#Vampyr video game analysis

[silurisanguine]

So confirmation. Geoffrey is around two inches shorter than Jonathan. I managed to get them standing side by side in the cemetery then took a photo from the back. But Geoffrey is obviously broader in the shoulders and chest. (addendum - also note Jonathan is slouching a little, as shown by the sloped shoulders. So he could be even taller.) Hope that helps fic writers and artists!

[naofaun]

Welcome to naofaun’s blog! 💤

you're feeding me poison, addicted to this feeling, i can't help but swallow up . . .

Nickname/s:

nao, angel

Age:

nineteen

Pronouns:

fluctuating; current: he/him

Misc:

autism, adhd, pots, ehds, bpd, and more

BYI:

i have a very hard time with tone and i would appreciate the usage of tone indicators. if you think im being rude, i promise im not - there's either something going on or it's my poor ability to read and articulate tone.

please refrain from posts or messages containing long strings of emojis. stay away from special fonts or characters. i use a screen reader (albeit very off and on), and these things break it so badly.

DNI:

i don't have much of a dni, but i will block: discourse blogs of any kind, people who believe (p. disorder) abuse exists (“narc abuse”, etc), and for literally any and all other reasons. i block very freely.

————————————

Likes:

rainy days, cats, vampires, psychology, romance novels, pastel colours, video games, pies, ice cream, and more !

Dislikes:

loud noises, hot days, desaturated colours (esp. oranges and greens), derealization horror such as liminal spaces, chicken nuggets, and more !

Hobbies:

reading, writing, gaming, photography, journaling, listening to music, shopping, sleeping, swimming, book collecting, painting, astrology, and poetry

————————————

What this blog posts:

mostly reblogs from hellaverse, persona 5, and more

Media interests:

hazbin hotel [*], genshin impact, minecraft, sims 4, bungou stray dogs, death note, persona 5: royal, castlevania, castlevania: nocturne, vanitas no cartes, honkai star rail, my hero academia, obey me, lego ninjago, lego ninjago: dragon's rising, sander's sides, stardew valley, roblox, life is strange: true colours, slime rancher, detroit: become human, vampyr, and more!

please note that i am very critical of all of my interests. most, if not all, of these have been or are special interests/hyperfixations at some point.

* i do not support the creator of hazbin hotel. i don't condone the use of the r slur, racism, and everything else that's wrong with these shows and vivzie.

Thank you for reading!

—

{ ♡ } coded tags !!!

• { ♡ } moonshine . . .

things that i want to share for later

• { ♡ } sunrise . . .

reblogs or posts about catastrophic, traumatic or otherwise unpleasant world events. please block this tag if you don't want to see it. i stay away from news like this because it severely impacts my mental health but occasionally i'll reblog something.

—

posts im unashamedly proud of (a (future) long list):

morro essay:

childe... analysis thing??

post-season 5 bsd au:

chuuya analysis:

about jealousy:

[yogpetshame]

You were talking about views and that and it made me look at the Yog channels to see how they were doing (let's just say; yikes). Y'know I used to love Rythian's content, but the reason I unsubbed was because he posted one video a day - which isn't a problem - the problem was he posted the same game for weeks on end. If I didn't like what he was playing I'd have to wait a while for a change. There's slightly more variety now, but just not enough.

Yeah, Rythian is a tough one. He’s the anti-prodigal son, this bastion of responsibility and all-around good intentions. When everyone else is standing in their own piss, he’s the spotless guy. It’s tough not to put him on a pedestal, especially when I’ve featured his vlogs before for being so open and deliberately ethical.

But he’s also the Ned Stark. He’s the only one playing a completely straight hand and (spoilers) that doesn’t work in the real world.

He plays a game he likes, for as long as he likes, which is often much longer than the average person likes to watch him. He doesn’t pick up YouTube bait. The numbering is the only thing that changes between thumbnails. The videos have titles, but they’re understated. He supplements the game with his commentary, he doesn’t use it as a vehicle for his personal podcast.

These are all things I advocate heavily for. But they only really work at a risk. They essentially strip away everything and force the video to stand on it’s own merit. He could succeed that way, but there are still some things he could do that would keep him fresh without being compromising.

He does this sometimes, but he could be a lot more strategic with his scheduling. Switch daily between two concurrent let’s plays so one doesn’t get boring and there’s a chance for viewers to “change trains” if things are getting slow. For example, he’s interrupted Vampyr a few times at the start to mix other things in, but he recently went 20 episodes in a row without changing. He should save his interruptions for the back end of the game, so people have something to move to if they’ve fallen off from Vampyr.

Add in a biweekly slot for video essays about storytelling or whatever and then promote it on Reddit. Throw in game analysis, since he seems to be fairly adept at it.

Small changes. But I think they could be good for him.

[inkni]

The Most Anticipated of 2017

Okay, so, revelation: there’s a lot of entertainment to take in this year. The INK crew and I chose to review the entertainment we’re most anticipating and/or dreading this year (but you won’t see much of the latter from me). Lucky for you, my thoughts on this topic span more than one post. Because I’m indecisive me, I simplified my list of entertainment mediums under consideration to a whopping 4 categories: film, TV, music, and video games. Without further ado, here’s what I have my antennae up for this year.  

MOST ANTICIPATED…

IN FILM

Marvel Event (November 3): While Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2, and Spider-Man: Homecoming are taking up most of the limelight on publications’ “most anticipated” lists, my attention is on Thor: Ragnarok. With the most vibrant chemistry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), especially considering what a left turn Captain America and Iron Man’s relationship took, Thor and Loki and their stellar Asgard are enough to pique my interest. Add to that mix Anthony Hopkins, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo, Idris Elba, Jeff Goldblum, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tessa Thompson, and you have the most acclaimed cast for a Marvel film. Director Taika Waititi had one of 2016′s funniest and most honest comedies with Hunt for the Wilderpeople, so I expect he’ll bring a wonderfully fresh brand of quirky comedy to Marvel’s trademark jocularity. Thor is the most underrated series in the MCU, which won’t change this year under the shadow of Guardians and Spider-Man. And I’m ready for this to be Marvel’s “hidden gem.”

Filmic Adaptation (TBA): Jeanette Walls’ 2005 memoir, The Glass Castle, is such an intelligent and unflinching look at a dysfunctional family and survival amidst constant change, I fear some of its emotional nuance will be lost on the big screen. However, Walls’s story is in good hands with director Destin Cretton, whose Short Term 12 so effectively explored the uncertainty and fragility of human relationships in seemingly powerless situations. In a moment of true godsend, Cretton’s lead for that film, Oscar’s current best actress Brie Larson, takes on the role of Walls. She’s joined by a strong supporting cast of Naomi Watts, Woody Harrelson, and Max Greenfield. If it hits all the right notes, I expect we’ll be seeing much more of The Glass Castle come 2017′s awards season.

Movie With Toys (February 10): The most famous caped crusader + Lego + Mariah Carey = Need I say more?

Genre Mashup (July 28): Stephen King’s magnum opus of a series—or so many would call it—gets the theatrical treatment. In The Dark Tower, a 10-year-old boy, Jake, falls into a cutthroat, fantastical world where Idris Elba (Roland Deschain) is a knight fighting off monsters and sorcerers, the baddest of which is played by Matthew McConaughey (in what’s sure to be maniacally ruthless fashion). For Jake and Deschain, It’s not just a fight to rule the kingdom of Mid-World. They’re up against time too. Jake must make it to the Dark Tower of End-World to save Deschain’s Mid-World. Multiple dimensions, monsters, sorcerers, knights, and King’s trademark touch of horror make for 2017′s most intriguing mashup.

Most Dreading: More of Jesse Eisenberg’s Lex Luthor in Justice League. No interpretation of a character—especially one as classic as Lex—was as grating, infuriating, and just plain annoying as Eisenberg was in Batman v Superman. It was the sourest point in a film that got a way worse wrap than it deserved. Here’s to hoping they keep his screen time to a minimum (but we know they won’t). Watch (again) if you dare.

IN TV

Supernatural Entry (FX, February 8): Noah Hawley, showrunner of FX’s acclaimed Fargo series, decided it’s high time for X-Men to hit the small screen with a live-action format. The series follows Professor X’s son, Legion, as he discovers he’s more than his mental disorder. Dan Stevens, the Beast of Disney’s upcoming Beauty and the Beast, leads a cast that includes Parks and Rec alum Aubrey Plaza and the always-top-notch Jean Smart. I expect the show will provide a fruitful analysis of societal attitudes towards mental disability, but I hope it also sets the stage for a feast of visual effects.

Limited Miniseries (HBO, February 19): An absolutely knock-out, female-led cast—Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Reese Witherspoon—heads to a small (seaside?) town for a look at the lives of three women in Big Little Lies. Kidman, Witherspoon, and Woodley star as as the trio that endures scandal, small-town agendas, and, well, lies. This adaptation of Liane Moriarty’s 2014 novel is under the direction of legendary dramedy scribe, David E. Kelley, and the man who brought us Wild and Dallas Buyer’s Club. Prepare yourself for killer performances, snappy dialogue, and brooding cinematography.

TV Adaptation (Hulu, April 26): Author Margaret Atwood is such a prolific and innovative author, so many of her offerings could find new life in today’s “Platinum Age” of TV. It makes sense, then, that Hulu would choose to adapt one of her more famous and accessible novels, The Handmaid’s Tale. The show is set in the dystopian Republic of Gilead, where pregnancies are scarce and certain women, known as Handmaids, are indentured baby machines. Mad Men’s Elisabeth Moss stars as Offred, a Handmaid serving the Commander (Joseph Fiennes) and his wife (Yvonne Strahovski), who decides to end her hellish servitude. Intrigue awaits.

IN VIDEO GAMES

Vampyr (Xbox One, TBA): There’s the superhero fight-fest of Injustice 2 (please let it have a seemless narrative like Mortal Kombat IX); the Red Dead follow-up; Prey, a horror-action thriller from the Dishonored 2 team; and of course Mass Effect: Andromeda, which Mark discussed in detail. Then there’s Vampyr. Based on the Spanish flu epidemic that took over 1918 London, the game follows Jonathan Reid, a vampire doctor. His struggle is to balance his professional oath with his new bloodlust (i.e. study and kill his prey, oodles of innocent people). Overall, the semi-open world, role-playing format, and historical setting are reasons enough to call me intrigued.

[terryblount]

Call of Cthulhu Review

“Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn” (“In his house at R’lyeh, dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.”). H. P. Lovecraft’

No, this is not a first person shooter starring the lord Cthulhu; trying to save the world in the name of duty. It is a very different game, a much slower game so some will love it and some will hate it. I did neither of those… I just fell asleep in my chair… twice.

Madness? More like sadness

It’s been almost two decades since I read the books by the world famous writer H.P. Lovecraft. Now, after 90 years, we have Call of Cthulhu the official game. To be honest I was pretty excited when I first heard the announcement. I was expecting something a bit different, something like an open-world-ish adventure game with a heavy focus on the protagonist’s mental state. Now while the devs said it will be a survival/horror rpg investigation game – and it is – in my eyes it looks like a glorified walking simulator. While this is just my opinion I do not necessarily say the game is bad. It isn’t great but I had fun playing it, even if some parts did put me to sleep.

Ah yes, sleeping pills, how original. Why not painkillers? Max would approve!

Call of Cthulhu tells the story of Edward Pierce; an alcoholic WWI veteran working as a private investigator who is called to investigate (obviously) the death of a wealthy family at the remote island Darkwater near Boston.

This is the best vacation spot ever, said no one ever

The game is not very pretty, and some assets – like the 3D models – look awful. At least it runs fine with everything maxed. There were some places that dropped the frames below sixty but thankfully that was a rare occurrence. If you want a more detailed read regarding the game’s performance go ahead and check our analysis.

Seriously, with a face like that a shotgun is just overkill

I really have almost nothing to say about the music or sound effects. Nothing really stuck in mind and the soundtrack was absolutely forgettable. Sounds are basic at best, and the sound of walking in high heels must be the most unrealistic one yet I’ve heard in a video game.

The voice acting is a mixed bag. While the main characters are mostly OK, the rest are not and for some reason I find Pierce’s voice a bit boring and emotionless. Even when there is slight bits of emotion in one voiced line, the transition to the next line can be in a completely different emotion state. He can scream his lungs out one second and the next second sounds as cool and relaxed as possible (like having drinks at the beach). I did not like the voice acting in Vampyr and I don’t like it here, though this is a personal preference and if any of you enjoyed Vampyr you have nothing to be concerned about; the protagonist sounds absolutely the same.

Every night in my dreams, I see you, I feel you

Now while the world is dark and creepy, just as it should be, it is not scary. I usually do not play horror games and this is not a horror game. Dark Corners of the Earth scared me a whole lot more than this. Call of Cthulhu does have a few sequences which produce a bit of anxiety but never fear. And how it can create fear when the game uses checkpoints? Though I do have to say that I really appreciated them.

Seriously lady get a dog, a cat or something.

Speaking of checkpoints and difficulty, one part where you do the classic hide & seek from something sinister and extremely angry “thing” that wants to wear your face for Halloween was fun, hard and stupid at the same time. That is because you have a limited time and knowledge to choose the right tool for the job from many other tools that look alike, so every time you choose wrong you will probably have to replay the sequence which, once again, destroys the flow and immersion of the game. Thankfully these kind of sequences are few. But hey, at least the game does feature skippable cutscenes.

Who in their right mind hangs such an unbelievably disturbing butt ugly painting? Oh wait…

The investigation gameplay is basic. You find clues by collecting items and speaking with specific NPCs. In some scenes you can initiate an “ability” which lets you, in a way, to reconstruct the past scene. Honestly, this mechanic is completely silly and out of place since the game never explains why you are able to see what you see the way you see it. It reminds me the female detective from the Netflix TV series “Luke Cage”. Yeah sure it looks cool and cinematic but it makes no sense.

Psychic Detective: The Cthulhu Incident

There is also a skill-tree with several skills to choose from and each one of them increases specific attributes. To be honest though, I did not fully understand how you gain the ability points. I think it is predefined how many points you get and when you get them, but I might be mistaken. The most important skill, I believe, is the one which unlocks extra dialogue options but unfortunately the dialogues do not blend naturally in the conversation and feel weird. Actually, many dialogue options do not feel natural and do not match the flow of the conversation.

Cthulhu my lord grant me power to level up

You might know the devs from previous titles like Styx, Space Hulk or the recently announced Werewolf, which I really hope to be better than this or their previous released games. The whole game is around eight to ten hours depending on how much investigation you are willing to do and costs forty-five dollars.

Finding something like this in the creepiest place around makes it even more disturbing

This isn’t a bad game, though it feels a bit rushed. There are good things in it but the presentation is lacking and if there was a better balance between the investigation and action parts, the game could have been better by keeping you on your toes during the whole playthrough… or at least a bit more interested along the way. My recommendation is to wait for a price drop, even if you are a fan of the books and the Cthulhu mythos in general. After all, Christmas sales are coming really soon.

Story

World

Pace

Music

Visuals

Playtime: 8+ hours total

Computer Specs: Case: CoolerMaster Cosmos S CPU: i5 4440 GPU: MSI 960GTX 4GB Mobo: MSI B85-G41 RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws X 8GB HDD: Crucial 275GB MX300 PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower 1200W OS: Win7 Monitor: LG 23″ 1080p

Call of Cthulhu Review published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[silurisanguine]

Seen many fics inaccurately (I was one as well!) describe Dr Jonathan Reid's eye colour when he's a pacifist and human, (they don't change - see below!). They call them blue or green, when in fact they are a very pale grey with a central heterochromia of pale hazel. Before turning, we see his eyes twice in flashbacks. Both scenes are tinted slightly red, but we can see the true colour with a bit of colour correction -

Now compare to his stage one - aka Pacifist, no kills eyes. They are the same.

a little comparison stacked (top 2 human, bottom 2 - ekon) -

SO yep, his eyes stay the same after turning. The colour, a natural very pale grey - pale gold hazel in the center fading out to the cold toned grey. Quite beautiful and natural apart from the paleness which is unusual but not unknown - see the actress Meg foster for a blue variant on very pale eye colour. I can see why at times they can appear green or blue, after all lighting can make eyes , especially grey ones change colour depending on light tone.

I thought at first they had a blue tone, but then when deciding to draw him i wanted to study them to get them accurate.

These are real world examples of his pale grey/gold central heterochromia for comparison -

[silurisanguine]

Players often joke about how Jonathan has to find pure water to save his dying plant Lisa, when there are taps there in his office. But looking at the plant in that game, it sure looks like a calathea and let me tell you, looking after two of those buggers myself, Jonathan must know a thing or two as my plants will ONLY tolerate filtered water or rain. In London they definitely would never have done well with the tap water back then! (or now for that matter...far too hard water for it's tastes). Poor doctor is going to have to set up a filter system himself if he wants to keep Lisa looking healthy . (i wish my plants could recover that fast). Also noted is it's in a good position as they also dont like direct sunlight, so that plant gets just enough from what comes in through the open balcony door.

ADDITION -

If you want to see my own Lisa, which yes is a calathea. I found the closest variety to the one in game, that i too have saved from a sad fate (she was dying from bad soil/bad water/ too much light).

Then here she is (had to repot her in good soil, cut off all her yellow dying leaves to let her grow new ones, which she is doing already!(half of those leaves are new) And place her where she can get light but not too much direct light. She gets either rain water or filtered water. Hopefully I will eventually get her looking like the one in game with all that....though might take a bit longer than it does there!

[silurisanguine]

Vampyr : Choices and consequences: part 1 - Edgar Swansea.

(obvious spoilers to later parts of the game)

The more i play this wonderful game the more i see some of the good choices as not so great.

The main one for me being turning Dr Edgar Swansea into an Ekon. Yes it keeps Pembroke in good health as killing or letting him die results in a lost pillar of the community and a severe (the largest in game in fact) drop in health of an area. But if you speak to him and various patients and staff of the hospital after turning, it becomes very clear that he going to become a problem. When speaking to Swansea afterwards you get these conversations -

Edgar: "Jonathan my dear, i can never thank you enough!" Jonathan: "Thank me? For what?" Edgar: "Come now, you know what i mean. I'm, well, I'm just like you!" Jonathan: "Have you no shame?? Must i remind you of your ludicrous actions. Of the men and women who died at your hands?" Edgar: Shame is for mortals, Jonathan. I know it now and you should too. We're something else. Something more." That is worrying, especially the line i've bolded. He doesn't feel any shame for what he caused. if you speak to him again, he refers to experimenting, but on himself... Jonathan: "What will you do now that you are immortal?" Edgar: "Experiment, my dear colleague. I have an eternity to make scientific progress. I could be the only scientist able to undertake extreme experiments on himself!" Jonathan: "My god Edgar, Did you learn nothing from your forays into folly?" Edgar: I have, i swear. No more experiments on mortals....."

But If you speak to Harvey Fiddick, the patient awaiting his arm to be fixed, he says this after asking how things are now Swansea has returned-

"He visited me soon after his return. He asked me if I'd agree to some experimental procedure. I said I'd think about it. This shows Swansea lies to you again. He tells you that he will only experiment on himself, yet here he is offering it to a patient.

If you speak to the patient Thomas Elwood he gives a very concerning account about if the situation is better now Swansea has returned-

"I dont know, he seemed different. Last night, someone approached me while i was sleeping. I didn't move, not a muscle. But he was sniffing my neck. Just like Thelma does." Jonathan asks if he's sure it was Swansea - "I recognised his cologne. Left without a word, gave me the right fucking willies it did." Thelma is the mental patient that believes herself to be a vampire, who Thomas is fond of. The fact Swansea is acting like a blood craving vampire is concerning. We know for a fact he is feeding. His eyes look just like those of the Ascalon club, red rimmed and bloodshot. He mentions that -

"It's like I'm never sated. Fortunately blood is no rare commodity at Pembroke."

At first you think, ah donations, but those weren't that common then and they would actually be a rare commodity...so the only other source is fresh.

Lastly the creepiest comment comes from Nurse Branagan when asked how the situation is now Swansea has returned - "The situation is hard, but Dr Swansea promised me things will get better. he even said he'll take care of us all. And i believe him!" How exactly will he take care of everyone at Pembroke?....

I never spoke to these people in my first play through, only to Swansea and even then he gave me the creeps. He was so happy to being offered to be turned, even said it's what he always wanted, even though Jonathan does it as punishment for his unethical conduct. Why i wrote a fix it in my one story as i believe the idea of experimenting with vampire blood will not turn out well for mortals and immortals alike, especially with Swansea's lack of ethics and as he says shame now. To summarise, i think the best good option if running a pacifist playthrough is to simply let Edgar die. Yes Pembroke goes to serious condition, but if you kill no one there and keep on top of the illnesses, it will not go hostile. Even if you kill Clay, it can go to critical then but not hostile and can be brought back to serious. Embrace more than two people at Pembroke and yes that can send it over, so warning there.

[silurisanguine]

Vampyr : Choices and consequences: part 2 - Geoffrey McCullum.

(obvious spoilers to later in the game)

Ah my favourite Irish vampire hunter. I love this character and wish there was more of him in the game, but from what there is the good choice of letting him go, for me isn't the best choice story wise. If you do spare him and play as pacifist OR high body count he has this to say in either:

Jonathan: "Will you stop the Great Hunt?" Geoffrey: "Yes, but we shall continue to protect innocents from beasts like you and your redheaded friend." Jonathan: "Like me?" Geoffrey: "I am indebted to you for sparing my life at Pembroke. But this wont always be the case. I'm no coward like those Saint Paul's stole brothers." Geoffrey doesn't learn anything. Nothing changes about his opinion of you, even if you have been pacifist this whole time. He calls Reid a beast! If you turn him though and are still low kill level, he has this to say - Geoffrey: I feel so Powerful it give me shivers. I could be the greatest vampire hunter ever, you're worst nightmare in truth....... Jonathan: Will you hunt me? Geoffrey: Not for now, but you had better behave Doctor Reid or i may change my mind He seems much more agreeable and if anything excited by what he is now. He certainly isn't angry like you'd expect him to be. Yes he threatens Jonathan to behave, but he does not refer to Jonathan as a leech or beast like above. (His reply is quite different though if you have a high kill level he states : Geoffrey: You are a vicious beast Reid, Perhaps this city needs you at this time, but i will not forget what you did. This could refer to both his turning and the high body count and makes sense in context of you being a blood thirst Ekon So out of the two choices, turning him seems to be the better outcome as he - Gets a new perspective on what he has hunted all his life. What it IS to be an Ekon and that perhaps some things he believes are wrong. He seems fine with what he is, not angry or resentful, which is surprising considering he is leader of the Priwen Guard and considered a fanatic by Swansea.