#anyway i recommend if someone is playing a horror game you pretend to be a realtor

[1racoon7trenchcoats]

On today's episode of 'what did I put in my notes at 3 am': rtc and video games!

Ocean hates horror games (and horror in general)

Girl will straight up piss herself

She used to play those math racing games and printed out the certificates

I don't think she was allowed to play games at home so all she knew for a long time was school-promoted games

She likes puzzle games but gets frustrated at them and complains when there's leaps in logic

Ricky loved newgrounds

Riddle school was his shit

Constance and Noel both have neon cat ear headphones

Constance used to play girlgogames and stuff even though she hated them because that's what the popular girls did

That was fully projection btw

Ricky is a beast at guitar hero

Mischa will freestyle while he does

He also likes the drumset

Ricky also likes dating sims

He likes the alien girls from Pico Sim date and mr massagy

You know the girl from Mr massagy that's just immediately like 'have my babies'

Yeah

They all play the Sims

They play wildly differently though

Ocean just tries to work her way to the top of every job and max out every skill

I feel like a vampire would get her and she cries that her life is over

She forgets to save often

Constance just tries to live a nice lil life

Probable marry a neighbor and max out cooking

Has far too many mods

Would make Sims of her and her crush

And her friends and their crushes

Noel never gets to the actual game because he spends so long on the character creator

He will then go through the community made stuff and roast it

He has absolutely crashed his PC trying to get custom content

Everyone thinks Mischa is going to be a menace but he ends up making him and talia and just woo-hoo constantly

He accidentally hit try for baby once and just sat there with a blank stare for ten minutes

He snapped out of it when the name your baby thing popped up

He calls talia after that

Penny does the relatable thing and just drowns everyone

Especially if Ezra is involved

They will try to find the weirdest ways to kill them

She loves the cow plants

She tries to get all the collectible things

Like the frogs she loves the frogs

She has them all presented in her home

The Sim is just randomized

Or she let Noel do it

Ricky tries to test how long he can go without eating or pissing

He tries to max out the weirdest things

Like he'll be going for fishing, violin, and mischief all at the same time

Ocean is upset at all of them

"Why would you spend your life on that???"

"Its a game, you up-tight fuck"

A lot of people say this but it's a fact ricky was/is a fnaf kid

He makes jokes about it all the time but no one else understands them

He tries to introduce it to everyone

Ocean is terrified and just. So confused.

Ricky will try to explain the lore and she will just sit there like 😥👍

Mischa wants to fight back

Especially if they're doing vr

Boy is swinging

Noel is scared but tries to play it off

At one point he gets super tense it's like 4am (probably both irl and in game)

Penny lies back and accidentally brushes his back with her foot

He fucking squeals

Ricky played poptropica when he was younger

Constance still plays all the papa's restaurant games

Noel tried to get a boyfriend on club penguin

Ricky has an atari

He also likes speedrunning

Do yall remember Marvel Super Hero Squad Online? Ricky played that.

Also mischa Is weirdly good at claw games

Ik that's not a video game but I wanted it to be said

[lethesomething]

Yakuza and coping mechanisms

Yakuza has been my on and off hyperfocus for years now but also in particular the past month, so let's talk about it. And particularly, how many friggin coping mechanisms are in this game.

Disclaimer: I do literary analysis, not psycho analysis, don't come for me.

For all its silliness about fighting roomba's and disco minigames, the world that the Yakuza games is set in, is fucking brutal. They are, at their very core, crime drama's. People get murdered a lot, lives are ruined in various ways, a good third of protags spend large amounts of time in jail, usually for a crime they didn't commit. Most politicians and police are corrupt, racism is blatant and if you don't have a place in the very strict hierarchy of society, it's hard to get back on your feet (hence all the crime). I tend to read a lot of indictments of Japanese society in these games, partly because they are so clearly based on old school yakuza crime drama's.

This means that the characters go through some shit. And what's fascinating, is how they deal with this.

Spoiler warning for, uhh, almost all yakuza games except Song Of Life (since i never played that)

Pretending it's not real

Kasuga Ichiban

The direct reason I'm even making this blog post because he's the most blatant about it. Kasuga is Peak Himbo in that he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he manages to take being beaten down Repeatedly and overcomes that with a sense of genuine good nature and optimism that is… honestly kind of hard to believe. The way he deals with any of this, is that he's a nerd who pretends to be in a video game. It's the whole premise of Yakuza Like a Dragon.

And to be fair, Kasuga suffers from an amount of mistreatment that makes me Very Angry in his stead. He has every right to be upset! He is literally homeless in the beginning of the game. If he requires the escapism of going around pretending to be in a jrpg to survive, more power to him. Especially since it works. Dude goes around helping people and making friends. Which is a good thing, because there's no way he'd make it out of Yokohama alive if he didn't have some back-up.

Side note: something similar happens to at the very least Majima, i think, in the admittedly non-canonical events of Yakuza Dead Souls. (yes i played it solely for Majima, no i do not recommend it, the game is garbage and you get more Majima in Zero anyway). In Dead Souls, Kamurocho is overrun by zombies. As a lover of all things Horror, Majima decides he may as well have a good time mowing them down like he's in an FPS while he trudges through the wreckage of society.

Self sacrifice

Mostly Kazuma Kiryu and  Saejima Taiga

If you hate yourself, at least try to be of use to someone. Let's be honest, a lot of the plot of Yakuza games is driven by self sacrifice or at least following some code of honor to its ludicrous ends.

Kiryu is the main example here. The game kinda glosses over this a lot, but he is, at least in Zero, a criminal. He goes around extorting money from businesses. He consistently solves problems through violence. It's kinda the point of the games. But he's also borderline a saint and 80% of the shit he gets into is because of his need to throw himself to the wolves for any person he cares about. He voluntarily does hard time for Nishikiyama, for one. He picks up a stray kid that he will now protect with his life. And it just goes on from there. See, Kiryu may be the famous Dragon of Dojima and the Fifth Chairman of the Tojo Clan and all that, but he would very much prefer not to be? Dude wants to live a quiet life and raise some kids, it's just that he's the protag of a game series about how hard it is to say goodbye to the yakuza life. So the plot keeps finding ways to bring him back, usually as a reluctant warrior to save the Tojo clan or Haruka  or whatever. If he was a little less honorable, he could still be chilling as a taxi driver with an unreasonably hot girlfriend, I'm just saying.

Saejima is very similar, but somehow even worse? Much as I love the guy, he's an idiot. He suffers from the same loyalty and selflessness as Kiryu, but he doesn't even get a cute daughter out of it. He spends Twenty Five years in prison for a crime he (we later find out) didn't commit. He escapes months before his parole to solve the convoluted plot of Y4. Then Goes Back to Jail to atone for (again) a crime he only thought he'd committed, only to escape (again) when he thinks Majima, his sworn brother, got murdered in Y5. As far as i can tell he goes back to jail one last time to finish his actual sentence, and to like, protect the name of the Tojo clan or some shit. My dude. My friend. Come on.

As a side note, acts of selflessness are kind of a big deal in the Yakuza games and one of the main ways to tell if someone is a good criminal or a villain. Kasuga and his crew are pretty big on the whole 'acts of selfless kindness' thing. It also seems to be one of the traits of Daigo Dojima, whose whole being screams 'I don't want to be here but who else is gonna fucking do it'. But in the case of Kiryu and Saejima it's very much verging on reckless self-endangerment.

Fabricated identities

Majima Goro, baby!

The Yakuza games really love this one, but I'll start with the big guy, everyone's favourite character: Majima. This dude has seen some shit. We see him throughout several flashbacks and the span of the games, but most tellingly we see him in Zero, at his rock bottom hero stage. And he's intriguingly unlike the other times he shows up. This is a Majima that's recovering from torture and backstabbing, and forced to do some dude's bidding for scraps. He's a chained dog (pun very much intended) and he's about to lose it.

What's fun about Majima is that he has So Many of the traits in this list. He has a lot of the reckless endangerment and self sacrifice that his buddies Kiryu and Saejima have. He gave himself up a few times for Haruka, he keeps trundling back to save Tojo and Dojima, but there's also a whole other layer of … Flamboyance to him.

And while Majima probably started out as comic relief, the games make clear that it's not all he is, and we get several glimpses of 'old Majima' throughout the series. He'll be in the middle of a self inflicted fight and drop some wisdom, for instance. He acts erratically, he is blunt, violent, exuberant in his dressing up. When given a task his first thought seems to be 'how can i make this Extra', but that doesn't mean the guy is unstable. You don't become a successful businessman with a building company, or a patriarch of your own family, without being smart and strategic. A lot of classic Majima behaviour, i feel, is a case of a mask he constructed to hide the severe depression, that became more of a second nature to him. Majima is one of the clearest examples of 'do what you need to do'. He's a survivor, through and through. Somewhere in there is a decent human being, but Majima will kill people to survive in a harsh world. It just seems like he constructed an extra layer to shield himself from all that.

Joon-gi Han (Like a Dragon): This is more a case of stolen (inherited??) identity, but again, if you don't want to be you, just be someone else. In this case someone he admires. Again: super tragic backstory, questionable life choices. As an aside, Joon-gi is fun because he is both a deadly assassin with someone else's name and face, but also  a Knight stereotype who would do everything for his queen and I think that's neat.

Zhao Tianyou (Like a Dragon): Somewhat more subtle, but Zhao is also a dude that was at one point confronted with a Situation, namely 'oh shit my dad died and now I'm in charge of a violent gang'. And to deal with that he decided to construct a persona that gives exactly zero fucks. He is very joking and very avoidant but we do learn that a fair amount of his laid back attitude is just veneer. Dude in fact gives several fucks. You don't decide to give up the throne and become a homeless sidekick to Himbo Supreme because you don't care. You do it to stop him from getting ultra-murdered by the parade of heavily armored gangsters he keeps storming into.

Akiyama Shun (Yakuza 4-5): I debated putting him here, because part of me believes Akiyama is just kind of a dick. A dick I love as a character, but still, ya know. At least some of the dickish persona is a front, though. Akiyama is another one that just saw his life's work destroyed at some point, and decided that emotional detachment was the way to go. Akiyama is different because he was never actually a proper criminal. He was homeless for a bit, and then came into some money (through Extremely Convoluted Plot Means) and now he's a moneylender. And like Zhao, he mostly pretends to be completely devoid of feelings, while having a fair amount of feelings. Enough to get into like… fist fights. With actual gangsters. Who have guns.

Vice

Sex, drugs and everything in between

The preferred way for noir drama's to show someone is Going Through It, is by giving them a classic addiction and Yakuza isn't any different. It's why several characters are shown mournfully smoking, in particular Kiryu and Majima. Yes I know it's because it looks cool and harks back to old crime movie atmosphere. That doesn't make it a healthy coping mechanism.

Another obvious one, considering the setting of the games in several red lights districts, is erotica. Both Adachi, the ex-cop from Like a Dragon and Shinada, the ex-baseball player from Y5 and also my least fave protag ever, are both in various stages of obsession about porn, sex work and the likes.

Tanimura, the cop from Y4 has a pretty severe gambling problem in the actual canon, though gambling games and casino's are a general mainstay of the Yakuza series. It's just that when Kiryu interrupts his busy day of solving the convoluted intrigue du jour to gamble in an illegal underground casino, it's not a character flaw.

Also: almost everyone drinks ludicrous amounts of heavy alcohol in these games. Both in canon and as part of the gameplay. 100% ing the games usually involves drinking tons of whiskey, but the whole Ichiban crew, sans I think Eri, is shown drowning their troubles at various times.

Violence: I mean, that's kind of the game, but an unhealthy amount of characters consider fist fights to be a good way to resolve conflict, bond with people and generally reinvigorate themselves. Particularly Majima is shown to get a real kick out of doing damage and being beaten up. There's just a lot of reckless behaviour, which is what makes the games good.

Karaoke: fake it till you make it, man.

Extra note:

You'll notice there's no women on this list, and that's because honestly the game is kinda sexist. So while there's already Very Few women in the game, the ones that are present don't exactly have super complex characters.

Mukoda Saeko, the hostess from Like a Dragon, drinks like a fish but that's about her main flaw.

Other notable female characters are Kiryu's kid Haruka, Kiryu's love interest Sawamura Yumi (Kiwami) and Kamataki Eri, the business lady from Like a Dragon. They're all stereotypical Good Girls who have no flaws apart from indecisiveness and an unhealthy tendency for selflessness.

Saejima Yasuko is ever so slightly more complex: her main trait is self sacrifice. The story promptly fridges her for it.

[burnedbyshoto]

I would love to have some more Todoroki stuff! Maybe childhood friends to lovers troupe? That would be awesome’ ☺️😊

oh gosh, let’s hope this works out, and that you like it @ashtheteenagewitch ​!!!

todoroki x childhood friend!reader

just fluff and tiny tiny sadness

A/N: this got really long super unintentionally. also sorry it’s late, I had to work last night

so you two first meet before your quirks manifest, and you two get along. totally typical children become friends scenario

“Why are your eyes two different colors?”

“I don’t know…”

“I wish I had two different eye colors! can you ask your parents how you have two so I can be like you?”

“…okay?”

“Okay, but are you a secret old man, because only my grandparents have white hair. Or are you like half old!?”

“no! I’m not old!”

you’d reach over and poke his eyes harder then you intended, and pull on his white hair through pure curiosity causing him to smack your hands away

“do you wanna be my friend?” he would ask shyly after you profusely apologized for making him cry a lot a little bit

“OF COURSE!”

when shotos quirk manifests, it occurs at school, but the thing is in his panic he manages to burn and freeze you when you try to soothe him

he cries for sure

you’re in pain but you convince him you’re alright

he stops showing up to school regularly after his quirk appeared

he missed your quirk manifestation

the next time you see him, he’s sad. so so sad.

you’re concerned so you ask why

he shrugs it off

your guys’ favorite game to play together was playing heroes All Might roleplay was the best, but soon he starts crying whenever he pretended to be a hero

“what’s wrong todoroki-chan?” you’d ask scared for you friend

“I don’t want to be a hero” he whispered, his eyes looking at you terrified “I don’t want to be a hero” he would repeat constantly

you would blink unsure of how to handle this situation, you were only five. so you embrace him tightly, head on top of his and whispered: “but you’re my hero.”

he hugs you back

pre-scar childhood is basically lots of hugs, curious questions, high stakes imaginative adventures, and secrets

then the burn happens

he appears at school once.

bindings over his face, you race over to him scared for him

“Are you okay?!” you asked trying to take a peek from under his bandages but he slaps your hand away and you can feel the pain, anger, frustration, and hatred radiating off his small body.

he stops showing up one day

with permission from your parents, you go knocking on his front door days later.

an older woman answers it and three older kids and teens are peering from behind her “yes?” she answers

you explain who you are, a bag of shotos favorite snacks clutched in your hands. they look at you crushed. someone explains that shoto can’t come out, but that they promise they’ll get your bag to him.

you won’t interact with him for ten years

during those ten years, you try desperately for five years to talk to him, but he won’t see you or talk to you, even when you see him outside his house

you’re accepted into u.a. through recommendations. your quirk is powerful, and your family was wealthy enough to train you to be the hero you wished to be

you go and sit in your assigned seat for class 1-a and introduce yourself to some of the students sitting around you. you have a bright and easy personality so talking to everyone isn’t hard.

your throat tightens as todoroki walks through the door and sits in the seat across from you.

“nice to see you here, todoroki-kun.” you greet him, and not to your surprise he ignores you.

he doesn’t even look at you

this makes you angry

after orientation, where you placed third overall, you’re storming down to the train station trying to find shoto because you guys literally take the same train!!!!

you find him

“TODOROKI, WHAT THE FUCK?!”

you can’t help yourself, you’re completely pissed off and hurt because even if it was years ago he was such a dear friend and you guys split on the worst of notes

he just sorts of stared at you for so long after your rant finished and he apologizes

even though you know he wasn’t entirely empathetic in his apology, you let it go and try your best at resuming your friendship

it’s actually going better than you expected, sure the abused boy is not even a speck of who he used to be, but that’s okay

you ride the train together every day to and from school and you talk to him the entire time even if he won’t respond, and that’s okay

battle training and the attack on USJ makes todoroki respect you as a hero, although he won’t say anything at the time

then it happens, at the sports festival, your heart is crushed yet again

“I’m not here to make friends.”

you’d stand up from where you were sitting, tears welling in your eyes, the attention of the class went from shoto and Deku over to you, but you don’t care

you leave crying

you’re so hurt by this your ass gets kicked in the tournament round

you watch Deku fight shoto and somehow Deku breaks through this internal strife todoroki had been having and that further makes you nauseous

you leave campus without shoto

you show up the next day of classes without shoto with you again

you’re avoiding him and you will continue avoiding him

then one day, he’s finally caught up to you

“Y/l/n, wait, please!”

you don’t wait, you’ve waited ten years after all

he yanks on your arm and you stop your crying but you refuse to look at him

“I’m sorry, okay. I’m sorry, just had the worst time when I was younger, and I shut everybody out. I thought you were trying to be friends because of our past and I’ve just been blind with anger and me….” 

he’s trailed off and you’re both shocked because when had todoroki shoto ever talked that much?! never

you end up forgiving him, and even though his personality is completely different from when you were children, you still enjoy his company

soon, he’s taking part of your conversations and it’s no longer so one-sided

you visit him, Deku, and iida in the hospital during internships because your mentor was mad about missing out on that battle and the nomu battle so she went for clues on who was the mastermind

“I’m glad you’re okay…” you whispered as you hugged him tightly, a blush staining your cheeks

it isn’t until you guys are at the summer training camp do you realize that you may have a crush on shoto when mina and hagakure ask if it’s okay if they try snagging the “cutest boy in class 1-a”

which you agree with too anyways

you were paired up with midoriya for the scare contest and you end up going to help him fight muscular, it gets you hospitalized

shoto visits you. every. day.

whether you were awake or not, he was there.

you recover just fine; however, you have a scar from the back of your shoulder to the lower hip area.

you’re scar buddies, you tell shoto and he agrees with a smile

when the dorms come around, oh boy

at some point, you start spending the night in each other’s rooms because you hang out and study really late

one morning, yaoyorozu catches you sneaking out of his room at 7 a.m. on Sunday and the girls out you for your crush ((much to the horror of mina and hagakure who had been trying hard to get him to like them romantically))

soon the entire class knows

except for shoto

of course

everyone, except the obvious few, spies when the two of you are together

you’re basically blushing every second of every moment with shoto because you can feel at least four people staring at you two at all time

when shoto would get up to get you two drinks, you’d throw a pillow at the stalkers and hiss at them to leave you two alone because “shoto doesn’t like you back”

then you guys one day go get some soba, the cold kind of course

you’re quietly slurping your noodles when you see kaminari, jirou, mina, and midoriya in ridiculous wigs and mustaches taking pictures of you and shoto

shoto then paused after he finished his soba noodle and stared at you, his eyes calculating.

“I like you.” he simply stated. “in a romantic way.”

your jaw drops, and you’re choking on a noodle

oh my god, he confessed and you’re choking

on

a

noodle!!!!

one strong hit to your back and you’re fine

but now you’re embarrassed and blushing and your nose and throat burn

“I hope you weren’t trying to die to get out of my confession…” shoto jokes but there’s that small uncertainty you can read in his eyes

and although you can see the cameras form your friends flashing, and the attention of the restaurant on you two, you press your lips onto Shoto’s

“I like you, too,” you mumble after you break away suddenly super embarrassed by your actions

he smiles at you softly and you blush even more

“would you like to be my girlfriend?”

oh… uh, I think I may have gone a bit overboard. I think childhood friends to lovers troupe for todoroki is 100% fluff to angst to fluff because of his stupid anime main protagonist backstory. try to change my mind!

bonus!

“look at these pictures!” jirou laughed as they had printed out a series of pictures that involved you choking on a noodle, shoto saving you, and the first kiss

“they’re so cute, what the hell!” mina screeched as she grabbed the stack flipping through them all in no time

“I’ll take that.” shoto said taking the only picture of you and him kissing

“todoroki-kun, that was so embarrassing…” you muttered as you buried your face into his chest as he presented the picture to you

“it was.” he agreed with a smile before tilting your head so he could kiss you softly on the lips

[ziracona]

With the rumors about Until Dawn possibly being in dbd I’m curious about what the game actually is? Could you give a description of it and it’s quality?

>:-D I would be thrilled to break it down! 

So, I personally adored this game. Actually, back in 2016, I bought a PS4 for the express purpose of being able to play the game more times until I got a happy ending.

Basically, Until Dawn is a decision-based horror game that is a self-reflective on horror as a genre, with a special focus on the way mental illness is treated, and a secondary focus on native tradition in horror. There are 10 playable characters, eight protagonists. Everyone can die. You swap between characters as you go, and the storyline branches depending on your decisions. Your choices alter your characters’ relationships with each other, which is important, as well as their stats (bravery, curiosity, humor, romanticness, honesty, and charity), all of which impact game outcomes and events in the story. You cannot simply win by always being as kind to people as possible, and I’d personally recommend trying to do your best, but playing the characters in-character if you want people to live. Almost everyone I’ve ever seen loses at least Matt their first time. Often Josh or Jessica as well. 

Anyway, the basic plot is, ten friends are at their winter getaway on a mountain. They’re late highschool/early college age. A bunch of them decide to play a super cruel prank on one of the friends, because they all know she has a crush on one of the guys. So he and a bunch of the others have him pretend he wants to make out with her, they film her, and then shame her, and she runs off into the night crying. Her best friend tries to warn her and fails, her sister didn’t know and is furious, and her brother and his best friend are both passed out drunk at the time, and have nothing to do with it. Anyway, older sis runs out into the night after baby sis. They’re at their family’s cabin on a mountain in Canada (their family is in the movie business and super rich). You play as the big sister. The girls do not make it through the night.

The remainder of the game, you play the remaining eight friends. They meet up a year later on the anniversary of the sister’s disappearance, because the surviving member of the family, Josh, the baby brother, wants to keep their tradition going and meet up to honor them. Things start to go wrong almost immediately. Some masked man is on the loose, and begins attack teens. Meanwhile, something weird is happening at the abandoned sanitorium nearby, and inexplicable things start to happen in the woods as well. The player does their best to collect clues, which go with one of if I remember correctly three storylines? It might be four. Anyway, all clues help your survival, and give you extra dialogue and sometimes choices. It’s very good to know. You have to make a lot of decisions, and sometimes doing nothing is the right call, so go with your gut. You also find totems, which give you a glimpse into the future, and come in multiple kinds (warnings of danger, death, death to friends, fortune, or guidance--the first three are bad, the last two you want to reach. They will not make sense, but then, when you hit the moment they’re connected to, a lot of the time stuff will click, so do your best to let them guide you).

Basically, your job is to try to understand what is going on, why, and to survive until forest service can show up at dawn to get you the fuck off the mountain to safety. There’s a ticking clock letting you see how long you have left to go, and each chapter has a unique title that changes based on player choice. Also, in-between chapters, you have segments where you play as someone who for most of the game is unknown, being interviewed by a psychologist. The player answers his questions, and makes decisions in the interviews as well, and these also effect gameplay and outcomes, and are responsible for chapter names. Actually, people still haven’t even found all the things the therapy sessions effect, which I think is extremely exciting.

Review wise, horror has long been one of the absolute best genres for intense character study, because the character can be the world’s biggest piece off shit, and you’ll still root for them not to die. Literally the bar is just they have to not be so awful you want them to die horribly. This exponentially increases in video games, because you have the added motivation of wanting to succeed/win. So, UD does a great job of having a super complex cast of characters it does not apologize for, but forces you to view as the complex whole and mix of good and bad they are, and is a great character piece. I hated everyone but Josh, Chris, and Sam when I started (the only three who didn’t do the prank), but by the end Mike, the asshole who pretended to want to make out with the sister, and Emily, the resident bitch, were both characters I loved, and I think I liked everybody but one member. It’s also just a super beautiful game, and it does a great job of being scary and intense, and there’s some amazing sequences. The structure is solid. Your experience will be different depending on how many clues you get ,as will your perception of characters based on choices and motives you understand or don’t, actions you see them take or miss, but that’s just kind of the nature, and it gives it some decent replayability. Also, the dialogue is hilarious and if sometimes pretty goofy, incredibly enjoyable.

The gameplay comes in multiple types. Sometimes you walk around free-reign and look for clues, and sometimes you’ll be in cinematic cutscenes where you act via quick one or the other choices (Run or Hide, Left or Right, etc) and reaction commands. There’s also shooting challenges, where you go into bullet time and line up the cursor on a target and press shoot before time runs out (and if you fail, probably die, but it depends on the severity of the situation), as well as Don’t Move segments, which quite literally mean hold the PS4 controller as still as humanly possible. You can see the glowing sensor on the front of it on your screen, and the bounds you have to keep it in, and can try to correct if it looks like it’s going too far left or right, but these are incredibly hard--I think most people consider them the hardest part of the game--and I know a lot of people just put the damn controller down during those bc they’re so hard. (For this to work you basically have to be playing with your arms already resting on a table though, or it will sense you going to set it down and you’ll auto-fail. It has to be a situation where setting it down legit just means letting go to work). It’s PS4 exclusive game, but it’s also a free game on PS now, so you if you get the 7 day free trial, you can play it on PS now on a computer, so long as you buy a controller (or borrow one or whatever) to play with.

Overall, I think the difficulty level is challenging enough to be fun, and varied enough to not get boring, but the don’t-moves--especially at the very end of the game--can be frustrating. So, I’d recommend either prepping for them and cheating a little in the finale sequence itself (which is like 7 extremely intense Don’t Moves back to back), or living by the age-old decision based proverb “If you hit power before it saves, it didn’t happen,” or both.

The characters are enjoyable, and the story is really good. There’s multiple, well-executed twists, and it’s incredibly sad and compelling as a story--to me anyway. Overall, it’s probably my favorite horror game unless you count season one of TWDG as a horror game, and I definitely wholeheartedly recommend it--especially if you like choice-based games. I’d 100% play it blind your first time, too--that’s the absolutely best way to experience it, even if people die. But, to keep it from getting super frustrating, I’d also totally recommend playing it the “I missed an action command and my fave just died so I hit menu or power before it could try and am gonna do the fight sequence again” way too. Games should be fun! Playing blind is fun, but having a fighting chance to keep your fave alive is too, and that gets you both. Also! Take looking for clues seriously, and do it before you leave an area--the free-walk events are not timed events, unlike in Man of Medan, so it is safe to do so. Some clues will literally change the fate of your character.

Scare wise, I’d say it’s a pretty creepy game. There’s a number of jump scares, but the biggest scares aren’t jump-scares, they’re chase sequences, which are quite nice. It is scary, but not like, any more scary than other horror video games tend to be, like Outlast or Silent Hill. Some of the deaths are pretty damn gorey too, so be forewarned.

And I think that about breaks it down? I’ll throw in some pics for feel.  

I could write a whole essay on why I think the narrative has intense value for its meta commentary on horror and its work as a self-reflective genre piece, but that would be rife with spoilers, so I won’t right now. Feel free to ask if you’d like to hear the short version of that, but I want to at least keep in a different post so it’s easy for people looking to avoid spoilers to do so! : )

Oh! Also as a last note, the cast is all phenomenal! Hayden Panettiere, Rami Malek, Brett Dalton, Meaghan Martin, Noah Fleiss, Nichole Bloom, Jordan Fisher, Antonella Lentini, Galadriel Stineman, Peter Stormare, and Larry Fessenden all do bang-up jobs, and it’s a pretty diverse cast too. And there’s a good dog, so games get +10 for dogs. There’s super cool making of stuff in the unlockables I enjoyed a lot, and the checkable character stats are fun. Also the intro is beautiful, and the single prettiest rendition of O’ Death I’ve ever heard.

[theoestofocs]

thinking about jurgen leitner again

Leitner, who thinks he’s safe, thinks he’s exempt from the rules of horror that govern the world--because why wouldn’t he be? He’s never been subject to them before. He’s a rich white man who’s never needed to work for a living. He’s never had to do anything but watch as his employees, his assistants, do all the lethal work for him, as he cycles through them like matchsticks and they each face death or worse for his little hobby. He didn’t care about them. He thought he was safe, and he had his little collection, and could pretend he was a hero for hoarding them, like Marie Antoinette with her peasant village, all the quaint self-congratulation and none of the fear.

It never occurred to him that his actions had consequences. And what gets me is that they weren’t even the moral consequences, no vengeful relatives of the people he killed in his quest to build the perfect cursed library, no ghost of angry assistants past that came back to haunt their killer. No, it was just the ordinary, aimless destruction that comes for anyone who brushes too close to the entities. Leitner never faced the consequences of his actions, not really. He stole the bones of other people to play some poker with, and all that happened was that he lost the game.

At least we know that Gerry got to beat him up (though the goth himself never knew. He died--and died again--thinking he’d attacked an old man for no reason. There’s no satisfaction in that; just more seemingly-random violence, more unwarranted guilt.)

because really aren’t all the characters in tma just trying to cope with the fact that they’re living in a tragedy? it’s not like they don’t know the genre of their own stories. Not at first, maybe, but they catch on real quick. And for most of them, we watch that change happen.

Tim says “the only thing you need to have your life destroyed by this stuff is just bad luck,” and he isn’t wrong. That’s all it is, that’s all any of this is--bad luck for everyone, except a total of maybe three characters. Three people we know of that made it through the end of the world unscathed. Two, really, because I don’t count Annabelle as a survivor, but the Web has shown enough “subtle manipulation” that I’ll count it as an honorary person, at least for now.

Elias, sat up in his tower, is presumably the winner of the apocalypse, though I’d be willing to guess it isn’t as lovely as he expected. Can’t say much about how his story ends, not yet; but over his long, horrible life, there’s no indication that he ever fell victim to the same awful fates he causes for everyone else. And there is, I suppose, a sort of idea that you can protect yourself from suffering by making others suffer first. Jordan Kennedy, Jude Perry, Jon himself; it is, quite literally, a situation of “eat or be eaten.” But--but I’ve said it before in other posts, none of the Avatars are really anything but tragedies themselves. They’re all victims too, same as everyone else. Except for a very, very few. Jonah Magnus, for instance, chose this.

I think so, at least. Perhaps not. But if he did, that’s what sets him apart from everyone else; Jonah chose to cause suffering, because he preferred to end the world than face the single simple truth of his own inevitable end.

And from the moment he made that choice, two hundred years ago, no one else has ever gotten another chance to choose.

I wonder if that’s on purpose. I wonder, is The Magnus Archives meant to be about the fundamental nature of the world? Is the implication of Tim’s statement really that everything is fundamentally cruel and utterly random, and we are all equally subject to the whims of chance? Or is there something else?

Because we know from the manifold clues in-canon that the Web was the one who really orchestrated Jonah’s ritual. From the spider that made Jon cave in the office wall and trigger Jane Prentiss’ attack, to the lighter that started him smoking again and got him out of the office just long enough for Leitner to die, to the table that killed Sasha, to the house on Hill Top Road, to the very first mark Jon received before he even made it through his first decade--it was all the Web. Elias really just set the Mother’s provided victim off on his course as Archivist and let everything else fall where it may. The Web was the one that kept him alive, made sure he had just the right assistants to hurt and be hurt by when he could have been helped the most, and carefully, thoroughly marked him by every entity, from the NotThem to the End.

Maybe Jonah did make a choice. But if he did, it was the last real choice anyone was ever permitted to make. Because there are things that will use every fear and doubt and despair we have, and feed on them until we’re either monsters or we’re dead. And when there’s something so much more powerful than us which sees a puppet it can use to bring itself through, make itself king--what chance do we have to fight it?

(Could it have been Robert Smirke that first gave the Web the idea for a ritual Jonah would put into practice a full two hundred years later? All this time, was Jon the Mother’s puppet, or was it Jonah, after all?)

Either way, the point remains that we are so much less powerful than the forces controlling our every choice, compelling us to compromise and sacrifice until there’s nothing of ourselves left to give. They grind us down to dust, and use the gristle of our flesh to fuel the nameless machine. 

(Jonny did say this story was meant for nine-to-five office workers, didn’t he?)

And so Jurgen is finally confronted with something stronger than himself, and all his hideous weakness is exposed for the world to see. So Jon spends so much time looking over his shoulder that he walks right through the door of Fear itself, never even noticing until it’s far too late. So Tim gives up on the only friend he could still trust to have his own face, furious and heartbroken and letting his last hope shatter as surely as Carlos Vittery’s teacup, marked as it was with the smear of a spider.

There’s really only one character in the entire podcast who has simply never accepted the fact that his life is a tragedy.

It’s not that he doesn’t realize how bad it is. He’s faced as much suffering as everyone else. It’s not that he doesn’t care about everyone who’s died, everything that’s been done to him, every piece of himself he’s lost. He just... refuses to let it make him stop caring.

Georgie sets boundaries, and Melanie forces the universe to let her find a way out. Both of them recognize the fact that no matter what choice they make, there’s a price to pay; so they make the choices that will cost them less. Really, they’re the only two characters that consistently follow the directions you’d typically be yelling at horror movie characters. Georgie would never open that door. (Jon did.)

Tim offered himself up as cannon fodder, Basira set her laser focus solely on survival, Daisy fought tooth and nail against everything (including her own teeth and claws), and Jon searched for answers that were dangled in front of him like a carrot on a stick, but Martin... Martin just cared.

And everyone thought that made him stupid. Not just Jon, though we (rightly) lambaste him for it; everyone did. It was taken as a given. Martin made tea, and gave good hugs, and never really understood what was going on. That was just Martin.

Pictured above is a screenshot of TMA 110, when Basira just comes out and says what everyone else has intimated and assumed in a thousand different phrases up to now. “I know you care. I know you do. But caring isn’t enough. You can’t just stand next to someone with a cup of tea and hope everything’s gonna be all right.”

And Martin’s right, that isn’t fair. She doesn’t know him. Nobody does, and it’s not because Martin hides himself; they just can’t believe he could possibly be the face he shows to the world.

But it is his face. Martin has, quite literally, looked in the face of fear itself five times I can think of off the top of my head, all long before season 5. He got trapped in his apartment and Michael’s hallways and the Lonely, and lost first one friend, then two more, then his only living family and everything else all at once. He was forced to understand exactly how and why his mother hated him, and always had, and always would. He is intimately familiar with the fact that the guy he’s in love with is a grumpy rat man who also happens to be a monster that feeds on trauma. Martin isn’t naive. He just acts like it.

Georgie sets boundaries, and she’s right to, but Martin refuses to accept what she cannot ignore: that sometimes, trying to help will just get you hurt. “Sometimes helping people hurts,” he tells her, and it’s a cruel thing to say, really, but he says it anyway because he cares too much to care about if it hurts. Martin looks at a world that is quite literally a hellscape of apocalyptic suffering, and asks if Jon wants to go for a walk. He lets himself fall into the Lonely because he refuses to stand by and let the inevitable tragedy and horror of their lives change him. He refuses to stop being kind--not just nice, not just as kind as it’s safe to be. To Martin, the common-sense decision in any situation is to choose kindness over safety. To help someone, because his life is not more important to him than theirs.

It’s not a wise way of living, to be sure.To be clear, I don’t recommend it, either.  That’s how you get a martyr complex, and anxiety and depression, and if you’re inclined to try it anyway, I’d like to point out that all three of the above rather interfere with your ability to effectively help out other people. Anyway, maybe this whole deal is why Jon and Martin make such a comfortable match--they both have different flavours of self-sacrificing tendencies.

It’s not wise, and it’s not advisable, and it’s not a good way of living; but it’s not a stupid way of living, either. It’s reckless and dangerous and, speaking from experience, not something that’s possible to keep up forever, no matter how hard you grit your teeth and make yourself keep going. But it’s also not an approach that happens accidentally.

Martin would rather die than stand by and do nothing while others get hurt, and he refuses to assume that people getting hurt is inevitable. He’s patently wrong about the preventability of suffering, and he knows that, but unlike everyone else in the podcast, he refuses to accept it. As long as there’s a chance that him doing something can help someone else, he’ll do it. No matter what it costs.

Sometimes there’s nothing you can do to save a ruined world.

Sometimes, you keep fighting anyway.

[polaris-australis]

November Study Challenge

So I recently heard about this and..it’s late. It’s very late. But I wanted to join in last minute. 

I’m compiling here the first ten days and then will actually do the rest on their respective days < 3 I’m terribly sorry for flooding your dashes, hence it being under a cut. 

Day 1. introduce yourself! what are you studying and why?

Hi! My name’s Ari and I’m an English major because it’s what I’ve always loved and am good at because I’ve dedicated myself to being a better writer since I was 13. I also enjoy philosophy and political science as of late, but literature is and will always be my first love. I’m also hoping to take creative writing classes someday as I write a good amount of fiction and might consider someday publishing (though maybe not as a full time job). 

I’m also 18, Latino, and disabled. I’m not cis or straight though I’m not really sure where I fall under the spectrum. I also play video games and would like to have plants but I’m rather bad at keeping them alive.

Day 2. what are your goals for this month? what do you hope to achieve academically and personally?

Academically? I want to turn everything in on time and to the best of my ability. Finals are coming up and I don’t want my grades to drop now that I’m so, so close. 

Personally? I want to get back into old self care routines, including writing regularly and small stretches before and after long periods of sitting down (which are very common with my disability). I’m also looking into going back to therapy, but not sure on that one yet. 

Day 3. what’s your favorite way to wind down after a long day?

Lying in bed on social media or watching youtube honestly. Sometimes I read or listen to a podcast while I do other, smaller things, but usually I’m too tired and just let myself watch things while I pretend I don’t have a paper due the next day by noon and I still need to make final edits.

Day 4. what’s your favorite genre to read? give us some recs! don’t like to read? pick movies or tv shows instead!

!!! Okay, so I’ve been going a bit more literary lately, but I’ve always loved fantasy first. Something dreamy, something fairytale like. My favorite book of all time (or one anyways) is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Her newest book The Starless Sea just came out this past week and I’ve read the first few chapters. I love it already. 

In addition, Neil Gaiman is a decent pick. Cathrynne Valente is one I love, I’m also currently half reading Deathless, which is based on Russian folklore. Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology is basically a heist story but still fairly entertaining. Also, this isn’t a novel, but the graphic novel Nimona is literary genius and you can fight me it’s so good. I don’t watch enough tv or movies to recommend those, but if you like podcasts, Janus Descending and What’s the Frequency? are current faves, though both are horror and can be very disturbing. The Penumbra Podcast has gay detectives, The Bright Sessions is people with superpowers going to therapy (and one of the most popular ones), etc etc etc. 

Day 5. do you listen to music when you study? what kinds? share with us a short (or long!) playlist.

I sometimes do and sometimes don’t, really just depends on my mood. Sometimes it’s musicals or specific playlists that i make depending on what I’m into, but other times I’ll throw on instrumentals and see where it goes from there. 

If you want I can share my spotify? Let me know!

Day 6. what are your favorite materials for studying?

Highlighters. I print my poli sci readings and annotate that way. I also try to make flashcards for French though I’m somewhat failing in that regard. I rewrite things at certain points throughout the semester to see what I remember and what I don’t, and usually that just involves plain paper and pencil, maybe pen.

Day 7. what are your critiques about studyblr’s focus on high-end materials? do you think there’s a difference in low vs high end?

As someone who grew up poor and doesn’t feel like spending money on anything fancy, go for it if it makes you feel better but don’t rely on it. There’s probably a difference in quality, sure, but oftentimes expensive does not equal better. It just means that - more money. It’s one of the reasons I never made a studyblr prior to discovering grey academia, because I felt like I wouldn’t belong in the slightest. So I’m not a fan of it, but I don’t really judge people who own those supplies, either.

Day 8. does your region make a special food or drink for the fall? what is it?

Nope! Not that I’m aware of in the slightest! I’m afraid I don’t go out enough to tell, sorry >_>

Day 9. are there any holidays in november that you celebrate? what are you doing for them?

I wouldn’t say we celebrate thanksgiving really (colonizers can burn), but my aunts do like having an excuse to make food and eat. But it is my birthday!! So I’d like to maybe get a small desert for myself and hang out with friends or family (I do have class that day after all aha). 

Day 10. what’s in your backpack? tell us about your must-have items.

Currently I have: notebook-binder (one of the refillable ones, they’re easier to carry around imo), folders for today’s classes (one for each), my bujo, pens/pencils/highlighters, hand sanitizer, tissues, little kit with a stapler, remover, hole punch, tape, and scissors, sanitary pads because yes I am afab, headphones, wallet, and sometimes a book or other journal for personal writing though lately I’ve taken to dedicating a place in my notebook to store my otherwise-would-be misplaced attempts at prompts.

Day 11. what subject is your favorite to study in your course? tell us a fun fact you learned in it!

This semester, my favorite subject is my political science class (world politics), but my favorite subject is literature! Mm, I guess an interesting fact would be how stories can “nest” into each other, where one part is a story within another story or is referenced in another book (think Palimpsest and The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, or, what I’m reading right now, which is The Starless Sea). I’m having a lot of fun with that concept.

Looking forward to actually keeping up!! 

[itsyaboisayori]

Why I’m questioning Sayori

I said I’d make this post so here it is! Even got on my laptop to properly do the post :p I’m just kinda winging this but I’ll try to list out everything I can. If I forget stuff I’ll go back and edit it later so if you’re curious, keep watch! I’ll reblog any time I make edits, at least somewhat big ones. 

Also, replies are welcome! I’m open to constructive criticism and anyone wanting to offer new viewpoints. I accept that I’m still learning and nothing is for sure yet. Also tbh anyone telling me I sound like I’m kin is validating as heck so if you’re thinking it then I’d appreciate you saying it ahaha, but please don’t lie to me because you think you know what I want to hear. I want the truth. I don’t want to be a confused mess ;n; And I know all/most of these could be COMPLETELY unrelated to being Sayori fictionkin, but I feel like they’re worth mentioning anyways. It’s more like, a bunch of little coincidences rather than big solid evidence, I’m aware of that and that’s a big reason why I’m questioning and not for-sure Sayorikin.

One thing I realized just a couple of days ago is how, since I was a kid I’ve had this like, ideal thing I guess? how do I put this into words lmao my brain is dumb,, I guess a fantasy, that I’d fall in love with a childhood friend, like someone I’m close with from a young age but strictly friends for a long time. I’ve always been in love with the idea of falling in love with your best friend. And of course that’s what happens to Sayori, due to her programming in DDLC. And if I’m kin with Sayori from other game(s) rather than just DDLC then it definitely could be something unrelated, just a coincidence.

I’m like, really drawn to DDLC?? Maybe just because DDLC is a great game and I love all the creepypasta type stuff behind it all, all the theories and dark shit, and also I think just as a cute dating sim it’d be great anyways (but nowhere near as great). But idk, when I saw it I immediately felt kinda drawn to it but maybe that’s just in my head or for some other reason like the characters look nice or smth.

Also it REALLY gives me feels. It makes me feel things in general. I rarely get genuinely scared from fictional stuff anymore but this game fucked me up. I’m still scared to play it on my own because, even after watching multiple youtubers play it multiple times, it still fucking scares me.

The Sayori suicide scene and her poem- especially the poem- really get to me. I saw people making hanging puns in the previous video before her death so it was kind of spoiled for me but even still, it got to me. And the scene where Sayori is freaking out because you deleted Monika before playing the game REALLY gets to me,, like I just understand that overwhelming, helpless feeling. Especially finding out why she acted that way, it’s so fucking hard to watch that scene and normally I’m not affected by this kind of stuff. So either DDLC is extremely good at psychological horror or I have some sort of connection to the scenarios, whether that be just that I’ve been through similar things and am projecting (not really that I remember though? idfk brains are weird) or ya know,,, I once lived as someone in DDLC or whatever.

(TW self harm/suicide/choking) Probably has no real correlation but when I have panic attacks/flashbacks (unrelated to DDLC I mean) I feel like I’m choking or like I can’t breathe. And when really frustrated I tend to choke myself? Sayori died from asphyxiation instead of her neck being broken, by accident because she used a stepping stool instead of something higher like a chair and jumping off. Btw I’m okay, I never actually choke myself to the point to causing permanent damage or anything, and of course I’m not saying this is like, okay or anything. I know it’s bad but I’ve done it completely on impulse, and this was all before learning DDLC even existed. I’m working on getting better and I’m not going to kill myself or anything, just thought I’d mention this.

I relate to her personality,,, so fucking much. Not just the whole pretending to be happy to make your friends happy thing, but how she is as a person besides her depression. Tbh I feel like a lot of people relate to her because of her depression and how she deals with it, but like she’s so much more than that. She pretends to be dumb but it actually pretty smart. Maybe she’s not the best with words but I think she’s a lot more intelligent than some people think. She’s so cheerful, maybe even annoying, and is kind of the class clown, and is a total weirdo sometimes but it’s GREAT and just,, same lmao. Like “looks like my boobs are getting bigger again >:D” is something I’d say lolol I just love Sayori so much, like idc if I’m kin with her or not she’s still fucking amazing.

Another reason I relate to her but probably is like not at all proof I’m Sayori or anything, just thought I’d mention anyways, but I was kinda like, really in love with my guy friend in high school for years, he’s actually kinda like MC in some ways, like he was kinda popular with girls but not like Popular(tm), super nice and couldn’t directly say no, but he knew I was in love with him (or at least knew I had a crush on him but he probably had no idea I liked him THAT much but hey neither did I for a long time lmao) and didn’t like me back and even started intentionally avoiding me. Like, he would make up an excuse to not give me a hug, like he was late for class, but hugs only take like a fucking second what the hell?? It sucked but like when the player turns down Sayori I Relate.

I just,,,,, want to hug Natsuki like she’s fucking adorable and I want to protect her the most bc she’s like a precious child and she’s obviously abused by her dad. Tbh Yuri is a little creepy and for some reason I don’t like her that much but I mean I’d still hug her. I don’t hate Monika, like it was just her programming to do all that stuff she did so I don’t blame her and she’s p cool and I’d hug her too tbh. When Sayori interacts with Natsuki it makes me feel all warm n fuzzy. Like I don’t think in my canon Sayori and Natsuki were dating or anything, I think I/Sayori am/was just really protective? Idk, thought I’d throw that out there.

I also heavily relate to wanting to be a mediator and wanting to help everyone get along and be happy. I often (try to) play that role in this life. I’m extremely empathetic, so that’s prob why, but I can’t stand when people are fighting or can’t see each other’s point of view. Though it also frustrates the FUCK out of me when people refuse to or just absolutely cannot see any point of view but their own. Maybe that’s not really a Sayori thing but ye

When I look at Sayori I get the same “that’s me!” feeling as when I see my kintypes. Who knows though, maybe in a month or two it’ll fade, we’ll see I guess. But right now it is Very Strong. Like I’ve somewhat questioned being fictionkin with other characters before but I’ve never had the “that’s me” feeling this strong with anyone else. Ruby from RWBY is a close second but I still think she’s just a kithtype.

I feel like having a past life or whatever as someone who was experimented on kinda makes sense?? Maybe I just enjoy horror a little too much but I really think if I am Sayori I’m kin with her like actual her not just the DDLC version of her. The new game hasn’t even been announced yet but I’m so excited, mostly because I feel like I want to learn more about my possible past life I guess. I wanna see if things in the second game connect with me or if it’s just DDLC. But I feel like, if I’ve had any past lives as any humans, they were probably really dark or smth. I kinda have a dark mind I guess and that would just make sense to me lmao, like I’m 21 why haven’t I grown out of my edgy phase, why the fuck am I still really into creepypasta? Damn.

I’ve been kinda obsessed with DDLC lately. I have BPD so it could totally just be a BPD obsession thing and maybe this obsession will fade and someday I won’t care too much about DDLC, only time will tell. Also I’ve had the song Your Reality stuck in my head for a week straight but it may just be a catchy song and I tend to have a song that kinda automatically starts playing in my head occasionally, usually lately it’s been Sad Machine by Porter Robinson (good song btw highly recommend)

Most likely unrelated but Sayori’s hair has been described as “strawberry blonde” on one wiki and my hair is like, light brown but reddish, though it looks more like Monika’s hair, especially because I keep my hair long. I’ve been kinda wanting to cut it but I like having long hair tbh and I feel like a lot of ppl don’t want me to cut my hair haha, though I really wanna get a short wig and maybe wear that occasionally (esp bc I’m non binary and wanna pass as more boyish sometimes, I know society will never accept me as nb bleh but anyways). Though, it’s been said that the reason her hair is short is because it’s easier for her to deal with, but I’m not 100% sure if that’s canon. Though I guess it doesn’t matter much? cuz multiverse stuff n all but, still.

Speaking of her appearance, she seems to not care too much about how she looks, which I relate to haha, especially because of depression n stuff. I mean I have Crippling Social Anxiety(tm) so I do care to an extent but usually I’m like, if someone likes me they’ll like me for who I am not how I look anyways. I don’t feel the need to dress super proper to impress anyone in casual social situations, like making friends or even going on dates (though I’ve only been on a real date like a few times and they were with my gf who I’d already been dating online for a while). And yeah a big reason she’s so careless about her appearance is depression but I think if I wasn’t depressed and she wasn’t depressed we’d still both have that mentality like, we don’t need to impress anyone with our appearance so it’s better to just dress how you want, whatever way makes you feel comfortable and happy with yourself and your body, than focus on being proper and stuff.

Maybe I’m just projecting but man I feel like a lot of stuff I do and my ways of thinking and stuff are very Sayori(tm). I feel like I am so much like her, like she’s so me. Though of course, maybe my reason for being kin with her is purely psychological. Maybe I “became” her after seeing DDLC. Maybe I am her because I relate to her so much. But again, only time will tell. If I still feel like I identify as her (which, currently, I most definitely do) in a couple of months or so, then I guess I’ll start calling myself fictionkin. Idk.

[fireandgloryrpg]

NAME: Wesley Novak

AGE: 19

FACECLAIM: Devon Bostick

HERITAGE: Child of Thanatos

AFFILIATION: Fifth Cohort Legionnaire

STATUS: Retired (previously played by Kcat)

HEADCANONS:

Wes literally lives for Halloween. They’re usually more on the quiet and reserved side of things, but come October, their mood can switch to bright and bubbly at a moment’s notice. Halloween itself is that one rare day in the whole of the year that they don’t feel the label of “freak” clinging to their back. Wes has been finding comfort in graveyards since well before they were aware of their godly heritage, and they have often made better friends out of spirits than the living.

Wes is a solitary practicing witch. They don’t have powers like the children of Hecate or Trivia, however. Their status as a witch is purely spiritual and the craft they practice is a matter of reverence and regard to natural energies. Being thrust into the world of Greek and Roman gods has not changed their beliefs, but, in fact, widened them. Wes makes use of Temple Hill to send prayers and/or requests to the gods.

BIOGRAPHY:

!! tw: death mention, bullying !!

Imagine if you died and met your second dad. Sounds crazy, right? Well, then I guess that makes me a fucking lunatic.

Wesley Austen Novak met their godly parent en route to the emergency room. Lying there in the ambulance, they found themself blinking up at a Mr. Tall Dark & Handsome as he briefed them on two realities: one, that accepting Trevor McClane’s dare to swim across the pool in the middle of a thunderstorm was about one of the most idiotic things they’d ever done, and two, they were the demigod child of the god of death, aka. the “grim reaper”, which was one of the very few reasons why they’d be coming back from this dumbass stunt.

Wes always knew they were a little odd, but a demigod? Talk about a plot twist.

Wesley’s unbeating heart started up again seemingly on its own, to the shock and befuddlement of the Landen paramedics. As soon as they snapped up on their stretcher like something out of a horror movie jump scare, Thanatos was gone.

Wes was adopted and they were never told otherwise. Their single father was a lawyer who would be a hypocrite if he raised his kid on a lie while he preached the value of honesty. However, Wesley struggled to be honest with their father from a young age. Christopher Novak had always wanted a son. It was evident in his encouragement for Wesley to play sports, join Boy Scouts, play video games or go exploring with the other guys in the neighborhood… Wesley was good at all of these things, but they didn’t see why it was frowned upon when they invited the girls to play with the boys or why they were being lame when they wanted to do arts and crafts instead of staging an army mission on the playground. They didn’t understand, but they didn’t argue.

Wesley’s dad was everything to them. They wanted nothing more than to make him proud, and if that meant being the son he had always dreamed of, so be it. Landen, Ohio was a small, conservative, Midwestern town. Terms like genderqueer and nonbinary were practically unheard of in a district supported prominently by private religious education. Classes were tight-knit and theology was woven into the class material whether the students followed the faith that sponsored the institution or not, but the parents often paid this spiritual discrepancy little mind. The private schools held the highest ratings in the region, and who didn’t want that esteem for their child?

Wesley wasn’t the only child in the private school system who didn’t conform to the schools’ ideals. When they were admitted to their father’s Jesuit alma mater – an all-boys academy – they were just as thrilled as he was. The pride Christopher attributed to his high school had won Wesley over to the desire of attending it early on, but as the months went by, Wes started to realize that the glamour built up around St. Xavier Academy wasn’t all it was chalked up to be.

High school came with the opportunity for Wesley to start branching out and becoming their own person, but rather than drifting towards those who could have been their true friends, Wesley allowed their father to herd them with the boys of his own high school companions. Christopher had been a rather popular figure in his day, so it didn’t come as much of a surprise to Wesley when his friends, and thus their sons, also turned out to be popular among the student body. Wesley got swept up in their tide, pinned by a seemingly indomitable force of peer pressure and the need to please their parent. They pretended to be someone they weren’t, and it ended with them electrocuted in Trevor’s backyard swimming pool at a party that he wasn’t supposed to be having.

After Wesley met Thanatos, everything changed. When they say death changes a person, they aren’t kidding. Finding out they had a god for a parent turned Wesley’s entire world upside down. Suddenly it made so much sense why they spent all of their after-school study sessions in the cemetery and why they were drawn to a spirituality that dealt with balances between life and death. It also explained why their classmates in theatre kept giving them bizarre looks when they started chatting with the attractive young guy that hung around in the rafters, who, according to them, wasn’t really there.  

Wesley started doing research on their parental deity (as one does when they suddenly find out they’re a demigod) and soon became hooked on the repeated theme that death has no gender – which makes perfect sense, when you think about it. Everybody dies at some point, right? Everybody mortal, anyway. Race, sexuality, gender– in pretty much every representation around the world, Death didn’t give a fuck. And oftentimes, Death didn’t have any defining identities either. So Wesley thought, ‘If death has no gender, why should I?’ Finding courage in the history and nature of their parent finally prompted Wes to step up and release the feelings they had kept caged nearly all their life.

Coming out as genderqueer at a conservative, religious, all-boys high school didn’t go well for Wesley. They lost the fake friends their dad had matched them with, and worse, suddenly they were the one bearing the brunt of their teasing. They tried to make new friends, but having hung around with the school terrors, even on the passive fringes, meant that their name was permanently tarnished within the halls of the academy. The administration, too, struggled with how to handle their declaration when certain parents called in in an uproar. Eventually, Wes made it easy for the lot of them: they dropped out.

Christopher was furious. Wesley was mortified. He urged Wesley to return to school, assuring them that they’d work something out, but Wesley couldn’t bring themself to do so. What’d been done, was done. The child of Thanatos had seen their last of private education. The day after dropping out, while Christopher was out at work, Wesley woke up to someone’s unrelenting knocking at the front door. When they finally dragged their ass out of bed half-awake to answer it, they found a pretty little satyr quivering on the step with a folded note and a small box in hand.

The note came from their father and spoke of a camp up in New York State where they could be free to express themself away from the threats of the mortal world. The small box contained a gift – a simple necklace with a black, crescent moon pendant hanging on the string. ‘Not to be rude,’ they told the satyr, ‘but this is all starting to sound a little far-fetched to me.’ Wesley kept the pendant but, with their apologies, sent Sage – the satyr – away. Not even her hooves had yet convinced them out of their gloom. It wasn’t until they took a walk over to their favorite cemetery that afternoon to think things over that Wes came abruptly face-to-face with the fact that they weren’t actually going crazy. One doesn’t exactly unsee a young, grieving widow transforming into a bloodthirsty empousa, nor do they forget their necklace expanding into the form of a large and very very sharp scythe at its owner’s sense of danger. The scythe bit probably would have been cooler if Wes had had the slightest clue how to use it; but alas, it was Sage who saved the day.

The satyr led them to safety and further to the sanctuary of Camp Half Blood. Wesley didn’t get to say goodbye to their father and he was never enlightened about their true parentage. For his own safety, Wesley has not contacted him since their departure.

Wesley arrived at Camp Half Blood when they were sixteen years old. In April of 2017, they transferred to Camp Jupiter and joined the Legion in hopes of improving their combat skills and someday taking up classes at UNR. Their aloofness, lack of recommendation, and lax attitude toward authority has placed them in the Fifth Cohort, but Wes doesn’t pay any mind to labels. They’re still figuring out their place in this world of gods and monsters, and being a graceus in Roman territory doesn’t make it any easier.

[just-jordie-things]

300 FOLLOWERS!? I LOVE YOU SO MUCH GUYS SO I WENT THRU AND ANSWERED THE ASKS

1. what’s your favorite food?

i think sushi.  smoked eel nigiri roll, and trust me, it’s amazing

2. do you have any ‘special’ talents?

maybe writing idk i’m an average writer

3. what’s your zodiac sign?

leo

4. have any siblings? older or younger? brother or sister? do you get along?

younger brother, and we’re like best friends.  we get into a lot of trouble together

5. what was your first ship?

the first one i was head over heels for would be scallison.  still am.

6. how old are you?

16 in july

7. if you had to get married right now, who would you choose and why?

ummm dyaln o’brien? sorry that was an unrealistic question i’m probably always gonna answer with him.  a l w a y s

8. any interesting life mini stories?

ok so last summer, i was hanging out with my bff @taegdcl1018, and she lives by the playground so we went to hang out there.  it was real chill, swinging and listening to music and stuff.  and when i got up and started walking, there was A BEE ON MY SHIRT.  so i screamed, and started wigging out, and of course brooklyn is like ‘girl chill’ (and tbh bees don’t scare me that much) anyways, this bee is still on my shirt, and im running around, and it’s still stuck on it.  and THAT my sweeties, is how i took my shirt off in a public playground.  NO WORRIES THO! there was no one around besides me and my bff, and she gave me her over shirt thingy before we left.  (also, it’s still difficult for me to wear that shirt.  it’s like i have PTSD)

9. who are your favorite artists/musicians right now?

melanie martinez, twenty one pilots, lana del rey, halsey, marilyn manson, blue october, blackbear, arctic monkeys, and kaleo

10. Want kids? Why?

i like the idea, but i think i’d say no.  i’m just not that responsible, not enough to care for a little person who would need me

11. hobbies?

writing, reading, playing piano, drawing, collaging (if that’s how you’d put it?) and editing

12. any pets?

oui, a chihuahua named delilah that my friends and i call taco

13. favorite ship(s)?

STYDIA MALEC MALIRA SCALIA AND MANIGGY

14. best cartoon?

Bob’s Burgers.  I love it.

15. best friends?

@taegdcl1018 and @peter-andhislostgirls.  they’re my besties.  we’re mermaids.

16. what color are your eyes?

morning sky blue lmao

17. what is your relationship status?

utterly single but flirting 

18. favorite pair of shoes?

PURPLE CONVERSE I PAINTED WHITE AND USED SHARPIE TO WRITE STUFF ON

19. favorite snapchat filter?

the bunny with the snow lol

20. favorite book?

The Replacement, by Brenna Yovanoff

21. opinion on drugs/alcohol?

gross.  i don’t like to judge, but I don’t like people throwing their lives away.

22. dream vacation?

Los Angeles.  everywhere there, just walking in the streets and listening to music

23. how many pictures are on your phone?

2,030

24. best ice cream flavor?

chocolate chip cookie dough with hot fudge 

25. where do you go to shop?

hot topic and forever 21 are my favorite

26. favorite class?

enriched english.  from the literature we get to read and the comedic of a teacher, it’s just great.

27. most embarrassing memory?

um, did you not read the story about the bee on my shirt?

28. what’s one of your favorite memories?

spending one of my bffs birthday watching horror movies in our underwear and hello kitty blankets.  there was also home made cake and doggos involved

29. what are your five most frequently played songs?

1. Where’s My Love - Syml 2. Drive - Halsey 3. Killing Strangers - Marilyn Manson 4. Hard For - Kevin Gates 5. Crazy In Love - Beyonce (um the 50 Shades of Grey remix…)

30. play any instruments?

piano and i used to know guitar and ukulele but it’s been a while

31. best breakfast meal?

chocolate chip pancakes with a shit ton of butter

32. who was the last person you called?

@taegdcl1018 for 2 hours and 17 minutes last night.  we discussed doing a collab ;)

33. fries or onion rings?

fries

34. daytime or night time?

night time.  it’s much more peaceful and overall more beautiful

35. how many languages do you know?

english and I’d like to say french, but i’m not fluent so i don’t think it counts

36. if you could only date one character from Teen Wolf, who would you date? why?

Malia Tate.  I feel like we could really teach each other things and she’d be overprotective and cute and yeee

37. best friend IRL and best friend via social media?

BEST FRIENDS IRL @taegdcl1018 and @peter-andhislostgirls and my best friends via social media are @failingmemequeen and Sarah (who doesn’t have a tumblr)

38. favorite picture?

there’s one my friend took in the lunch room last year, a selfie of her and my other bffs

39. fanfiction or fanart?

fanfiction 

40. when did you first start writing fanfics?

two years ago, my first teen wolf was a scallison one that i wrote before i even watched the show

41. favorite type of noodle?

the mac and cheese that looks like shells

42. favorite summer activity?

writing outside lol

43. if you could take a pic with one character at Disney, who would you choose?

alice from alice in wonderland.  i just love her.

44. best season of Teen Wolf?

i’m stuck between 3b and 6a

45. ok do you watch ANYTHING other than Teen Wolf?

I do! The Walking Dead, Riverdale, The Fosters, American Horror Story, Shameless, Orange is the New Black, Shadowhunters, Friends, and Pretty Little Liars

46. apple or samsung?

apple.  duh.

47. an annoying experience that you would like to vent about?

one time this girl told me if a man punches a woman, she should be grateful.  she claimed it was because of gender equality, which i am ALL for, but i thought it was disgusting, because if ANYONE punches you, no matter the gender, honestly i think you should just go ahead and punch them back

48. favorite pop tart flavor?

hot fudge sundae

49. McDonald’s, Burger King, or Wendy’s?

BK I can’t say no to a hershey pie

50. would you rather fly or be invisible?

hahahaa be invisible then my embarrassing moments wouldn’t be noticed

51. favorite board game?

candyland or monopoly 

52. circus or magic show?

magic show bc my brother loves magic tricks and i always get to see him try them and it’s just funny

53. waterpark or amusement park?

amusement park, i love rollercoasters and thrills!

54. any sentimentally valuable possessions?

my grandmothers first engagement ring, she gave it to me

55. what’s your favorite mode of travel?

car trips

56. what piece do you choose to be in Monopoly?

the top hat.  i love hats.

57. when was the last time you cried? why?

yesterday because i read SUCH a good stiles angst i teared up

58. favorite Marvel character?

ooh….um…. if i HAD to choose, i think i’d have to choosequicksilver from the X-Men franchise.  woot woot evan peters!

59. any nicknames?

yea: potato, captain crunch, and scoot.

60. what will be/is your senior quote?

“if someone from the future doesn’t come to stop you from doing something, then how bad can it be?

61. play any sports?

HELL NAH

62. if you were stranded on an island and had to bring 3 other people, who would they be and why?

my besties brookie and tay, and dylan o’brien cuz i’m gonna need entertainment somehow

63. lucky numbers?

8, 88, 666, and 18

64. label yourself (ethnicity, gender, sexuality etc)

i’m a white, bisexual, atheist woman

65. dogs or cats?

i love both so much but kittens man…

66. scooters or skateboards?

scooters.

67. favorite DC character?

harley quinn by far

68. bugs bunny or daffy duck?

daffy duck

69. are you sexually expierienced? (lol iyt #69 so i had to)

does reading smut count?

70. did you have a valentine this year?

I DID! 

71. vlogging or blogging?

so i do have a tumblr and technically it’s called a blog but i mean it’s not really a blog.  and sometimes my friend and i pretend to be vloggers so i guess vlogging

72. pandas or polar bears?

panda bears

73. favorite hello kitty character?

tuxedo sam

74. if you were going to travel to another country, where would you go?

Savoy France, to see a girl that I’ve become friends with and have wanted to see for a while

75. most used emoji?

the squid.  it just looks so happy and joyful.  i use it to tell people i love them

76. why did you start writing?

fanfiction? bc i was disappointed in jeff davis for killing off an angel who didn’t deserve it.

77. favorite fanfic?

I CAN’T CHOOSE!!! everything @writing-obrien has ever done

78. what’s your favorite show to binge?

teen wolf and riverdale

79. dresses or skirts?

i like both but i’m always in jeans.  but probably skirts 

80. favorite app?

tumblr duh

81. favorite word?

mechanical

82. what’s your favorite thing to write about?

stiles imagines and things about trees

83. who is your inspiration? for anything really

writing-obrien aforementioned for writing.  and twenty one pilots for music

84. would you rather go to neverland or wonderland?

wonderland! I want an unbirthday tea party!

85. favorite actor?

dylan o’brien

86. favorite actress?

crystal reed

87. favorite youtuber?

brandon rogers.  11/10 RECOMMEND WATCHING

88. if you could live in any fantasy land where would you pick and why?

still wonderland, because i feel like it’d just be so much fun lol

89. sleeping or eating?

ooh that’s a toughie.  probably eating.  I’m a high class food slut

90. favorite letter of the alphabet?

Z

91. fruits or veggies?

fruits

92. modern or ancient?

both?

93. smut, fluff, or angst?

fluff is my #1 but i like it all

94. if you were to go into a battle, what would be your weapon of choice?

probably a unicorn horn.

95. unicorns or pegasuses?

more unicorns!

97. thoughts on swearing?

swearing is so fucking dumb.  like why fucking do that you fucking fuck?  lmao swearings ok in the appropriate places.  not in a kindergarden classroom, but who cares if you’re at a bar?

98. reading or writing?

UGH WHY MAKE ME CHOOSE! I’M SKIPPING THIS ONE

99. big cities or small town country sides

big cities

100. east coast or west coast?

livin on the east coast but dreamin of the west

101. what do you love about your favorite character?

i love the way she really delves into her emotions, even though everyone thinks she doesn’t really have any, you can really tell what she’s feeling through her eyes, and that’s hard to do when it’s on a screen and not written in a fanfiction

thank you guys so sooo much for 300 follows! it made me tear up this morning, and means a lot to me that people actually like and enjoy my writings and i really hope that the only way i can go, is up, and i just really hope that i still have the love and support you guys give to me :) big hearts and big hugs for every one of you

[in-defense-of-the-horror]

Horror & Romance : Fun Things to do This Valentine’s Day

“This Valentine’s Day, as all Valentine’s Days, will soon recede into painful memory, fading with time, until another foul Valentine’s Day is upon us again.”

I’m going to be super honest - nobody asked me to put together a list of Valentine’s Day recommendations. I’m doing it anyway because I’m opinionated and I love all of you horror dorks out there and I want to help make sure you’re celebrating this special, special day in the most frighteningly appropriate way possible. So under the break are a variety of IDotH approved activities for February 14th.  Enjoy. 

Obviously when discussing Valentine’s Day related Horror there are some obvious choices - my favorite of course being the 2001 slasher film, Valentine. There’s of course the 1981 film My Bloody Valentine and it’s 2009 remake of the same name. If you guys are anything like me however you might like to celebrate in a way that’s a little less direct. 

Of course there are a lot of ways to do that. Watching horror movies that are romantic, incorporate themes of love or lust, or even just that you have memories of sharing with someone special. The decision is of course up to you and any significant others that you might have/want/keep locked up in your basement. All I can do is offer some options based off of my personal preference.

(And keep in mind, this is not a Masterpost, these are just my top choices.)

Romantic Movies:

Sweeney Todd Horns Shaun of the Dead

^^ If you’re looking for something to celebrate love, why not watch one of the three most romantic films of all time?  

Of course, you might be forced to make due with whatever is on your streaming site of choice. So here are my customary Netflix/Hulu based recommendations:

Netflix:

Sweeney Todd: It should be super obvious why this one is on the list as it is the most romantic film ever released, and you lucky Netflix Subscribers have access to it this special day.

Corpse Bride: Not particularly scary, but this morbid children’s film deals with love in some of it’s purest and most corrupt forms. Another musical and a great selection for those who desire romance more than scares.

Tucker & Dale Vs Evil: We all know of movies where the geek tries to get the girl, but what about movies where the redneck tries to get the girl while dealing with an evil presence in the woods?

Honeymoon: If you’re the type of person who enjoys bad horror as much as good horror, this one might be the winner as it fits the theme of the holiday despite generally being a poorly executed film.

Hellraiser: I know what you guys are probably thinking, but if anything motivates the characters in this film, it’s passion. And really, isn’t passion what this day boils down to?

Karla: If you’re looking for a true tale of romantic terrors, this might be the one for you. Based off of the Bernardo/Homolka case this movie starring Misha Collins and Laura Prepon tells the story of the infamous Ken and Barbie killers.

AHS Hotel: If you guys are looking for horror that you find weirdly erotic, the fifth season of American Horror Story might be worth a binge today. It’s got lots of love-driven plots, characters desperate not to be alone, interesting vampire mythology, lots of bloody orgies (literally, so take a moment to consider if that’s really a selling point for you or not), and the sexiest soundtrack of any season.

Hulu:

Hulu is not really known for it’s selection of horror movies...and with good reason. However, if it’s what you have to work with, I suggest settling for one of the following:

Fatal Attraction: This one is a bit obvious, but it’s a classic and it’s available. A worthy selection.

Rosemary’s Baby: Again, classic film that will get you thinking about how far you would trust your partner when things start to get strange. 

House of 1,000 Corpses: Not a romantic film BUT it does follow two couples and deals with themes of jealousy and perversions. And lets be honest, who doesn’t fondly remember Baby in that tight dress during Showtime?

For those of you who don’t do Netflix or Hulu (or are underwhelmed with the selections they have available) here are some other options.

Creepypasta Narrations:

Some creepypastas about couples, love, romance, relationships, sex, and of course, horror.

“The Magician’s Trick” written by Vincent V Cava and narrated by MrCreepyPasta

“Clear Blue Spring” written by Vincent V Cava and narrated by MrCreepyPasta

“Butt Stuff” written by Unsettling Stories and narrated by MrCreepyPasta

“Love Doll” written by SkullNBones and narrated by MrCreepyPasta

“My Dead Girlfriend Keeps Messaging Me on Facebook” written by natesw and narrated by MrCreepyPasta

“I Never Saw Her Naked” written by IPostAtMidnight and narrated by MrCreepyPasta

“The Cell Phone Game” narrated by MrCreepyPasta

“Will You Be My Valentine?’ Written by alexistorres and narrated by MrCreepyPasta

“The Dating Game” narrated by MrCreepyPasta

“The Wedding Band” by ClericofMadness narrated by MrCreepyPasta

“The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy” written by Tim Burton and narrated by MrCreepyPasta

“Love You Forever and Always” narrated by MrCreepyPasta

“Your Secret Admirer” narrated by CreepsMcPasta

“Between the Lilies” narrated by CreepsMcPasta

“Someone’s pretending to be my wife” narrated by CreepsMcPasta

“Annabel Lee” written by Edgar Allan Poe and narrated by CreepsMcPasta

“The Break-Up” narrated by KingSpook featuring EerieCheshire

“My Wife Keeps Digging Holes at Night” narrated by CreepypastaJr

“Inspiration” narrated by CreepyPastaJr

“Lust” written by RaydiantWon narrated by Creeparoni 

“Love” written by Unknown and narrated by Eden

“If You Lost a Loved One” written by David and narrated by CreepyMissusPasta 

“Never Again” written by Unknown and narrated by CreepyMissusPasta 

And if you’re looking for creepy erotica that is slightly less scarring than 50 shades, let me recommend: Stifferman narrated by MrCreepyPasta

Videogames:

Judtih

I Miss You

I Miss You 2

A Box Full of Joy

Or if you’re willing to spend some money to play a disturbing and romantic game I highly suggest one of the following as they’re both potentially deadly dating simulators:

Hatoful Boyfriend

Until Dawn

What I’ll Be Doing:

For those of you who are curious as to what I might be doing this valentine’s day - I will be having my annual Saw marathon. Since the dvd release of Saw II on Valentine’s Day back in 2006 I have done, at the very least, a double feature of the first two saw movies. I have yet to miss a single year and this is now my longest standing tradition.

Notes:

The quote up at the top is from Welcome to Night Vale, episode 17 and the image I used is Ricardio from Adventure Time. 

[echoboots]

Advocating to Callous Listeners: Five (Not-So-Easy) Steps

This is a very strange Martin Luther King Day.  In my lifetime, we've always had a long way to go on race relations--I think most people agree we were not enjoying a post-racial society before the November election--but this is the first time that a President-Elect picked a fight with a civil rights legend the weekend before his inauguration.  And, more importantly, this behavior does not exist in a vacuum--our President-Elect ran on a blatantly racist, homophobic, ableist, and Islamophobic platform, and though he did not win with a majority, he did win.  And his victory (such as it was) emboldened racist people throughout the country to say what they really think--or, as was the case in many school bathrooms and Congressional floors throughout the country, do what they really think.  And most of us who are decent human beings are horrified by this, and want it to change.

However, when many of us with these reactions tried to talk to our family/colleagues/friends/garbagemen who supported Trumpian politics, we had a second horrifying realization:  This person we were speaking to did not care about fellow human beings.  "The Black Lives Matter movement started because people are dying," we told them, and to our abject horror, they just didn't care. Appealing to a sense of humanity did not work, because the listener did not view the subject population as people. 

And this is the point where many of us well-meaning advocates, and especially allies, start to draw a blank about what to even do next.  Recognizing the humanity of fellow human beings is so basic to us that we don't know what to do when someone rejects it--the carburetor in our brain stops turning over, and we stand there sputtering, "But they should!"  And we're right--they should--but they still don't.

I know something of this challenge, because I spent four and a half years writing about mitigating factors of very marginalized and vulnerable people for a living.  Talking to people about their experience above has made me realize it might be helpful to talk about my trial and error process.  To that end, I’ve drafted a quick primer on an unofficial five-step process I’ve identified over years as a professional advocate. Though this is by no means exhaustive and makes certain assumptions about the relationship between the speaker and the listener, I’m hoping it’s a helpful start for the average ally and advocate.

1.  Let Go of 'Should,' And Recognize 'Is'

This is the first step, but it's also by far the hardest--if you can manage it, the rest becomes much easier.  Probably most people reading this know that anyone with the empathy God gave a grapefruit thinks that other human beings dying is bad.  The natural corollary there is that this person we are speaking to does not, in fact, have the empathy God gave a grapefruit.  There's a real impulse to reject not just that person, but the whole rest of the process--"Well this person is terrible, so until they aren't, I'm done."  And I hate to break this to you, Dear Reader, but if you have set out to advocate you are not, in fact, done--or at least, not just because this person should have empathy and doesn't. Nobody is going to make those people play by the rules of basic humanity. People who lack the empathy God gave a grapefruit still sometimes need to be dealt with, and walking away in those situations is a luxury we're losing the ability to exercise.  You gotta even.  I'm sorry.

This doesn't mean that you have to think this person is wonderful, of course--as soon as you are done interacting with that person in that context, it is appropriate (and even healthy) to blow off steam about how awful it was to engage with them.  It's part of the human condition.  But you definitely can't have a win condition without even playing the game, and that means recognizing the reality in front of you.  

2. Identify Goals (Ahead of Time, if Possible)

You'll note that I said above, "People...sometimes still need to be dealt with."  The obvious corollary is that sometimes, they don't.  The best way to avoid banging your head against a human brick wall for an hour is to have a good idea of whether you need to deal with this person--and the easiest way to do that is to identify your goals.  And even when you do need to talk to a person, having a firm understanding of what you're trying to achieve helps you get in, say what you have to say, and get out--so it's very helpful to know going in.  What are you trying to achieve by talking to this person?  Do they control access to a resource you need?  Are they engaging in a damaging behavior you want to stop?  Are they voting all of our human rights away in the first week of their first session before your eyes?   (Spoiler: If your answer is "I want to let them know that their ideas are bad and and they should feel bad," I recommend walking away.)

To help you see what I'm talking about, let's go through an example scenario--for the purposes of this essay, let's pretend we are members of Congress, which is both a helpful universal and a pleasant daydream.  Mitch McConnell, racist walking dumpster fire held together by rubber bands and hypocrisy, is holding another Senate vote about the Affordable Care Act.  The Senate committees have come up with alternate legislation, and it's just the phrase "Hahahahaha poor people amirite?" for forty straight pages.  People may die if we can't convince some of the Republican Senators who voiced early opposition to the lack of "replace" in the phrase "repeal and replace" to vote differently this time around.

3. Look for Carrots and/or Sticks

Okay, so:  You've accepted that the obvious appeal to humanity won't work, because the listener is a jerkfaced jerk.  But they're a jerkfaced jerk who has a thing you need.  Now what?

Here's where the first thing I mentioned becomes really important--because figuring out what is going to be effective requires an understanding of what motivates that person.  Please note that I am not adding my voice to the chorus of white people saying that everything will be fine if we just give white supremacists more empathy, which I believe is a dangerous and inherently racist model of thought.  But in order to advocate, you need to know what a carrot and/or a stick would look like for this person, because everybody has their own carrot and stick--and you can bet that a racist callow person's stick and carrot probably don't look like yours.  (Pull your mind out of the gutter and stay with me here.)

To continue the example above, let's talk about what would constitute a relevant carrot and stick for your average Republican Senator.  Let's assume the carrot probably looks like money, or political capital.  The stick probably looks like being voted out of office.

So as we're navigating negotiation with these Senators, we need to either figure out why the ACA will save/earn them money or figure out why they should fear what their constituents will do if they accept this legislation.

4. Offer a Carrot or Raise A Stick, and Preferably One that You Believe

This is another hard but crucial step, because it requires you to take on this person's paradigm long enough to persuade them.  It honestly does help to believe what you are saying, for several reasons.  First of all, a credible argument tends to carry more weight; a thing even you don't believe is generally not that persuasive to other people.  But more importantly, an argument you can accept as true helps you remember is that speaking this person's language doesn't mean you hold their values, or that you agree with them--it just means you need something from them and you have to figure out how to coalition-build in order to make that happen.  It's helping them figure out why they want to do this thing you want them to do anyway.

Let's go back to our Poor People Amirite Replacement Plan vote.  Though I'm generally a carrot person by personality and trade, in this instance I think the stick is easier to argue.  Preserving the ACA probably will not save these Senators money, but constituents relying on the ACA will not be happy to see their health insurance evaporate--even if they currently don't know it.  Elaborating on that is where the advocacy starts, and ideally is the vehicle by which change happens.  Awesome and canny Senators that we are, we talk with the folks who are already wavering about why their instincts are good and this move is risky.  We note their specific reelection dates.  We note how long it would take the ACA to be effectively repealed.  We observe how close the end date will be to their campaign season.  We heroically refrain from yelling at them.  We generally try to persuade them that their scary inhuman boss won't even be their boss in two years if they do this now.  In an ideal world, we are successful.

5.  Take Care of Yourself After the Rinse/Repeat Cycle Ends

Most people's minds aren't changed in a single five-minute session; it takes a lot of work and internal screaming and fantasizing about shaking them by the shoulders.  This process is hard on a person, and appropriate self-care should be treated as a necessary step.  Do what you need to do in order to stay healthy, and that tends to be different things for different people.  I encourage you to think of self-care as the final step of the advocacy process, because it's that crucial.

To wrap up, let's talk about final steps in the Congress scenario.  After several grueling hours of arguing convinces my Republican colleagues to vote against the bill, I am tired and hungry.  So I reward myself.  By eating their share of the vote-o-rama pizza.

[laurabwrites]

MarsCon

Partner, Metamour, and I went to MarsCon last weekend, which is a little literary convention in Williamsburg, VA. I went to a few panels while Partner and Metamour spent most of their time in the board gaming room. It's a fun, chill convention. Since it's smaller (let's be honest, my benchmarks are Dragon*Con and GenCon — anything is going to seem small in comparison) there's less rushing to get across X hotels to go to the next panel which is really nice. The hotel we stayed at was less than a mile from the convention hotel which feels like short enough of a walk that I feel guilty when I drive between them, but gods damn, 10 or 11 at night in the middle of January is cold. So, you know, more driving than let's me pretend to be a decent environmentalist.

Friday

After we picked up our badges (yay pre-reg), we tootled around the dealers' room for a bit. I grabbed all three books in the Ancillary series by Ann Leckie:

I definitely paid a lot more than if I'd bought them on Amazon or something, since, you know, I paid actual list price. But they were there, I was thinking about it, and I finally just did it rather than continuing to let these books languish on my wishlist. They'll probably languish on my to-read pile now but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 

I did reread Ancillary Justice in the evenings before bed at the con. Just have to finish up The Real and The Unreal at home before I let myself start Ancillary Sword. 

After the dealers' room we all went to a panel: What Makes a Good Narrator or DM?  It was fun and interesting. There was some good give-and-take and feedback before the Q&A got semi-hijacked by a kind of socially awkward teenager who didn't know how to ask his questions with telling the panel the whole story of his specific situation. And he wasn't very good at telling the story. I'm glad he could get some advice. I wish the questions could have been kept more general and relevant to more people without everyone having to individually extrapolate out from the specific question.

After the panel was dinner and then board games. For the life of me, I can't tell you what we played — that information apparently never made it into the long-term memory. But any rate, after a board game I went back to the hotel to get some sleep while Partner and Metamour played another and then went to Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Which apparently was a bust: technical issues plus incorrect assumptions. They thought it'd be in the tradition of Rocky Horror and have yelling at the screen. Instead it was just a watching party. Not bad, but not a desired activity at midnight.

Saturday

Actually did make it to the 10am panel I was aiming for: Economics of Self Publishing. First of all, I can't seem to sleep in so I was getting up at my usual time of 6am. Second of all, Partner and Metamour do not share this problem. So there I was typing away on my computer when Partner starts waking up. 

"What time is is?" 

Looks at clock. Well... damn. "9am." 

I made it anyway. 

The panel was pretty good. It was my second time at this particular panel (same moderator ran it at MarsCon 2016), so it mostly functioned (for me) as confirmation I'm doing everything the author's on the panel recommend. Best line of the panel of the panel was in response to the opening question of 'what does it cost to self-publish?' Answer: time, emotion, and pain. Second best: as much as you need it to.

After that, Metamour joined me at the panel on Genre Blending which was a lot of fun. Mostly thoughts on what works, why what doesn't doesn't, and talking about what's already out there. Of course, being me, I walked out with a recommendation for a book I do want to read (Vellum by Hal Duncan), a book I am going to read for the new podcast a friend is putting together where we tear apart why a book is bad and will regret reading immensely (Out of the Dark by David Weber), and an aesthetic I want to somehow write now: solar punk which was described as art deco/nouveau ecological sustainability.

If someone would like to draw that or point me at artists who already do, please please let me know in the comments.

After the panel was lunch (hurray ConSuite!) and then a Star Wars:Edge of the Empire game with a friend who found out MarsCon was happening that morning and decided to drive up for the day. Yay living within an hour's drive? Any rate, I'm finding that I like the Star Wars stupid custom dice for the variety in outcomes they could produce (... got a few single success plus two disadvantages rolls) but the Star Wars universe is not one I'm particularly interested in playing in for an RPG. Nice to visit for the length of a movie. But not play in for extended periods. 

Two things from that game: 1) my (male) friend played a female Rodian while I played a male Rodian. Nobody at the table, including the two of us, could get character genders right. argh. 2) the other player at the table had a well timed "Master, shall I attack the darkness?" that was completely in character. Play stopped for a few minutes while Friend poked me to keep breathing, I was laughing so hard. :D

After RPGs was a spin around the art show and more board gaming, where I played Cosmic Encounters for the first time. Lost, not horribly, but man, the ending to that game. A little bit like Munchkin where everyone is trying to throw everything they have at stopping whoever is in the lead until everyone runs out of things to stop other people with and someone grabs the prize. I mean, I'd play again, I think there's strategy and interesting things to do. But that particular game end felt a bit grindy.

Sunday

Sunday had one last panel for me: Indie Publishing: Getting Known. This wasn't all that useful for me. I've got that I should have a blog and twitter and stuff in order to connect with people. But like how do I drive more people like you, dear reader, to the blog or catch people's attention to come check me out? I guess I need a marketing class or guru or something to get that answered. Meanwhile, I'll keep on keeping on with this blog and hope for steady organic growth.

Last thing we (Partner, Metamour, and I) did at the convention was play T.I.M.E. Stories with a friend we only know from and see at MarsCon. So, TIME Stories is, to my mind, an RPG campaign in a box. You're time travelers jumping between bodies in the past to try and figure out how to fix something gone wrong in the time stream. There's a time limit and no way to figure everything out in that time limit. So you jump back and do the loop all over again. And again. Until you figure out where what you need is and can, essentially, do a speed run through the time loop. I felt like each loop could be it's own weekly gaming session, except maybe the last speed run one. I think we played that game for... five hours? and I was mentally fried from taxing my brain at the end of it. Lots of fun! Have to buy new stories/expansions to go with the core game in order to have replay-ability. And yet, I'd like to own it/play it again. 

All in all, a fun MarsCon trip!

[virginieboesus]

6 Resident Evil Games You Must Play And 5 You Should Avoid

Resident Evil is one of the longest-running horror franchises in gaming, but then, you probably already knew that so I don’t really know why I decided to say it. Nonetheless, it has been going for years, ever since the first game came out on the original PlayStation back in 1996. How has it been 22 years since Resident Evil first debuted!?

Anyway, in those 22 years, we have been treated to a huge amount of awesome games from the series, as well as a few that are probably best forgotten. Of course, being that I’m making this list, the less than stellar Resident Evil games won’t be forgotten, will they?

With that said, let’s take a look at 4 Resident Evil games you definitely should play and 3 that, in my opinion, you would do best to avoid.

Play – Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

We’re going to start off this list of the best and worst Resident Evil games with one of the best; Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. The game seems to get mixed reactions, for some reason, but it is actually a really good horror game. It mixes in a bit more action than the previous 2 Resident Evil games, as well as choices and the ability to play either an Easy or Hard Mode, which put a lot of fans off. However, in my opinion, Capcom did a really good job of mixing these elements together.

It may not be the best game in the Resident Evil series, but it is thoroughly enjoyable (as much as a terrifying horror game can be). The story is pretty good, but it really is the gameplay and Nemesis himself that made Resident Evil 3 incredibly memorable.

Avoid – Umbrella Corps

Umbrella Corps was Capcom’s attempt to turn the Resident Evil world into that of an online, multiplayer shooter along the lines of Call of Duty or Battlefield. This was an interesting idea and, as you may know, I am a big fan of experimentation in game design. However, Umbrella Corps felt very much like a cash-grab rather than legitimate experimentation in game design.

What we ended up getting was a very boring and dull shooter than offered nothing original or exciting. Instead, it felt like a template shooter game kit from the Unity Asset Store that was given a Resident Evil styled coat of paint. I would definitely recommend you avoid this one!

Play – Resident Evil: Outbreak

It’s funny how, by the time the PlayStation 3 came around, multiplayer aspects of Resident Evil led to the franchise taking a severe downturn… Especially since Resident Evil: Outbreak, and its sequel for the PlayStation 2, were designed for online multiplayer and actually made for awesome games. This was because they kept the horror as the main element of the game. Each character has their own flaws you had to deal with, meaning that all of the zombies and monsters in the game were actually threats.

The highly limited ammunition and a variety of scenarios also meant that we got to learn a huge amount more of Raccoon City’s history whilst feeling on edge at all times. Sadly, the online servers are no longer active, but thankfully, the Resident Evil: Outbreak games are still really enjoyable when playing single player.

Avoid – Resident Evil 6

I know a number of people who enjoyed Resident Evil 6, and you know what? I enjoyed part of it – specifically, I enjoyed the Leon campaign as it felt as close to the original horror gameplay that we might ever get again, at the time. Sadly, that’s only about 33% of the game. The other 67% of the game was an action-packed third-person shooter with military elements and a plot that relied more on epic explosions than actual fear.

As someone who enjoys the Survival Horror genre for the fear, not running down a street of exploding cars, Resident Evil 6 was such a departure from the horror of the earlier games that it just didn’t keep me interested. I mean, I forced myself through it as much as I could, but I never managed to finish it. It just wasn’t what I wanted from a Resident Evil game… So naturally, if you want a Survival Horror game, Resident Evil 6 isn’t going to be right for you.

Play – Resident Evil 0

One thing I never expected was to actually enjoy a prequel to the original Resident Evil. The idea sounded somewhat over-the-top and a bit of a cash-grab (and you can probably guess how I feel about those). However, as soon as I turned on Resident Evil Zero and took my first steps through the train at the start of the game, I was hooked. Add to this a great mechanic of switching between characters on the fly whenever you want, and an intriguing story that adds a lot of backstory to the main plot of the Resident Evil franchise.

There are a few things that people didn’t like, such as the lack of an item box meaning that you may need to do more backtracking. However, that never really bothered me that much and doesn’t take away from just how good Resident Evil 0 is.

Avoid – Resident Evil: Survivor

Resident Evil: Survivor was Capcom’s first released attempt at creating a first-person shooter in the Resident Evil franchise. I think part of the problem with Resident Evil: Survivor is that it could have been so much better than it ended up being. The development of the game was very lazy, reusing the graphical elements of Resident Evil 2 and not really making anything particularly new or scary for the series.

The gameplay was also incredibly monotonous, missing all of the adrenaline and fear of the other Resident Evil games at the time. Inside, it just felt like an incredibly pointless dungeon crawler with dull mechanics. This is definitely one of the worst Resident Evil games ever made.

Play – Resident Evil Remake

When it comes to remakes, I’m typically very cautious. The reason for that is because they typically don’t do a very good job at capturing what made the original version of the game so good in the first place. That wasn’t the case for the Resident Evil Remake on Gamecube (and now PC and current generation consoles with an HD remaster). Capcom did a phenomenal job at keeping the tension of the first Resident Evil game whilst building upon it and adding some truly horrifying additional story elements. And yes, I do mean Lisa Trevor.

The Resident Evil Remake is one of the best remakes I have ever seen, really showing what the original game could have been. It also changed things up just enough that it felt brand new to someone like me who had played the original version to death.

Avoid – Resident Evil 5

Next up on the “avoid” side of this list is Resident Evil 5. Whilst the switch towards a more action-focused gameplay style started with Resident Evil 4, it was the fifth game that signified the death of Resident Evil as a horror game (for the time being). I mean, how can a game where the main character literally punches a boulder into submission be considered a horror game? And yes, for those of you who don’t know, that actually happens in Resident Evil 5.

The fifth game in the series marks the moment in time that it went downhill faster than you can say “this game is terrible”. Because of that, I would highly recommend you just ignore Resident Evil 5 if you are a horror game fan, pretending that it just doesn’t exist!

Play – Resident Evil 2

Resident Evil 2 is my favourite game in the Survival Horror franchise, so naturally, it was going to be one of the Resident Evil games that I recommend you do play. But there are reasons for that! The second game in the series took everything that made the first game awesome and just expanded upon it massively. With an entire city full of zombies and mutants, you never feel like you are safe. The static camera angles also return, helping to increase the tension levels.

However, the storyline is also incredibly engaging, keeping you on your toes throughout the length of both scenarios for each of the two characters. That’s right! The original PS1 version of Resident Evil 2 technically features 4 different storylines for you to play through. It is such an incredible feat of game design that every horror fan should experience.

Avoid – Operation Raccoon City

The final game in this list that I’m going to recommend avoiding is Operation Raccoon City. This game could have been an average shooter that would be worth picking up for £3 from a charity shop if it hadn’t been turned into a Resident Evil game. You get to play as a number of very generic members of a special forces team for Umbrella, tasked with capturing Sherry Birkin during the outbreak within Raccoon City.

The premise could have lent itself to an interesting game as well, but Operation Raccoon City just feels like a generic squad shooter without the intricacies that you would expect from a squad shooter. Instead, you’re left with a relatively hollow game that can be completed very swiftly and then left on the shelf indefinitely.

Play – Resident Evil 7

The last game in this list of the best and worst Resident Evil games is also the latest; Resident Evil 7. As yet another complete departure, Resident Evil 7 is a first-person horror game that doesn’t feature zombies, but rather, a family of murderous and psychotic individuals who seemingly cannot die (at least, not easily). The game is a step back to the horror aspect of Resident Evil, which was more than welcome.

Trying to play Resident Evil 7 in VR is one of the most terrifying experiences you could actually have on modern consoles. If you haven’t played Resident Evil 7 yet and are looking for a modern horror game, then I would definitely recommend playing it. However, just be aware that it does get a bit more action-orientated towards the latter half of the game.

And That’s All Folks

Well there you have it, those were 6 Resident Evil games you really should play and 5 of the games that you should probably avoid, at least in my opinion. I adore the Resident Evil series and have been a fan for over 2 decades, which makes me old, but I am more than able to admit that there are some really bad games in the franchise.

What are your favourite and least favourite Resident Evil games? Let me know in the comments below!

from More Design Curation https://www.16bitdad.com/6-resident-evil-games-you-must-play-and-5-you-should-avoid/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=6-resident-evil-games-you-must-play-and-5-you-should-avoid source https://smartstartblogging.tumblr.com/post/178743719560

[smartstartblogging]

6 Resident Evil Games You Must Play And 5 You Should Avoid

Resident Evil is one of the longest-running horror franchises in gaming, but then, you probably already knew that so I don’t really know why I decided to say it. Nonetheless, it has been going for years, ever since the first game came out on the original PlayStation back in 1996. How has it been 22 years since Resident Evil first debuted!?

Anyway, in those 22 years, we have been treated to a huge amount of awesome games from the series, as well as a few that are probably best forgotten. Of course, being that I’m making this list, the less than stellar Resident Evil games won’t be forgotten, will they?

With that said, let’s take a look at 4 Resident Evil games you definitely should play and 3 that, in my opinion, you would do best to avoid.

Play – Resident Evil 3: Nemesis

We’re going to start off this list of the best and worst Resident Evil games with one of the best; Resident Evil 3: Nemesis. The game seems to get mixed reactions, for some reason, but it is actually a really good horror game. It mixes in a bit more action than the previous 2 Resident Evil games, as well as choices and the ability to play either an Easy or Hard Mode, which put a lot of fans off. However, in my opinion, Capcom did a really good job of mixing these elements together.

It may not be the best game in the Resident Evil series, but it is thoroughly enjoyable (as much as a terrifying horror game can be). The story is pretty good, but it really is the gameplay and Nemesis himself that made Resident Evil 3 incredibly memorable.

Avoid – Umbrella Corps

Umbrella Corps was Capcom’s attempt to turn the Resident Evil world into that of an online, multiplayer shooter along the lines of Call of Duty or Battlefield. This was an interesting idea and, as you may know, I am a big fan of experimentation in game design. However, Umbrella Corps felt very much like a cash-grab rather than legitimate experimentation in game design.

What we ended up getting was a very boring and dull shooter than offered nothing original or exciting. Instead, it felt like a template shooter game kit from the Unity Asset Store that was given a Resident Evil styled coat of paint. I would definitely recommend you avoid this one!

Play – Resident Evil: Outbreak

It’s funny how, by the time the PlayStation 3 came around, multiplayer aspects of Resident Evil led to the franchise taking a severe downturn… Especially since Resident Evil: Outbreak, and its sequel for the PlayStation 2, were designed for online multiplayer and actually made for awesome games. This was because they kept the horror as the main element of the game. Each character has their own flaws you had to deal with, meaning that all of the zombies and monsters in the game were actually threats.

The highly limited ammunition and a variety of scenarios also meant that we got to learn a huge amount more of Raccoon City’s history whilst feeling on edge at all times. Sadly, the online servers are no longer active, but thankfully, the Resident Evil: Outbreak games are still really enjoyable when playing single player.

Avoid – Resident Evil 6

I know a number of people who enjoyed Resident Evil 6, and you know what? I enjoyed part of it – specifically, I enjoyed the Leon campaign as it felt as close to the original horror gameplay that we might ever get again, at the time. Sadly, that’s only about 33% of the game. The other 67% of the game was an action-packed third-person shooter with military elements and a plot that relied more on epic explosions than actual fear.

As someone who enjoys the Survival Horror genre for the fear, not running down a street of exploding cars, Resident Evil 6 was such a departure from the horror of the earlier games that it just didn’t keep me interested. I mean, I forced myself through it as much as I could, but I never managed to finish it. It just wasn’t what I wanted from a Resident Evil game… So naturally, if you want a Survival Horror game, Resident Evil 6 isn’t going to be right for you.

Play – Resident Evil 0

One thing I never expected was to actually enjoy a prequel to the original Resident Evil. The idea sounded somewhat over-the-top and a bit of a cash-grab (and you can probably guess how I feel about those). However, as soon as I turned on Resident Evil Zero and took my first steps through the train at the start of the game, I was hooked. Add to this a great mechanic of switching between characters on the fly whenever you want, and an intriguing story that adds a lot of backstory to the main plot of the Resident Evil franchise.

There are a few things that people didn’t like, such as the lack of an item box meaning that you may need to do more backtracking. However, that never really bothered me that much and doesn’t take away from just how good Resident Evil 0 is.

Avoid – Resident Evil: Survivor

Resident Evil: Survivor was Capcom’s first released attempt at creating a first-person shooter in the Resident Evil franchise. I think part of the problem with Resident Evil: Survivor is that it could have been so much better than it ended up being. The development of the game was very lazy, reusing the graphical elements of Resident Evil 2 and not really making anything particularly new or scary for the series.

The gameplay was also incredibly monotonous, missing all of the adrenaline and fear of the other Resident Evil games at the time. Inside, it just felt like an incredibly pointless dungeon crawler with dull mechanics. This is definitely one of the worst Resident Evil games ever made.

Play – Resident Evil Remake

When it comes to remakes, I’m typically very cautious. The reason for that is because they typically don’t do a very good job at capturing what made the original version of the game so good in the first place. That wasn’t the case for the Resident Evil Remake on Gamecube (and now PC and current generation consoles with an HD remaster). Capcom did a phenomenal job at keeping the tension of the first Resident Evil game whilst building upon it and adding some truly horrifying additional story elements. And yes, I do mean Lisa Trevor.

The Resident Evil Remake is one of the best remakes I have ever seen, really showing what the original game could have been. It also changed things up just enough that it felt brand new to someone like me who had played the original version to death.

Avoid – Resident Evil 5

Next up on the “avoid” side of this list is Resident Evil 5. Whilst the switch towards a more action-focused gameplay style started with Resident Evil 4, it was the fifth game that signified the death of Resident Evil as a horror game (for the time being). I mean, how can a game where the main character literally punches a boulder into submission be considered a horror game? And yes, for those of you who don’t know, that actually happens in Resident Evil 5.

The fifth game in the series marks the moment in time that it went downhill faster than you can say “this game is terrible”. Because of that, I would highly recommend you just ignore Resident Evil 5 if you are a horror game fan, pretending that it just doesn’t exist!

Play – Resident Evil 2

Resident Evil 2 is my favourite game in the Survival Horror franchise, so naturally, it was going to be one of the Resident Evil games that I recommend you do play. But there are reasons for that! The second game in the series took everything that made the first game awesome and just expanded upon it massively. With an entire city full of zombies and mutants, you never feel like you are safe. The static camera angles also return, helping to increase the tension levels.

However, the storyline is also incredibly engaging, keeping you on your toes throughout the length of both scenarios for each of the two characters. That’s right! The original PS1 version of Resident Evil 2 technically features 4 different storylines for you to play through. It is such an incredible feat of game design that every horror fan should experience.

Avoid – Operation Raccoon City

The final game in this list that I’m going to recommend avoiding is Operation Raccoon City. This game could have been an average shooter that would be worth picking up for £3 from a charity shop if it hadn’t been turned into a Resident Evil game. You get to play as a number of very generic members of a special forces team for Umbrella, tasked with capturing Sherry Birkin during the outbreak within Raccoon City.

The premise could have lent itself to an interesting game as well, but Operation Raccoon City just feels like a generic squad shooter without the intricacies that you would expect from a squad shooter. Instead, you’re left with a relatively hollow game that can be completed very swiftly and then left on the shelf indefinitely.

Play – Resident Evil 7

The last game in this list of the best and worst Resident Evil games is also the latest; Resident Evil 7. As yet another complete departure, Resident Evil 7 is a first-person horror game that doesn’t feature zombies, but rather, a family of murderous and psychotic individuals who seemingly cannot die (at least, not easily). The game is a step back to the horror aspect of Resident Evil, which was more than welcome.

Trying to play Resident Evil 7 in VR is one of the most terrifying experiences you could actually have on modern consoles. If you haven’t played Resident Evil 7 yet and are looking for a modern horror game, then I would definitely recommend playing it. However, just be aware that it does get a bit more action-orientated towards the latter half of the game.

And That’s All Folks

Well there you have it, those were 6 Resident Evil games you really should play and 5 of the games that you should probably avoid, at least in my opinion. I adore the Resident Evil series and have been a fan for over 2 decades, which makes me old, but I am more than able to admit that there are some really bad games in the franchise.

What are your favourite and least favourite Resident Evil games? Let me know in the comments below!

from More Design Curation https://www.16bitdad.com/6-resident-evil-games-you-must-play-and-5-you-should-avoid/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=6-resident-evil-games-you-must-play-and-5-you-should-avoid

[williehoar497-blog]

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This post details the labors of Fred as he suffers via a Canadian lady misusing the Oriental language and also talks about exactly how Westerners abuse Eastern, Eastern misuse English, and individuals prefer to introduce the foreign languages they may speak. To decide to try creating a game that handles deep-seated thoughtful concerns in a planet full of shooters as well as brainless games is in fact a take on selection in my point of view. The throbbing discomfort associated with gout pain attacks in the evening, switching the skin red-hot and also leaving the pompous junctions swollen as well as tender for 5 - 10 times at a time. After entering the restaurant, Leo snooped a very long line from people he assumed were actually expecting their tables. In the event you cherished this article along with you would like to acquire more information concerning mountains of mourne ireland (why not try this out) kindly stop by the web-page. You may be actually wondering, Just how performs this influence me?" I believe that all of us could learn a very beneficial session from individuals like Mike Smiarowski. Consequently you'll observe this technique: reduce the stalk at an extremely sharp angle 2 ins below completion, compared to pass it by means of the fire or even leave it for a while in hot water, for the pest material to be done away with. It's 9:00 Gone On Monday and also as is the company's personalized, the normal sales meeting is actually phoned call to buy through 5 foot 2 inch Johnny T. Piggishness, the National Sales Manager for Excelsior, Ltd If they really want to, individuals are constantly gon na through amateur gardens and currently people may acquire a blue cycle on a green history. but i do not believe it is actually a fine art issue, possibly a concern of condition seeking and also craft. And that is actually from this tangle of feelings and also ideas around standing that the disrespect from pretentiousness pulls its own full cost. He had not been in all pompous; fairly the opposite, he was actually so down-to-earth that I seemed like I was talking to an outdated buddy. When I mention composing, individuals think of papers, journals, as well as books and also their possibilities from acquiring released are slim. The fifth activity reveals that Magenta got ill, although that's still unknown exactly what her illness was. Individuals scrabbling up the class ladder are actually typically called being pompous. That singular characteristic wields more electrical power than most individuals recognize, as well as that's integrated in per and also each people. In Mike's own words, I resemble a ventriloquist. In my viewpoint the game is an excellent attempt on behalf of the inventors also at a personal amount to generate and also cultivate principles as well as suggestions that are brand new as well as without precedent in videogame industry. Reduce the stalk at a really pointy slant under the water and than let the water to move over the stems for 3 mins. Pretentiousness describes a degree from misplacement between our conditions as well as the graphic our experts are aiming to task. When that is actually aspect is to clear away as numerous pretenses from art as achievable, I presume that is actually funny just how contemporary fine art is actually often found as pretentious. The thugs of the lily possess their different position stage, that the blossom resides in water over 1, perhaps 2 weeks. Makes this quick and easy to incorporate video games like Park My Vehicle and 4 Tire Chaos to your Weblog, MySpace or Facebook webpage, and beyond therefore you can easily play on your personal website or even webpage! I was actually entirely counting on to simply uncover a passage in the mountain range that led back to the beginning chamber and also I didn't definitely care, since contrived anecdotal presentation is not exactly what the game was actually ever around. As well as people because town knew this and also weren't entirely sure what to earn of me. They assumed I was today some crazy Mancunian Gangster - and I expect a minimum of in their thoughts I was actually anyway. He experienced lines of people awaiting a simple hamburger, french fries and a shake. Pretentious Video game 3 concentrates on Mango's, Magenta's, and Gray's sides from the tale. You might pass the stalk through the fire or leave this in boiled water for 30 secs, after you cut the stem 2 inches below the end. However some people do not like it. everything things regarding infants as well as davinci is actually opinion on your part. Yes, I assume we can all of agree they are among the most pompous traits in the world. Listed here is actually a description of the game Note, however, that the link may be a bit swayed versus the activity and its creators. And also hard though it may be to accept, being pretentious is a part from what our company carry out on a daily basis. Unhappy to disagree so absolutely but this kills me that this polluted an activity that is actually or else therefore spectacular that it establishes a totally new standard. I wish that you'll love me adequate to perform 1, 2, 3 as well as 4 when my ego avoids control. To recommend an individual is actually pretentious is actually to claim they are actually behaving in methods they're certainly not obtained by means of encounter or financial condition. Because of this, pretentiousness has actually ended up being a go-to bogeyman and a specifically infective put-down. Pompous Video game 1 and also 2 pay attention to Blue as he pines for Magenta, who ignores his sensations for her as well as finds yourself getting married to Gray, and also tries to go on by meeting with Mango. Due to the fact that from the harsh crazed moods and the fact that some people shed contact with fact, bipolar I is actually considered the a lot more intense disorder. I came to be so mesmerized around the world plus all of brutality that was associated with it that this kind of got to a stage where I only believed that that was the ordinary planet folks lived in. While this set isn't really automatically something you have to carry out, recognizing that you might possess pissed people off or even annoyed them is actually a positive step. The horror that training class migration evokes in folks is nearly tribe, as if it is actually a disavowal of your friends and family. Few of the personal determined gamers I come across review a lot away from category fiction, a lot of are inclined greatly in the direction of STALK industries and many have never heard of tarkovsky as well as fast to suppose that whatever film the candle bit in this dumb video game comes from have to be artsy wank that people merely pretend to just like. By prudently sending out news release and becoming known to the press, you far better your chances of being just one of people they resort to. Talking about interviews, you could likewise make yourself available to other experts that are creating their very own books or articles as well as require point of views as well as private viewpoints. Changing just how all those people refine their emotions is actually impractical, however possessing the activity happen in a different way is actually sensible. Our team indict someone from pretentiousness to call out inaccurate authority as well as decrease delusions from splendor. The inverse is actually commonly accurate that a number of people I encounter that as if tarkovsky view science and also mathematics as essentially useless pedantry and spot a high value on the financial institution from artistic issue they've collected, and together have additionally certainly never carried out any significant analysis in ideology, a lot of overlooking everything appearing like the analytics and even much more picking a right one" and reading more to confirmation predisposition their way to self fulfillment. When he started out yet he has gotten to an aspect where he throws up saying will political declarations that people currently recognize, Banksy was actually alright. Lots of folks along with bipolar II carry out not experience hypersexuality, however that was becoming a trouble for Wendy. Basically, regardless if a specific thing could be considered pompous depends on the observer. I talked to everybody off recent and also I struck the crack-pipe over a 4 month time frame in a manner that would certainly have eliminated most individuals after a time's treatment along with the kind of misuse I was actually personal inflicting. The purchaser, that had actually spent the last 4 hours along with Leo looked him in the eye and also said loudly the amount of he loved the product as well as told Leo that he was actually the best salesperson he had seen in a long time.