The Butcher

youtube

So like how I said they make you very underpowered and very challenging, I don't mind a good challenge, but when you're getting wrecked by everything when you first start playing your favorite class from the other several games, you can't help but get really frustrated with Diablo 4. Like when you first run into The Butcher and you are running around very underpowered and then he proceeds to makes you his bitch. That really sucks.

3. Graphics

The graphics in this game are actually really beautiful. I love the cut scenes, I love what they've done, blizzard has really come a long way, and it shows. I really do love the fact that they have a giant open world to run around in, and the events that they do are really fun, I love the particle effects. I love that they put so much effort into it, but I also think they could have done more with that least the character creation, but that has nothing do with graphics.

#Youtube #diablo 4 #diablo #game review #gaming #xbox #pc #blizzard

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blueempty · 5 months

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I havent been outside in two days but if you know what driving on I-4 is like then you know I earned it

It was suuuuper nice out and I didn't go out but I was able to leave the back door open all day which was cool. I'm very particular about humidity because of mold but 43% for most of the day is like my favorite thing to see. I was absurdly productive today for how little sleep I got last night. I made a fockin risotto earlier. Crazy. But between all the productivity I was still taking breaks to play fairune even tho i said I was done with it hehe. I want to get faster and I just like looking at those games. Fairune blast is also like a perfect baby shmup for me

Today was video game day with my friends (🫵) and I was surprised that my brother joined us while we were playing Monster Hunter Rise. We were just talking the night before about how he doesnt really vibe with that game anymore, but I keep encouraging him to make his own fun because you have so many options in that game. The other thing that I encounter a lot when playing games with people outside the 3 people I talk to every day is like, I have to put a conscious cap on the speed at which I talk, and I put a lot of brain energy into not over explaining shit. Cuz a lot of the multiplayer games I like have complicated systems that become really fun when you get used to them, but if I info dump everything at the start it'll likely ruin the experience. I have not been socialized enough the past decade and I can feel it lol. But a little bit of it is also just like, when you have time limits as a grown up its tempting to cram as much fun as you can into the hour you have to do things, but you gotta remember to take things slowlier

Im almost done drawing one of the things I've been chipping away at for like a week now. I just cant find the time to sit and do it cuz stuff keeps coming up but it looks good. I'm usually more concerned about drawing things "too late" cuz its a new year thing I'm working on, but last year I was seeing year of the tiger shit all the way in august so I'm like whatever, its my year of the Dragon bitch i'll put them out whenever I feel like it

Peace and Long Life

#skyposting #thoughtposting

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sir-adamus · 3 years

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all the bitching and moaning about RWBY’s early animation comes from people who were expecting like, high quality animation made on a huge budget from a company whose primary output for a decade had been machinima

like, Red vs Blue? all done in Halo multiplayer up until a few years before RWBY, when RT hired Monty and asked him to do animation stuff for them, and a big chunk of the show’s content even then was still machinima with the occasional animated set-piece, with the Freelancer arc being a bit more flexible in terms on animation

and even then, RvB had more money behind it because it was a long-running property they could afford to put faith in and not everything was being made from scratch with the animation. often the backgrounds would be filmed in the game engines and the animated characters put on those backgrounds afterwards, and for the most part they weren’t having to make new character models because they could just use extracted Halo ones (in fact i’m pretty sure after a point 343 was outright providing character models and maps for them to use for animation)

everything in RWBY had to be made from the ground up, character models, weapons, objects, sets, and at the start they were operating on basically no budget and VAs either already in-house or who were working on RvB at the same time, with the only external VA being Jen Taylor, who they only got for the opening narration of the first volume (which was apparently done in a single take)

it was an amateur passion project and that was obvious from the start, that was part of the charm, and it has its limitations and was very rough around the edges, but it improved as it went along, as more money and faith went into it and the crew behind it grew and improved

but it has never been able to shake that reputation since the early volumes thanks to bad faith actors who were determined to shit on it from minute one without ever giving it a chance to grow

#RWBY

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jaeheewillalwaysbemyfav · 4 years

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Hello! if its ok how would the demon brothers react to a low self esteem/ self hating MC who excepts any insults with a sad smile?

Content Warnings: Self deprecation (naturally, given the nature of the prompt), verbal harassment/insults, spoilers for later chapters in Belphegor’s section

Just so you know it’s basically gonna be seven different versions of this:

Under a cut to prevent carpal tunnel!

Obey Me: The Brothers With an MC Who Has Low Self Esteem and Accepts Insults with a Smile

Lucifer

Lucifer kind of just... stops for a few seconds. Like, he freezes completely. Doesn’t move, doesn’t blink - MC’s not sure if he’s even breathing. They’re at one of Diavolo’s parties together, and a pretty important demon is coming for MC hard, albeit in a slimy, passive-aggressive kind of way. And they’re just... smiling and nodding along?

Lucifer’s single currently operating brain cell is dedicated to not just murdering this pathetic excuse for a demon. If he wasn’t already in his demon form, he would absolutely transform. With a deep breath, he stalks over in full Avatar of Pride mode: shoulders back, staring slightly down at everyone else, wings puffed up just so.

Anything the demon was saying to MC, he throws back at them tenfold, with just as much passive-aggression, though it starts slipping more and more as he continues on. Eventually it starts turning into one of those lectures of his about The Importance of The Exchange Program and Lord Diavolo’s Reputation and- MC is gonna have to catch his attention to stop him from going full Dad-mode on this bastard.

Once they succeed in doing this, he pulls them aside and, still bristling with indignant rage, asks why MC was letting that wretch talk to them like that.

“Well, it wasn’t like they were saying anything that wasn’t true...”

Wrong. Answer. Lucifer is the Avatar of Pride, even though he has self-worth issues running deeper than the Marianas Trench he would never let anyone talk to him like that, and he wishes more than anything he could lend MC that ability. He’ll tilt their head to look him directly in the eyes and assure them that they absolutely do have value, both in the Devildom and in his family. He won’t tolerate anyone, including MC themself, put down a member of his family. Is that clear?

In the coming weeks, the younger brothers notice that Lucifer’s soft spot for MC is even more pronounced than usual. In fact, he frequently praises them for their accomplishments, flustering them to no end. None of them dare to bring it to his attention, because they’ve all noticed in one way or another that MC is carrying themself with more confidence now.

Whatever is going on between the two of them seems to be working quite well.

Mammon

Mammon... runs his mouth a lot. He says stupid things he doesn’t mean because admitting his actual feelings would be too difficult. Unfortunately, one of the feelings he’s vehemently avoiding addressing is his feelings for MC. This manifests as loud and insistent denial that The GREAT Mammon would never be interested in some stupid, weak human, how dare you suggest that?!

The brothers expect one of many responses from MC: outrage and offence, teasing at Mammon’s clear tsundere attitude, a roll of the eyes, anything other than their sad little smile whenever he insults them. One day, Mammon finally notices their staring and he actually stops and takes a minute to process the acceptance on MC’s face.

He just called them a burden and a waste of time and they’re SMILING?!

Like a horrid puzzle piece, everything clicks together in Mammon’s mind. He’s never heard MC protest any of the awful things he’s said about them. They don’t even tease him about it like his brothers do.

They think he’s being serious and they agree with him.

He changes his tune so fast it’s dizzying. He slips up sometimes, but now when he sees MC’s small smile that doesn’t reach their eyes, he adds, “H-Hey! Why’re you just letting me say all that, huh? Ya gotta stand up for yourself, MC! You better not go around letting lesser demons talk to you like this! If anyone ever gives you trouble, you come to the GREAT Mammon and I’ll shut ‘em up real quick!

“‘Cause... It’s not true, all of that about you being stupid or annoying. You’re my human and I know you really well and you’re- You’re not any of that, MC! So don’t go smiling at jerks dragging your name through the mud okay?”

Leviathan

MC and Leviathan are playing an online multiplayer game together, and MC still hasn’t quite gotten used to Devildom controls yet. They’re not exactly a great asset to their team... Not that Levi minds. He’s happy they’re showing interest in him his games at all.

Some of the demons they’re playing with, on the other hand...

Ugh, stay on the objective you stupid bitch!

Is [MC’s username] afk?

If you feed them any more kills I fucking swear-

Why is a noob even playing this game lmao just go die already

Levi scoffs. Their team wasn’t even losing, these scumbags just needed to find someone to pick on. Still, it wasn’t fair for MC to listen to their insults, he’ll just disconnect and find a better team - hey, why has MC been so quiet?

The Avatar of Envy turns to face MC only to see them staring down at their controller with a shaky smile. He calls their name and they look up, startled.

“I’m gonna find another team for us to play on,” Levi explains as the game warns him that he’s about to lose some in-game reputation points for abandoning his team. “Uh, unless you’d rather play something else?”

“No it’s fine, you pick,” MC says, still avoiding making direct eye contact. “I probably won’t do any better no matter what we play...”

Hey, insecurity is his thing!

“MC, you better not be thinking about what those losers said in the chat!”

“But-”

“NUH UH! You might be a normie, but you’re also my best friend!” MC feels an anime-inspired speech coming on. “Who cares about winning or losing one match? I’d rather lose every match I ever play from now on if it means I get to have you as my player 2!” Leviathan pauses as he realizes exactly what he just said and immediately turns beet red. “...you know... if you... wanted to, I guess...”

Satan

MC is in Devildom History with Satan, and as an exchange student, is having a rough time of it. They just don’t have the same background as the rest of the students, and can’t pick up on things as fast as they do.The teacher hands back the latest test and they cringe as they see their grade. Satan, sitting next to them, glances at the mark and gives them one of his small smiles.

“You know, if you need extra help, don’t be shy. I’d be happy to help you,” he says quietly.

Apparently not quietly enough, because a particularly rowdy pair of demons overhear him and choose that moment to make a nuisance of themselves. One of them snatches MC’s paper out of their hands, and upon seeing their grade starts laughing.

“How did you put the Abyssal Peace Treaty before the Abyssal War?! Everyone knows when that happened!” they continue chuckling at more silly mistakes MC made while very stressed during that test, while Satan’s blood starts boiling.

Much to his surprise, MC just smiles and joins in the demons’ laughter. “Yeah, that was pretty stupid...” they say with a falsely cheerful tone. Satan quickly catches on - they’re just fucking with these demons! He keeps his anger at bay with the anticipation of seeing MC really tear these lowlives a new-

“Wow, not even gonna defend yourself? Why do we even have human exchange students, they’re so boring.” The demon pair scoff and toss MC’s test back, before stalking off, annoyed that they didn’t get the reaction they wanted.

Hm. Frustrate them by not responding to their futile taunts. An interesting choice, but effective nonetheless. Satan expresses his appreciation of MC’s choice, much to their confusion. When they explain that they really were agreeing with what the demons had said, Satan doesn’t take it very well.

If MC doesn’t stop him, he’ll go over to the pair of demons that insulted them and drag their names through the dirt in front of the entire classroom, adding in some colourful suggestions about what would happen to them if they continued this behaviour. Either way, he’s furious enough that his demon form might start peeking out, tail thrashing behind him or horns growing out from his messy hair.

When class is over, Satan asks MC to stay behind.

“I want you to tell me why you feel this way about yourself,” he says. “Because I promise you, there isn’t a single explanation you can give that I won’t argue against. And I’m rarely wrong.”

Asmodeus

Asmo lives in a delightful bubble of flirtation, partying, and being the very best and prettiest being in all three realms. He works very hard to maintain this state, terrified of what he’d find on the other side of the haze.

But all it takes is one look at MC for it to come crashing down.

They’re at The Fall together, sipping on fruity drinks disguising unholy amounts of alcohol for a brief break before returning to the dance floor. Asmo knows MC struggles with confidence, and figured that if he could get them to have a good time, they would forget their insecurities for at least a little while.

And maybe he’s laying it on a bit thick with the flirting while they’re here. He can’t help it! He loves MC in a way he’s never really loved anyone else before. If he’s completely honest, the feeling scares him: he wants to put them before himself, and he’s not sure if he can, because he never has put someone else first before.

A demon notices Asmo’s lovesick staring at MC, and comments as they pass, “Oh my, has the Avatar of Lust sunken so low that he’s making eyes at some plain-jane human?” A long, scaled tail snakes around MC’s face, turning their head in the demon’s direction. “Or are you just a charity-fuck? You certainly won’t be able to hold his interest for long, darling.~”

The demon saunters off, and Asmodeus has half a mind to storm over to them and cause a scene, but the look on MC’s face stops him in his tracks.

They’re looking at him and they’re smiling.

“You don’t have to pretend to be upset about it,” they say, poking at their drink with their straw. “I know I’m not all that interesting. You just want me right now because I’m an ordinary human, right? And once the novelty wears off, well... I’m not powerful like a demon, or a wise magic user like Solomon, and I’m not exactly good-looking, so why keep me around? It’s been nice of you to pretend with me, though-”

He cuts them off with a passionate kiss, threading his fingers in their hair and pressing their bodies as close as possible. The gesture catches MC off guard and their drink spills on the two of them, but Asmo doesn’t even flinch. He only pulls away when MC starts panting from lack of oxygen.

“Please don’t say those awful things about yourself, MC,” Asmodeus says, eyes brimming with tears. “You’re...” One of the only people I don’t have to pretend around. “...You are so special to me. And you always will be.” Suddenly aware that they’ve both been soaked in a cocktail, Asmo smirks. “Oh dear, it seems our clothes are all dirty... I guess we’ll have to go back home and change, won’t we?”

Please let me prove to you how much I love you, he thinks as you tearfully smile and punch his arm before agreeing.

Beelzebub

Beel deals with survivor’s guilt, and if he’s not careful, it can lead to some pretty dark places. He’s also Belphie’s twin and is very familiar with what low self-esteem looks like. So whenever a demon tries to insult MC while he’s around, he doesn’t give them the chance to agree, calmly, but firmly jumping to their defence.

It doesn’t matter who it is or where they are, Beel always has MC’s back. Whenever they’re feeling especially down and that sad little smile is on their face, MC tends to find some of their favourite snacks tucked away into their bag or even their uniform pockets. The Avatar of Gluttony is also always ready to deploy some Emergency Cuddles, and is generally a steady, grounding presence in MC’s life. He starts to stick around them almost as much as Mammon does.

Unfortunately, this attracts the attention of some less than savoury people.

“Hey Beel! Coach wants you to know we’ve got an extra practice tomorrow! It’s semi-finals soon, and he wants to go over some new strategies,” a large, intimidating demon calls out, dressed in the RAD athletic uniform.

MC and Beel turn towards the demon’s voice, and Beel’s teammate makes a face upon seeing them. “You’re still hanging around them?” the demon asks. “Or are they clinging onto ya like a barnacle?” He laughs and MC lets go of Beel’s hand, blushing.

They have been around him an awful lot lately... Is he only doing it out of pity? Should they stop? Oh no, what if he thinks they’re annoying--

“I like MC,” Beel says plainly. “And I like spending time with them. So, tomorrow after classes is the next practice? I’ll be there.” He leaves no room for further debate. The demon stumbles over his words before confirming and abruptly running off.

MC doesn’t take Beel’s hand again.

“Hey,” Beelzebub takes MC’s much smaller hands into his own. “I mean it. I like you. Don’t listen to my teammate, he’s dumber than Mammon. Want to go have lunch together? I think they’re serving fried bats in the cafeteria...”

Belphegor

Sometimes, Belphegor peeks in on MC’s dreams. He never directly interacts with them, nor has he ever told them that he does this at all. Ever since he... ever since that happened, he’s made a conscious effort to avoid creeping them out even further, and he worries that this kind of behaviour would be frowned upon by a human.

But he can’t help it. Especially tonight.

After being woken up by a squirming MC, he decides to look into their dreams and see what is upsetting them so much. Much to his surprise, he finds himself inside one of RAD’s classrooms. MC is working on an assignment with a group of demons whose features keep shifting around. The writing on the books in front of them is illegible, and Belphegor only knows it’s writing at all because of his familiarity with dream physics.

“There they are,” whispers one of the demons. “What do they think they’re doing?”

MC asks a question about something in one of the books, pointing to a scribble that only looks like words when not focused on.

“Why do you care? It’s not like you can do anything useful for us anyway,” the demon snaps. “I’m not even sure why you’re here.” Belphegor frowns. Is this a memory?

MC meekly mentions the exchange program. “I don’t care!” The demon’s voice changes, and Belphegor suddenly feels the pitter-patter of raindrops on his skin, despite still being indoors. MC’s clothes are drenched in the invisible rain. “Fuck, can you not take a hint, MC? No one actually wants you here! You’re just a tag-along!”

“Why don’t you just pack up and leave then? Oh right, you have nowhere else to go!”

The figures of the demons become shadowy and elongated, hands sharpening into talons. MC jumps to their feet and backs away from the advancing figures, whose whispers become louder and interrupt each other.

“Just don’t mess it up again-”

“-never have trusted you! You ruin EVERYTHING-”

“Another disappointment, I see.”

“Don’t LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT-”

“Fucking whore!”

The voices continue, growing louder and louder until the figures melt into one familiar silhouette with violet eyes.

“You’re so stupid that I can’t help but laugh.” Belphegor’s blood runs cold. “You humans really are foolish, idiotic, weak creatures, aren’t you?”

The Avatar of Sloth watches helplessly as his dream-double wraps its hands around MC’s throat, cooing hideous insults at them all the while. Nonononono, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to- I didn’t know, I was just so- Ugh! That’s not an excuse, you idiot!

The dream-Belphegor pauses, grip slackening.

“Get off of them,” Belphegor hisses. “Now.”

The figure dissolves into the classroom, turning the surroundings completely black. Now Belphie finds himself standing in the creature’s place, in front of a confused MC.

“Are you okay?” he asks lamely.

“Why did you stop?” MC asks in return.

“I wasn’t... It was hurting you, and saying- I couldn’t keep letting it-”

MC smiles. “It’s just the truth. You said so yourself.”

MC and Belphegor wake up together, sweating, trapped in the other’s vice-like grip. MC’s pulse flutters under Belphie’s hands, way faster than it should be. It almost feels like when-

He twists out of their grasp, falling out of the bed in the process. He scrambles as far back as his room allows, nearly tripping over his own tail. MC stares at him through the darkness, torn between chasing after him and putting more distance between the two of them.

“...You saw that.” He doesn’t reply. “...Come here, Belphie.”

And slowly, he does.

For the next few weeks, Belphegor never leaves MC’s side unless absolutely necessary, even if he falls asleep next to them. He refuses to acknowledge this unusual behaviour, reacting with increasing hostility to anyone who mentions it. He also accompanies them to bed more often than not, much to Mammon’s chagrin.

“So long as I’m with you, no one else is going to talk to you like that ever again. I’m not going to let them, and I’m not going to let you just take it.”

#obey me: swd #obey me #obey me headcanons #obey me: one master to rule them all #obey me: shall we date #lucifer #mammon #leviathan #satan #asmodeus #beelzebub #belphegor #headcanon #mine #long post #my writing

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lucemferto · 3 years

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WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT TECHNOBLADE (or A Narrative Analysis of the Dream SMP Doomsday Event) - Script

Heyo! Per request I am posting the script to my video of the same name here on tumblr. I must warn you that just reading the script will probably not give you the full experience, so I would encourage you to watch the video (linked above).

There might also still be a lot of grammatical errors in the text, because I don’t proofread.

Okay, so! I don’t want this to turn into a reaction channel OR a Dream SMP channel for that matter! I am planning on doing a big dumb, way too long analysis video on the Dream SMP which will – at my current pace – come out in five years. I am already way too late on this one.

Spoiler Alert for the Doomsday Event that took place on the 6th of January in the Dream SMP. Surely the worst thing to take place on the 6th of January 2021 … I’m sorry, what’s this about the Capitol?

In case you don’t watch the SMP and need context: The Dream SMP is a Minecraft Multiplayer Server, that, throughout the last year, has transformed from a normal Let’s Play to an ongoing new-media series streamed by multiple high-profile streamers such as Dream, TommyInnit or Technoblade. It comes complete with script – by which I mean loose bullet points – and story events. It has attracted a large fanbase specifically invested in the story and less so in the actual gameplay content. Like I said before, I will probably do a big video on the Dream SMP at some point in the future.

The storyline is long and complicated and trying to explain it all would take up the majority of the video and there are other channels who have already done a much better job than I could ever hope to do, so give them a watch. I’ll try to summarize all that is pertinent to what I will talk about in this video.

Okay, let’s speedrun this summary. Cue the music!

Major Players here are TommyInnit, a founder of the independent nation of L’Manburg, Technoblade, an anarchist who was deep in conflict with L’Manburg, Tubbo, Tommy’s best friend and current president of L’Manburg, and Dream, the ruler of the Kingdom of the Dream SMP (even though he is not the king, but we’re not going to get into that right now). Tommy had in the past been exiled by Tubbo for endangering L’Manburg’s shaky peace with the Dream SMP. Tommy had then teamed up with Technoblade, who was hellbent on destroying L’Manberg after some prior altercations – more on that later.

Tommy and Tubbo came into conflict during a festival set-up to celebrate the friendship between L’Manburg and the Dream SMP. After punching out their feelings, Tommy came to the realization that his friendship with Tubbo was more important than his vendetta against Dream and those who exiled him. Techno took that change of heart badly and teamed up with Dream to destroy L’Manburg … and that’s exactly what happened.

Techno and Dream, with little to no opposition, obliterated L’Manburg with no hope for recovery leaving its inhabitants stranded hopeless and alone.

… And that’s what you missed on Dream SMP!

Okay. So, usually I just put whatever thought slime drips out of my mouth hole into your subscription box. But then I asked myself: “Am I not taking this a largely improvised nonsense story from a bunch of 16–24-year-olds a little too seriously?”. And then I remembered. I’m a pretentious bitch. I made an 18-minute video explaining why the popular commentary YouTuber memeulous is secretly the time travelling Anti-Christ, REASON HAS NO SWAY OVER ME!

So, like the English Major drop-out that I am, I will present you with two theses, which I will then combine into one … supratheses! That word doesn’t exist, I just coined it, it’s mine! I am very smart!

[I know words, I have the best words!]

Thesis #1: The Fandom focuses too much on Character Analysis in Favour of Narrative Analysis

The Dream SMP is truly something special. It is uniquely singular in how it tells a story of this scope through its chosen medium. While there is an overarching script that lays out the plot points of the future, each of the 30+ streamers on the SMP are their own cameraman, director, writer and actor. You cannot watch “the Dream SMP” – if you attempted that, you would be 80 by the time you caught up to the Doomsday Event. You have to choose whom to watch. You have to choose your focal point character.

Because by the way the story is told and consumed – aka in such a compartmentalized fashion; you watch one streamer and get one character’s perspective – it has sort-of unintentionally conditioned fans to look at the SMP and its characters less as one coherent story with messages and themes and more as sports teams they can root for. You’re Team Techno or Team Tubbo or Team Tommy or Team JackManifoldTV (formerly known as Thunder1408) and every other side is in the wrong! It’s like Twilight for a decade old children’s game about virtual Lego!

Okay, I’m exaggerating, but the amount of discourse perpetuated by and revolving around so-called “apologists” – a terrible term that unfortunately has caught on – is really not something that I think is good for how we interact with the story of the Dream SMP.

The Dream SMP is discussed a lot on character-based level, which is, like I said before, hugely advantaged by the way the story is consumed by its audience. With traditional, visual media such as film for example, the audience can be made more aware of what messages the narrative might try to communicate on a narrative level without the need for an explicit narrator to tell you the moral.

As an example, in a movie you could have a smash-cut from the Butcher Army’s discussions about neutralizing the danger Technoblade poses to Techno being nice around villagers or taking care of animals. This would communicate on an extradiegetic level, that the Butcher Army is in the wrong with their assumptions. Alternatively, you could contrast Techno’s declarations that power corrupts and that Tubbo’s administration is cruel with Tubbo choosing not to punish Ranboo for his association with Techno – thus the narrative would communicate that Techno’s view of Tubbo and by extension the government is one-sided and not true to reality.

Stuff like that helps the viewer understanding a story holistically and manages to communicate stuff like themes and morals without having to solely rely on in-character logic and argumentation, which, as Ghostbur put it so eloquently, is comprised of a bunch of unreliable narrators.

Character analysis is great if we want dive deep, if we really want to give a character flavour and understand their motivations. It helps make the universe feel like it is alive, like it’s real. But – and this might be a shocker for you – it’s not real. It’s written. It is construction – and as such, in its construction, it has messages and themes and morals, intentionally or unintentionally.

By being so focused on specific characters and their individual journeys, viewpoints and motivation we really run the risk of not looking at the bigger picture and fail to see what the overarching narrative is actually communicating. And we may also fail to understand how characters might or might not fit into the overarching narrative.

Speaking of which …

Thesis #2: Technoblade experiences very little Meaningfultm Thematic Conflict

Okay, let’s talk about Technoblade. I’m sure I’m not going to get any hate for this one.

I want to preface by saying that I don’t watch Technoblade’s streams; I catch up though clip channels and summaries. I’m mainly watching Tommy, Tubbo and Quackity – which is honestly already more than I can handle – but I want to be clear that while I’ll try to be as even-handed as possible – like I explained previously – the way I consumed the storylines will undoubtedly leave me with some bias.

Also, needless to say, I’m talking about the character Technoblade, not the actual content creator, unless I specifically say so. That should be obvious.

Now, I’m not doing a Technoblade character analysis, because that would be hypocritical of me – seeing how I just bitched about the overwhelming amounts of character analyses in the fandom – but I’ll try my best to summarize what is necessary.

Technoblade’s interesting in that he is a very static character – at least inwardly – he doesn’t change much. He is very steadfast in his beliefs and ideals and has very little introspection. He doesn’t question himself; he doesn’t waver, he is never in a bind about whether what he’s doing is right or wrong. He is very much a parallel to early TommyInnit – who, of course, famously said “I’m always in the right”.

And I want to emphasize that I mean this in no way as a critique of Techno’s character. A static character provides a nice contrast to more dynamic characters and can balance them out. It can also be utilised by the writing as a character flaw – which is what I hope content creator Techno is going for.

Like Techno doesn’t have a lot of empathy in the sense that he is particularly skilled at or interested in trying to see the viewpoints of others. There is never an attempt to reconcile, for example, the goal of the Pogtopians to reclaim L’Manberg and install another administration with his desire for an anarchist society. This is also compounded with his overreliance on violence as the only tactic for conflict resolution – Techno has a whole thesis statement about violence being the only universal language. I’m sure you’ve heard the quote.

And lastly, what really drives this all over the edge, is his all-or-nothing approach when dealing with the enemy – he is not so much eye for an eye as he is – to use another biblical example – you make fun of me for being bald and I’ll sic two bears on you that maul and kill you and 41 other children.

There’s also the open and completely unacknowledged hypocrisy of a self-described anarchist working together with a man that installs and dethrones Kings with his every whim – someone who – and I cannot stress this enough – hits about every box when it comes to the definition of tyrant.

So, what I’m saying is that Technoblade is the Dream SMP equivalent of Dick Chenney. C’mon you know it’s true! He will bomb that freedom into your country whether you want him to or not. That’s some cogent political commentary in the year 2021.

Okay, so now that I’ve outlined his character, what kind of conflicts does Technoblade face. Well, it’s mostly physical or external. He fights a lot whether it’s against Quackity or Sapnap or bodying Karl Jacobs five times in a row. And – with the exception of maybe Sapnap – none of it is challenging. Technoblade is the best PvP-Player on the server – there really isn’t much tension to be had from a purely physical fight.

So, how are these fights supplemented emotionally. Well, internally there is not a lot going on. As I said before, Technoblade isn’t really an introspective character. Even during his shouting match with Tommy there’s not a sense that Technoblade is wavering or unsure of himself in the way that Tommy is. He exposits that one of the reasons, he acts like he does is that he feels dehumanized; that people only use him like a weapon and then discard or even try to neutralize him once he’s no longer useful.

But that is not something that Technoblade has to grapple with – it’s not conflict for him, it’s more conflict for Tommy. Technoblade is self-assured in that he’s a person and not a weapon – it’s almost like there was a character arc there, where Technoblade self-actualizes and breaks away from the people that want to use him. But we didn’t see any of it. Technoblade unleashes the withers; then he goes into retirement because he wants to be, I suppose, and then he returns to violence as a reaction to the Butcher Army. There is a story of vengeance here, but not any conflict about being used. There is never a point where we see Technoblade come to this realization or comes to assert himself.

In season 1 there’s never a push from Pogtopia where the narrative frames them as exploiting Technoblade. He fights with them of his own volition, he gives them weapons and armour of his own volition. Nobody pressured Techno into procuring their inventory for the fight. And in Season 2, he’s the one to approach Tommy about their potential partnership – he is in the position of power here, explicitly not Tommy.

Like, I’m sorry, if this ruffles some feathers, but I really don’t see this arc where Technoblade is being used. There’s a story of misunderstanding and maybe co-dependency – but not of dehumanization. This entire line of thought seems to solely reference that moment, where Tommy says to Sapnap “I have the blade” during one of their wars – which, to base an entire emotional arc around that without any further set-up, is, and I’m sorry to say that, incredibly flimsy.

Okay, so we covered physical and emotional conflict? But what about conflict on the narrative level? Well, that leads me to my suprathesis …

Suprathesis: The Narrative is Unclear on how it treats Technoblade … and that’s Not Good.

Here’s a Hot Take: The narrative of Season 1 treats Technoblade way less sympathetically than that of season 2.

Let me explain. The narrative of Season 1 revolves mostly around Wilbur and Tommy. The emotional fulcrum of the overall narrative is Wilbur’s rise and fall from Grace – and Tommy succeeding him as symbol of L’Manberg’s “special”-ness. Now I will talk about all that more in detail, when I talk about Season 1 of the Dream SMP. So, you’ll just have to go with me on this one for now.

Technoblade, by contrast, doesn’t really have much going on thematically in Season 1. He mostly exists as a sort-of utilitarian character – he is an accessory to make story beats happen. Like him executing Tubbo doesn’t open up any sort of thematic conflict involving him – on a character level it sets up antipathy between him and Tommy and it grants us some insight into how he operates with his violence speech – but on a larger-scale narrative level it really just shows how far Wilbur and Tommy have drifted apart in how they react to the event.

His biggest contribution is during the Season 1 finale, but even there he plays second fiddle to Wilbur. Not just because Wilbur does way more destruction with his explosion than Techno does with his Withers, but also because Wilbur had an emotional and thematic climax to his arc and by extension the entire storyline. Like Techno’s is a cool moment and very epic visual but in terms of thematic relevance, his Theseus-speech is really more set-up for Season 2.

And Season 1 is very unambiguous about L’Manberg being good and Tommy’s ideals ultimately being morally justified – I mean, they have a whole speech about it in the end and it was built-up throughout the entire Season – Techno is cast in a … less than sympathetic light. He is, if not a villain, then definitely an antagonist.

But with Season 2 the narrative is either uninterested in or not very clear on exploring Technoblade’s flaws.

Like ask yourselves: is Technoblade’s character ever consciously challenged by the narrative? Are his actions ultimately shown to not be in the right? Are his beliefs about government and power ever called into question? Are the negative consequences that his actions cause ever shown to be larger than the “good” he does?

I think what exemplifies this the most is how the Butcher Army event played out on December 16th. Now, during that event, the Butcher Army, which was comprised of Tubbo, Quackity, Fundy and Ranboo, managed to apprehend Technoblade, who at that point was living the quiet retirement life, and tried to have him publicly executed – without trial.

Now, smarter people than me have pointed out that the Butcher Army had a bevy of in-character reasons that can justify or explain their actions. And that’s definitely interesting, but as I said before, I want to get away from that and look into how the Butcher Army is treated on a narrative level. Because this is one of the few instances where the otherwise grey-loving Season 2 has some very clear narrative intent when it comes to morality.

The Butcher Army is very deliberately framed as almost cartoonishly corrupt and violent. They very forcefully investigate Philza, mock him and then put him under house arrest – and there’s just no remorse in the script even from normally sympathetic characters like Tubbo.

Compare and contrast with the Tommy-exile scene, which is also an act of moral ambiguity and is treated as such. And things get even worse once the Army arrives at Technoblade’s abode and attack him after he softly tells them that he has left that live behind him. They then proceed to take his horse hostage, mock him and execute him without fair trial – and I haven’t seen it but from live commentary I gathered that Techno really played up the whole softie-schtick before the Butcher Army arrived. I mean, before the big Technoblade vs Quackity fight, Quackity had whole villain monologue for Christ’s sake.

And even afterwards, the Butcher Army really plays up the corrupt angle with Tubbo proposing a festival as a guise to publicly execute someone. And again, I know that on an intradiegetic there’s nuances and it’s not really comparable to the Red Festival, but in combination with what the audience has seen up until that point and with how much it feeds into the already established themes of history repeating itself and becoming like your predecessors, it really does not paint a pretty picture of the Tubbo administration.

You can feel the heavy hand of the script on your shoulder, which is a feat seeing how – as discussed before – that’s not something that can be easily accomplished in this medium.

And that is what I mean when I say that Technoblade is not really challenged by the script and is in this case even emboldened by it. Because after this whole ordeal the thought of Technoblade taking revenge by destroying L’Manberg doesn’t seem like such an extreme response to the viewer – even though in my opinion, it is.

As of right now it is too early to say how the narrative will judge Technoblade’s actions in the future. Will they be framed as extreme but ultimately justified or perpetuating a cycle of ever-escalating vengeance? Will we ever see a government that’s not just at best misguided and at worst completely awful?

Ultimately, I believe and hope that Technoblade will be challenged by the narrative, mostly because a character that cannot, believably, be physically challenged, who doesn’t have any meaningful internal conflict about what he’s doing; and who does come out on the other side having everything he always believed in be proven completely in the right by the narrative, would be incredibly boring. Not just to watch but also to play as.

As it stands now, if the destruction Techno, Phil and Dream inflicted upon L’Manburg is framed as ultimately in the right, I would find it personally a distasteful message to send. I would ultimately say that the “correct” way to counter corruption in government is to completely obliterate the entire country. Like we’re not talking simply disbanding the government – that’s not what Doomsday was – we’re talking complete and utter annihilation. And that would be cynical and depressing. Like, call me a big softie, but even bothsidesing this argument would be bad.

Like, I’m not calling for Technoblade to be transformed into or treated a monster like Dream. But I personally feel like the narrative needs to acknowledge that the Doomsday was something that was taken way too far and that it ultimately brought more harm than good. And Technoblade needs to held accountable by someone who is not a cartoonishly corrupt government-official or who is in conflict with him anyway, like Tommy.

I thought Philza or Ranboo could do that but seeing how their storylines are progressing I don’t believe that will be the case. But who knows, maybe Captain Puffy will come through for us. We stan a Queen.

Conclusion

So, yeah, I made this entire video just to air out my grievances with how one-sided the mode of analysis is in the fandom, because no person actually involved with the production of Dream SMP will ever see this.

But after everything I am cautiously optimistic, that content creator Technoblade knows what he’s doing. He has talked in the past about how his character is a bad guy and he loves his Greek myths. After all what’s more Greek myth than hybris being rewarded with punishment? [Technoblade never dies] That bodes well for him.

Also, this isn’t the video I promised at the end of the last one!

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vampire03 · 3 years

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Diabolik Christmas

Everyone x reader Christmas special

"Hnnn...mmm..." Y/N woke up feeling something heavy on top of her. She opened her eyes and tried to move. She saw blond locks in front of her. Shu.

"G'morning, troublesome creature." He mumbled sleepily.

"Good morning, Shu." Y/N smiles.

Shu rolled to her side and without opening his eyes says "There is a gift here in your room. Find it yourself, it's too bothersome to show you where it is...". Then he fell asleep again.

Y/N sighed and chuckled at his usual behavior. She looked around her room and under her bed she found a tiny yellow giftbox with a neat blue ribbon on top. Y/N opened it and inside there was a silver collar with musical notes engraved on it in beautiful shapes.

(Something like this, I couldn't find a better image, Im sowwyyy TwT)

"Thank you, Shu!" Y/N said as she coverd him with an electric blanket. That was his Christmas present from her. He smiled and snuggled even more in it without opening his eyes.

Then she exited the room and started walking to the kitchen. There surely will be some leftovers on the table, right?

On the way two arms snaked around her body from behind and a familiar flirty voice was heard.

"Bitch-chaaaaaan~ Merry Christmas!"

"Laito!" Y/N chuckled and leaned into his embrace.

"Look what I got you!" He happily squealed as he spayed something on her neck.

"Kyaaaah!" She welped in surprise. Then se smelled... perfume? A really nice perfume with vanilla and something else, that made the aroma sweet and sexy at the same time.

"Nfu. Use it wisely!" He chuckled and pecked her cheek, dissapearing as fast as he appeared. She will give him the fancy watch she got him later, it seemed.

Y/N blushed and smiled, putting the perfume in her pocked as she finally reached the kitchen. There a pile of deleicious food awaited her, a certain black-haired vampire with glasses was turning the leftovers from Christmas Eve into masterpieces.

"Good morning, Reiji, and Merry Christmas!" Y/N happily greated.

"Aaah, good morning, Y/N! And Merry Christmas. He smiled as he gestured towards to table, inviting her to sit.

She sat down and in front of her were served delicious dishes - steak with vegetables, fruits with whipped cream, baked apples and candies. Her eyes filled with joy.

"Ah! I almost forgot!" Y/N handed Reiji a blue giftbox with silver-red ribbon. His facial expression became somewhat happy and excited in a really childish way. Inside the box was a... blue baggy sweather?

"You are always dressed up in a formal manner... Why don't you wear more comfy clothes once in a while?" Y/N happily said as she looked at him. He had already put on the sweater and looked so cute. They both smiled.

"But where are my manners?" He asked himself as he gave her a tiny black box. She opened it and inside was a silver ring with a big sapphire on top.

"It's so beautiful!" She said as she put it on.

"I'm glad." Reiji smiled and handed her a cup of tea. Y/N thanked him and took a sip. When she looked around again, Reiji was nowhere to be seen.

"Hm? They dissapear and appear so fast!"

She looked around the kitchen for more leftovers to eat and saw a bunny plushie and a note attached to it. "This is Lilly. Me and Teddy decided she will enjoy being your friend." Was written by a certain purple haired vampire. Awww. She has prepared new clothes for Teddy and a fancy, somehow lolita coat for Kanato. She will have to give them to him later.

She then turned towards the exit to walk away and saw a note on the table.

"Oi, Chichinashi. Me and this Kino guy decided to have fun with you. We won't give you you presents so easily - you gotta find them!"

Yup. That's in Ayato's style. And the handwritting was so messy. There was no mistake. Y/N took the note and searched around for something left from Ayato and/or Kino. Almost half an hour later, she decided to search in the pool area. And she found another note on a bench.

"Did you think that we will give you the present so easily, Princess?" You will have to earn it! And swim all the way to the bottom of the pool to get it, hahaha!"

That handwritting was also messy, but still neater than Ayato's. Kino. Of course when these two pranksters somehow find a way to work together, it will be something like this. Good thing that she knew how to swim. She dived in and found a tiny black box on the bottom of the pool. She took it and got out of the water.

She opened it with excitement, only to find another note.

"Hahahaha, you fell for it!" Was written in Ayato's handwritting. "That was just a warm-up, the real present is on the bottom of the lake!" Was written in Kino's handwriting. These two jerks! Urgh!!!

Anyway, Y/N stretched up nicely and prepared herself. She went to the lake and dived into the cold water.

After a few unsuccessful tries she finaly found two red boxes with black ribbons and took them.

Once on land she opened the forst box.

"Ha! I knew you will open Ore-sama's present first! Now you can enjoy my scent whenever you go!" Was written on a card.

In the box there was one of Ayato's old shirts he used for basketball tranings. It was neatly washed, and folded. Heh, guess someone had aked Reiji for help. Was that present a sign of his ownership over her? Knowing Ayato, probably it was. And there were these nice sporty shoes too. They were really comfy and nice! She will play basketball with him after that. She smiled.

Then she opened Kino's present - inside there was a brand new iPhone.

"Now you can download that multiplayer game I told you about and we can play it together, right, princess?" Was written on a tiny card. That looked expensive. But more importantly, it was so sweet too! She will now spend more time with him as well.

Y/N decided she will give them their presents later at dinner - for Ayato a pair of jeans with one of its legs originaly shorter. Just in Ayato's style. And for Kino - a waterproof mini camera. He would love making unique photoshoots with it! She smiled yet again and went to take a shower, so she won't catch a cold after that.

After the shower she went to her room. She found a silver beautiful bracelet with the infinity sign and a tiny note, written in a messy manner.

"Merry Christmas! I wish you health and luck and whatever you mortals wish each other." Aaah, Subaru. Always Tsundere. She had already left his gift in his room. It was only a matter of time for him to find it. A very fluffy white pillow for him to hug in his sleep. She knew he secretly needed to hug something in his sleep.

She looked around her room again. And her gaze landed on her desk. There she found a weird heart? It was made of wires?

"Dear Eve. This is a part of the gift from the Mukami brothers to you. The other parts are in the music room, the garden and the torture chamber. Please seek Yuma for help if you have troubles assembling it. We want you to enjoy finding your gift and constructing it." Was written on a note with neat letters by Ruki, apparently.

Y/N searched all the places she was told and thankfully the Mukamis didn't prank her like Ayato and Kino did. She found 3 other hearts like this, a frame and some more wires.

Somehow she assembled it all on her own and got this:

(Imaginge that instead of "Be mine" is written "Be ours")

It was a night lamp! A very creative one! Now her nights won't be completely dark. She put it on the nightstand and enjoyed its light some more before turning it off again and going to each of the Mukami's rooms to leave them her presents - a professional kitchen knife set for Ruki, fancy jewelry for Kou, this giant encyclopedia about gardening Yuma wanted so much and an ukulele for Azusa.

And as she walked away from Azusa's room, she was suddenly hopped on the back of a certain wolf. "Nii-san is waiting for us!" Shin huffed as he ran really fast through the hallway.

He reached Carla's room where the white-haired man was waiting for them. He handed her a big fancy box.

Inside there was on of those two-pieces paintings.

"This is from our mansion's art collection. Feel honoured and Merry Christmas" Carla explained.

She thanked them multiple times. There was an wide ugly empty space on the wall in her room. Now it will finally be pretty!

"Carla, Shin... Did you find your Christmas presents?"

"Yes!" They cheerfuly said in unison and took out large doggy sweathers, put them on and changed into their wolf forms. They looked so fancy snd royal like that!

They woofed happily and Y/N went to the kitchen, smiling, remembering she has to help Reiji with dinner now. When she passes through the living room, a sleepy Shu pulled her into his embrace. She giggled and hugged back, as she felt Reiji take her hand and kissing it. Then the triplets came - rubbing their noses with hers, kissing her face. Kino appeared from behind and started playing with her hair. The Mukami brothers also joined in the kissing and hugging, as two way too familiar wolves came and snuggled with her. Subaru came out of nowhere as well.

Before she knew it, she was squished between 13 demons, who showered her with kisses and love, feeling like one big, big family.

Merry Christmas and Happy New year!

Sorry that there are no pictures for some of the presents. Tumblr has limit of 10 photos per post...

#diabolik lovers #dl #tsukinami #kino sakamaki #mukami #scenario #sakamaki #x-mas #special #christmas #christmas special

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maxthommusic · 3 years

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Overwatch in 2021

I vividly remember joining the Overwatch beta back in 2016. I was going through a messy break up and was living alone after moving to Los Angeles. My money was running dry and I had to start working a job I didn’t want in order to stay afloat. Yet like a beacon in the night, Overwatch shone its head through the fog showcasing an experience that promoted fellowship, teamwork and raucous good times. After an exhilarating beta, I secured my pre-order and would go on to play Overwatch religiously with a crew for nearly a year -- probably the longest I’ve ever played anything. But when single-player games like Yakuza: 0 and Persona 5 invaded my play space in 2017, finding motivation to continue the Overwatch grind seemed less and less appealing. While Blizzard has certainly outdone itself with world-building and deep lore (the plentiful CG short films after release seemed to beg for an actual film), by design there’s no end-game. Heroes never die. And as I switched to more narrative-heavy titles, I began to think I had my fill of being a Soldier.

Nevertheless, four years later, five years since Overwatch’s launch, I’m right back where I started. I’ve shaken off the dust and am falling in love with Overwatch all over again. The community is pulsating, the gameplay balance is unrivaled, and the additions Blizzard has made are all welcome. Even after taking an extended break from Overwatch, it still manages to reign supreme as the King of multiplayer games. But when games come and go, even without their “15 minutes of fame,” how is it Overwatch is not only the Old Dog, but the Top Dog?

#1: Community. I can’t stress it enough: Overwatch’s focus on teamwork makes playing with friends (or even a random squad) exhilarating. My favorite moments come from calling out which enemies I’m hunting down and seeing my crew follow suit. Coordinating Ultimate Attacks for devastating Team Kills never grows old and the pageantry behind such coordination enriches me with a sense of competitive glory I can’t quite find anywhere else. While you can employ such dynamic strategies in other games, it’s simply not found on the level like it is in Overwatch. I’ve gone away from games like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and even Destiny because I don’t get that same feeling of community.

Blizzard really does everything in its power to make sure you remember that your team is what matters. From the addition of Endorsements, to voting on Player Achievements in the post-game, to even the Play of the Game reels -- everything revolves around highlighting the players around you (and possibly even yourself). Even matchmaking is quick and easy. My gaming crew and I have spent numerous hours playing Apex Legends, COD, Siege, the Division, etc. and Overwatch keeps us gaming the most consistently. There also seems to be the least amount of menu haggling -- when we’re ready to game, we’re in. No going, “Did you get the invite?” “Do I need to send another invite?” All these minor considerations add up to big gains for Overwatch, making it feel like the multiplayer game I spend the most time playing.

#2: Heroes. In my mind, Overwatch has the best heroes. And I don’t mean I love the way they look and feel (though that it is true), but it’s the symbiotic relationship the heroes have with the gameplay that is simply the best I’ve ever witnessed. It’s an amazing feat that Overwatch allows you to develop an edge over your opponent by knowing not only your own skills, but theirs as well. To be great with one character isn’t enough and building your knowledge of every character will end up becoming your greatest asset. It’s an astounding feat to have 32 heroes at your fingertips with all of them remaining in balance. And what’s more is I know all 32 heroes. Because of this I’ve always rejected the idea that anyone is “cheap” and can’t be thwarted, no matter how devious. You simply need to find the foil and be ready to swap characters at will. This constantly evolving strategy forces the best combatants to rotate and understand the entire roster, making Overwatch a stalwart in achieving strategic excellence.

#3: Loot Boxes. Everyone wants to bitch and moan about micro transactions. In my mind, it’s easy to ignore and I’ve always done so. But that doesn’t mean I can’t recognize Overwatch handles it elegantly. Overwatch was probably my first real experience with Loot Boxes, and I remember, even from day one, finding them wildly tantalizing. With so many neat skins, sprays, voice lines, emotes, highlight intros and more to earn, receiving new swag for leveling up was, and continues to be, an exciting part of the Overwatch experience. Providing a seemingly endless array of cosmetics, I can’t help but feel like I’m a rabbit happily chasing his carrot on a stick. Outfitting my favorite characters with bad ass skins and giving them fun emotes is a side pleasure I thoroughly enjoy. Recently, I’ve even committed to getting Golden Weapons. Win enough rounds in Competitive Play and you can buy yourself a golden weapon for your character of choice. Maybe that’s dumb to a lot of people, but I think they make a neat statement about your dedication to the Watch and I’m here for it.

* * * * * * * * * * *

5 years later and Overwatch is still a stunning roundhouse kick in the face. There are enough maps to continually find a great rotation, there’s a plethora of characters to always choose from, all presenting their own unique take on their specified Role. Most of all, Overwatch keeps you gaming with friends. If there’s one reason to highlight above all else, it’s that Overwatch has the best gameplay loop out of any online multiplayer I’ve found.

Playing Overwatch in 2021 means I can play a game online with people and feel like my time is respected. At 30 years old, I just want to find matches quickly, know they’re fair and never have to feel like something else got in the way of my enjoyment. Even when the odds aren’t in your favor and your random squad doesn’t want to play like a Team, you can work your hardest to earn those Gold Medals and shoot for a Loot Box by the end of your session. Overwatch is about so much more than defending the payload. And because it insists on having numerous tantalizing systems in place, it also demands your unwavering attention.

#overwatch #critiques #gaming #opinion

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redphienix · 3 years

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making a reminder post at 4 am before I sleep a bit.

want to decide the next game for the blog to play through.

downloaded a handful of games from my backlog to choose between (hardly all available, but it's the handful I decided to pick between).

Can't decide now, decide later, input welcome but not needed.

Death Stranding

full playthrough, could be interesting, seems really 'chill vibe as you play' kinda game, doesn't sound like it'll be a 10/10 game that hypes me up or gives me a ton to say, but who knows.

Gundam Versus

Definitely NOT a full playthrough, probably just play through the trials and make some clips or gifs for fun, this is a multiplayer vs game and I don't have PSPlus anymore so we can all do the math, but hey it's that arcade fun I enjoyed from Fed vs Zeon but HD as fuck and with more fanservice to gundam series I know nothing about.

Downside: They sanction out a ton of gundam as DLC and while I don't know many gundam I DO know the BURNING FINGER! mother fucker- and he's DLC which I don't have- so I'll have a lot of fun but I also won't get to play as BURNING FINGER!

Since it's not a full playthrough this will be a short distraction for like a few days to a week and then I'll be back to picking the next game lol

Persona 5 Royal

I haven't played Persona yet. People dig that series, right? It's like, good, and I think it tackles big topics sometimes- with mixed results if that one video I watched around P5's release was anything to go off of but hey. Sounds interesting, and if memory serves that video was more in line with "This was a misstep or mishandling, but an effort was made and the other topics fair better" or something like that.

I'm dwelling on that instead of the game- I hear game is good- Wonder how long playing through P5 would be lol.

Crystal Chronicles

I would love to playthrough this whole thing but: No Plus, This Port Isn't Great (I think they patched some of the bull but it's a pretty cheap port)

As such: Curious how boring it'd be to try and beat solo. Might be fun in its own way.

Yakuza 6

Am I emotionally ready for Kiryu's death?

Never!

Is it about time I finally face it?

PERHAPS!

Judgment

Instead of Y6 I could tackle the dragon engine spinoff instead- I mean I heard good things!

River City Girls

I think this would be a really great time!

I'd have fucking NOTHING to say the entire playthrough but I could try and figure out something???

Hell maybe liveblogging wouldn't work but who knows, either way it could be a nice game to make gifs of and post boss fight vids, I dunno.

Looks fun!

Unravel TWO

I loved Unravel a lot and I've owned 2 since release or just about. I really should give it a run :)

Wonder if it's coop only, if so I can't right now but that's okay.

Pyre

Eeeeeeeh, I downloaded it to playthrough, and it's a game I have infinite respect and interest in- but also I just don't find the gameplay entirely enjoyable. It's on the better end for what a sports game can be to interest me- but for a whole playthrough?

I dunno man, maybe? There is a LOT to like here. Maybe.

OH! And it'd DEFINITELY be a game that gives me a ton to talk about! Those are the games I best enjoy liveblogging.

Phoenix Wright Trilogy

I'm like 1 case in- not so sure about liveblogging this one but I might sit down and play through it for myself because it seems really fun.

Ni no Kuni Remaster

I haven't touched this one for more than like a minute at release (of the OG version). It's one of those games people say is really good- I bet I'd like it.

Unrelated to PS4 downloads but options none the less:

FFTA2

I was an upset little bitch about playing through FFTA and the truth is I feel the same as I did then, but with like 80% less vitriol.

I still think FFTA is a huge misstep- they gave us FFT, one of the best tactical RPGs of all time with a mature and interesting story, and they kid-ified it with a kid story that holds no 'even applicable to an adult player!' angles and simplified combat and a REALLY stupid 'items teach skills' system like what Front Mission does but without the interesting robot stuff or interesting story of FM.

Basically I think it's a mediocre game geared towards kids, and that's Fine, but it's the ONLY followup to FFT we ever got- that's insulting.

Anyways I heard FFTA2 was better, and even if it's not I do think I'm better prepared to enjoy what it has to offer than I was for FFTA where all my years of spite tainted that playthrough.

Again, I still feel the same, just less bitter, lol.

Daggerfall Unity

I.... can feel my lifeforce draining just implying I play this next.

I just finished doing Morrowind, but it looks fun man... but it's also me practically begging for another 300 hour playthrough, like, man.

But maybe... lol

Pokemon Reborn

Heard this was a good and cool pokemon hack. That's about all I got- I have it downloaded (though I should check to see if I have the latest version) and it could be a good time.

Morrowind Expansions

I'm not ready for these, too soon after beating the main game, but later!

Dragon Ball Z - Attack of the Saiyans (DS RPG)

When I first heard about this game I thought it sounded like a top tier DBZ game- it's supposed to be a full turn based party based RPG of the series- like FF but DBZ, and sometimes it's just really entertaining to play something so simple in concept.

DQ4 (DS version)

This is one of those "Which do I play next in the series" moments, and 4 makes the most sense, obviously.

I've done 1-3, so ignoring the later ones I've played, 4 makes the most sense. I should double check which version is considered the best or at least the pros and cons first, kinda like how I sought out the SNES version of 3 or the GBC version of 1-2, but I think the DS one sounds like a good fit.

DQ9 (DS)

Not yet, later. I wanna go in order a bit more. But important to remember I COULD play this.

DQH Rocket Slime

I heard the DQ spinoffs were fun, like the mystery dungeon deal, or this one which I think is also a mystery dungeon deal I don't remember. Either way! I wanna say I heard this was really fun and I wouldn't mind finding out what this is.

DQM:J2

I don't really want to play this next since I just beat Joker, but I won't lie- I can't lie here.

I played a few minutes of this after beating Joker- and here's the deal, Joker had me tired by the end because it kinda just felt like a middling game.

The few minutes of this I played though? Revitalizing. Exciting. Interesting.

So while I don't want to play it so soon after Joker 1, I gotta admit, I don't think I'd hate playing it so soon lol.

DQ5 (ds version)

See DQ9<

DQ6 (DS version)

See DQ9<

Ghost Trick

I read that this was an interesting DS game, and I remember seeing something about this on like G4 or something back in the day.

Could be interesting to showcase.

Mario & Luigi Bowser's Inside Story

After I beat Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga it was recommended that I try some of the sequels and hey- I loved superstar, so good to weigh this option.

Mario & Luigi Partners in time

See previous.

Nine hours nine persons nine doors

I don't remember what this is, might be because I'm tired as I type this- I think it's an escape room game but that might be entirely wrong.

For some reason whenever I think of this game I think of danganronpa or whatever the fuck that game is and that's probably entirely wrong to compare- I vaguely remember this being renown at release as a cool game- so there's that.

Pokemon Soul Silver (maybe nuzlocke?)

Despite 2nd gen being tied for my favorite gen, I've never played the remake. So just casually replaying 2nd gen could be chill :) Nuzlocke optional but eh because I did nuzlocke 2nd gen before and it wasn't half as interesting as nuzlocking first gen was.

#my posts

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theredherb · 3 years

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The Red Herb’s Top 10 Games of 2020

Hey, fuck 2020. You might notice that many of the “Best Of” lists you read this year and last can’t help but mention how terrible 2020 was. That’s because every day was like hitting a new, splinter riddled branch on our 365 day plummet off a shit-coated tree. The year brought with it a viral pandemic that served as a pressure cooker for the societal and systemic issues boiling beneath the surface of our every day life. And we’re not out of it.

At least one positive holds true of 2020: the games were pretty darn good. One has to wonder, though, if 2020 was the last year of what can be called “normalcy” for the video game industry. Now that the remainder of titles brewed in pre-Covid times are out in the wild, what will the future of gaming look like as studios shift to work-from-home and distribution models migrate to digital as the primary bread winner? What will games look like going forward?

I have no fucking clue. We’ll get there when we get there. But looking back, I’m glad to have had such solid distractions from the stress and strife. If 2020 is any indicator for the industry going forward, then my takeaway is that games will continue to grow in prominence because of their ability to help us cope and, more importantly, stay connected.

Anyway, here’s video games:

10. MARVEL’S AVENGERS

Oh, Marvel’s Avengers. I know you expected to be on more prestigious Top 10 lists than mine. Truthfully, I debated whether or not you should be here. But I had to search my soul (stone) on this one. Really assemble my feelings. Tony Stark my thoughts (?). Here’s the short of it: Marvel’s Avengers has a great story campaign with a surprising amount of emotional weight thanks largely to Kamala Khan’s quest to reassemble the heroes of her youth. Once the final cutscene ends, though, players were expected to take their play box of Marvel heroes, jump online, and duke it out against hordes of villains for the privilege of precious loot and level gains. It would be impossible to get bored because Crystal Dynamics was going to continually Bifrost in new quests, cosmetics, and heroes -- for free!

Except, after fans blasted through the campaign (took me a solid weekend), they found a multiplayer mode filled with repetitive fights against non-descript A.I.M Bots, a handful of dull, un-Marvelous environments (the PNW?! In a video game?! Wowwee!), and a grind for gear that became useless minutes after it was equipped. Oh, and bugs. Tons of bugs. It must be hard for A.I.M. to take earth’s mightiest heroes seriously when they’re falling through the fucking earth every other mission.

So why the Kevin Accolade™? Of all the mistakes and underbaked ideas, Crystal Dynamics got the most important thing right: they made me feel like I was a part of the Avengers. Cutting through the sky as Iron Man; dive bombing, fists-first as the Hulk; firing gadgets at cronies as Black Widow; cracking a row of skulls with Cap’s shield… Avengers is a brawler on super soldier serum.

The combat is crunchy and addictive, and surprisingly deep once you unlock your character’s full suite of skills and buffs. The gear matters little. But choosing a loadout that works for you -- like ensuring enemy takedowns grant you a health orb every time or turning area clearing attacks to focused beams of hurt -- does matter. When it comes to games with disastrous launches, Avengers is the most deserving of a triumphant comeback story because, if you clear the wreckage, I think there’s a solid game here. If I was able to spend hours playing it in its roughshod state, I can see myself digging in for the long-term once it’s polished up and given a healthy dose of content. You know...if Square Enix doesn’t outright abandon it.

9. STREETS OF RAGE 4

Here’s a fact about me: I love beat ‘em ups. From Final Fight to X-Men to The Simpsons, I prioritized my quarters for the beat ‘em up machines (and House of the Dead simply because House of the Dead fuckin’ owns). Unfortunately, Streets of Rage wasn’t in arcades, and I didn’t own a Genesis growing up, so I didn’t get around to the series until Sega re-released as part of a collection. Though my history with the 29 year old brawler is shorter than some, the basics stand out out right away: it’s an awesome side-scrolling brawler filled with zany character designs and high octane boss fights.

SoR4 nails that simple spirit while adding an electric soundtrack, buttery smooth animations, and an art style that looks like a comic book in motion. You can button-mash your way through the game or master your timing to combo stun the shit out of bad guys. Same screen co-op is a requisite for the beat ‘em up genre but I have to call it out nonetheless given that it's next to obsolete these days. The story campaign is, of course, finite but a stream of unlockables and a Boss Rush Mode pad out the package nicely.

I really don’t have to go on and on. I’m on board with any game that captures the arcadey high of classic beat ‘em ups, and Streets of Rage 4 does it with flare.

8. RESIDENT EVIL 3 REMAKE

Resident Evil 2’s remake was my game of the year in 2019. It’s a pitch perfect revision that captures the pulse-pounding fear of the original while beautifully updating its graphics and gameplay for modern audiences. The most striking aspect of RE2’s remake is how it expands and reconfigures the classic game’s environments and set pieces. Capcom managed to recontextualize, and even improve on, the original’s design while staying faithful to its tone and atmosphere.

Resident Evil 3’s remake is less successful in modifying and improving on its source material. If the game feels like it was handled by a different team than RE2R, your gamer hands have good eyes (roll with it). It was developed by a separate internal team (three different teams, in fact), but that’s actually one of many choices mirroring its 1999 forebear. Just like the original, RE3R is a tighter (i.e. shorter) experience that launched less than a year after its predecessor. And just like the original, the game skirts away from survival horror in favor of action horror.

Unlike last year’s remake, however, RE3R paints in broad strokes with the original material much in the same way that 2004’s Dawn of the Dead remake shared a vague resemblance with Romero’s ‘79 classic. Capcom at least nails down what matters: you play as Jill Valentine, beaten and discredited after the Arklay Mountains incident, during her last escape from the zombie besieged Raccoon City. Her exit is complicated by Nemesis, a humanoid missile that relentlessly pursues her from minute two of the game. Her only chance of making it out alive is by teaming up with a gaggle of Umbrella dispatched mercenaries, including an overly handsome fellow named Carlos Oliveras that you control for a spell. But fans struggled to get over what Capcom didn’t remake. Several enemies, boss fights, and a “divergent path” mechanic that had you choose how best to escape the Nemesis in a pinch were omitted from the remake. Even an entire section set in a clock tower was cut. But, let’s be honest, the biggest omission is a secret ending where Barry Burton saves the day using only his beard. For real, YouTube that shit.

If you look at what the remake does instead of what it doesn’t, you’ll find a lightning paced action game highlighted by tense, one-on-one fights against the constantly mutating Nemesis. The tyrant’s grotesque transformations evoke the mind-rending, gut turning creature designs found in John Carpenter's The Thing. It’s sad that Nemesis doesn’t pursue you through the levels as diligently as he did in the original, or as Mr. X had in last year’s remake, but these “arena fights” end up being harrowing and fun, culminating in a memorable final encounter. The remake also treats us to the best incarnation of Jill to date. She’s a cynical badass, exasperated at how Umbrella upended her life, and can take a plunge off of a building yet still muster enough energy to call Nemesis a bitch. RE3R also shines thanks to its snappy combat, including a contextual dodge that feels rewarding to pull off, less bullet-sponge enemies than RE2, and an assortment of weapons to get you through Jill’s Very Bad Night(s). It makes for a necessary, though shorter, companion to last year’s stellar remake.

7. HADES

I’m experiencing a new type of shame including a title that I haven’t beaten on my Top 10 list, but I can assure you that I’ve dumped hours into its addictive death loop. It’s probably because of my resistance to looking up any tips, but given the skill-check nature of the difficult boss fights, I’m almost afraid the top shelf advice will amount to “die less, idiot.”

My failings aside, Hades is brilliant. It’s the perfect merger of gameplay and storytelling. You play as Zagreus, son of Hades, and your entire goal is to escape your father’s underworld domain. You pick from a selection of weapons, like a huge broadsword or spear, and attempt your “run,” seeing how far you can make it before an undead denizen cuts you down. It’s familiar roguelike territory, but where Supergiant separates their game from the pack is in the unique feeling of constant progression, even as you fail. With each run, not only is Zagreus earning a currency (gems or keys) that unlock new skills that make the next go a little easier, you’re also consistently treated to new lore. The fallen gods and heroes that line your father’s hall greet you after each death and provide a new insight into their world. The writing is bouncy and hilarious, the voice acting ethereal and alluring, and the character designs could make a lake thirsty.

Supergiant’s stylistic leanings are at their peak here. They’ve managed the impossible feat of making failure feel like advancement. Sure, it totally fucks up other roguelikes for me, but that’s okay. None of those games have Meg.

6. DEMON’S SOULS

Whereas Capcom takes liberties with their remakes, Bluepoint took the Gus Van Sant approach and made a 1:1 recreation of the 2009 title that launched the “Soulslike” genre. The dividing difference is a 2020 facelift brought to us by way of the PlayStation 5’s next-gen horsepower. There’s been online arguments (surprise) regarding the loss of Fromsoftware’s visual aesthetic in translating the PS3 original in order to achieve a newfound photorealism. It’s true, some beasties lose their surreal weirdness -- a consequence of revisiting designs without the worry of graphical or time constraints -- but the game’s world is still engrossing, morbid, and bleakly gorgeous.

That’s not to say all Bluepoint did was overhaul the graphics and shove this remake out the door. No, their improvements are nuanced, under-the-hood changes that gently push the genre into the next-generation. For one, the loading times are incredible. You could hop between all five archstones in under a minute if you wanted. And this game is a best DualSense controller showcase outside of Astro’s Playroom. You can feel a demonstrable difference between hitting your sword against a wall compared to connecting it with an attacking creature. Likewise, the controller rumbles menacingly as to let you know enemies are stomping across a catwalk above you. “Better rumbles” was not on my wish list of next-gen features, but the tactile feedback goes great lengths to make you feel like you’re there.

Granted, sticking so closely to the original means its pratfalls are also carried over to the next-gen. The trek between bonfire checkpoints is an eternity compared to the game’s successors, and Fromsoftware hadn’t quite mastered the sword ballet of boss fights prevalent in Dark Souls. Instead, a handful of bosses feel more like set pieces where you’re searching for the “trick” to end it versus having to learn attack patterns and counters. Still, it’s easy to see the design blueprint that bore a whole new genre. From having to memorize enemy placements to hunting down the world’s arcane secrets in the hopes of finding a new item that pushes the odds in your favor. Bluepoint’s quality of life improvements only make it kinder (not easier) to plunge into the game, obsess over its idiosyncrasies, and begin to master every inch of it. That is until you roll into New Game+ and the game shoves a Moonlight Greatsword up your ass.

5. YAKUZA: LIKE A DRAGON

Here’s a fact about me I’m sure you don’t know: I love beat ‘em ups. Streets of Rage 4 had an easy time making it on this list because it can be classified as both a “beat ‘em up” and “good.” Here’s another fact about me: I’m not the biggest fan of JRPGs. I’m told this is not because of any personal preferences I harbor, but rather due to a distinct lack of culture. I’ve made peace with that. At least my uncultured ways are distinctive.

But my disinterest in JRPGs is notable here because it illustrates how very good Like A Dragon is. Transitioning the Yakuza series from a reactive brawler (entrenched in an open-world SIM) to a full-blown turned-based RPG was risky -- especially 8 entries into the mainline series -- but it pays off explosively for Like A Dragon. Not only does the goofiness, melodrama, and kinetic energy translate to an RPG -- it’s improved by it. Beyond a new protagonist -- the instantly likable and infinitely affable Ichiban Kasuga -- we’re finally treated to an ensemble cast that travels with you, interacts with you, and grows with you. Their independent stories weave into Ichi’s wonderfully and end up mattering just as much as his.

The combat doesn’t lose any of its punch now that you’re taking turns. In fact, it feels wilder than ever and still demands situational awareness as your enemies shift around the environment, forcing you to quickly pick which move will do the most damage and turn the fight in your favor. RGG purposefully made Ichi obsessed with Dragon Quest (yes, specifically Dragon Quest) as an excuse to go ham and morph enemies into outlandish fiends that would populate Ichi’s favorite series. It’s a fun meta that never loses its charm.

This is the best first step into a new genre I’ve ever seen an established franchise make and I hope like hell they keep with it for future outings -- and that Ichi returns to keep playing hero. There’s plenty of callbacks and treats for longtime fans, but RGG did a masterful job rolling out the virtual carpet for a whole new generation of Yakuza fanatics.

4. GHOST OF TSUSHIMA

Sucker Punch’s dive into 13th century Japan doesn’t redefine the open-world genre. But like Horizon: Zero Dawn before it, Ghost of Tsushima takes familiar components of the genre and uses them exceptionally well, creating an airtight experience that can’t help but stand out. I can tell Sucker Punch mused on games like Assassin’s Creed and Breath of the Wild, tried to figure out what makes those games tick, and then brought their own spin to those concepts. You can feel it in their obsession to make traversal through the environment as unobtrusive as possible, letting the wind literally guide you to your destinations instead of forcing the player to glue their eyes to a mini-map. You can feel it in how seamless it is to scale a rooftop before silently dropping on a patrol, blade first. You can feel it in the smoothness behind the combat as your sword clashes against the enemy’s. Every discrete part is fine-tuned yet perfectly complements the whole. The game is silk in your hands.

The mainline story can be humdrum, though. It mirrors the beats of a superhero origin story, which isn’t surprising when you account for the three Infamous titles and satellite spinoffs under Sucker Punch’s belt. But Jin Sakai’s personal journey outshines the cookie-cutter plot. His gradual turn from the strict samurai code to a morally ambiguous vigilante lifestyle (to becoming, eventually, a myth) is a fascinating exploration in shifting worldviews. This is bolstered by the well-written side-missions dotting your quest, some of which play out in chains. It’s these diversions about melancholy warriors and villagers adjusting to life under invasion that end up being the essential storytelling within the game. Whatever you do, don’t skip a single one.

Before GoT can overstay its welcome with collectible hunting and stat-tree building, the ride is over. If you find exhaustive open-world titles, well, exhausting, Sucker Punch coded enough of a campaign to sticking the landing and not more. But if you were looking for more, the game’s co-op Legends mode is the surprise encore of the year. It strikes its own tone, with vibrant, trippy designs, and a progression system that embarrasses other AAA titles in the space (I mean Avengers. I’m talking about Avengers).

3. THE LAST OF US PART II

The Last of Us is widely regarded as a masterpiece. It’s a melancholic trek through a realistic post-apocalypse, driven by the budding bond between a world-weary survivor and a would-be teenage savior. The fungal zombies and violent shootouts with scavengers were scary and exciting, but ultimately just window-dressing compared to the level of complicated, and honest, human emotion on display throughout the tale. While a segment of detractors helpfully pointed out that The Last of Us’ story isn’t unique when compared to years of post-apocalyptic books, comics, and movies, that argument seems to forget that a narrative more concerned with the human protagonists’ connections to one another instead of saving the world or feeding into a hero complex is pretty unique for games -- especially a high profile, AAA budgeted game.

Still, fans made heroes out of Joel and Ellie because of their own connection to their journey. And that connection is almost instantly challenged in the opening hours of The Last of Us Part II to heartbreaking effect. But I’m here to tell you that any other sequel would have been dishonest to the legacy of the original game. To be given a hero’s quest as a continuation, an imagined sequel where Joel and Ellie do battle against the viral infection that’s swept the earth, would have been a despicable cash-in. It would have been a mistake to follow-up the original’s careful examination of human nature just to placate an audience that seems to have missed the point Naughty Dog made. The Last of Us Part II hurts. But it has to or else it wouldn’t have been worth making. It’s a slow-burn meditation on the harmful ripples revenge creates, how suffering begets suffering, and how, if we don’t break the cycles of violence we commit to, suffering will come for us.

To drive this point, we’re given two distinct perspectives during the meaty (and somewhat overlong) campaign, split between Ellie Williams, the wronged party seeking revenge, and Abby Anderson, an ex-Firefly whose actions set the sequel into motion. The greatest trick Naughty Dog pulls off isn’t forcing us to play as a character we hate, it’s giving us reasons to emphasize with them. It was gradual, and despite some heavy-handed moments meant to squeeze sympathy out of the player (how many times do I have to see that fuckin’ aquarium?!), I eventually came to love Abby’s side of the story. The obvious irony being that she unwittingly walks the same path Joel did in the original.

My love for the narrative shouldn’t distract from how well designed the world is. Being a King County local, the vision of a ruined Seattle strikes an uncomfortable note -- it was eerie seeing recognizable buildings overgrown with vegetation but otherwise devoid of life. Maybe the heart-wrenching story also distracts from the fact this game is, by definition, survival horror. Exploring toppled buildings in the dark, hearing the animalistic chittering of the infected, defending yourself with limited resources… It manages to be a scarier entry into the genre in 2020 than even RE3R. There’s a particular fight in a fungus covered hospital basement that easily goes down as my Boss Fight of the Year. Human enemies make for clench-worthy encounters, too, with incredibly adept AI that forces you to keep moving around the environment and set traps to avoid getting overwhelmed.

Admittedly, the subject matter -- or more to the point, the grim tone -- was tough to stomach during an actual pandemic which has happily treated us to the worst of human nature. Still, The Last of Us Part II is absolutely worth playing for its balance of mature themes and expertly crafted world, and the way it juxtaposes beauty and awfulness in the same breath.

2. SPIDER-MAN: MILES MORALES

The most impressive thing about Miles Morales is that, despite being a truncated midquel rather than a full-blown sequel, it’s a better game than 2018’s Spider-Man. It’s not because of the instantaneous loading times or the fancy ray-tracing techniques used on the PS5 version of the game. Rather, it’s how it takes the joyride of the original game and hones it into a laser focused experience filled to the brim exclusively with highs. Like Batman: Arkham Asylum going into Arkham City, Miles starts the game off with his mentor’s best abilities and tools. From there, he discovers his own powers, his bioelectric venom strike, which ends up feeling like the missing ingredient from the first game’s combat.

Your open-world playground -- a locale in the Marvel universe called “New York City” -- is exactly the same size as the previous installment, which helps avoid making the game feel “lesser.” But Insomniac wisely consolidated the random crimes Peter faced into a phone app that Miles can check and choose which activity to help out with. Choices like this really trim the fat from the main game and help alleviate “the open-world problem” where the story’s pacing suffers because players are spending hours on end collecting feathers. This is great because Miles’ story is also great. The narrative kicks Peter out pretty early on, focusing on how Miles assumes the role of city protector, primarily focused on his new home in Harlem. Insomniac avoids retreading the same path paved by Into the Spider-Verse by telling a relatable tale where Miles defines his identity as Spider-Man. With a strong cast led by Nadji Jeter as Miles, the game lands an impactful story that weaves its own new additions to Miles’ mythos (light spoiler: I loved their take on The Prowler).

Miles Morales was pure virtualized joy from start to finish. A requirement of the platinum trophy is to replay the entirety of the game on New Game+. I didn’t hesitate to restart my adventure the minute the credits were over. Everything I loved about 2018’s Spider-Man is here: the swinging, the fighting, the gadgets, the bevy of costumes. But it gave me a new element I adore and can’t see Insomniac’s franchise proceeding without: being Miles Morales.

1. FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE

I love subversive media, I do. And Square Enix’s “remake” of one the most beloved video games ever made subverts expectations by openly acknowledging that, yes, the original story you love exists and is consistently referenced in this game. But this is not that story. This is something..else. Because the truth is, SE could never have recreated FFVII and delivered a title that matched the Sacred Game fans created in their heads. That impossible standard is like an imagined deity, given power by feeding on raw nostalgia reinforced by years of word-of-mouth and appearances on Top 100 lists. I’m not saying FFVII is a bad game or that fans give it too much credit. Not at all. There’s a reason it’s so influential -- it’s good! But memory works in a funny way over time. We have a tendency to codify our perception of a thing over the reality of it. The connection we make to certain media, especially when introduced at a young age as FFVII had been to a whole generation of fans so long ago, creates a legend in our heads. Unfortunately, it’s a legend no developer could achieve when tasked with remaking it.

So Square...didn’t. Final Fantasy VII Remake has the same characters, setting, and plot beats as the first third of the original game but it’s not the same game, nor is it a remake of it in the traditional sense. It’s something new. And I fucking love that about it.

Everything is reconfigured, including the combat. After years of trying to merge RPG mechanics with more approachable (and marketable) real-time action (see FFXV and the Kingdom Hearts games for examples), Square Enix finally landed on the perfect balance. You fully control Cloud on the battlefield, from swinging your impossibly huge buster sword to dodging attacks. The ATB gauge (no one knows what the acronym stands for -- that information has been lost to time) gradually fills up, letting unleash powerful moves. But best of all, you fight in a party, and you can switch who to control on the fly.

That may not sound revolutionary, let alone for a Final Fantasy, but each character has a completely unique feel and suite of moves. At times, it feels like playing a Devil May Cry game where you can switch between Dante, Vergil, and Nero on the fly (that’s a free idea, Capcom. Hire me, you cowards). You can soften up an enemy with Cloud’s buster to increase their stagger meter, switch to Barret for a quick gatling barrage, and finally switch to Tifa to crush them with her Omnistrike. You can accomplish this in real-time or slow down the action to plan this out. It’s a great mix of tactics and action that prevents the game from feeling like a mindless hack n’ slash.

What really, really works here is the character work. Each lead walks in tropes first, but the longer you spend with the members of your party, the more their motivations and fears are laid out. You end up having touching interactions with just about the whole main cast. There’s a small segment, after Cloud saves Aerith from invading Shinra guards, that the two make an escape via rooftop.They make light conversation -- small talk really -- but it’s exchanges like this that feel genuine, perfectly framing their characters (stoic versus heartfelt), and grounding an otherwise larger-than-life adventure.

Many bemoaned the fact that FFVIIR only revisits a small portion of the original game, but I think it was a brilliant choice -- to massively expand on areas we only got to see a little of in the original. I honestly didn’t want to leave Midgar. It’s a world rife with conflict and corporate oppression, sure, but Midgar is beautifully realized, from the slums below the plates, populated with normal people trying to make the best of life, to the crime controlled Wall Market, adorned with gaudy lights and echoing honky tonk tunes. It very well may be years before FFVII’s remake saga comes to a close, but if each entry is paved with as much love and consideration and, yes, storytelling subversion as this introductory chapter… It’ll be worth the wait.

#gaming

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theslowesthnery · 4 years

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i feel so bad for being into dbd without really having any intention of playing it myself

not only is my computer kind of a potato and my internet connection a little spotty at times (and i don’t want to play it on the ps4), but it also looks like the kind of game that i would honestly just...suck at and not have a very good time with. online multiplayers still scare me Very Much and ones where you’re actively competing against other players are all the more stressful and scary

(it’s funny because if literally anyone else said that they like a game and are in its fandom even though they haven’t played it themselves for whatever reason, i’d be like “fair enough, you do you”, but when it’s me i’m like “NOOO you can’t like a game you haven’t played yourself!! >:(”)

that being said, pyramid head is a sexy bitch as always (that shoulder-to-waist ratio wow wow wwow), oni is stupidly sexy thicc boi and i’m this close to calling him daddy, and demogorgon is baby pls no bully

#me: NOOO!!! you can't like dbd without playing it yourself!!#also me: haha oni go stomp stomp stomp

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moonguilt · 5 years

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please give me more kl headcanons.😔

OKAY people this got WAY out of hand and i wrote 7 pages of an entire au plotline so uh. sorry everybody but it’s gonna be split into at least a couple different postswe’ll call this CHAPTER 1: (chapter 2 can be found HERE)I roleplay on MMORPGs so you’re gonna have to deal with my self indulgent online roleplaying AU. There will be klance but I have to SET THE STAGE first so bear with me. basically this is just multiplayer online video game roleplaying garbage. on that note, enjoy.

hunk and pidge were the first ones to discover the video game “Voltron.” they dicked around on it just to test out the game controls and perhaps get coding ideas for a game they are trying to create, but they ended up kinda enjoying it. the gameplay has its issues but is overall pretty fluid.

hunk plays a rogue. he has to turn the game volume down sometimes because of the gross gorey noises the game makes when he stabs people. he probably would have rerolled as a different class just to escape the gruesome sound effects, but he really likes being able to enter stealth. he says it makes him feel “safe”

pidge plays a mage. hunk is under the impression that it’s because she wants to play a class with high intelligence points, and pidge doesn’t correct him. but really she just likes the idea of turning her enemies into frogs

shiro is hanging out with matt one day and ends up watching pidge play. he wants to be Hip and Cool so he decides to create a trial account and see if he likes it. turns out, he’s TERRIBLE at the actual gameplay (his computer reflexes are Bad and he keeps dying to basic mechanics on literally every boss fight. matt downloads the game and creates a priest out of pity just to help keep shiro alive while he levels)

“this is demeaning for everyone involved”

“you’re the one who has died seven times now to haxus. literally all you have to do is not stand in the fire. you’re a FULLY ARMORED PALADIN TANK how are you dying so quic—wait a minute. shiro. shiro why are you still wearing your level 1 starting gear.”

however, he finds out that the server they’re playing on has a roleplaying community! he figures he doesnt need swift reflexes to roleplay, so he starts dipping his toe into RP and discovers he really likes it. he enjoys writing stories about his heroic character, and enjoys combining those stories with the stories of other people he meets in the game. it’s like collaborative fantasy fiction writing, and it quickly becomes a passion of his

pidge and matt tease him endlessly for it. hunk is an angel and is very supportive of shiro’s new hobby. he is the only one who will listen to shiro gush about his character. unfortunately when shiro designed the character, he did not have a good grasp on roleplay, so the character is goofy looking and has an overly dramatic backstory involving dragons and a lost royal bloodline. hunk kindly chooses not to comment on it, and instead helps him develop new ideas and plots for his character’s adventures

eventually shiro manages to convince hunk to give RP a try. hunk is very careful and does a lot of research on the Voltron universe lore. he reads all the fanmade wiki pages, roleplaying guides on the game forums, etc., until he feels confident he can create a good character. he does (and eventually goes on to be a popular community figure who hosts huge server events and is friends with literally everyone, but that is several months down the line), and he and shiro begin their roleplaying adventures together

hunk gets Really Into It. fast. like faster than shiro. and he takes it SERIOUSLY; he is a total lore nerd & WILL tell you (in a very gentle, caring tone) if your character’s story/actions do not comply with the game’s established lore

“your character’s outfit is so cool! btw tho, I noticed you mentioned your character was born in the castle of lions—just wanted to let you know, it was actually only rediscovered and unlocked about 10 years ago in the game’s timeline, so it wouldn’t really make work for your character to be born there, since they’re 27 D: but if you want I can help you come up with a different birthplace :)”

keith, lance, and allura had thus far managed to resist the voltron bug. they just aren’t into mmorpg stuff, they insist. single-player games, sure, but open-world multi-player? sounds weird

lance falls first. Hunk hits him with the puppy dog eyes and its all over for him

he creates the most ridiculously beautiful character he can

“i dont care about whether my guy is a freaking dps or not, hunk, i need him to have an ass like a kardashian. WHERE IS THE BUTT SLIDER HUNK. i have a NICE ASS and i want it IMMORTALIZED IN PIXEL FORM”

he does, in fact, end up picking dps. hunk shows him the archer class and he lights up like a christmas tree

“i know you always wanted to bone legolas, so”

“i wanted to BE legolas, not BONE him, HUNK”

“sure lance”

allura falls next. her and lance’s weekly “self-care spa sessions” turn into lance rambling about all the wacky stuff he and hunk and shiro got up to that week, and she eventually cracks under the pressure because she Hates when there’s a new fad and she doesn’t understand it

“and then this guy came up to us and started roleplaying with us in ALL LOWER CASE and shiro and i wanted to d i e but hunk was all ‘nooo he’s just a newbie in need of some pointers’ and then spent the next TWENTY FREAKING MINUTES giving this guy tips and tricks about grammar and punctuation–”

within 2 days she has gotten almost halfway through leveling her new druid healer because she is Determined damn it

coran, allura’s uncle, also begins playing shortly thereafter. allura never says why exactly, but it does seem to be a direct result of her influence somehow. he plays a gunslinger class because he’s “always wanted to be a ‘rooting & tooting cowboy,’ as you call it!”

for whatever reason, he is Very Good at the game, like freakishly skilled. everyone is kind of afraid to question it so they just accept it and move on

he and pidge are really the only ones who are focusing on the actual game content anymore, so they start doing high-level raids together and then begin to gain something of a reputation as a terrifying duo in player-versus-player combat.

keith is resilient. he is a notoriously stubborn boy and no amount of puppy dog eyes from hunk or persuasive lectures from shiro will convince him to step outside his comfort zone

but lance, well. lance knows exactly how to get keith to do what he wants

“i bet you just know my character’s way cooler than yours would be”

“?? no. i literally dont care about your character or anybody else's”

“huh. guess i will just always be better at video games than you”

“are you seriously still trying to hold your killbot phantasm score over my head. you got lucky”

“i am the peerless king of video games–”

“are you listening to yourself. do you actually hear the words coming from your mouth.”

“–undefeated because you are too much of a coward–”

“fuck OFF send me the fucking download link you loudmouth”

keith takes. forever. to design his character.

lance is leaning over the back of keith’s chair, giving outrageous suggestions (and blatant lies) that keith pointedly ignores

“keith. keith if you give him neon orange hair it boosts your speed, did you know that?”

“choosing big ears gives you greater perception stats keith”

“keith listen to me, you gain the ability to breathe underwater if you choose a broken nose—OW, what the hell–”

keith takes SO LONG that eventually lance has to leave for dance lessons and when he gets back keith is only JUST finishing up

turns out he took so long because he wanted to use every resource available in the game to make the character look like a carbon copy of himself. the end result would have been impressive if it wasn’t so eerily accurate

“you’re seriously naming him keith kogane.”

“it’s my name!”

“keith it’s a ROLEPLAYING game. you’re supposed to play a ROLE”

“and my role is keith kogane.”

“that doesnt even fit the naming conventions for the humans in this game! hunk would be having a FIT right now if he was here”

“good thing he’s not”

keith selects the warrior class because, as lance repeatedly and petulantly insists, he is a “boring basic bitch fuckboy”

“im the fuckboy?? thats rich coming from a guy who plays an archer because he has a big fat crush on orlando bloom in a blond wig”

“HUNK is spreading LIES okay I do NOT have a cru–”

“i dont know what you see in him. he’s literally just a white lotor”

“you TAKE THAT BACK”

to be continued :)

#gfkjhdgfDGF im a mess i spent my ENTIRE day and night on this why am i like this kill me #i havent written anything for vld in a long time and it HIT me and i just got carried away :( perhaps i miss them #klance #video game au #headcanon #vld #moonguilt content

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callsignbaphomet · 5 years

Text

Rapid Fire Tips for New Players

You can hit a stunned partner out of their stun.

Speaking of stuns you can see when a partner is stunned, next to their name two little yellow stars will show up and they stand still while wobbling helplessly. You can also hear when someone gets stunned.

One fire? Roll 3 times on dry land and fire's put out. On water or moist surfaces you roll twice or once and the fire's out.

Sharpen your weapon between "matches". When a monster stops attacking to go to another area it'll be the perfect time to sharpen your weapon. Please do.

ALWAYS BRING LIFEPOWDER!

Unless it's an Elder Dragon always capture the monster. I know y'all wanna be edgelords and kill the monster but it's in YOUR best interest to capture the monster. Unless you want to repeat every single optional hunting quest. Plus it's safer to capture, say you're one cart away from failing the quest and the monster is finally going back to its nest. If you capture it it can't fight back which means there is ZERO chances for you to faint.

Speaking of Elder Dragons, they cannot be captured. Traps (shock, pitfall) do not work on them. There is no way you can capture an Elder Dragon, I don't care what the commander said. In fact he should've known better!

Always upgrade your weapons. Trust me, you don't wanna play catch up once you reach High Rank. It'll be insanely frustrating.

Go back to the smithy every once in a while to see if you can upgrade your armor. Don't be an idiot. More defense = less damage = less carts. Don't be cheap with your armor upgrades.

Always take some time to go gathering, fishing and foraging in all different maps. You get materials, you can gather monster clues, you learn the map, you find pets, and unlock investigations. This is also an excellent way to complete bounties which net you Research Points and Armor Spheres. Green (easy), blue (medium), red (hard).

Every time you spawn back in Astera stop by the Resource Center (place with the woman, elf and dawrf...I think it's a dawrf...).

Make use of the Botanical Center. Trust me.

Take some time to rearrange your item box. It's empty now compared to how it'll be later, especially after Kulve Taroth. You're welcome.

It's okay not to "main" a weapon. It's also okay to have a comfort weapon. Play around with all 14 and see how you do and how comfortable you feel. Some have a heftier learning curve than others. There are plenty of good tutorials on YouTube. The only weapon I can give a full tutorial on is Insect Glaive ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

However! I do suggest you get acquainted with at least 1 ranged weapon for hard to reach monsters like Rathalos, Paolumu, Bazelguese, Azure Rathalos and Legiana. *laughs in flash pods*

Hey, dual blade users, quit fucking doing Demon Dance every chance you get. It's extremely risky as you are locked in a lengthy animation and a monster can easily cart your dumb ass. You also should not do Demon Dance on a downed monster's head if you're in multiplayer. The head belongs to hammers and hunting horn users. You go for the body.

Downed/tripped/KO'd monsters can be divided in 3 parts for attacking: head, body (this includes the wings) and tail. Each weapon is "designated" for each part. To sorta give you an idea: horns and hammers go for the head. Insect Glaive, Dual Blades, Sword and Shield go for the body and/or wings. You can even divide yourselves. One on the back/wings and one in the front so you don't trip each other. Long Sword and Great Sword users go for the tail. Charge Blade and Switch Axe users can go for either the tail or body just asses the situation. Bow, Light Bowgun and Heavy Bowgun don't need to get up close and personal so they can go where they please just be mindful not to shoot your partners.

Hey, Great Sword, Switch Axe, Charge Blade, Hammer and Hunting Horn users. Be mindful of your partners and your upswing attacks. You'll send your partners flying which means less DPS on the monster which is never a good idea. Ever. Unless you're communicating and someone asks for a boost to mount the monster then go ahead and upswing that bitch and y'all can laugh about that successful mount later.

Hey, Hunting Horn users, before you even think about engaging a monster do the Improvement Song on yourself. You're welcome.

Hey, Bow users, you know the Arc Shot? Neat right? Stop fucking spamming that shit! Look, unless you got it set up to get consistent KOs all you're doing is flinching your partners out of their attacks which means less DPS on the monster and like I said that is bad, no bueno. Quit. It. Even if you have it set up right you only throw it when you can get it lined up right so that rocks hit the monster's head.

Hey, LBG users, you know your Wyvernblast? When a monster is tripped, falls over or gets KO'd run up to its head, plant 1 Wyvernblast near it and let your meelee weapon partners go ham on it. MORE DAMAGE!

Hey, Insect Glaive users, you know all those really cool aerial attacks you can do? They're practically useless! Stop it! While pretty and flashy it does less damage than grounded attacks. Aerial attacks are pretty much situational and a bit niche. Don't spam that shit!

Hey, Bow users, yes, you again! Dragonpiercer looks really awesome but you should never do it just because you can. You're locked in a long animation and the monster could aggro you and cart you because you decided to be flashy. There's other reasons not to do the DP because it has less elemental damage but I don't know the math behind that. Find some tutorials on why DP is no good really.

Wanna join a quest? Cool, do not click on "available quests". It's rude, you'll most likely fuck up whatever the host is trying to do and there's a good chance you'll get kicked out anyway. Unless you're in a squad session or someone asks people in the hall to join their quest there's no reason for you to do that. Don't be that person.

If you wanna avoid uninvited guests just change your player limit to 1 so it's just you. Or put a password so no one can come in unless they know the password. Just know that if you change the amount of players to 1 you can't use the SOS Flare.

Abandon Quest will replenish all items you used so if a quest isn't going your way you can use that option.

If you're in multiplayer and you or someone else carts DON'T BE AN ASS CLOWN AND LEAVE THE QUEST. Fucking stay, you never know, you might just make it. 4 is better than 3, 3 is better than 2 and 2 is better than 1.

Please, please, please refrain from making racist, homophobic, rape and other offensive shoutouts. It's stupid af, cringey and you look like a fucking moron. I can't believe it has to be said in the year 2019 but I've seen some really stupid shit.

When in multiplayer please fucking avoid taking every item out of the item box. Each person takes 1 pack of potions and 1 pack of rations. That's it. Everything is shared between y'all and taking everything is a bitch ass move. Share!

Don't be that person that stops in the middle of the fight to carve a tail. There's a good chance you'll get hit by an attack and cart. Do it when the monster leaves the area, is killed or is captured.

If someone mounts a monster DO NOT FLASH THE MONSTERS. If you're a ranged weapon keep attacking. If melee take the time to sharpen your weapon and heal or reapply buffs. Soon as the mounter takes the monster down it's time to go ham on it. You get a few seconds of free DPS as the monster will be down and won't attack.

A lot of people still do this shit and it's caused a lot of carts. Do not flash Lunastra. It doesn't make her fall, it just pisses her off and she spams her Super Nova attack. This is for High Rank people.

Guild cards! Send them to everyone you see but only once. There's an achievement that unlocks once you collect 50.

Need help in the arena but no one wants to help? Go to the Handler or board. Online Session - Search for an Online Session - Filter Search - Quest Preference and switch it to Arena. It can be filtered to find any specific thing you need and chances are there'll be people already hosting sessions to do a specific thing.

If you're trying to track down a monster but the scoutflies are all over the place and you're kinda lost just open the map and close it. That resets them.

You can save builds in loadouts and it saves everything you wear so it makes switching between builds easy. Everything saves. Only got 1 specific decoration that you wanna use for several different builds? That's okay, make the build, save it and then make the other builds. The game itself will remember what you had saved and it'll "move" tat one decoration to the build you equipped. Easy peasy. Though I suggest you wait till High Rank so you can save the good end game loadouts.

You can also make item loadouts and save them. You can also customize the wheel and save it to the item loadout.

There's monster poop in every map. Hoard that crap like your life depends on it because it WILL depend on it during HR when Bazelguese and Deviljho decide to invade your quests.

Investigations are perfect for farming. Need a monster piece? Check your Hunter Notes and see what part you gotta break for it and then start an investigation. Bronze boxes give you shitty parts, silver give you good parts and gold gives the best parts.

Slinger ammo is actually more important than you think. Try to always have some ammo loaded on your slinger in case you need to get a monster's attention, need to stop it from escaping or flinch it after it pinned you down and you need to make a quick get away.

Monsters have weaknesses and resistances. Check what a monster is weak to and use it. Don't go fighting Kirin with a thunder weapon! Remember Pokemon? Same concept.

When you or a partner makes a monster fall asleep stop attacking! You can tell because the monster suddenly stops attacking and the music dies down. This is the perfect time to put some bombs on the monster to do massive damage. When you see a sleeping monster don't touch it!

#monster hunter #monster hunter world #monhun #mhw

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