#BE PREPARED FOR SILLINESS AND CRAZINESS XP

[a-l1st3n3r-w1th-fur-x3]

new intro⁉️⁉️⁉️

editing this: i’m moving accounts because why not so uhhhhhhhh go follow @guzma-punishes-a-brat bc that gonna be my new account (also the name is a placeholder until i decide on a new name :D)

HAIIIII!!!!!!!!!! X3

i’m ur local bisexual trans man scene furry fox therian asmr roleplay listener kandi maker blah blah blah yap yap yap

i’m guzma’s husband guys!!!!!!!!!!!!! (REAL NOT CLICKBAIT)

also i use he/they pronouns and my (internet) name is listener :0 you can also use kaspur but i’d only prefer that if you know me personally/are a mutual

also uh one of my main dnis is to PLEASE don’t interact if you ship guzma with any canon character (pokémon or any other game) those make me really uncomfortable D:

full dni list here

anyways these are my current main ocs because why not 🤑

basically his name is listener and he’s scene plus for some reason he also really likes to annoy the fluff out of the yv characters… 😳 alphonse could just be talking to someone normally and listener appears behind him like “HAI :3”

he WILL give ur pc a virus!! the listener virus!! he will infect ur screens!!!! he also eats yuurivoice thumbnails so yea 😛

this is katty and she’s my s/i to ship myself with guzma 😳 i plan on updating her to be male though one day!!!! :4

i think that should be all so just take some random stamps i made underneath this lolz

also my current favorite songs cuz why not XD (will most likely get updated alot)

[xdemon-mage]

Oh damn that's a long message :D Thx for reaching out Yeah, reblog is fine dw. Also YAY! A new gameplay! I haven't seen that one yet, I'll have to watch it whole after I answer your points here. Okay so-

Main character's backstory & motive I decided to make a pretty simple main character, because I wanted them to be easy for the player to identify with. I tried to limit the information to the a) Immersion b) Plot logic And while I do agree that providing information about mc's daily life and activities can be immersive and fun, I personally prefer to leave it similar as it is right now. In most visual novels that start the story from (for example) describing mc getting out of bed, standing up to dress up, preparing breakfast, getting mail, getting to work, coming out of work, I'm already starting to fall asleep by that point. (lurking for love bored me x"P) I planned to get into action as soon as possible, only providing needed context. I feel like adding more activities at the start would add unnecessary length which is not plot relevant. However, I do plan to add a small scene with ordering a package at the start!! So it is very possible that I'll write a bit more about mc's general plans and some more thoughts. (the package is needed for some cool scene) So now about the motive - It's very, very simple. Mc just wants to kidnap someone. That's pretty much it. It was a very conscious decision to make it like that, because if I were to set a specific backstory, it would limit the player and story from getting "customized". And because mc is feeling silly and just wants to kidnap a dude, the rest becomes the player's interpretation. Do you want a lover? You can try to seduce the crazy dude! Do you want to cause harm? Go for it (in Wade's path its way more difficult haha). Do you feel helpless? Panic and see what happens. Main character is just weird like that. I mean, Wade is too, he's there to have sadistic fun and fight. Now I remembered that you can even tell Wade your motive:

Living alone deep in woods implies being a loner, so I felt like it was okay for the player to pick that info from the context, as I felt that describing mc saying they are alone and no one would look for them would be unnecessary edge xP

So yeah, thanks for telling me about your feelings on that part, even if I don't change much about it.

MC being a bit stupid That's on purpose! :D It's the premise of the game, that we felt like doing a crime, but then we get reckless, silly, and get in crazy situations! I try to keep it in the non-annoying space, so that it's more "recklessness" than "being braindead". But yeah, mc is.. a really awful... kidnapper *cough laugh* Wade knows from the start that mc is being weird (& He's the one who's lying more anyway, I don't feel like focusing on mc lying would improve anything here), but some of the mc's lies do have consequences. (like the lie about being a hunter, that will have a consequence later in the game) He'll mention that at some point. And no, I won't save u from the second hand embarrassment muahaha, I think it's funny

Fighting back It's a good thought! There will be opportunities to fight back and struggle more. There couldn't be more at the start tho, because the goal of day 1 is to get captured. However I see briefly that DeeGenerate didn't access the bonus scene with running outside the house :< I'll share how to access it because it's pretty easy: Don't hug > Choose Knife > Try to run

The rest of stuff Quick time events are cool! There will be more, even if not in the context you mentioned them in.

Personality system You got me there, it's my Achilles' heel... I'm still working on figuring that out, because not gonna lie, it's really hard to keep track of the story and branching it out, while simultaneously taking care of the player's behavior style and how it affects various choices x_x I plan to make some kind of "harder stop" that takes you into specific endings based of personality, or starts to block you from being aggressive after being scared shitless for too long for example, things like that. It's my first big piece of fiction so I'm taking a long time incorporating tiny things like this, but thanks for reminding me about it, I'll do my best. Thanks for writing that much, I tried providing context and thought process to things where I agreed more or less. It's helpful to hear a different perspective. //oof i had to edit it a bit because tumblr ate some random piece of text at some point wtf?

When would you accept beta's/people who give ideas and just commentary for stuff they'd like to see more of from the game and where would people be able to apply--that is if this is something you're willing to do at all /gen. I'm SUPER invested in the development /gen and I'd love to apply as a beta and give pointers on things I'd like to see improved on in the full release :)

I know you meant beta testers but I smiled for a second reading just the "beta" as a term from omegaverse xD For now I don't look for beta testers (I wouldn't even say the game is in the beta phase), but I do welcome any ideas, tips, critique at any time. I may not use every single advice, but I value different opinions. You can comment something under this post for example, and I might make a separate post asking about stuff in the future too. Story-wise I welcome ideas for Wade's path more, because the plot is more random and flexible, whereas for Kaleb I already have a story set from start to finish. But yeah, anything about game in general, UI, gameplay, audio, art, plot etc. I'm happy to hear.

[teenandbeyond]

Okay this is kind of dorky but could I maybe have some mikey hc where he meets I guess Casey's cousin or little sister or whatever (the reader) and they're like super quiet and shy at first but after awhile they surprise everyone bc theyre almost just like Michelangelo? Can be super goofy and loves video games, just not very feminine? Idk it sounds kinda silly XP if it doesn't spark anything dw about ignoring it

Michelangelo x Fem. Reader

I have a lot of requests for the same thing so they're a little delayed due to disinterest, but when I finally saw something different, I almost cried. I was so ready, I like diverse requests. I assumed it was a female reader since you mentioned a sister and not being very feminine, but let me know if I'm wrong and I'll re-write it.

🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕

Want more from me? Check out my Masterlist!

🍕Dudette🍕 (TMNT or Teenaged Mutant Ninja Turtles)

Warning: Fluffy as a perfect pizza slice, like, 2 curse words, low-key became a one-shot bc I got into the zone

As far as Casey was concerned, you were off-limits to the boys, but...Mikey always had that little rebellious streak.

✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨

One day, Casey let it slip that he had a sister

The guys were literally so confused because he never mentioned a sister before

Mikey immediately wanted to meet you

"Don't even think about it. She's off-limits."

But due to April being eager to meet you and the woman wanting her family to meet you, he relented.

He definitely was cool about it as he awkwardly leaned against a wall, thinking he looked badass

He didn't.

"Hey, sis. My girlfriend really wants to meet you...and her brothers..."

You groaned at your hand, wiping some pizza grease on your sweats, holding your game remote in one hand to continue playing for a moment, "Uh...sure. That's pretty normal at this point, right? You've been dating her a while. Why d'ya you look like you're preparing for a battle royale game? Are her brothers bigger than you or something?

As you stood in front of a group of gigantic turtles crowded together after meeting April, you realized, that, yes, they were much bigger than Casey.

Now you realized why the couple seemed to be trying to ease you into meeting them.

Now, you thought they were exaggerating. You were expecting much worse, like evil ex-convicts that eat brains or something.

But you supposed giant turtles with weapons should've been more concerning to you.

While on the other hand, the brothers were concerned themselves.

Were you nice? Would you be scared of them? Were you just like Casey? Were you like the girls they saw on TV, in the magazines, or like the typical eccentric New-yorker?

But turns out, you were dressed pretty simple, oversized hoodie with a bold pattern, shorts, and combat boots, seemed you weren't a total fashion-crazy girl.

You didn't look like a girl in the typical media, but you were still pretty.

They were confused about whether or not you were scared because you didn't say anything and just barely made eye contact.

Mikey decided to be the ice-breaker, hoping to make you feel a little more comfortable by complimenting you about your look.

"Thanks...I'm [N-name]."

Despite your brother writing you off as shy, Mikey didn't truly think you were at heart. Your fashion sense said differently.

"Mikey, back off."

But telling Mikey something is off-limits is like telling him to do it.

As Mikey decided to introduce everyone and be your tour guide, he ended up hogging most of your time, showing off his art, hoverboard, and anything else he could find.

Until Casey finally found you and dragged you away, but you didn't mind, you wanted to meet April, too.

Then you wanted to come back again.

And again. And this would be the fifth visit.

But this time, there was Pizza and Mikey was playing your favorite game.

"Dude, Pizza and Party Crasher 2? I'm in literal heaven!"

They all were quite surprised by the sudden change in personality, usually, you were much less...talkative.

Mikey snapped out of it first, "You like meat lovers, Dudette?"

"Hell yeah."

"You're totally free to grab a slice."

"Hey, is that Vileior? You unlocked him? Wicked, takes mad skill."

He offered a second remote and a few minutes later you were playing. The playing field was even, you both were good at that game.

Mikey groaned as you both joint-battled a superhero, "Mr. Cool is totally relentless!"

You scoffed, "Jeez, with a name like that, he really needs to get laid.--That's like a username a twelve-year-old playing as fifteen would have."

A totally pretty girl who loves pizza, video games, and isn't afraid to get dirty?

Sorry, Casey. Mikey won't be able to keep you off-limits for long.

[zachsgamejournal]

PLAYING: Mega Man Legends

Ah yes, a wonderful PS1 classic. Exactly what I needed. Exactly what I always need.

I played through three Star Wars games back to back: Dark Forces 2, Mysteries of the Sith, and Jedi Outcast. What I hoped to get out of these games was strongly Star Wars themed action adventures that were pickup-and-play. They were that, for the most part. But the levels were overly long, the difficulty uneven, and the complete experiences were mostly...exhausting. So when choosing my next game, I felt like I needed something more “reliable”. Mega Man Legends might be just what I was looking for...

I played the game as a teen in the 90s. It blew me away. Not sure I had played a Mega Man game, but I knew of them as 2D run-n-gunners. So to see a 3D Mega Man, with voice acting, cut scenes, and a full-fledged story was surprising. And it wasn’t like every game at this time were of this caliber. Resident Evil 2. Metal Gear Solid, and Ocarina of Time hadn’t been released yet. This game was blazing new trails!

Now...that’s not to say it’s a complete original. Tomb Raider had already shown the world how 3D platforming shooters could work. And much of MGL is RPG-inspired. Still, there was decent anime voice acting, and cut scenes. The graphics were doing the best they cool for 1997 on the PS1, and the art-direction is still a delight now in 2021. But what really always blew me away was how the buster-canon could be customized. You bought add-ons that boosted specific stats: power, range, fire-rate, and energy (clip-size). You could customize the canon with certain combinations to fit your play style or the situation. I’m really disappointed more games haven’t ripped this off completely (looking at you Borderlands!).

What I really love about this game is the freedom. That’s what makes all great games to me, a sense of freedom to enjoy the world presented. And I love getting to explore and find secrets. Anyway, I’ve enjoyed this game in the past and I’ve restarted it many times, but I’ve never beaten it. That changes now. I’m committed.

The controls (playing on Duckstation) kinda suck. You move forward, back, and left-right with the D-Pad. To turn (rotate) you have to use the shoulder buttons. It’s a precursor to the now-standard two-stick shooter controls of all FPS’s. But at this time, it was a complicated concert of actions to get around. Luckily, the environments aren’t too crazy: usually just straight hallways and large, open spaces. But some challenges are only challenges because of the controls. This is made more annoying by the fact that you can’t shoot while moving.

Well...you can. But only when moving forward or sideways. Not while backwards or turning. I think this is fixed in MML2--but not sure.

There’s a Lock-on button to help with the shooting, but it can occasionally focus on the wrong target. But even without the lock-on, there’s a pretty helpful auto-aim for targets mostly in front of Mega Man.

The difficulty pacing of the game is...well it’s bad. But that’s because as much as the game likes to hold your hand with tutorials and gameplay explanation, they don’t do a great job ensuring you’re properly equipped. I remember playing a few times and finding the first “bosses” to be brutally difficult. You basically go from exploring a short beginner’s dungeon to fighting three boss fights back to back. And these are not easy-going boss fights. These are “hope you’ve mastered these awkward ass controls” boss fights.

But the problem, it seems, is that I just wasn’t prepared. I double-checked a shop before going into the fights and found I was able to upgrade my health points by about 3 notches. I bought a health flask, and upgraded it as well. And then I was able to buy buster parts to make my canon  more formidable. This time, each boss fight was...not easy--but not frustrating. I didn’t fail any of the objectives, and found I could take a few risks without fear of losing. So now I’ve made it a point to constantly visit shops and grind some Zenny for upgrades.

This is where the RPG-ness comes in. While you don’t earn XP and level up--money (zenny) can be used to purchase health, armor, and weapon upgrades. You can also find weapon upgrades in the “dungeons”. Not all combat happens in dungeons. Much of the fighting has been above ground, in forests and towns.

The dungeons are pretty simple. They’re basically on grid-layouts with hallways leading to a variety of open rooms. It would be super easy to randomly generate these kinds of levels. And while I get some Zelda vibes from the treasure chests, the dungeons lack any sort of creative puzzle solving or unique tools and obstacles.

Given that the story of this game is that “diggers” (treasure seekers, tomb raiders--whatever you wanna call em) are exploring underground dungones/vaults for riches, the game could have easily been about finding islands with dungeons and exploring them. I mean, this game could totally function as a Sea of Thieves, and be infinitely playable. But I’m not sure games as such were really in the minds of designers at the time. So instead they created something more linear and story-driven. Which totally works.

Speaking of story--it’s silly. Mega Man is a “Digger” that goes around looking for refractor power sources. It seems this is a post-apocalypse world where oceans have risen to engulf much of the mainland (climate change warning??). To have power, the new cities that have formed must scavenger power from subterranean labyrinths filled with hostile robots. But while the Diggers appear to be generally well-meaning, there are pirates who seek power for power’s sake.

There’s a legendary abundance of energy called the Mother Lode. Um...Ok. It’s supposedly underneath this specific city that Mega Man and friends just so happen to crash land at. So Pirates have begun attacking the city to claim it. One of them is a girl named Tron Bonne. While she works with her pirate family and their army of super cute lego-looking robots, she develops a crush on Mega Man after he saves her from a tiny dog. It’s kind of an interesting development as you see signs of the pirates and Tron before the invasion truly begins. 

Beyond that, there’s not a ton of plot development. It’s really more character driven. Not super complicated characters, but people trying to live their lives while pirates bomb the library (why the library??).

I’m hitting the point in the game I reached when I first played as a teen. That first time was the furthest I’d ever gotten. So once I’m past that, it’ll be all new territory. I can’t wait!

While playing this, though, I can’t get Elder Scrolls out of my mind. I’ve really wanted to play through Morrowind or Oblivion. That thought has made me wish MML was open world like ES.

[dancing-with-dichotomies]

“Lone Pearl Cowgirl” Ch5 update/Important mentions

I've been feeling... Pretty super horribly awful down lately, like bottom of the bottom... Been fighting several things at once. A persistant seasonal depression, probably. My massive damn writing block that's haunted every single thing I've tried to write all this damn year, and part of the last too. My damned body that just Won't. Stop. Hurting. EVER...

And my abusive family, my family that is literally in a damn cult, my family that "lowkey" supported the second-coming of the worst kinds of evil, even though not a small portion of our family once escaped that... Them holding me down, manipulating me knowing I am disabled, isolating me all my life and using me...And I can only hope that being able to live away from them won't just be a dream when I'm disabled but can't get disability, live in one of the priciest damned states in the country, and my parents keep sabotaging me and using me and manipulating me. I've tried to claw myself away from them. It hurts to keep seeing them selfishly sabotage me and having others judge me. So much of my life hurts, but especially lately, around winter, around my birthday... And they always actively dunk on me harder around my birthday...

That, plus my pain increasing, and... and, and, and... Well, you probably already get it if yer one of the ones who even really cared, so I won't go on if yer not, but...

Anyways I feel like it so I wanna tell the people who REALLY helped me to survive what was one of the worst bouts of depression I've had in years, even knowing I generally get depressed periodically... You guys are really the ones who made a difference this time and you should know it.

crappy-crapolice  -- Change yer nickname already, Crappy. Yer the awesomest. XP XD Really dude, most of the time we just BS and have fun with various fandom shit, but you've seen me at my lowest points not just once but a few times, seen me get paranoid and doubt you a few times, but you've always been so patient and amazing about reminding me that it's my mental illness making me think/believe those things. And you've always been so great at reminding me when I need those reminders, but without judging me or shaming me. You've been so nice about really listening to my issues and realizing how many struggles I face that the average person doesn't, how I get way less help, way more demands, and way more obstruction than the average person, and you've showed me real sympathy instead of the usual "get over it already, nobody cares about what happened in your past only that you can contribute in the present" or "I'm sorry that happened to you, but also this bores me, can't we just talk about nice things 24-7..." type 'sympathy' most people settle for all too quickly... You've been the one to remind me of my own limitations when most people don't even want to hear about it, won't even let me finish before they judge me. Most just settle for assuming that someone in a bad position must deserve it. That they're not working hard enough or something. You're one of the few that really understood... Because you're one of the few who really listened long enough and didn't just blow me off or dismiss me. You treated me like I'm still a normal human being even when I've been in the midst of going kinda crazy from the stress, and that's what's managed to bring me back sometimes... Also, I hardly ever even TALK about the fandom we started out in anymore, I actually kinda dislike that fandom more than not after it all was over with, and you've still treated me like a friend. A lot of people would just drift away if you weren't interested in their fandom anymore. But you care about not just my other fandom interests too, but my original work. That really means a lot to me, NOT-Crappy. Thanks, dude. <3

Iris - People like you give me hope for the future. You work so incredibly hard for such a selfless cause. People even really mistreat doctors where you're from, and you're still determined to make it your life mission to heal and save and educate as many people as you can. Of course like I've told you to, you need to remember to make time for yourself! But I'm so incredibly grateful you've made time for me too... Again, we fandom BS a lot, but we also talk about the heavy stuff too, and I wanna let you know I appreciate it, that it helps make it feel lighter about it overall and I hope you do too. You always really listen and talk with me, have answered questions I've had, and are concerned about how I'm really feeling, instead of just rushing to cover up my troubles. It's doubly impressive that you manage to be so patient when you work so long and so hard. I have some pretty bad issues with feelings of being abandoned and "disappeared", so I really especially appreciate you talking me through that. It's also super impressive to me that despite us having a couple times where we both kinda unintentionally offended the other saying things that didnt quite come out right over the keyboard, that we managed to talk to each other about how we felt about it and clarify that no harm was meant. I know you're really busy and sometimes a while goes by where we don't talk, and even still it's easy to trust that you wouldn't just disappear on me, and that you'd really care if I truly disappeared too... I just want you to know. You're not just a My Hero-fan, you're a legit real life hero to me and I know to a lot of other people too. <3 <3

closet-cryptid/Michelle - We sometimes go a while without talking nowadays, I know we both know how hard it is with a little one, and that yer net sometimes goes in and out. But again, yer one of those friends I trust enough that it doesn't  matter. It actually amazes me even more because there was a time where we had a pretty big disagreement to say the least, and both said some pretty harsh things. I was fully prepared to burn our bridge of friendship, but to my deep surprise, you actually apologized some time later, and I did too, and I feel like we're better friends for it now. And again, yer one of those people who don't just  try to cover up troubles with fandom. We have our fun fandom discussions, but you've always been really willing to listen and really be sympathetic when I need to be sad too, you care about the real me and not just the me that made content for the fandom, and that's why we're still around to still putz about the fandom junk too. IZ FOREVER! XD (and I hope you and your sisters feel better too <3)

csp124 - Yer a newer friend, but yanno, you've proven to be a good one. Again, we can putz about fandom junk or other fun stuff, but you've been truly understanding about allowing me to talk about the bad junk that's been worrying my mind so much lately. You've been really helpful especially lately because you didn't just give up on me because my illness wouldn't let me stop "being negative" for a while, as some people reduce it to. Even though I didn't want to look on the bright side for a while, you kept bringing it up to me. It took a while, others gave up on me and got frustrated or angry with me, but you're one of the ones who kept being positive when you knew I -couldn't-, not that I just -wouldn't-, and understanding of my darkness too...

unified-multiversal-theory - Everybody here has helped me along a lot in various ways this year, but you've shown a special interest in my original work especially that really helped give me the inspiration I needed to get this latest chapter done. I feel so proud and relieved to have gotten chapter five finally done, and have more hope than I have in a while that the rest might be possible too. It's really deeply disheartening, a whole new level of isolation and depression, when so many people time and again, even other creators you'd hope would get it or at LEAST encourage you a LITTLE instead of being overly critical, especially those that get heaped with praise themselves, either ignore you completely/never give you a chance or even tear your creations down, claiming that they're trying to be "helpful/constructive". It's not that I can't handle constructive criticism, but I can recognize my characters being torn down by someone who is being overly critical because they dont really care one whiff about my work and REAL, ACTUAL -constructive- criticism like the kind you gave me, where you actually found a few errors that, while it depressed me for a moment to realize I had forgotten something so silly and needed to rewrite almost a while page because of it lol, IT ACTUALLY HELPED ME FINALLY FINISH THE DANG CHAPTER INSTEAD OF PARALYZING ME WITH DEPRESSION AND FEAR ABOUT MY ENTIRE WORK. You actually discussed my ideas and plot in detail and that's been so incredibly helpful. I know like Iris yer busy, so I wanted to say thank you for taking the time to help me with this especially. This work means more than a lot to me, a lot of people just blow it off like a silly story but it's SO much more than that. Helping me with this has really improved my outlook on life lately. I know everyone knows I love and live for my daughter, that she's the reason I keep existing... But she's not the reason I was made to exist in the first place. I feel like this story and her sister-stories are. Sometimes I confuse it because everything is confusing in this world, and because there's a sea of people who think the crazy shit Christians and Muslims and men in general do makes sense but somehow I'M the really crazy one, but... Just, thanks. I just feel a lot saner now that I made progress on something that means so much to me, and to know there's at least a few people out there who also really take interest in and appreciate it. <3

itsmorethanjustafantasy - We actually don't talk too much at all lol, here and there we talk a bit about fandom, but yanno... I just wanted to mention again how nice I think you are for sending people holiday well-wishes. Growing up with 90+% of my family in the Jehovah's Witnesses cult, and because of how sick I was growing up, my birthday and other holidays were especially hard times for me. Always on the outside looking in. Trained to tell other people it didn't matter and reject any holiday wishes or gifts given to my face when they were around, but deep down always feeling so lonely and isolated and excluded. You're one of those people who just out of the blue wishes people well on the holidays. For most people it's probably just nice. I just wanted you to know it did a little more for me though. It was nice to do for me, but it also made me feel included, and like someone remembered me. Thank u for that. Belated Happy Halloween, and upcoming Merry Christmas!

In general, there were a few other people that popped in when I was temporarily mad with grief and pain and helped talk to me about the rough stuff, bookrebelwordwarrior, kendallandherstuff, and a handful of others, sorry if it's been a while and I forgot anyone specific, but yeah. To everyone who really helped me and and didn't just give up on me, who not just remembered the good in me, but helped me to eventually see it again too, and help that goodness actually -grow-... Help bring out what -I- feel is really the best of me, not what others want me to be... Thank you. I can't say I'll never be depressed again, I've seen too much and there's so much stacked against me, but I'll try my best to keep trying, to keep believing progress is possible even when it feels like your life is currently stagnant and there's an ocean of people who don't care if you die or that you even ever existed. It's sad that there's so few, but life is just barely bearable when people really show they care. <3

So, consider this latest chapter of Lone Pearl,  "Faithful Phil and the Martyred Mother", dedicated to you guys. <3

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20041537/chapters/51013765

[thumbscrewgaming]

Rise of the Tomb Raider (Lara kills a ton of people, but everyone is cool with it.)

Rise is the second iteration of the new, younger, spunkier, and still curvy Lara Croft. The original reboot displayed a perfect fusion of adventure, combat, platforming, and exploring. Rise of the Tomb Raider brings all those things back together and still managers to add a bit more cinematic flare.

What a girl to do?

We’ve all seen this story before, Lara gets a crazy idea in her head that there is a lost civilization that knows the means of immortality, but of course there is a religious cult that wants to find it as well and their paths cross and Lara ends up having to kill a bunch of people when all she wanted to do was to make her dad proud…pretty standard stuff.

At the start of her path to finding this lost city of Kitezh that her father failed to discover, Lara gets separated from her guide and needs to survive and avoid the paramilitary organization, Trinity.

Lara learns new skills through gaining XP and upgrading at campsites that serve as fast travel locations. The levels are broken up into sections, but all technically connect, so Lara can travel forwards and backwards at will. Lara’s weapons include pistols, ARs, sniper rifles, bows, and tools. All of them can be upgraded bunch of different attachments or attributes.

Hunting animals is a major part of upgrading Lara’s gear and making new outfits. The larger animals are some of the most dangerous enemies in the game and should not be trifled with.

Her skills are abundant and pretty useful. Lara can select between three categories of skill trees to turn herself into the best dang tomb raider around.

An odd aspect of the game was the merchant shop that allowed Lara to use found coins to buy certain tools. It is enough work to upgrade herself, why bother with having her search for silly coins that serve no other purpose?

Her journey is robust and most sections have plenty of areas to explore that are mostly optional if you want to roll that way. I suggest completing the puzzle caves as they give Lara new skills and are a lot of fun.

After completing the story line, I was surprised to see how much more could be explored and accomplished. The devs really provided for the 100%ers out there. Collecting and completing all the side missions will definitely take some time.

Bummers

As Lara, Trinity, and the Remnant (protectors of Kitezh) all clash the story falls short to explain the motivations of all parties involved and why I should care one way or the other.

Most of the story is told through pick-ups that litter the ground, so be prepared for some dense reading.

The enemies are not that terribly tough and mostly dumb. It all comes down to having the right weapon/grenade to get the job done.

Lara does tend to jump in odd directions sometimes thus sending her to a bone crunching death.

On to the next

Rise is visually stunning and rivals Uncharted 4, but comes short on the cinematic level. Though, I don’t see why the next installment will be anything less than awesome.

Lara’s lengthy adventure of death and the supernatural has more than likely given her PTSD, CTE, and social anxiety. Hopefully she won’t be popping pills and having mood swings in the next installment, or maybe she will…hmm. [Rise of the Tomb Raider – A Must Play]