#actually i reloaded and did it properly with stealth and all but still

[applejuicewerewolf]

im sure u could tell already but im checking your blog daily like its a baldurs gate newsletter

I'm honred, but also fitting, since I accidentally murdered the entirety of the Baldur's Mouth Gazette in my game.

My newspaper now >:]

[darlingandmreames]

A Thousand Ways to Say It

(also on ao3)

Prompt: Love Languages (a bit of a loose take on it, but my brain latched onto Arthur telling Eames he loved him in ways other than outright saying it and just Ran With It, so here we are)

Summary: Arthur loved Eames. He knew that, and he tried to tell him in his own way. Just never in so many words. Or 5 times Arthur didn’t quite say “I love you”, and 1 time he didn’t need to

@arthureamesmonth

Arthur reloaded his clip and got off four shots before the incoming fire forced him to duck back down behind cover. They would've been fine, the mark's subconscious was only partially militarized so stealth would've been effective enough for them to do the job without any major resistance, but then the other extractor had managed to run directly into the mark. That'd been more than enough to alert his sub-security, and now they were stuck facing a load of gunfire on what should've been an easy job.

“This is why I hate working with amateurs." 

Arthur nodded, glancing over at Eames. He had a few cuts, likely from flying glass, but thankfully seemed otherwise fine. "Issue is when you don't find out they're an amateur until after you start the job."

Eames let out a clipped laugh. "True." He raised up briefly, taking out two projections before dropping back down again. "Any idea where our lovely colleague is?"

"Probably dead."

Eames nodded. "You have any sort of plan? Because all I've got currently is 'try not to get shot'."

Arthur looked at his watch. Just over 15 minutes. That was more than enough time to get the information if they could get the mark's projections off their backs at least a little. Which, given the current state of things, was a pretty big if. He peered around the corner of the bench they were currently hiding behind. "How do you feel about our chances of making it to that hallway over there without getting shot?"

Eames followed his gaze, ducking back down just in time to avoid a bullet. "Questionable, but if we lay down enough covering fire we might be able to make it."

"I'll provide cover as we run." Arthur held a hand up to cut off the objection he knew was coming, flinching as a ricochet sent bits of stone flying in his face. "You're the dreamer. If I die it'll just be a little inconvenient. If you die the dream collapses and the job's fucked." He paused, taking advantage of the lull in incoming fire to take out another projection. "Once we get into the hallway and have more cover we'll split up. The projections will follow you while I find the safe and finish the job." 

Eames grimaced. "I'm not a particular fan of this plan."

"Me neither. You ready?"

Eames nodded again, crouching. "On your go."

Arthur gripped his gun, body tense, and waited for another lull. It was slowing…slowing… "Now!"

He stuck close to Eames' back, providing a general round of fire as they started running. He switched to more focused bursts as the projections took cover, targeting whatever figure he saw first. Cover fire was only useful as long as he had ammo after all, no point in wasting it. The distance between where they'd been taking cover and where the hallway started was thankfully relatively short, and the return fire had only just started up in earnest when they reached it. Arthur turned and ran normally as soon as he was out of line of fire, keeping pace beside Eames as they ran down the hallway.

He stopped at the first intersection they came to, looking around the corner carefully in case it was being patrolled. The hallway was empty though, the only sounds coming from behind them. He turned to Eames, reloading. "You good to distract the projections?"

"Course."

"Eames." Eames had already started off down and hallway when Arthur called after him. He turned to look at him, confused. "Be careful."

Eames gave him a small smile, expression softening slightly. "You too."

Arthur nodded and turned, setting off down the other side of the hallway. "See you in 15 minutes."

I love you.

XXX

Arthur was already in bed by the time Eames got back to the hotel. He had been for a while. It'd been a long couple of days, waking up early and staying late to finish up his research, and it was starting to catch up to him. He could normally stay up until the early hours of the morning with no issue, but now it was barely 10pm and he was already having trouble keeping his eyes open. 

Eames opened the door and slipped in quietly, looking at Arthur with surprise. "Figured you'd be asleep by the time I got in." 

"Almost, but not quite." Arthur stretched out under the covers, trying to stifle a yawn. "Productive evening?"

"Very. Business dinners are always a great context to observe someone in." Eames took his jacket off and dug through his bag. "Guy's your average run of the mill slimy businessman. I could probably forge him in my sleep."

"Hm, we do work with quite a few of those, don't we?"

Eames grinned at him. "Practically our bread and butter."

Arthur went back to scrolling mindlessly through his phone as Eames disappeared into the bathroom. He'd spent the past hour half-heartedly reading through the news as he tried to stay awake, and that seemed like a good way to continue occupying his time until Eames had finished getting ready for bed.

"You heading into the workshop tomorrow?" Eames' voice drifted out of the bathroom over the sound of the sink.

 "No, I was thinking of working in a cafe somewhere." He shrugged. "We're in Rome, I might as well take advantage of the quality espresso."

"You," Eames wandered back out, drying his face with a hand towel, "don't need espresso. You're sleep deprived enough as it is, you don't need to add more caffeine to the mix."

"I'll get a good night's sleep tonight, it'll be fine." Arthur sighed. "And I'll try not to drink more than four shots tomorrow. Sound fair?"

"I suppose." Eames pulled the covers back and climbed into bed, turning the lamp off as he did so. "Mind if I join you?"

Arthur smiled and moved closer. "You're just trying to make sure I don't overdo it on the espresso."

Eames laughed. "Maybe." He shifted, making space for Arthur as he nestled against his side. "Can't I just enjoy your company though?" Arthur hummed happily as he curled against Eames, not even bothering to reply. He could already feel sleep pulling at him as Eames' arm settled around his shoulders. Eames laughed again quietly, pulling him close. "You really are tired, aren't you?"

"Mm, a bit."

"Why did you stay up? You could've just gone to bed." 

Arthur gave a small shrug as he started to drift off. "I sleep better next to you."

I love you.

XXX

“You’re okay.” Arthur brushed Eames’ hair back from his forehead, his other hand rubbing gentle circles on Eames’ back as he threw up. “You’re alright.”

Eames rarely got sick. He might get the occasional cold or bout of food poisoning if he wasn’t careful, but that was usually it. When he did get sick, though, it was bad. The sort of bad that knocked him out and put him out of commission for a week or two straight. Or, in this case, had him bent over the toilet throwing up for hours at a time for the third day in a row. They were supposed to be working a job right now, a quick and easy one extracting information from an old man on behalf of his estranged son, but Eames had come down with whatever the fuck he’d gotten on the the second day and that had put a quick end to their involvement. Well, to Eames’ involvement technically. But someone had to help take care of him until he was a bit more recovered because Arthur learned rather quickly that Eames would do a terrible job of it if left to his own devices. 

Arthur filled a cup up with water and handed it to Eames once he seemed to have gotten through this round of throwing up. “Try and drink at least a little. Otherwise you’re going to get dehydrated.”

“‘M not going to be able to keep it down.”

“I know.” He crouched behind Eames, going back to rubbing his back gently. “But you should try to drink a bit anyways.” Eames managed to get half of it down before setting the cup of the floor and resting his head against his arm. Arthur moved the cup up onto the counter. “Do you think you’re going to be sick again soon?”

“Don’t think so, no.”

“Why don’t we head back to the bed then? That’ll be more comfortable than the bathroom floor.” Arthur helped Eames up slowly. He looked terrible, with dark circles under his eyes and his skin pale and clammy. Arthur remembered the first time he’d seen Eames properly sick; he’d been shocked by the change and had briefly and irrationally wondered if he was maybe dying. He’d gotten more used to the sight, as uncommon as it was, over the years, but he still felt a stab of concern each time. 

Eames was curled against Arthur’s side as soon as they were back in bed, face pressed against Arthur’s t-shirt. That was the other thing he'd learned: when Eames was sick, wearing anything he actually liked was inadvisable at best and downright stupid at worst. So until Eames was more recovered it would be sweatpants and cheap t-shirts that he didn't have to worry about keeping clean and could just throw out when they invariably got something gross on them. Arthur could still feel the slight heat of Eames’ fever through the cloth, but it was far better than it had been the past few days. Hopefully it would break for good sometime this evening. He looked down as Eames muttered something, his voice too muffled to actually make out what he was saying. “Come again?”

He tilted his face up slightly. “Said you’re going to get sick too after this.”

“Maybe. I’ll be fine though.” Arthur ran his hand through Eames’ hair. He was, to be fair, absolutely right. There was almost no way he was getting out of this without catching whatever it was Eames had. When he got sick though it was usually far milder. He'd feel like shit for a few days, but nothing like what Eames was going through. “I don’t get sick like you do.”

“Still. You don’t have to stay.” Eames started to sit up unsteadily. “‘M fine.”

Arthur sighed. “Don’t be an idiot. I’m not going anywhere. Now lay back down." Eames was back against him almost immediately, arms around his waist. Arthur laughed quietly and went back to running his fingers through Eames' hair. Eames was quite affectionate to begin with, and when he got sick he was almost downright clingy. It was sweet, honestly. "Someone has to take care of you."

"I can take care of myself." Eames' voice was muffled again, but at least a bit more understandable.

"Not when you're sick, you can't." 

"You had to drop the job though."

Arthur settled back against the pillows. "Well, it's not like either of us really needed the money. And it wasn't a particularly exciting one, so I doubt we're missing much." He was about to say something else when he felt Eames tense. Arthur gripped his shoulders and pushed him up; he knew all too well what that meant. "No no no no do not throw up in the bed."

It was close, but Eames managed to make it back to the bathroom in time. Arthur crouched behind him, rubbing Eames' back gently as his shoulders shook. He moved back and sat against the tile wall after a few minutes when Eames seemed to have finished throwing up, shifting so that Eames could lay between his legs, head resting on Arthur's chest. "Maybe it's best if we just stay in here for a bit."

Eames groaned, gripping his shirt tightly. "Sorry for making you do this."

"Don't be. I'm certainly not sorry for being here." Arthur wrapped his arms around Eames' shoulders, holding him close. "Let me take care of you."

I love you.

XXX

The fourth drink was, as were most things with Eames, both a wonderful and terrible idea. Arthur hadn't planned on getting drunk, in fact he'd planned on specifically not doing that, but Eames had asked if he wanted a second drink with a smile that had made it clear he was hoping the answer would be yes, and Arthur had never been very good at saying no to that smile. Two drinks turned into three and eventually into four and at some point Arthur had ended up back at Eames’ place, settled quite happily on his lap, the world warm and blurry around him. He wasn’t exactly sure when or how that had happened, but he wasn’t going to complain.

He leaned his head back against Eames’ shoulder. “If I’m hungover tomorrow I’m absolutely blaming you.”

“All I did was ask if you wanted another drink.” Arthur could see Eames grinning out of the corner of his eye. “You could’ve said no.”

“Not when you’re asking, I can’t.”

“Really?” Eames wrapped his arms around Arthur’s waist, holding him close. Arthur moved with him easily. “I had no idea I had such an effect on you.”

Arthur laughed. “Yes you did.”

“Well, okay. I maybe had some idea.”

Arthur hummed contentedly in response, settling back against Eames’ chest. It was wonderful laying here like this. He knew he’d regret those extra drinks in the morning when he’d almost definitely wake up with at least a mild hangover and have to go back to working on the job, but right now he couldn’t think of anything better than sitting with Eames' arms around him, curled against him. Eames chuckled, leaning back against the arm of the couch. “You’re cute when you’re drunk, you know that?”

Arthur tried to cut off the giggle he could feel building up in his chest, but was only partially successful. “I’m not cute.”

“You get a couple of drinks in you and you start blushing and giggling and invariably end up on my lap like some sort of intoxicated cat. You,” Eames kissed his temple, “are an adorable drunk and you absolutely can’t convince me otherwise.”

“And what about you?” Arthur looked up. He tried to fix Eames with a serious glare but based on Eames’ grin he seemed to have failed. “You’re just as drunk as I am.”

“That’s true.” Eames raised an eyebrow. "You saying you think I'm also cute when I'm drunk?"

"No." Arthur frowned. That hadn't been what he'd been trying to say but, to be fair, he wasn't entirely sure what he had been trying to say. He searched for some sort of comeback. "You're always cute. Not just when you're drunk."

Eames stared at him for a moment, surprised, before laughing and pulling Arthur in close. "Shit, you really are drunk."

"Hm, maybe. You're still cute though." He slipped his hand into Eames', train of thought derailing slightly as Eames squeezed his hand back. "You have…you have this smile. It's not your normal one, you know, the polite one you use when you're trying to be nice or friendly. Your real one. The one you use when you're happy or something made you really laugh. Or sometimes you just look at me and suddenly that smile is there for no reason. Your entire face lights up and you…" He shrugged. He knew there were probably better words he was trying to find, but none of them seemed to be coming. "You're cute."

Eames ran his thumb over the back of Arthur's hand, tracing small circles. "Apparently you're a sentimental drunk too." His tone was teasing but even through the haze of alcohol Arthur could hear the fondness behind it.

"Shut up," he giggled. 

"Never." Eames shifted and Arthur slid off his lap slightly and onto the couch beside him, draping his arm across Eames' stomach and nestling against his side. Eames kissed his forehead. "You're a cute, sappy, sentimental drunk and I refuse to ever let you forget it."

"I can't stand you, you know that?" Arthur buried his face against Eames' shirt as Eames laughed. It truly was wonderful laying here like this. It struck Arthur as Eames ran his fingers through his hair that he would be perfectly content to lay here in Eames' arms for the rest of his life. "Can't stand you in the least."

I love you.

XXX

Arthur had some strong opinions about Toronto's downtown architecture, most of them rather negative, but he'd always liked the train station. It was a classic building, with it's high, arched ceiling and wide open atrium, and Arthur may have gotten his start in extraction with strange and paradoxical architecture but he still appreciated a well made classic when he saw it.

He hated it now though. Being at the train station meant morning had come already and it was time for him and Eames to part ways. Again. Three days together after almost four months apart hadn't been nearly enough, but it was all they'd been able to manage. He leaned against Eames, trying to savour the feeling as best he could. 

"Don't look so sad."

Arthur looked down, trying to hide his expression. He both loved and hated how easily Eames could read him. "I'm not sad."

"Yes you are." Eames chuckled and tilted his chin up. "You get sad every time we do this."

"I just don't like goodbyes, that's all." Arthur kept his gaze down, not looking at Eames. It felt childish but if Arthur looked at him he'd see the soft expression he knew was on Eames' face, and that would just make it worse. "I've never liked them."

"It's just a couple of weeks. A month at the most." Eames' hand was against his face and Arthur leaned into the touch, trying to commit the feeling to memory. "We've had longer goodbyes before."

"I know." Arthur reached out and adjusted Eames' collar, frowning slightly. Anything to occupy his attention. "Doesn't make it easier though." His hands drifted slowly down to Eames' waist, fiddling with the hem of his jacket. Finally Arthur looked up and met Eames' gaze. His chest hurt slightly as he saw Eames' expression; it was just as soft and gentle as he'd imagined. "I'll miss you."

Eames grinned at him. "Careful, or I might start to think you actually care about me."

Arthur frowned again. "Careful, or I might decide I don't." 

"Empty threats, that's all you have." Eames' expression softened again, and he ran his thumb over Arthur's cheekbone. "I'll miss you too, darling. I always do." He looked up as an announcement echoed over the loudspeaker. "Well, I think that's you."

"Yeah, it is." Arthur looked back down, fingers still playing absentmindedly with the edge of Eames' jacket. He knew he needed to go, but he couldn't quite bring himself to pull away. Part of him was tempted not to. To stay here, miss his train, forget the job he was supposed to start tomorrow. To not say goodbye. Not again. He was tired of that, tired of weeks, of months, apart. But that was their life. Maybe it wouldn’t be one day- he hoped it wouldn’t be one day- but for now it was. After a moment he sighed. "Be safe?"

"Always." Eames kissed his cheek before pulling away. "I'll see you around, love."

"Yeah." Arthur gave him a small smile that he knew was laced with sadness. "See you around."

I love you.

XXX

Arthur was pissed.

Well, not really. He was worried. Eames had been gone for over an hour. Which wouldn’t be concerning under normal circumstances, but it most certainly fucking was when they had people trying to kill them. They’d been laying low in a safehouse Eames had used in Amsterdam previously for the past few days without any issues, but the client who’d put the hit out in the first place had deep pockets and access to resources. Arthur doubted three days was enough for things to be even remotely safe again.

They’d needed food though. There hadn’t been much in the safehouse when they’d gotten there, and it hadn’t been long before they’d worked through most of what was there. Arthur had tried to insist on going but Eames had pointed out that his Dutch was better and they needed to attract as little attention as possible right now. Arthur had begrudgingly agreed; he knew Eames was right, but that hadn’t done anything to calm the discomfort in his chest as Eames had closed the door to the rundown apartment behind him or tamp down on the restlessness that had made him start pacing back and forth in the small space as the minutes ticked by.

By the time an hour had passed Arthur was well and properly anxious. There was a store nearby, it shouldn’t have taken Eames this long to pick up enough food to last them another few days. Unless something had gone wrong. Unless he’d been made. Been captured. Been killed. Their client had a reputation and Arthur had met men like him before, men who were vengeful and violent and cruel; he didn’t want to think about what would happen if he got his hands on Eames. Couldn’t think about it. His mind wouldn’t leave it alone though, running through the possibilities. Of how Eames might’ve been killed. Of what might happen to him if they had taken him alive.

So Arthur wasn’t angry. Not really. But anger was easier than the worry and anxiety that was gnawing at him so he focused on that instead, letting it build until he could almost ignore the growing fear that something had happened. Not quite, but almost. 

He stopped in his tracks, hand dropping to his gun as the door lock turned, tense and alert. He relaxed as he caught a glimpse of god awful but familiar paisley though, and a moment later Eames was in the apartment closing and locking the door behind him. “Well, we won’t be eating great, but we should be-”

The relief didn't last long, anger flaring in Arthur's chest. “Where the fuck have you been?!”

Eames blinked, clearly surprised by Arthur’s tone. It was admittedly a little harsher than he’d intended, but not by much. He gave Arthur a confused look. “I went to the store, darling. Thought we’d already discussed that.”

“The store is three blocks away. You’ve been gone over an hour!” Arthur tried to take a deep breath but couldn’t quite seem to manage to get a full one. “It shouldn’t have taken that long!”

“The line at the store was long and then I thought I might’ve had a tail so I-”

“A tail?!” Arthur wasn’t quite yelling, raised voices attracted attention and they very much did not need that right now, but it was getting harder to control his volume. “How careless were you?!”

Eames set the bags he was carrying on the floor with a frown. “Arthur, calm down, I wasn’t-”

“No, I’m not going to fucking calm down.” It was harder to take a breath now and he knew he was getting louder despite his best efforts to stay at a normal speaking volume. “You could’ve been killed, Eames, you can’t be this careless! You can’t…”

“Arthur.” Eames’ voice was quiet but firm as he took Arthur’s hands. “It’s alright. I’m alright. Just breathe.”

Arthur gripped Eames’ hands, trying to take a deep breath again. The anger drained out of him as quickly as it had flared up, leaving him feeling shaky and unsteady. “I just…you were gone for so long and I…”

“I know, I’m sorry.” Eames pulled him into a hug and Arthur leaned into the touch gratefully. “I didn’t mean to worry you."

Breathing was a little easier with Eames' arms around him, the pressure grounding him. Still a bit shaky, but easier. "I kept thinking something had happened." He relaxed slightly, the solid feeling of Eames against him helping dissipate some of the anxiety in his chest. "Sorry I got…worked up. I just…I worry sometimes. About you."

"It's alright." Eames pulled back just enough to kiss Arthur's cheek. "I love you too."

Arthur blinked at the words, surprised, before smiling slightly. He'd known how he felt for a while, but he'd never said it out loud. He hadn't known how. Leave it to Eames to figure it out anyways though. He buried his face in the crook of Eames' neck, a gentle warmth replacing some of his worry. "Am I really that easy to read?"

Eames laughed quietly. "Absolutely."

“I do, you know.” Arthur pulled back and looked at Eames with a serious expression. “Love you. I mean it.”

"I know, darling. I've known for a while.” Eames kissed him gently. “And I mean it when I say I love you too.” He smiled. "Now what do you say we eat something? Like I said, it won't be the best meal ever, but it'll be better than the stale crackers we've been eating the past few days."

Arthur smiled back. The anxiety in his chest hadn’t fully disappeared, but it was far better now, and Arthur knew it would be gone soon enough. It was alright. Eames was alright. "Sounds good to me."

[tomyoungwrites]

Adventures in backloggery with Homefront: The Revolution

To say the first Homefront left me lukewarm after playing it would imply that I was left feeling anything after that game finished. Painfully derivative with nothing to say about it’s interesting premise, I left that game fully understanding why so many people dismissed it. 

For those unfamiliar with the premise of Homefront, here it is, fresh from the wikipedia page: “The game tells the story of a resistance movement fighting in the near-future against the military occupation of the Western United States by a Korea unified under Kim Jong-un.”

Sounds interesting right? Telling a guerrilla warfare story based on American soil gives you a chance to take a lot of war-story tropes and twist them into new, interesting forms. Turning America into the occupier instead of the occupier offers a lot to explore. Sadly the original game does nothing like that - instead opting for a very simple “We wanted to take back America and we did” story.

So when I overheard through my gaming circles that the general perception of Homefront: The Revolution was hovering around the 6/10 mark, I was under the impression that while it was an improvement over the first game, it was still not a title that was worth my time. I assumed it was a decent yet uninspiring corridor shooter just like the original game.

Imagine my surprise then when I watched one of the latest videos from Jarek the Gaming Dragon and discovered that my preconceptions about shooting dudes in corridors were entirely wrong! This was an open world shooter, in the vein of Far Cry. And not only that, but the story actually has things to say this time!

Instead of North Korea invading the USA due to them being weakened, North Korea becomes a tech powerhouse. Due to poor decisions by their government, the USA slowly goes into financial ruin while they opt to purchase military technology from North Korea.

North Korea provides aid to the US, but this is just a pretence to establish a foothold and exploit the natural resources within the continent. This is presented as the real reason behind the occupation - because we all know that only evil governments invade foreign countries in order to exploit their natural resources, right?

It’s important to note when talking about the story of this game that playing Homefront: The Revolution in the apocalyptic year that is 2020 makes it hit much different than it would have in 2016. For example, the USA neglecting it’s citizens while spending billions on military weaponry is far too close to reality to even be called satire at this point. However, the he game is very ‘gung-ho’ in it’s expression of American values and honour - which clashed with my current view of the country.

At this point in time, seeing America do things wrong is something that happens on a monthly basis - and seeing people who want to shift the blame for that onto other people is an equally common occurrence. So seeing America ruin itself definitely removes a lot of the sympathy I have for the country as a whole - I of course still sympathise for the common citizen underneath this new regime, but seeing America complain about a foreign power using military might to seize their natural resources isn’t something I can sympathise with the American government suffering through at this point.

Speaking of regimes, seeing Americans actively fighting against a regime who happily deploy lethal force against American citizens (who resist and go against their military police enforced status quo) has also sparked many comparisons to recent events in the US in my mind. I mean, how can it not at this point?

The game does make some effort to comment on the fact that you’re creating more bloodshed and destruction through your actions, but that voice is drowned out by two of the main characters - who’s attitude is “Fuck you, this is America and this is war.” Seeing these characters passionately talk about standing up against the exact evils that America is committing right now makes the whole thing smack of hypocrisy - which isn’t the games fault, but I’d be disingenuous if I didn’t admit it has coloured how I viewed the plot heavily.

Overall, I think the plot does more to explore the themes of the setting than the original Homefront did, but it’s still bogged down in presenting America as the flawless and eternal hero who channels the ‘American Spirit’ through their actions. And this absolutely smacks of hypocrisy in the nightmare-world of 2020.

Also, there is an area of the game where you have to wear a gas mask to survive, but none of the other characters do. They’re expressing their freedoms to breath deadly toxins, I guess?

When it comes to gameplay, it’s not quite true to say that Homefront: The Revolution is a open world game - rather the game is split into a number of open world areas that you unlock as you progress. Keeping different parts of the world silo’d off from each other definitely has benefits from a programming point of view (you don’t have to account for players deciding to go from one side of the map to the other without a loading screen, for one) it also has interesting design implications.

Instead of having to level-gate certain areas of the open world, the game can properly pace each area to your current skill and gear level. You’re also introduced to the different types of zones in a more natural way, and their different mechanics are able to exist separately.

There are two types of area in the game - red zones and yellow zones. These both behave differently in how they express the thematic oppression through gameplay, but I was impressed at just how effective the systems in both areas are at making you feel oppressed.

And that brings me to one of the best things about Homefront: The Revolution - the sense of oppression it expresses through gameplay. It’s important to note that I was playing the game on the hardest difficulty, so this might colour my perception slightly, but I always felt outgunned during almost all my time in the game.

The red zones play similarly to a Far Cry open world, with objectives to complete, collectables to hunt and roaming enemies to attack/get attacked by. Unlike Far Cry however, the environment being full of ruined buildings adds a degree of verticality to the encounters and exploration that makes the smaller world feel much denser than the jungle floor ever did. Here, the game expresses the oppression of the player character through the constant vigilance of patrols and ever-present seeker blimps. These patrol the sky and scan the ground (think the flying drones in Terminator) and will always call in enough reinforcements to kill you. Having to hide under the ruins of collapsed buildings to avoid their search light as they slowly flew overhead always felt tense.

The yellow zones play more like the open world sections of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, with a bigger emphasis on stealth and avoidance of security cameras etc. These areas are typically much more dense than the open red zones, with plenty of corridors and corners to help you break line of sight with enemy patrols. The sheer density of enemies and ways to get spotted in these areas makes you feel constantly on edge, especially when fighting your way out is often a risky option.

And while it doesn’t have as much of an impact, even the health system helps contribute to this sense of oppression. Gone is the regenerating health system, now replaced with a more traditional health bar that must be topped up with healing kits. When you get spotted and enemies take some of your health away, they’re actively chipping away at your resources. This makes each encounter far more threatening, because even if they can’t kill you, they can still whittle you down.

I’m not really a gun guy when it comes to games. It usually takes a game going above and beyond, like in DOOM (2016), to make me actually notice the guns in a game. And oh boy, did I notice the guns in Homefront: The Revolution. Not only do they sound amazing, but they’re extremely well animated and customisable.

The coolest gameplay mechanic in the game is by far the gun customisation mechanic. To summarise, each weapon has two drastically different alternative modes that effect how the gun performs. For example, you can change the stealth-enabling crossbow into a room clearing flamethrower should the need arise. And you can do this on-the-fly while you’re in the game.

Hoping behind cover to change my assault rifle into a sniper rifle in order to take out distant enemies never stopped feeling cool. Seeing the detailed animation of you customising the gun yourself went a massive way in that feeling of coolness. You can also add attachments to your weapons such as silencers in order to adapt to situations as they arrise.

Having you perform these actions yourself adds a lot to the feeling of being a scrappy resistance fighter, having to create your own tools for the job at hand.

Despite all this praise, I can still see why this game sits at a 6/10 rating. Numerous times during my playthrough I would get hard crashes that would require a complete exit from the game. At one point, an NPC blocked a doorway and I needed to reload from a recent checkpoint to escape my new NPC created prison.

I’ve heard that on launch the game was even worse technically, and while the game is definitely good in my eyes, I can see how technical issues could make you easily lose patience with it. It doesn’t quite reach the levels of praise where I’m willing to fully overlook the crashes I’ve experienced, and if it was worse I could see that effecting my view of the game.

Also, the stealth system leaves much to be desired. Despite coming out 4 years after Far Cry 3, the game does nothing to improve on the basic stealth system that game established of “If I see you, my triangle is going to get bigger until I really see you”. This under-baked stealth system led to me mostly abandoning stealth once I’d gained enough gear to handle encounters, despite me being a big fan of stealth options.

Overall, I’m glad that I gave Homefront: The Revolution a shot after all these years of it sitting in my Steam library. At this point, open world titles have a long list of ‘must haves’ thanks to the ubiquity of Ubisoft titles refining the genre. When looking at these titles then, it becomes a case of looking at what is done differently, and the gun system, feeling of oppression and divided world have definitely left an impact on me as a game design nerd.

If you’re looking for an open-world game and don’t mind the occasional crash, it’s definitely worth looking past those 6/10 reviews for the 7.5/10 game that is lurking underneath.

[ozzdog12]

2019- Top 7 (And 1)

  Another year has come to an end and thus the hotly anticipated Top 7 (And 1) from your ‘average at best’ Ozzdog12 is here for you to feast your eyes upon. 2019 was an extremely odd year for me, gaming wise. As parenthood has taken the full brunt of my time, my gaming time and the choices of what games I decided to play, have changed. I played several games this year that, under any previous year I may have stuck with longer or tried again, but as time for gaming has become more and more thin, I now have less ‘patience’ to stick with a BIG RPG (Disco Elysium, one day I’ll get to you). Now I’m going to contradict my previous sentence with this next sentence. I was unemployed for a stretch of 5 weeks and in between looking for jobs I also found myself with a decent amount of time to play some games. What I did with that time is played 2 games that ultimately made the list, for two very different reasons. I also cleared out a chunk of backlog games (Finally beating Diablo 3 for one, thank you Switch) and played several, shorter smaller games in the process. If interested in my previous Top 7 (And 1) 2017 & 2018.

And now on to the And 1 this year

Favorite game that came out in 2019 that actually came out 20+ years ago: Legend of Zelda: Links Awakening (Switch)

This one was actually a hard one to decide as Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition also released this year. AOE2 is the one game I may have put the most time into ever, cumulatively. But I’m giving the nod to Link’s Awakening simply because its BRAND NEW to me. I did not play the original release and this has been an absolute joy to play and is by far, the best Zelda available on Switch. The updated graphics are gorgeous and the art style is great. I haven’t completed the game yet, but I’m slowly chipping away at it at night. It feels and plays like a Zelda game but updated properly to a modern console to make it feel like a brand new game released in 2019 and not just a reskin/up-resed re-release. The game is also structured in a way that appeals to me more than Breath of the Wild was (see 2017 And One for reference). The world feels big, but is contained in a clever way to make it FEEL bigger than it actually is.

Number  7: Rage 2 (PS4)

Rage 2 is a very weird game. I don’t mean it’s weird in the sense that nothing clicks or that its bad. In fact, it’s a joy to play (especially is you love iD shooters). It’s weird because outside of the gameplay mechanics, it’s fairly barren (intentional or not). And I mean that in terms of both story, things to do and the world itself. Having very little to do with the previous Rage (which I really enjoyed on the 360), Rage 2 starts off quick and with a bang. You choose which version of the character you want to be, learn the mechanics and then are eventually sent to a town. There are a total of 6 ‘story’ missions that are stretched out by requiring you to complete tasks for one of the 3 town leaders who you’ve enlisted for help to take down the General. Once you do this, you fight the General and that’s kind’ve it. Now along the way, you will kill a bunch of mutants and humans alike. There are 3 factions (4 if you count the Ghosts in the DLC) that are in an ever engaging gauntlet to the death and you get to play janitor by spilling more guts and blood, but none of it really matters, the Factions I mean. There are a few Crusher Mutants (BIG MUTANTS) to also fight, but they are essentially extra heavy bullet sponges. Now, I know I haven’t really sold you on it, but here’s the thing. I REALLY enjoyed RAGE 2. It was the perfect game to play during the summer. Due to a personal situation I was dealing with (the looming unemployment) it was nice to just sit down at night, turned my brain off and just kill things. It reminded me of a simpler time in my youth playing games like Doom. Same vibe honestly. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more of a story and narrative driven player, but Rage 2 scratched a nostalgia itch for me at the perfect time. 

Number 6: Concrete Genie (PS4)

Concrete Genie is a game that is honestly out of left field for me these days. Not that I don’t like these types of games, it’s just as previous stated, time is somewhat of a precious commodity and had Concrete Genie come out in any other year, I probably would’ve skipped it entirely. However, it didn’t and I’m glad I picked this up for $20. It also scratched a nostalgia itch and reminded me very much of the PS2 era of games like Sly Cooper and Jax and Daxter. You play a kid who is bullied (something I am familiar with first hand, sadly) for being a loner and an artist. His creature drawings come to life with the help of a magic paint brush and your objective to put color back into an abandon town and bring it back to life. There is a VR component I wasn’t able to play because I don’t have a PSVR. The game is fairly simply and doesn’t deviate far from that formula. There is very little combat and just enough variety in the monster’s you can make to keep you going. It’s also fairly short. I was able to complete and collect everything in around 7-8 hours. Having a complete game in a bite size package is something I long for these days. 

Number 5: The Outer Worlds (PS4)

This game should be higher on the list but I put it here simply because while I have played it a fair amount, I haven’t played it enough to warrant it being higher. I’m maybe halfway through? I love Bethesda Fallouts (And Obsidian’s New Vegas) and this is an improved New Vegas in space with a more cheeky approach. The Outer Worlds never takes itself too seriously and revels in its sarcasm. The companions are all mostly likeable enough and each planet has felt distinctive enough to entice me to keep exploring. The mechanics are improved and the overall gameplay is better than New Vegas.  Its structured just like a Fallout game, so there is a lot of comfort there. However,  just like any open world RPG, sitting down for less than an hour and trying to accomplish anything is hard. The Outer Worlds is best played in big chunks. It’s at the top of my list to finish in 2020. 

Number 4: A Plague Tale (PS4)

A Plague Tale was THAT game that was on everyone’s ‘Hidden Gems’ list. I had seen a trailer around E3 and it intrigued me enough to check it out. I completed it over a whole weekend, a rarity. The game isn’t perfect, but everything is serviceable enough to work within the confines of what it’s trying to accomplish. It has some technical flaws and the occasional hiccup, but I’m a sucker for 3rd person action adventure games. The game is mostly centered around stealth with combat as a mostly secondary option. The game takes place in France in 1348 during the rat plague. You play as the daughter of an alchemist and your brother has been sick since birth. Once your village has been raided by the Inquisition, you are cast out to find help. The plague has taken over the majority of the country, but it isn’t until later in the game where the game takes a turn into the fantasy in a major way. You meet up with some really likeable characters with different personality traits along the way that really kept the story moving in an interesting way. The story was really grim at times, but honestly kept me hooked until the final chapter. The boss battle was extremely frustrating. With a sequel being announced, I am extremely interested in where they take the next chapter. 

Number 3: Katana ZERO (Switch)

Katana ZERO rules. There is a fine line where a game is challenging and when a game is unfair. I like a challenge, but I don’t want to work (games like Dark Souls are work). KZ is very similar in style, gameplay, tone, and even music to Hotline Miami. The difference being KZ is a side scroller instead of top down. You play a samurai in a quasi-dystopian future after a war. You are programmed killing machine…or are you? The story is fairly heavy and can bring up some tough subjects. KZ is pretty challenging, especially later in the game, but never once did I feel the game was cheap or unfair. Every time I died (MANY, MANY TIMES) it was always my fault. Either I didn’t plan my attack correctly, I hit the wrong button, took the wrong path, or didn’t time it right. The game has a nifty way of dealing with ‘deaths’ in the game using a neat rewind feature. When you complete a level, it shows you a replay in ‘real time’ giving you a nice recap of your work. Every time I completed a level, I felt a sense of accomplishment. My Switch says I put around 5 hours or more into it once I completed the final level, but it honestly felt longer than that, in a good way. KZ is an absolute blast to play and you should go play it right now!

Number 2: Gears 5 (Xbox One)

I’m a fan of the Gears of War series. The first Gears of War still being my favorite of the series. As time has passed, I’ve become less interested in the series as a whole but still interested enough to play every entry. I thought Gears 4 was the Force Awakens of the series. Essentially a retelling of the same story, with a new coat of paint and new characters with the old ones sprinkled in. Gears 4 was ultimately, fine. So I was actually excited for Gears 5 was going to go and to see how they built upon 4 with a focus on Kait instead of a Fenix. Halfway through the story, the group is divided and it starts to take a different tone. Gears 5 experiments with a first of the series, a semi-open world. I thought it broke up the monotony of wall hug, shoot, reload, repeat. I finished the story in a few days and had a good time with it, though once again, the ending being kind’ve abrupt. The series has a knack for being sort’ve slow, then suddenly turning it to 11, then ending.  I wished the campaign was longer, but it’s still solid. Gears 5 introduced a new mode called Escape, where you and two other players plant a bomb and try to escape a level with limited ammo. There is weekly a revolving door of new levels, which is nice, but each level is just reusing assets. I suspect with time and each new Operation (Season) that will be expanded. Horde mode is back and the character classes are fun. New characters have been added and will continue to be added, but they are an absolute grind to unlock (But you can always pay for them!) The reason Gears 5 is this high is mostly due to the amount of time I spent playing multiplayer. As stated, I loved the original Gears of War and put an insane amount of time into the multiplayer. That was in 2007 and the older I’ve gotten, my desire to invest into multiplayer has waned, almost completely. Once again though, right time, right place. I spent almost the entire month of October, logging on every night, completing challenging and playing online. Something I haven’t done since I was a freshman in college. I had an absolute blast. While I don’t delve into online as feverishly as I did in October, I still occasionally dabble when I get the chance.

Number 1: Mortal Kombat 11 (PS4)

As if this was going to be anything else. I’m a Mortal Kombat mark, plain and simple. I’ve loved the series my entire life. I love the lore, I love how ridiculously violent it is, how goofy and bat shit insane the story has evolved. I love it all. But its not all gore and lore, Mortal Kombat is a supreme fighting game. It’s not a nuanced as the likes of Street Fighter, but its infinitely deeper than a game like Smash Bros. Mortal Kombat is in a good sweet spot for both casuals and hardcore fighting fans. MK11 has maybe the greatest in-depth tutorial that has ever been made in any fighting game. It not only teaches you how to play, it teaches you the terminology. The story picks up right after MKX, with Raiden upset with everyone and taking matters into his own hands by torturing Shinnok. Liu Kang and Kitana rule the Netherrealm. Raiden plans an attack where he is essentially the Trojan Horse. All goes according to plan, until Kronika, The Time Keeper, decides she doesn’t like this anymore and eventually brings back some old friends to help her change time (again) and finally eliminate Raiden from existence. In doing this, Kronika has made all those mirror matches from previous games cannon. The production level and story mode in Netherealm games are on another level compared to other fighting games and they continue that trend in MK11. They implement the gear system from Injustice 2 into MK11 and its fine. The Krypt is amazing and is full of secrets. The Living Towers have returned, this time in the form of the ever changing “Towers of Time”. The roster, which is what everyone really cares about isn’t the worst but isn’t the best. None of the new characters are all that fun (Cetrion, Geras, & Kollector) and the returning roster was missing some notable characters. The DLC thus far has been fairly underwhelming compared to MKX. It was nice to see Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, & Sindel return (all 3 should’ve been in the main roster) but Terminator is lame. MKX had the likes of Tremor, Tanya, & Predator. MK11 seems to break what was a fun tradition in DLC having new, MK characters (Skarlett and Tremor, respectively). While I do think there is another set coming after Spawn, if the leak is true, then it seems underwhelming. I played MK11 pretty religiously for almost 2 months and still play at least once or twice a week. I love MK!

[whotookcheesuschrist]

Some excerpts from the playthrough

I was pretty close to getting chills from that intro. That is the most atmospheric video game intro I’ve experienced thus far. All the way from the menu to the actual game. Fucking damn. (Apart from maybe Dragon Age Inquisition.)

Made it through the first part on the first try. Saved. It didn’t save as far as I thought it would and I had to do it again, failing four times. :-(

“Behold, my amazingly rendered abs. And flat-ass face.”

You can tell this is game was a first attempt in many things; such as delivering awkward, awkward lines.

There is a mission briefing mimicking VHS tapes and I fucking love it.

Whuh... COLONEL DID YOU KILL HIS DOGS? NOOOOOOOOOOOOO

So... that was intensly antagonistic of a character who have up to this point been delivering barely any support apart from diet-coke Sun Tzu.

Speaking of Sun-Tzu...

As of writing I’ve finished MGS2, and there’s a certain related part of that that I will get into on a later date, but this one, more than what’s to come, reminds me of that police interrogation in The Venture Bros.

YOUU SHUT YOUR MOUTH!

In the most threatening way possible, say the words: Follow the mice.

These controls are hUaORRIBLe

In one way, yes, it adds to the difficulty without being forced, but good fucking god, trying to figure out which direction I’m supposed to push the stick while pressing up against a wall is a nightmare. And having to stand still while shooting and not being able to move while aiming at all is... not very user-friendly design. Thank God for auto-aim

In a similar vein, a third-person shooter with the camera angle being from what we Norwegians call bird perspective is a bit of a challenge

The game play is still pretty dope though

Bee tee dubbs, the ex-Fox unit is hereby dubbed the Suicide Squad

(I would totally play a super-hero video game with that kind of lay-out of the villains and the hero. I think this could actually transfer to comics as well, the way the villains are set-up, introduced and used.)

First meeting with Metrosexual Noodle Eastern.

"I love to reload during a battle! There's nothing like the feeling of slamming a long silver bullet into a well greased chamber." — Revolver Ocelot, Metal Gear Solid.

I bet you do, Ozzie

This game is not complete without a ninja.

There’s a masturbation joke lying in there somewhere.

So far this game has been surprisingly Not Gay. Except from Snake’s sick abs, but then comes Otacon and fucks my shit up on so many levels.

Johny’s grand introduction: Face down, ass up

Meryl... I really like Meryl, but she is so obviously one of the “not like other girls”, tomboy-ish archetype that isn’t really all that useful. It’s pretty sad, because we see her kick ass. We know she can, so it’s a little sad that she isn’t properly utilized.

Poor Otacon.

The ninja was depressingly easy to best. I know the TWEETHT!! that comes later with this guy, but man, you’d think it’d be more of a fight.

OH. MY GOD. Let me count down how many ways Otacon’s introduction is gay.

After being saved from death by katana, Otacon stares at Snake downward-up. When the camera stops, we get a damn good shot, yet again, of Snake’s Sick Abs.

“You’re uniform is not like the others...”

The disappointment in Otacon’s voice upon learning that he was not the goal.

The symbolism of Otacon literally coming out of the closet.

Snake sitting with legs crossed like a fucking femme fatale as he and Otacon catch up to speed

Snake inspecting Otacon, crotch on up

Snake walking up to Otacon until he’s one foot away, laying his hand on his shoulder and asking “you okay?” in an uncharacteristic, caring voice: and Otacon being weirede out by it, commenting: “What’s wrong, getting all friendly all of a sudden...”, to which Snake just awkwardly backs away and says “uh nothing, just... glad you’re okay”

Forget Meryl, Hal’s your love interest and we all know it.

“I’ve been therapied into not having an interest in men and no one can break the spell at all none at all nuh-uh...” And of course Snake is going to prove them wrong. Eww. Call it a product of its time, but still, gross.

Bee-tee-dubbs, Otacon and Snake discussing Meryl’s low-pixelated ass strikes me as hilariously “no homo”. I’m pretty sure, given how Hideo is on the subject in later games, that all of it is intentional. Subtext included.

Psycho Mantis, stop dissing my game stats

Poor dude. Seriously, that is a sad and solid backstory for a character

“Riussiain lieady rieportyingk in on wieapions” I like her tho

Man, this game... In all of the silliness it is STILL on-point with its social commentary. Nastasha’s talks about the START programs, nuclear disarmament, the money involved, the ultimate plan of the Foxhound members, nuclear programs made for short-range launches... All of these are things that I’ve seen in the news this week, and what goes on in the game takes place in the year 2005. Not to mention us becoming more and more desensitized to violence and warfare. It is frightening to behold. I wish I had it in me to talk about all of this at length, because there is really a well of subject matters to discuss here.

Once again I experience a video game trying to impose on me that, in the story, something is urgent, but in reality, I have hours of backtracking if I want to.

I... kinda like the voice they gave Sniper Wolf. And that she’s Kurd; it is nice to see that Hideo remembers a little history. And it brings a little variation in a very formulaic artistic industry.

There is nothing so jarring as video game characters talking specifically about the controls on your PS controller. Abs are still sick. I like the little touch that this death will be different from the others, and set you somewhat back in progress. Not enough for it to make an impact, but I appreciate the effort; the game is present even on its own metalevel

Otacon, you sap. Oh and thank you for massaging my arm, Naomi

If Johnny were ever to be in a Rambo-parody the first movie would be called Johnny - First Brown

My old enemy... Stairs...

OTACON DO YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT SUBTEXT MEANS

My tactic for handling this: laying down land mines whenever possible and run like a pussy.

Sniper’s demise, the entire scene for all parties involved, is pretty heartfelt still you two should kiss

I have literally played Die Hard.

HUHHHH! THE PLOT THICKENS! WE’VE BEEN BETRAYED!

Vulcan Raven has no sense of humor. I am big man McLargebeef. Fear me.

One of the greatest things about this game is the boss fights. All of them are different and interesting, fun to play. Same goes for the rest of the game: nothing ever gets to the point of being samey.

I mentioned atmosphere earlier, and oh how I do love this for keeping it throughout. This feels like a beautiful tribute to the 80′s action movies, in tone and spirit as well. This is what the 80′s style tribute that we’ve seen lately really ought to be: specs of hilarity and ridiculoussness mixed with complete sincerity and genuine, dark depth, without getting to caught up in aesthetic.

Metal Gear Chicken.

How can anyone survive working on that thing.

I wonder what Ocelot really thought of Liquid.

GAAASP! MILLER IS BRITISH! OH NO!

Liquid is just an asshole, but if that was his upbringing I feel a little bad for him. No wonder he hyper-compensates.

Snake takes these news surprisingly well

Snake being made into a weapon, robbed of information that he really needs: this game makes his feelings and responses, however douchy, feels quite earned

I am fighting a giant mecha and this is STILL a stealth game.

Okay that... that surprise from Gray Fox actually was a surprise. And what the fuck is he MADE of.

So Richard Dawkins is to blame...

           OF COURSE-

SHIRTLESS BATTLE! OVER A WOMAN!

“MACGYVEEEEEEEEEER!”

Surprise bitch I bet you thought you’d seen the last of me

Liquid’s death is surprisingly evocative for me. I really do feel like Liquid’s plan is more important to him than anything, because he that desperately needs to prove himself in the light of his “father”.

...

                    ...

          ...

          ...

          ...

          .                           .                         .           

          WILL YOU           SHUT UP

BTW I made it through without sacrificing Meryl. I’ve learned what happens in the other ending, and it is pretty dumb how that one leads so much better into the next game than the other. And while on the subject

Woah, yet another twist. Although knowing what I do about Ocelot now it is hardly that surprising. The impact of this is still satisfying and intriguing, because there are things in the game that for someone who isn’t already completely familiar with them seems a bit weird. The reveals here makes some things falll into place, and I am surprised that the game actually did specifically build up to a sequel

It strikes me that I haven’t talked once about the performances. While there are a lot of them that don’t go all in, you gotta give David Hayter props for this, as well as several of the others. This must’ve been so very strange to work on for all of them: not quite a translation from a japanese work, not quite American either, giving this exposition-heavy dialogue a unique life of its own

And the game naming Snake after him is a very cute touch, one that I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t thought of before. And no one could give Snake the layers of believable capability and apparent ineptitude better than he. IQ of 180 my ass.

GOD that ending dragged on.

[nikkibot3000]

So I finished fallout 4

And by finished I just mean main storyline

I didn't get to use Curie much at all after finishing her personal quest because she.... disappeared. I have no fucking clue where she is. I left her in Sanctuary Hills, but she's not there. Even used to bell and a head count.

Went back to her vault every few days worth of in-game time. Nope. Not there either. Ok then.

Stopped in to pretty much every settlement. Still haven't found her. Started building bells in bigger settlements so that I could do head counts. No Curie anywhere. So that's a thing.

Spoilers below the gif because apparently you can't insert a readmore cut from mobile anymore!

So I sided with the railroad and was able to salvage my reputation with the minutemen even though I fucked up because two glitches apparently cancelled each other out.

The only companion I actually lost, like straight up "turned on me and had to be put down," not "disappeared into the fucking matrix because glitch probably?" was Danse after the battle of Bunker Hill, even though I sided Railroad and we made sure there were no survivors to ID us, SPECIFICALLY SO AS NOT TO BLOW MY COVER WITH OTHER FACTIONS. But ok.

First time I fast-traveled back to Sanctuary Hills I didn't think anything of it and he opened fire on me while hiding in a field of razorgrain and I guess my return fire must have grazed someone even though I used VATS because everyone went apeshit and turned on me. Every companion. Every settler. Welp. Reload.

Tried to bait him out of town. He got stuck inside one of the buildings, but at least there were no bystanders. Had to kill him through a hole in the wall. His big character reveal that I never got enough progress to encounter in game was already spoiled for me so looting a synth component was unsurprising.

Then there was this goddamned glitch with an institute quest. I had to keep my cover there so I could rescue Z1-14 (aka RoboMatt because god forbid Matt be only one voice in this game as a companion I can just befriend and leave at Sanctuary Hills where he's safe. Nah. He's also a rebel synth. And even if I wasn't already leaning Railroad for endgame, that would have tipped it. Can't leave RoboMatt behind!), but there was a misunderstanding with the institute trying to recruit someone from the commonwealth surface, and he called the Minutemen to save him.

I was supposed to have the option to talk the minutemen down. I didn't. I tried going in and out of the house a few times and fast traveling elsewhere and back, but I couldn't talk to the dude who locked himself in, the scientist kept yelling the same dialogue line at me to go deal with the Minutemen, and they wouldn't say anything to me beyond 'hey, General.' Then the Minutemen opened fire on a passing vertibird. I helped shoot it down. Either the mission was timed or shooting at the vertibird somehow turned them hostile because then they shot at ME. Hancock killed two of them before I even figured out what the fuck was going on (protip: don't give him a minigun or any kind of grenades unless you reeeeeaaally mean it). Welp. Fuck. I was hoping to keep the Minutemen through endgame even if I sided with the Railroad since they aren't openly hostile to each other but I guess that's it. Went back to Sanctuary Hills to dump gear, Preston immediately attacks. I take him down, but, like an actively set companion, when his health bar drops to zero he just sits there and eventually comes back to full health. Ok. Maybe I have to lure him out of Sanctuary? Nope. He won't follow me across the bridge. Whatever. He's just an annoyance when I pop by to drop crafting junk or swap gear so I ignore him. Like the fifth time I come back suddenly he isn't hostile anymore. Comments on the weather like he wasn't trying to kill me for the last in game week. What the fuck. Now I'm wondering if I could have done the same with Danse, but I'd gotten a "by doing this you're actively siding against the brotherhood. Continue?" dialogue box before the quest that made him hostile and he properly died when shot, whereas Preston being hostile wasn't preempted by anything and that quest only went sideways on me because of a glitch that locked me out of solving it via dialogue so.... two glitches make a right, I guess?

But anywho.

Red Glare was super fun and I only felt bad about gunning down Neriah and Quinlan. Tried to stealth it but even with a stealthboy on and in full brotherhood gear, Kells busted me on one path and random knights caught me on the other two. Killed literally everyone aboard the Prydwen other than the kids and Quinlan's cat. But then we blew the thing up anyway. Hopefully the cat escaped.

Did the quests juuuust out of order enough to not get the opportunity to warn Desdemona that the Institute put out a hit on her because we were already going to storm the place, so lost an opportunity to gain some points with Nick, but still took him to raid the Institute because it just felt right. Finally got enough approval to unlock the Winter Holotapes quest in the middle of wrecking shit. Another protip: Nick will throw grenades at ANY target that shows up red on your screen. Including unarmed scientists running for cover who the Railroad agents and rogue synths won't shoot at. And he doesn't care who is standing right next to them. Had to take his grenades away after he killed a Railroad heavy and took a dangerous chunk out of my health because he was trying to kill a scientist cowering in front of us in a crowded hallway. But he got to stand next to me and watch the Institute implode. And made a snarky comment after I talked Father into helping me (already had his access code, swiped it on a previous visit, but had been afraid to use the deactivation option until he said it would just turn off some of the security synths) and then when he asked me to leave him alone, I shot him and took his coat. Thanks for giving that moment some levity, bro.

Almost didn't take synth kiddo because I thought he was some kind of mole or would be programmed to explode, and deeeeeply didn't like Tinker Tom taking him back to HQ when the rest of us were going elsewhere because I didn't want to find a crater where the church had been, but I'd JUST hard-saved before going into Father's quarters so it wouldn't be much to replay if I had fucked up, so I went with it. So far the only thing the kid has done is ask me to bring him a telephone, which he made....something with. I don't know what because I didn't get a little "x has been added to your inventory" dialogue box, and there was so much crap in my inventory that I didn't find anything noteworthy when I dumped most of it. Eh. At least he's probably not a bomb? The holotape claimed he's legit. We'll see. I have a lot of sidequests and such to still get through.

And so many caps. And so much scrap. I'm gonna have to build some pretty crazy shit.

But yeah. Solid game, already messed with the character creator and started a new save file so I can do a Brotherhood or Institute run next. Once I get bored with this save. Which hasn't happened yet. I like the post-storyline content so far! I mean, just because the Institute is gone doesn't mean there isn't still shit to do, right? Time to get to it.

[thehallofgame]

Review: Resident Evil 7: Biohazard

Release: 2017

My Rating: 8/10

Resident Evil Review Series 11/11

              Ten long moths later we finally reach the end of this 11 game odyssey through the Resident Evil series. It was a long road, filled with ups and downs and way too much nonsense. Somehow it seems fitting to end with a soft reboot of the series. Even after completing the game and poking into fan theories it’s still too close to call on the question of how much of the franchise’s old cannon is intact in the new game. There is something so nice and refreshing about that and ultimately that’s what has caused me to fall in love with this game.

              Resident Evil 7 opens with our protagonist, Ethan Winters, driving deep into rural Louisiana in response to an emailed summons by his wife, missing and presumed dead for three years. He finds her, deep inside a creepy, dilapidated house she’s immediately desperate to get him out of. She didn’t ask him to come, she says. As it turns out the message is a trap to kidnap Ethan and drag him deeper into the swamp, and the home of a creepy and apparently undead family bent on making him one of them. Taking a brief opportunity to escape, Ethan slips his bonds and sneaks into the twisting passages and corridors of the house, looking for his wife and a way out.

              It’s hard to get too into the story without spoilers but I will say I thought it was surprisingly good for Resident Evil. The first half is composed of Ethan getting to know the family, escape their pursuit and catch the first threads of what happened to them. This first segment is a little light on the narrative and is entirely driven by sneaking about, trying to find keys and solve puzzles to allow the player to move forward. However, the game is scary when it needs to be scary, atmospheric when it needs to be atmospheric and each of the three core family members is uniquely terrifying and near impossible to kill.

              The second half of the game is when the player can start to piece to together the actual plot and where the story starts to feel like a Resident Evil game. That said, this world state feels a lot different, less overblown and melodramatic. Instead there’s more of a sense of creeping dread and the implication of a shadow war playing out behind the scenes. The game also has two endings hinging on a pivotal choice near the end.

              In contrast to the Resident Evil team nailing the story on this run the gameplay is a little clunky, which is the opposite of what normally happens. While the perspective did make a significant swap from third person to first, and gameplay chose to emphasize stealth over gun combat, the actual mechanisms didn’t change much from Resident Evil 6 to 7 so it doesn’t make much sense as to why this game plays so awkward.

              In the early stages of the game Ethan has little to no offensive capability. He starts out empty handed and must creep through levels, avoiding being seen by enemies who can destroy him with only a few hits, and attempting to sprint into hiding again when spotted. Crouching and Sprinting are activated by clicking the left and right analogues respectively. I personally hate when clicking sticks is used in place of a button, especially as most of the face buttons in this game aren’t mapped to anything. It’s too easy to get stuck in a crouch when meaning to sprint, or to release the sprint button or not properly click it and proceed at a stately walk.

              The combat, when reached, is much better, but then the series has had gun combat down for several entries now. The familiar combination of holding one trigger to aim and another trigger button to fire is back. Reload speeds are realistically slow, and ammo is hard to come by, so accuracy is always better then dumping bullets into an enemy. Melee combat is viable, but a better last resort than anything else, and the knife is best used only for solving puzzles and smashing open crates to find the ammo inside. Resident Evil 7 also added the one feature to their combat that I’ve been wanting from survival horror for years: few, difficult enemies. The opponents in this, especially the named adversaries are hard or impossible to kill and are often just driven back in order to give Ethan time to escape. It’s best to only fight when cornered and that does wonders for maintaining immersion and the feeling that Ethan is vulnerable. Also while there is a block button to reduce damage from melee attacks by enemies there is no way to dodge, and trying to run around enemies is a risky proposition. Often I got stuck where it looked like there was enough space to pass, or clipped through an enemy and got stuck there long enough for them to harm me.

              There are fewer weapons than in previous games, though Ethan will have amassed a decent arsenal by the very end. Instead, the game encourages exploration for extra supplies, ammunition or a few broken weapons that can be repaired upon finding the right supplies to yield a slightly better gun. Interestingly, the loot crates of the early games make a return. Within said crates Ethan can store unlimited items and pick them up later at any of many crates scattered throughtout the game. They’re usually right next to tape recorders that the player uses to save the game (this is supported by an autsaves system that allows the player to start from a previous checkpoint if they die). The crates allow for a limited inventory that isn’t automatically crushing, which is a relief.

              Throughout the world there are injectable steroids that Ethan can use to increase his health or decrease the time it takes him to reload his guns. These upgrades are uncommon, and some quite well hidden, but they do provide small but noticeable improvements. Additionally, the player will also find strange antique coins that can be slotted into odd birdcage-like machines to unlock them. Two of these contain steroid upgrades and the third contains the powerful magnum gun.

              Combat is supported by a small crafting system which allows the player to combine several base items with ‘chemicals’ to produce either healing items or weaponry. There are never enough chemicals to balance out all the other supplies, so the play has to choose carefully between stocking up on healing items, padding out their bullet supply or producing other items that might only be needed in certain situations. It’s a clever method for throttling player’s consumption, forcing them to hoard for the late game and maintaining item scarcity.

              Maintaining the balance between feelings of item scarcity and advancement is a large challenge for these games and Resident Evil 7 pulled it off well, to the game’s credit. Likewise the game’s story-pacing feels good and doesn’t escalate too much or too fast. Instead it introduces different feeling, successive challenges and that felt just right.

              Resident Evil 7 wasn’t amazing, but it was the best this franchise has put forward in a long time. Better, it set an excellent foundation and an intriguing world to go forth and explore more of. Hopefully this means we’ll be seeing more of this new Resident Evil soon.

[sleepymarmot]

Skyrim liveblog: Riften, Dawnguard, more house decoration, etc.

"Good luck finding those jazbay grapes, they're very rare" Actually, I'm growing them in my garden...

This poor woman is spending all her time growing this nirnroot and I just come here and steal it.

Also nirnroot makes the same sound as the shards in DAI and it makes me nervous.

I don't want all these mods that let you have an entire army of followers. I just want to improve and charge their equipment without transferring it to my inventory and then back :(

Riften! It's so exciting to finally reach the city after a long journey that mostly consisted of losing my way and sidetracking, and get to see what's inside the walls! Even if it's 2am and there isn't much to see.

Okay, I can see why Mjoll is popular...

Let me guess: the only guy she trusts is secretly part of the guild.

"Last thing the Black-Briars need is some loudmouth meddling in their affairs" Last time I met a family this corrupt, its leader didn't live to tell the tale. Will I have to break the game again for justice?

Why is the argonian bodyguard naked?! Did one of my mods break something?

And the barmaid is naked too... I wonder what's wrong. An argonian bandit I killed a couple of hours before was wearing armor with no problem...

The argonian jeweller in the marketplace is clothed properly. The mystery continues...

"Marsh-friend", aw

Also I like that Argonians are famous for their jewellery. Then it makes sense I crafted so much of it!

An argonian, and an argonian-raised dark elf! I feel at home in this marketplace.

You'd go down to the sewers yourself, but can't? What about me? Is the Dragonborn not good enough for the job?

I like the jarl, she sounds reasonable.

...And believes Maven is a respectable citizen who is trying to destroy the Thieves Guild. Oops.

Ah, okay, that's why I'm supposed to break into Aventus's home? Okay, I'll try it. "Don't bother with the Dark Brotherhood, kiddo, I'll do the job for you myself!"

This writing is stupid. Everyone in the city talks about how shitty the Thieves Guild is, a bunch of pathetic thugs everyone hates, and it totally sounds like a setup for a quest where you clear the city from them... Instead the only option the game gives is to join them. Wut? Why the heck would I want to?

The naked guy in the inn is pretty nice! And handsome. And he asks for my help proposing to the naked lady! How cute. Oh, and his recipes don't just sound good -- apparently he's the only person in this country who can make drinks that don't have negative effects! That woman is damn lucky.

I wanted to propose to my (yet undetermined) future spouse with a ring, like a real Argonian, but if it requires three flawless amethysts... I'll have to make do with a normal amethyst ring I guess. Has anyone made a mod with a proper recipe? Maybe even making it a replacement for the amulet of Mara, if possible.

Shit, I'm an idiot. I gave Uthgerd a Soup Trap weapon but no gems, and was wondering why she's not catching anything!

Is there a mod to turn off friendly fire in this game? Allies can't stop jumping into my arrows. Fought a vampire, shot at her, when the fight was over I found Uthgerd dead. Reloaded, then Frost got in the way, quest failed. Third attempt: the quest giver jumps into my arrow but survives, after the vampire is dead he starts attacking the horse I stole for him, my follower and me.

Okay, I tried it five more times. I can't. That vampire is unbeatable. A dremora summoned by Sanguine Rose does 0 damage to her. If I let her get close she one-shots me with her sword.

I finally did it... Downing like five different potions at once did the trick, I think... I was headed for Fort Dawnguard, but maybe I shouldn't...

What, Convenient Horses considers Frost my horse now?! Where's MY horse?! Did it get lost somewhere? Was it killed by the Black-Briars? Fast travelling doesn't help...

Oh, okay, I fast travelled to Riften again and found it. I'm so relieved... This horse has been with me since the beginning of the game, I bought it just before entering Whiterun for the first time. So even if it's kinda useless and I prefer travelling on foot, I don't want to lose it!

Why is the map marker for Dawnguard so dumb and glitched...

The leader is very cool! I'm going to help rebuilding the fort, right?

Okay, so I think my crafting geek falls instantly in love with the crossbow, even though its damage is lower than her current bow. Can I upgrade it? Enchant it? Craft my own with better materials?

I can upgrade it! And now it has more damage than my legendary dwarven bows!

Okay, I guess the archery trainer that I made this journey for will appear after the fort is upgraded? Ah, that's okay. I have 51k gold saved up. Isran is training Heavy Armor, I need that too.

Aaaand that training leveled me up again so there was no point in saving that level, I still lost one lol.

Holy shit, those vampires are all the way across the map! 

Ah, so now I have a quest to go into the Ratway and kill the thugs in there! Say hello to my newly crafted archery equipment, motherfuckers!

Hm, people in the bar don't seem to care that I broke in and murdered their bodyguards.

"Stay out of trouble, or there's gonna be trouble" says one of these guys as I exit their hideout having killed and looted everything inside.

That's a pretty little garden they have here.

I'm visiting the crafting corner in Riften's keep for probably the third time in this session... Last time I reached 90 alchemy; maybe I'll make it legendary, since it's so easy to level up. Smithing is 86, Enchanting is 81. I finally picked the "Well fitted" perk and made myself a full set of heavy armor with enchantments -- what I was wearing before had light and unenchanted items. It's all steel & dwarven, because I can't afford to spend more perks, but legendary several times over.

I need a new loadout organizer. Every time I upgrade an item, it disappears from the group (because it's renamed, I guess).

Okay, I think I'm ready. Time to travel back to Dawnguard and train Heavy Armor for like the third time in a row... Well at least coursing between Riften and Dawnguard is a welcome change from the cursed Whiterun-Riverwood-Lakeview circle: it's too easy to get stuck there and never leave.

Oh great, another fort full of bandits. I'm starting to just speed past them. I'm not the fucking police!

...Aaaand a blood dragon descends just as I ride past the fort's entrance. Okay, that's my business, can't argue.

(I really should return to the main quest btw...)

Wait, how the fuck did we kill the dragon so fast?! Did the armor help? Or my second-level Marked for Death?

Aaalright, now I have to go back to Riften again. Finish a quest, heal a bone broken by a bear, disenchant something I bought for that purpose and forgot...

Speaking of enchanting: the best thing about being rich is just buying every filled grand soul gem I see, instead of worrying about the need to hunt mammoths or becoming an evil necromancer.

I was already like "haha, let's fill some gems" when the miner complained about spiders, but this is ridiculous! There's like five of them! I don't even think they had a really big one! 

Just as I was about to give up, I finally came across the road to the Northwind Summit! And the dragon I needed to kill is just a dragon, not even frost or blood. His breath barely registered on my healthbar, and I needed like five arrows. What the fuck? Am I just walking around underleveled enemies, or did I grow strong overnight thanks to the armor and training?

Oh my, Black-Briars send mercenaries to deal with me, "the thief"! That's hilarious.

Nah, I'm not that good, a couple of necromancers with puppet draugr killed me.

Seriously, I should make more things for my own use instead of just for sale. I was like 5% away from one-shotting a boss from stealth and cancelling the entire fight. My damage health poisons were too weak. Thankfully, I had one fortify archery poison. One! What if I didn't? Would all of that overpriced multi-effect crap help me?

Btw I'm not using my shiny new crossbows because bolts are in short supply :(

Oh god! I have finally reached 70 speech and can take the Investor perk! Now that's a great excuse to make a tour around Skyrim and invest in everyone!

Aw, why can't I invest in my marsh-friend :(

Windhelm

Ugh, I knew that Blood on the Ice should have re-triggered, and I even saw the victim, but I didn't notice the guard standing next to her, so I had to google what to do. Why couldn't he address you automatically as you approach?

"Patrol Stone Quarter at night" and just as I was leaving the palace at noon and was opening the map to see what the Stone Quarter is, that quest was suddenly marked complete and I was shown a quest mark on the murderer. Yay immersion!

Time to invest in Wuunferth's business as an apology :D

His motive is exactly the same as the necromancer in the dungeon I just did, and in DA2. Can we have some new ideas please?

I completely forgot Lydia lives in my house, she spooked me.

I wonder why some merchants have unique responses to "I want to invest". Windhelm blacksmith and Belethor are arrogant, Arcadia is heartwarming. I really like Investor and the final perk in the tree because I feel like I'm being a positive influence, making rich not only myself but people around me.

Ugh, I accidentally sold Arcadia the wrong thing, reloaded, and all of the free stuff from her shelves disappeared -- what?

Shit, I was satisfied with how I decorated my home and then my stupid follower got in the way, I accidentally selected her, dropped, and wasn't sure she was all right so I had to reload.

And once again, from the start! This time I selected an enchanter and accidentally sent it to its original location, wherever that is.

Binch stand in the corner!! If you refuse to stay outside while I'm redecorating, at least get out of my way!

>walk out of my house at night >get attacked by a frost dragon >he circles overhead, I admire the beautiful starry night sky and his purplish wings against it >dragon flies away >I see his health very rapidly diminish >dragon dies >suddely I get attacked by a bunch of Thalmor Leave me alone...

Shit, I picked up a black soul gem and captured a vampire thrall's soul. Oops.

I notice I'm alone. Maybe I accidentally killed Uthgerd again? I backtrack. Finally meet her. Lead her forward... and at some point she turns around and *sprints* back. WTF?

I'm back in modding hell :(

Tried to copy a rug from a modded Breezehome, accidentally removed it instead, returned to a previous save -- and it was still gone. I guess that removed the asset from the mod entirely? I had to reinstall.

Installed several retextures for Alchemy and enchanting tables -- and like none of them :( Rustic is the most thought out, but I prefer the tables to be made of wood, thank you. It just doesn't make sense that every other shitty inn in the province has this carved black stone monstrosity, and the enchanting mesh somehow applies to all other candles in the game. Why can't people just make higher resolution versions of vanilla design?!

I really like Rugnarok in my house, but finding this perfectly preserved carpet covered in blood under a rack in a Nordic tomb...

I have no idea how to make followers tankier. Uthgerd knows block and has decent enchanted equipment, but she's always on her knees five seconds into the fight.

I'm testing ELFX now, and higher contrast makes my eyes hurt sometimes, and it's very inconvenient in dungeons, but having the dark be darker is kind of fun. This is the first time I had to use my camping mod and just lie down next to a Nordic ruin and some skeletons I just killed because I could see absolutely nothing.

Oh great, I enter this seemingly ordinary house, inside there's a mage who attacks immediately, I have to kill him, but afterwards I can't take any of his stuff, it's all marked "steal". Uh, ordinarily it's fair game in these situations? He has a very nicely designed home btw.

Wizard in Morthal: I'm not evil! *sells black soul gems*

Okay, it's been 111 hours, it's time to retrieve that horn!

This dungeon made me uninstall ELFX. Even with two torches I can't see shit.

Fuck these three stones! I know I need to use Whirlwind Sprint, I just can't do it fast enough!

Ugh, I went all this way for nothing?

Dawnguard

This master vampire can wait, there are so many ingredients here!

"Is that an Elder Scroll?" Good question, I've been playing this game called The Elder Scrolls for 100+ hours and this is my first encounter with the term.

Uh, so is there any reason why I, the fresh Dawnguard recruit, would not kill Serana on sight? I mean obviously I, the player, won't, but...

Like, even if I'm a nice person who doesn't attack unprovoked, why should I help her instead of dragging her to Fort Dawnguard and letting my new boss deal with her?

Aaaand I caught the vampire disease. Great. And of course I'm in the middle of nowhere with no shrines in sight. Alright, I have a stack of potions to burn...

Tried to take her to the fort. "I don't like the feel of this place, I'll wait for you back by the entrance". Oh great.

Well, at least the boss had dialogue for this and gave me approval for this nonsense, so I didn't make a trip across the entire country for nothing.

Unfathomable depths

I didn't even know that Riften had a dock outside the walls until I read about the quest I needed to take there...

This dwarven ruin is a nice opportunity to practice destruction magic, since the automatons can't be soul trapped so there's no reason to waste arrows on them.

Whoa, a health regen amulet!

Good thing Serana is with us, because my magic is severely underpowered.

Should have done this quest sooner, because I've been wearing dwarven armor for so long that by now I want to get rid of it, not bonuses to it.

I just checked -- and my normal set of heavy armor is already at the armor cap. I wonder if the bonus pushed it over the edge or not...

Lol, nah, I was already good. Well I'm having an existential crisis now. What am I supposed to do with my life now? I'm only level 46?

Modding hell

I'm slowly adding more and more HD retextures -- when I fix one thing, the one next to it suddenly looks too ugly... Now that I have Peltapalooza, ordinary beds suddenly look more comfortable, and next to them the blurry and dirty texture on noble beds is just terrible. Why couldn't someone just make a clean HD version of that bed?! Enhanced Noble Furniture 4x _byMike makes the bed red for some reason. Another mod, don't remember which, raises the resolution but doesn't delete the dirt, which you can now see in all HD glory. In the end I settled on Snazzy HD Noble Beds -- green, the closest to canonical, for single and double beds, and blue with drapes for the bed that obviously is supposed to have drapes but doesn't in vanilla. Then HD Noble Furniture, and Furniture and Clutter - HD Retextures for non-noble. The patterned bed and the new carpets are a bit too much together, but what can I do...

Aaaand the bed texture clashes horribly with the rug I placed under it in Lakeview :(

[kayostesting]

test

"With every death comes honor. With honor, redemption." Voiced by: Paul Nakauchi (English), Dan Osorio (Latin American Spanish), Miguel Ángel Montero (European Spanish), Shuhei Sakaguchi (Japanese), Lionel Tua (French), Reginaldo Primo (Brazilian Portuguese), Lorenzo Scattorin (Italian), Bernd Vollbrecht (German), Hanshin (Korean), Kang Dian-Hong (Taiwanese Chinese), Liú Běichén (Mandarin Chinese), Krzysztof Cybiński (Polish), Ilya Isayev (Russian) The Shimada family was established centuries ago, a clan of assassins whose power grew over the years, enabling them to build a vast criminal empire that profited from lucrative trade in arms and illegal substances. As the eldest son of the family's head, Hanzo was bound by duty to succeed his father and rule the Shimada empire. From a young age, he was trained for that responsibility, displaying a natural aptitude for leadership and possessing an innate understanding of strategy and tactics. He also excelled in more practical areas: he was a prodigy in martial arts, swordplay, and bowmanship. Upon the death of his father, the clan elders instructed Hanzo to straighten out his wayward younger brother so that he, too, might help rule the Shimada empire. When his brother refused, Hanzo was forced to kill him. This act broke Hanzo's heart and drove him to reject his father's legacy, ultimately leading him to abandon the clan and all that he had worked so hard to attain. Now, Hanzo travels the world, perfecting his skills as a warrior, attempting to restore his honor and put the ghosts of his past to rest. Once a year, he snuck into his old home, which now sends assassins to kill him for his desertion. His goal was mostly to honor the spirit of his brother. Until one day, he was assaulted in the same place by a mysterious Cyber Ninja that lectured him about his actions, or rather, his inaction towards the changing world. The lecture turned into a fierce battle and, to Hanzo's shock, the ninja revealed himself as Genji, saved from death by Overwatch. Genji forgives him, but Hanzo becomes furious after realizing that Genji's survival rendered the Redemption Quest to honor him meaningless, and calls Genji foolish to still believe in childish ideals from fairy tales. Even so, Genji's words left him conflicted about the future and his feelings for his brother. Hanzo is a Defensive character who can sneak into an enemy's holdout and silently kill them before moving on to his next target. Eschewing the favored weapons of his time, his weapon is the Storm Bow, a mechanical bow that can fire all sorts of mechanical, or mundane, arrows at enemies. He has the ability to Wall Climb, which lets him climb up a vertical surface. His first ability is Sonic Arrow. Hanzo fires at arrow at the location that releases a pulse of sound, signaling to him whether or not nearby enemies are beyond the wall or nearby. His second ability, Scatter Arrow, fires an arrow that ricochets off walls and objects, enabling him to strike at angles and hit multiple targets. His ultimate, Dragonstrike, takes off the guise of stealth and summons a pair of Spirit Dragons that travel forward from his location, killing any enemies in its path. Animal Motifs: Besides the obvious dragon, Hanzo has several Legendary skins that give him a wolf-based look instead; he wears wolf pelts on his head and shoulders, and his ultimate ability replaces the Spirit Dragons with howling wolves. On a symbolic level, dragons in some Asian cultures represent prosperity, strength, and good fortune and are typically benevolent creatures, but because the dragon is the family icon of the Shimada clan's criminal empire, the Western depiction of dragons being creatures of evil applies as well. Wolves, on the other hand, represent freedom as well as family and community, but they also symbolize a lack of trust in others and/or yourself - despite having had broken away from his family after nearly killing Genji, Hanzo still feels a lingering sense of loyalty and duty, and much of his inner conflict stems from his choice of either following his clan's footsteps or forgive himself and pursue the heroic path like Genji did. The Atoner: He seeks to regain his honor for both killing his brother and for being a part of a criminal clan that would force him to do such a thing. Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: He's quite cocky and contemptuous towards his enemies, and openly gloats about his skills in combat. Awesome Anachronistic Apparel: His outfit is based on feudal Japanese ninja clothing with modern touches such as futuristic boots and a waist pack. Doesn't stop it from looking awesome. Badass Beard: He has a small one along with a Badass Mustache. Badass Boast: Gives one to Genji in Dragons, mistaking him for an assassin: Hanzo: You are not the first assassin sent to kill me. And you will not be the last. Beard of Sorrow: The mustache and small beard he has now? He didn't start growing it until after he was forced to kill his younger brother Genji. Becoming the Costume: Hanzo's Okami and Lone Wolf skins change a large number of lines, replacing his dragon motif with a wolf one. For example, when launching his Sonic Arrow, instead of saying "Marked by the dragon," he'll say "The wolf marks its prey." His Ultimate line changes from "Let the dragon consume you!"/"Ryū ga waga teki o kurau!" to "The wolf hunts for his prey!"/"Ōkami yo, waga teki o kurae!" Additionally, the projectile itself becomes two wolves instead of dragons, changing the roar sound to howling, and if it gets any kills, Hanzo says "The wolf is sated" instead of "The dragon is sated." Berserk Button: Genji. As if being forced to kill him wasn't enough to leave Hanzo a remorseful wreck, he now finds out that his brother is alive and well and is willing to forgive him for an act that caused him to abandon his family and spend his entire life on an ultimately-pointless redemption quest for something he began to view as irredeemable. Mentioning Genji or bringing up the fact that the two are similar will result in Hanzo furiously and spitefully denying him. Bottomless Magazines: While played straight in the game itself, in the animated short "Dragons" he runs out of arrows during his fight with Genji and has to pick them up from where he fired them. Bring It: One of his taunts is a classic "Come and get me" gesture. Cain and Abel: After their father's death, tensions rose between him and his brother Genji until he was forced by the clan elders to kill him. Even after his brother shows up alive again, Hanzo has very conflicted feelings about him, despite Genji forgiving him. Genji: "It is not too late to change your course, brother." Hanzo: "You may call yourself my brother, but you are not the Genji I knew." Charged Attack: His Storm Bow is Hold-type; simply tapping the fire button fires a very weak arrow, but holding it down for full power allows it to One-Hit Kill non-tanks with a headshot. Dark is Not Evil: Despite wearing mostly black, having an evil looking scowl most of the time, and is not the White Sheep of his criminal empire family, he's far from evil himself; having performed a Heel–Face Turn after (almost) murdering Genji. Death Seeker: Implied: he tells Genji to kill him in Dragons and Genji replies that he will not grant him the death he wishes for. There's also his Halloween "R.I.P." victory pose, where unlike everybody else who is bursting from out of their graves, Hanzo seems perfectly content staying put.◊ Decomposite Character: He and his brother were originally one cyber ninja in concept. The character however was too unfocused in design due to being crammed with too many ninja weapons and gimmicks. Rather than scrap the idea though, the character was made into two brothers. Hanzo inherited the clothes, bow usage, and name the original character had. Defector from Decadence: He left his family and the criminal empire he could have ruled since it cost him his brother. Downplayed as a few of his quotes imply he regret having left the Yakuza lifestyle. Difficult but Awesome: He's rated 3 stars for a reason. He's difficult in that his arrows require draw time and are projectiles instead of hitscan-based which also avert No "Arc" in "Archery", meaning actually hitting a target requires consistent aim and prediction, not helped by the lack of a scope making it more difficult to aim precisely. His kit is entirely based around dealing burst damage and getting picks, and if he fails to do so, he might be considered The Millstone by his team. His Dragonstrike ultimate is also difficult to use effectively, as while it has huge damage and AoE, it's a Painfully Slow Projectile that can be easily avoided through experience, meaning you'll have to get crafty to use it properly. He's awesome in that his arrows' lack of a scope prevents him from suffering tunnel vision, he requires virtually no reloading, he has one of the only abilities in the game that can provide team-wide vision, and his potential mid-to-long-range damage output is absolutely absurd. A well-trained Hanzo can easily shut down enemy teams before they can touch the objective. Don't You Dare Pity Me!: In every interaction where Genji shows Hanzo sympathy or tries to give him a speech, Hanzo lashes out and insults Genji. Drowning My Sorrows: The Halloween update reveals his canteen is always full of sake. And it's one of the biggest canteens among the cast members who have them. Presumably it's to dull the constant guilt and regret he feels. Due to the Dead: It's revealed in "Dragons" that every year he returns to Hanamura, his former home, to pay tribute to his dead younger brother Genji. Until he learns Genji is not dead as previously thought. The Dutiful Son: While he has renounced his family ties after being forced to kill Genji, pre-match dialogue implies that he on some level regrets his decision and wants to make his family great again, yet it is implied that he has some clear standards on how to do it, such as when he turns down Widowmaker's offer to join Talon in exchange for his family's restoration. And part of the reason why Hanzo resents Genji is because of the latter's refusal to toe the line, resulting in their fated battle and causing everything to fall apart. And now that brother is revealed to be still alive, all of that grief and the journey to atone for his sins had been completely for nothing. Fingerless Gloves: Of a sort. He wears a special archery glove note on his right hand that covers everything except his ring finger and pinky. Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling: The dutiful, responsible older brother of the foolish, hedonistic Genji, back when both of them were living in Hanamura and their scuffle that led to Genji's cybernetic transformation didn't happen yet. Glass Cannon: Can deal high damage with his arrows and ultimate ability, however, he has mediocre health and no mobility-boosting abilities other than wall-climbing. Gameplay and Story Segregation: In-game, Hanzo can only shoot his arrows straight, even if they will eventually fall to gravity. In the Dragons animated short, his arrows can make a sideway arc, shoot to the side, and the arrow takes a turn to straight in front of Hanzo. Hazy Feel Turn: Hanzo did not leave the life of a criminal behind, seeing as he still carries out assassinations. He did, however, leave the Shimada clan behind, and, even if he express regret at doing it, refuses to associate with outright villainous groups like Talon. Heroic B.S.O.D.: Upon learning in the end of "Dragons" that Genji is still alive (albeit as a cyborg) and has forgiven him for nearly killing him on the orders of their clan elders, Hanzo's response is to continue burning incense as tribute to his brother like nothing happened as if he's in complete denial. It's suggested that his hostile banter with Genji during gameplay may have stemmed from this. Heroes Prefer Swords: Averted. He was trained in the use of one, but after he was forced to kill Genji, he swore never to pick up another blade, instead using a bow and arrow. Hitbox Dissonance: The Hero. Hanzo's arrow hitbox is roughly twice as wide as the actual character model, and just hitting in the upper portion of that giant hitbox counts as a headshot. I Did What I Had to Do: He considers his act of killing Genji as something he had to do in order to placate his clan's elders and restore order to his already broken family, but it's clear that he deeply regrets it. Important Haircut: He used to have much longer hair in his twenties, and in "Reflections" (which takes place after "Dragons") he sports an undercut. Improbable Aiming Skills: A good chunk of what he does with his arrows in "Dragons", most notably the part where he shoots an arrow which curves to hit and destroy a cellphone when a) he's grappling someone at the same time, b) the cellphone is moving and c) from where he shoots, Hanzo couldn't possibly see the point where his arrow lands. Improbable Use of a Weapon: He's shown to be quite versatile with his bow in "Dragons," using it as a melee weapon in several instances. In fact, in his fight against Genji, he actually finds more success this way than through firing arrows. Instant Awesome, Just Add Dragons: His ultimate summons two Spirit Dragons that go through walls and kills everything in their path. Jerkass Façade: Usually his default persona is The Atoner. But, he's usually very nasty to Genji even after what he did, for ill-defined reasons. Mage Marksman: Uses Trick Arrows to fight, and then there's the whole "shooting out two spirit dragons" thing. Master Swordsman: Word of God says he's actually a master swordsman who's probably even better than his brother. However because of what happened with Genji, Hanzo put down the sword for good and picked up the bow instead. His old sword can still be found displayed in the Hanamura dojo with a chipped blade. Meaningful Name: His name alludes to Hattori Hanzo, one of the most famous Real Life samurai.* Mr. Fanservice: Half-shirtless, with a very extensive dragon tattoo. My God, What Have I Done?: Seemingly killing his brother Genji broke his heart and caused him to leave the clan to atone for what he had done. My Greatest Failure: The day he was forced to kill his little brother by his clan's elders was this for Hanzo. It's one of the main reasons he became The Atoner. Nice Job Fixing It, Villain!: When he (apparently) murdered his own brother to appease the clan elders and prevent the families dissolution, he instead accidentally turned Genji into the hero who would single-handedly dismantle the clan and leave it a pale husk of its former self. Ninja: Since the Shimada Clan was a family of ninjas before becoming Yakuza, Hanzo was trained as a ninja himself. Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot: His Halloween skin basically makes him into a Zombie Ninja. No "Arc" in "Archery": Averted! Unlike every other primary weapon in the game other than Torbjörn's, all of Hanzo's arrows are affected by gravity, including those spawning from his Scatter Arrow. Judging how to aim at a distance based on this arc is one of the reasons aiming with him can be quite tough. Not So Different: From Genji, at least in the eyes of Zenyatta. Zenyatta: I sense within you the same rage that once consumed your brother. Hanzo: We are nothing alike! Not So Stoic: His in-game lines are pretty chill and monotonous, but mentioning his younger brother (as seen in the "Dragons" short) makes him rash and angry. Perpetual Frowner: With good reason, admittedly. Pinball Projectile: Scatter Arrow causes Hanzo's arrow to explode into several more upon hitting a surface, each of which retain a normal arrow's general damage. An easy strategy for taking out squishy targets is to aim one right at their feet, so multiple arrows explode from under them. Or just have some really, really lucky geometry working for you. Power Tattoo: In the animated short "Dragons", his dragon tattoo glows as he unleashes his Dragonstrike. In fact the spirit dragons seem to appear from the tattoo before being unleashed through the arrow he fires. Redemption Rejection: Self-invoked example. He simply won't forgive himself for what he did to Genji and refused to redeem himself with Overwatch even after Genji explicitly forgave him with a You Are Better Than You Think You Are speech at the end of "Dragons". Sibling Rivalry: Despite wishing to atone for nearly killing Genji, Hanzo still prides himself on honor and looks down upon his brother for his hedonistic lifestyle even after he had become a cyborg and mellowed out. This conversation before a match begins says it all. Hanzo: You will never amount to anything! Genji: We shall see...brother. Silly Rabbit, Idealism Is for Kids!: To Genji in Dragons: Hanzo: Real life is not like the stories our father told us! You are a fool for believing it so! Summon Magic: He summons two giant spirit dragons to kill anything in their path. No explanation for this magic is offered, except that only a Shimada can control these dragons. Tattooed Crook: Has a dragon tattoo on his left arm and was formerly the heir of a powerful Yakuza clan. The Straight and Arrow Path: In a world with guns and rockets and robot suits and teleporters, Hanzo uses a humble bow. A technologically enhanced bow, but a bow nonetheless. Thicker Than Water: Hanzo is a firm believer of traditional family loyalty and that honor lies in family loyalty, which was why he's The Dutiful Son who didn't seem to mind much about how the criminal activities of the clan are not good deeds, they're still his family, and while he left the clan in shame, he still held some regrets that he somehow wanted to return to his family. This is also why he's rather cross at Genji for his actions to shut down the Shimada clan, he cannot see honor in betraying one's own family even if it was for the greater good or common morality. Trademark Favorite Food: Ramen, just like his brother. Thankfully for Hanzo, he's still able to enjoy it as he's still full human. Trick Arrow: His Scatter Shot explodes when it hits a wall, releasing ricocheting arrows that bounce off walls and hit foes. He also has Sonic Arrow, which alerts him to nearby enemies. Additionally, in Dragons his normal arrows are apparently electric and homing. Walking Shirtless Scene: He wears a kimono, but the left side is not on his body, showing off his left pec, left side of his torso, and an impressive arm-length dragon tattoo. Wall Crawl: Thanks to his Wall Climb ability. White Sheep: Became this to his clan after he defected out of guilt for killing his little brother on the clan elders' orders. Yakuza: Former heir to the Shimada Clan's criminal empire and still has the tattoo to prove it.