#artofaction

[delusional-mishaps]

have some silly tiktok trend my sister and i did

for reference, i started playing february 2021, and she started sometime between april and may 2022 (during ayaka's extended banner..)

[digitalagepulao]

My sincere Black Myth: Wukong review

Full disclosure! This is from a recent but earnest fan of JTTW as the original novel, as well as all the social, cultural and religious layers of it. I've seen my fair share of adaptations and derivative media, from shlocky to silly to grimdark to cutesy. I'm a bachelor in visual arts, with an interest in the field of game development since high school. I am also, white and brazillian, and have talked with other jttw fans, both Chinese and not, on this game. If any of these are for some reason motive to not read further, then fair enough. Hope you have fun and continue to enjoy the game, do not let me or my opinion stop you!

Now to the review proper <3

First things first, let the obvious not remain unsaid. This game, is supremely gorgeous. In every sense of the word, and I mean this fully, it's a work of art. The sound design, the character concepts and execution, the animations, the voice acting, the visual effects, the UI design, the cinematography, the 3D scanning of actual historical artofacts and heritage sites throughout China, and everything beyond and between, are phenomenal, full stop.

This was never a debate, I'm sure, but I don't think I can in good conscience not praise them for their work. It's no news that Asian talent, not just in China either, have been often hired to supplement projects on the West, and we can all agree it's about time they got to shine in their own AAA project. My issues with the international game industry notwithstanding, I hope this brings some much needed acknowledgment and appreciation for Chinese culture and arts, both traditional and modern!

Now, from this point on, THERE WILL BE SPOILERS, so proceed with caution!

(word count: +1.8k)

I also deeply enjoy their choices in arcs to revisit. Some like the Flaming Mountain arc are classic picks to adapt but still a very good match to the whole Six Senses throughline. I don't think you can do a JTTW 2 electric bogaloo without bringing up Niumowang and his family in some way (um, put a pin on that), but the other arcs like Yellowbrow or Black Wind Mountain aren't as explored imo, so it's nice to see them being given a bit of a spotlight.

(speaking of the Yellow Ridge arc, whoever made the executive decision of Lingji Bodhisattva being a Xaanxi singer is, genius!!)

I'm also kind of in love?? with Bajie's design and role in the story overall?? Gameplay wise he sticks around just enough to not feel lonely, but not too long to be a nuisance or overstay his welcome. He's no Atreus (GoW) or Ellie (TLoU) of course, but he doesn't need to be, and most importantly, he isn't trying to be, which I feel is admirable of the devs. Given the visible inspirations from the recent God of War games, it would have been easy to lean a bit too hard on it, but I'm glad they didn't overreach.

Him having a more complex love life is also a nice touch imo. It explores more his womanizer ways in an interesting way, and I appreciate it. I love when people complicate the pig! Also, the way he treats Xiaosheng (Destined One) like a nephew?? The scene on the Huaguoshan throne??? I'M GONNA CRY!!!

I think, I've run out of positive things to say.... time for the spicy takes.

I, kind of detest the premise by default. I'm not a big fan of "Superman is Dead" plots, cus it's usually either done for shock value, or taken so lightly that the weight is totally lost. I have such a love-hate situationship with the introduction cutscene because of this. On one hand, it's phenomenal cinema, and seeing Wukong stand up to the Heavenly armies in glorious 4K high fidelity graphics is delicious. On the other hand, the whole debate they are having has me going "?????", not because I don't get it but just, why?? Why did this have to be the premise?? (put another pin on that)

Also the set up and call to adventure is kind of blergh.

Now is as good a time as any to talk about the gameplay. It's, okay. If you enjoy trying to figure out the most stylish combos, or to mash buttons, then you'll definitely have fun. I was sorely disappointed that I pretty much have been going through the bosses rather easily. Chapter 1 it was mostly the struggle of learning the controls, but I never stuck to a boss for longer than seven tries (Whiteclad Noble, the snakeman that you are). Chapter 2 I only struggled on Tiger Vanguard, because I was sorely underleveled and had missed a pathway to explore before him. After that I second tried him. Chapter 3, I have and I'm not joking, gotten halfway through first or second trying every boss.

Mind you, this is not being some godtier gamer or whatever, I'm pretty average and only a recent player of soulslike games too (maybe playing Lies of P made too OP, but I sincerely doubt it lol). No, this is me saying that if you do explore the game and not rush through it, you won't struggle nearly as much as some people have and still are. Most of the final chapter bosses can be trivialized with the chapter's Obsession Realm gimmick artifact, which isn't in itself a bad thing, just feels like an odd choice personally.

Which leads me to, the level design. So far? Preeeeetty lame! It's very pretty and fancy, but so chockful of invisible walls that it feels stiffling and discourages exploration. I can never tell what is meant to be a path or just fancy scenery, and I never know when a jump will get walled or send me to my death by fall damage. When it's not being confusing, the level design is either a bunch of looping circles, or straight lines. And so far, besides a few interactables and loot, there is not much else to look at. That is, bad level design, plain and simple.

Also, the animations are glorious, but what is the point if I can't see the enemy?? That camera is my true nemesis, and I mean that. the fact that a boss can be beyond my field of vision at ANY POINT when I'm locked on and it strifes sideways, is dreadful. GameScience, FIX IT. It is also, very hard to tell what parts of a boss will damage me if I collide with them or not. The Kang-Jin Long fight was baffling on a design point of view, same for Captain Lotus-Vision. Some clearer hitboxes would be swell.

This is the point where I say my main issue with the game lies: it's very pretty, and adoringly crafted, but it lacks substance design wise. I feel like it needed to cook more, the level design polished more so I wouldn't get lost every five minutes, and clearer.... well, everything. Mechanic explanations, level progression, gimmicks, etc. It all needed to be less murky and convoluted to understand.

It also needed more meat in between bosses. I have yet to run into common enemies that give me actual trouble, so it ends up being just a jolly waltz from boss to boss. Boss rushes are fun and great, but not as the base game experience (for me at least). I had to stop one boss away from completing Chapter 1 cus I was just so exhausted. And I had been playing for like, an hour and a half?? That left a sour taste in my mouth, I'll be honest.

Okay, I'm gonna pick open those pins now.

#1 the Flaming Mountain Arc. I'm gonna be very real here chat, that was so cringe. What do you MEAN, Red Son wasn't Demon Bull King's biological son, and Princess Iron Fan was forced to drink from the Childbearing River??? And Red Son hates him????When I watched that cutscene, I had to pause and walk away for a moment, legitimately. This plotbeat is SO WILD to me, I got nothing to say. Just, why??Soooo bizarre. And that the Flaming Mountain Keeper has such a presence in Iron Fan's life is also, weird?? Not bad weird, just Weird, but that's like a nitpick more than an actual criticism. Ping Ping is fine though, I like that Bull has a daughter with Princess Fair Fox, that's cute and interesting. Wish she was in a better plot and adaptation but lol

And #2, the premise. Now we are getting to the meat of it all.

The underlying premise of the whole plot, including the true ending, is flawed by default. The premise runs on what is sometimes called as a "conspiracy theory plot", as in, "what if the gods were bad actually??". It's reddit movie theory content in very short terms, and while it had a place during the 00s grimdark years pre-Marvel, it's become quite a jaded and boring take nowadays. Now you may say that it comes from a genuine desire to show distrust and critique to insitutions and the powers than be, and I can see that.

There is a hiccup in that though.

In JTTW, Wukong is the Mind Monkey because of the religious text and subtext of the stories. Its interwoven in the whole thing, and makes it cohesive. It still offer critique and mockery to institutions, without entirely invalidating their foundations. Not only for genuine fear of prosecution, but because, shockingly, religion and belief is a major component of human society in general. But going back to my point, JTTW is *already* a critique of institutions and the power that be. Adding further layers into it feel like angst and edginess just for the sake of it, and that feels hollow to me.

To go further, this intent also clashes with their own plot. See, they bring up that Wukong's Mind, his Sixth Sense, died. Thus they need another Mind to guide his other senses and reform him, so that he may be reborn.

For one, that is such a convoluted way to do a reincarnation plot, it feels complicated just for novelty sake. Secondly, Wukong being the Mind Monkey, as I said, implies a tie to the underlying themes of the Journey as a person's path to enlightenment. If enlightenment itself is flawed because the gods are flawed/evil, then both themes are clashing. By making a "what if the gods were evil all along" plot while also going by the laws and order of said gods, then what are we even fighting against? What is the point of this whole rebellion between Erlang and Wukong??

my friend @ryin-silverfish said it best a while back, and I'm paraphrasing here (do pitch in or correct me if needed! <3), but the issue with these conspiracy narratives is the inherent anti-religion of them. They don't believe in anything, and thus they cannot properly retell the story of JTTW through a postmodern lense, because they refuse to engage with the religiosity that runs throughout the story.

It also leaves a sour taste in my mouth, because this game will likely be many people's first genuine experience with the JTTW mythos and story, and I tend to be concerned for how much this will "sour the pot" in the conversation. The novels are sadly innacessible enough as it is; the sheer size of them scare many people away, not even to mention the amount of underlying cultural context you'll miss out without proper footnotes and commentary. Most people will not engage with them directly, and certainly not most gamers.

While the narrative of someone embodying Wukong's spirit is not new in itself, I do find that it coexisting with such a poor premise and spin on it will be a sore first experience for new fans, and I can only hope that them meeting fans of the OG novels won't cause much friction in the fandom (we have enough as it is imo).

It also concerns me that, sadly, people and gamers in particular, get too swept up in the ooh-aah beauty of flashy sfx and highly detailed graphics, and fail to notice some of the underlying issues in game design. As I said, this game is a work of art, but it has flaws, and I don't think people are speaking of them enough. No, the issue is not "lack of diversity" or whatever the hell.

It runs deeper than that, and it's an issue I've come to see in recent movies as well. I'm aware it might just be different cultural expectations of the pacing and span of a story, and it may as well be! But I think if there was more care given to the bones of a media, it would bring much needed longevity and weight to these wonderful artworks.

All this said, I wanna see what acolades this game gets and see what the devs are cooking up with the DLCs (they said at one point the game was supposed to have 12 chapters and my god, that game would be TOO LONG. So glad it didn't get like that!), and further more see how this ripples in the eastern game dev scene. While this is a flawed game with a flawed story, it can be the first on a genuinely wonderful wave of new creations, not just by GameScience, and overall I'm hopeful for what might come next!

[pjackk]

What do u think of this...... Pork belly stone artofact

Are u sayiug i have a porky belly?

[johannepetereric]

OC Artifact Noroi (呪い)

So one day my 18-year-old long-abandoned child of Inuyasha, Shimamaru, found a weapon (default state I basically looks like Asta’s broadsword-thing, thus the “Curse” thing) in the middle of the woods while she was doing Something. She was drawn to the blue aura, in unusual thing in her Hyakkimaru Sight, a welcome one. So he picked it up, and whoops, it’s stuck to her now. It quickly proved itself Cursed when she went back to her village. The villagers sent her out on her way (not before some heartfelt speeches and hugging), fearing it to be an AoE Curse.

So now Shimamaru is a Ronin. Where is she going? Anywhere but Home (and anyone she suspects to be her biological family).

The Artofact physically can’t leave 10 feet of her, even hitting a fucking Invisible Wall for visualization. Initially refuses to let go of her, even when she throws it, but over the years, the sword decided that being a Passive Flyer is good enough when it would be inconvenient for it to “stick around.”

The Actual Curse part of it is that it Curses Bad Fortune onto anyone trying to find her or do her harm. This is proven, unbeknownst to Shimamaru, when Myouga tried to get Totosai to forge something, but the blacksmith only got worse and worse luck (even affecting everyone else unrelated to This Mysterious Blood) and almost-fatalities until he just fucking Gave Up. Myouga never gave up, so his luck was The Worst.

Inuyasha, wanting to avoid all evidence that the child he abandoned and bitterly told himself was dead, got a little Blessed when he violently rejected any opportunity to find out. Every attempt to protect her non-existence. Even LYING about his past past “I was pregnant.”

For the last week, I had kept this Cursed Weapon Unnamed until right now: Noroi, courtesy of Google Translate and DeepL :3

About 20 years in, when A DIFFERENT instance of said AoE Back Luck showed itself to her, THEN she decided to finally it the name “Noroi”!

It seemed pleased with this.

[raevenlywrites]

Artofact records is offering free digital downloads on pre-2024 releases, including one of my new favs, Urban Heat! Check em out on Bandcamp

[filmfandojo]

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#Repost @thescottadkins • • • • • • Tomorrow at 5pm British Summer Time look for Episode 6 of The Art of Action where Scott talks to Loren Avedon about his No Retreat No Surrender films and The King of The Kickboxers - don't miss it!!!!! Subscribe to the Scott Adkins Official YouTube Channel #artofaction #scottadkins #lorenavedon https://www.instagram.com/p/CDCmTBxgpbI/?igshid=1zgdxkawg31v

[macmanx]

Mark Dacascos is a treasure, and if you only know him as The Chairman from the US Iron Chef, you absolutely must check out more of his work.

Dacascos’ unique combination of charm and skill coupled with his laid-back attitude made him stand out from other martial arts stars of his era.

[saetoshis]

THE WAY ITS NOT EVEN MORA ITS JUST A CAKE

[dwbass2]

😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈#IcanShowYouBetterThanICanTellYou #dwbass #NotAllGames #StayTuned #Actor #Acting #ArtOfActing https://www.instagram.com/p/Bzjx1a7Fs5a/?igshid=k0qnhwkbhvke

[thisaintascenereviews]

Cloud Rat - Threshold One of my favorite things about being a music fan is seeing bands that I’ve loved for years finally get their due. Now that doesn’t mean to sound like I’m some kind of elitist, and that I get joy in discovering music before other people. I can’t stand people that only listen to “underground” bands, and disregard any band with some kind of following, or they get mad at a band for getting bigger, regardless of the capacity. I just love seeing bands I enjoy getting bigger, especially when they’re fantastic in every single way, and one of those bands that seems to be getting bigger now is Michigan grindcore / hardcore band Cloud Rat. I’ve been a fan of these guys for years now, but they’ve never gotten the press that they should, considering that they crank out projects every year. They’ve put out a few albums, but they’ve got a lot of EPs, splits, live albums, and odds and ends records that fans eat up. I’ve heard most of it, but I saw they were dropping a new album, entitled Threshold, and I was really excited, because I’ve been listening to a bit of grindcore this week (and you’d know that if you tuned into my reviews of the new Kill Division and Escuela Grind albums), so another one wouldn’t hurt whatsoever, especially coming from one of my favorite underground bands that need to get more recognized. I hope that Threshold brings them more of a fanbase, or propels them to higher ground, because this record is amazing. I absolutely love this record. It’s nothing out of the ordinary for them, although their sound isn’t too ordinary, but it’s one of the best albums of the year, plain and simple. Cloud Rat’s brand of grindcore is really unique, because it blends together grindcore, hardcore-punk, metalcore, sludge metal, and even some progressive metal in spots. They double down on the uniqueness this time around, and what’s impressive about their unique sound is that this record is only 31 minutes. It’s a half hour of some of the most intense, punishing, brutal, fast, and unique grindcore / hardcore I’ve ever heard. This might be my favorite album of theirs, because they really go above and beyond with it. Songs like “Aluminum Branches,” “The Color Of A Dog,” “Cusp,” “Shepherd,” and “Babahaz” are some great slices of grindcore, but part of the reason why this album works so well is for vocalist Madison Marshall, who has one of the best snarls I’ve heard in heavy music. Her vocals are utterly fantastic, and those alone make for such a fun but brutal album, but the instrumentation is also incredibly sound. They’re one of the more unique bands in the genre, and as I mentioned in my review of Kill Division’s debut LP, Peace Through Tyranny, grindcore is a genre that I’m really picky with. Cloud Rat’s Threshold is one of the best albums of the year, hands down, and if you want a great grindcore album, look no further. Hell, if you want a great extreme metal album in general, regardless of the style, you can’t go wrong with this one. I really hope these guys get bigger, despite them being around for the last ten years, give or take. They’ve been around for a long time, but they’re not being brought up as much as something like, say, Full Of Hell. They’re one of the most popular current grindcore bands, and they should be, but Cloud Rat should be brought up in that same conversation. This is a half hour grindcore record that is punishing and unique from start to finish, but in the best ways. I’ll be talking about this record at the end of the year, I can guarantee that, for sure. I had no idea they were even releasing a new record until I saw it last Friday, and I was really excited about it, because I love these guys. I don’t listen to them often, as grindcore isn’t a genre I listen to a lot (although I will have phases when I listen to it, though), but I do enjoy this band. If someone asked me what my favorite grindcore band was, I’d probably say Cloud Rat. Hopefully if you’re reading this, and you’re a grindcore fan, you should check this out (at least if you haven’t already heard it).

[kousakuragi]

my last 5 condensed hopefully i dont pass out

[theart2rock]

Kælan Mikla: Song und Video vom neuen Album

Kælan Mikla präsentieren eine Ode an die dunkelste Nacht des Jahres und zeigen mit ihrer neuen Single ‘Sólstöður’ künstlerisches und musikalisches Wachstum. Dies ist der erste Song, den wir von ihnen hören, seit sie 2018 ihr drittes und erfolgreichstes Album “Nótt eftir nótt” veröffentlicht haben. Und das Warten hat sich gelohnt. Der Track beginnt in einem düsteren Register, mit wunderschönem melodischem Gesang, der schließlich einer dunkleren Seite weicht, komplett mit alptraumhaften Schreien und einem dröhnenden, Synthesizer-unterstützten Refrain. Die Band schreibt: “‘Sólstöður’ ist eine Ode an die dunkelste Nacht des Jahres, wenn Hexen in den gefrorenen Weiten der isländischen Landschaften Wintergeister beschwören. Das Lied repräsentiert die Stärke der Einheit, Kælan Mikla in seiner wahrsten Form, angetrieben von der Kraft der rauen Natur.”

‘Sólstöður’ wurde in Reykjavík mit Barði Jóhannsson aufgenommen und von Frank Arkwright in den Abbey Road Studios gemastert. Das Artwork für die Single wurde vom legendären französischen Illustrationsteam Førtifem erstellt und präsentiert Kælan Mikla, die Einheit, die die Band in ihrer mystischen Eiswelt geschaffen hat. Das atemberaubend schöne Video zu ‘Sólstöður’ wurde von Pola Maria gedreht und zeigt faszinierende Bilder der ominösen Schwestern Laufey, Sólveig und Margrét, die Schwerter, Kelche und andere geheimnisvolle Symbole zwischen Schnee und Wellen der majestätischen Landschaften ihrer Heimat Island schwingen. ‘Sólstöður’ ist der allererste Blick auf ihr viertes Album, das im Herbst erscheinen wird.

Kælan Mikla wurden 2013 im Rahmen eines Poesiewettbewerbs in Reykjavik gegründet und haben sich seitdem von einem DIY-Punk-Projekt zu einer etablierten Gruppe entwickelt, die fester Bestandteil der aktuellen Musikszene ist. Kælan Mikla haben eine Welt voller isländischer Geschichte und Kultur geschaffen, inspiriert von Folklore, düsterem Wetter, Natur und Märchen, die sie wunderschön in ihrer Muttersprache präsentieren. Kælan Mikla haben drei Full-length-Alben veröffentlicht, die alle ihren ganz eigenen Charme besitzen, da sie eher ihrem Instinkt folgen als sich einem bestimmten Genre unterzuordnen. Kælan Mikla tourten mehrmals durch die USA und Europa, unter anderem mit Alcest, Drab Majesty und als eigenständige Headliner. Zudem wurde die Band von Robert Smith von The Cure als Support auf mehreren Festivals in Großbritannien und den USA ausgewählt. Kælan Mikla nehmen derzeit ihr viertes Album mit dem Produzenten Barði Jóhannsson auf, das im Herbst erscheinen wird.

Quelle: Gordeon Music

Kælan Mikla: Song und Video vom neuen Album was originally published on The Art 2 Rock

[rimandtirepackages-blog]

You may be at a point where you're not living the life you want...The life you truly desire, and you feel stuck. These tips in image may help you, if you want to 10x your results...#clicklinkinmybio . . #thinkingintoresults #bobproctor #repost #artofacting #focus #selfie #healthy #proctorgallagher #proctorgallagherinstitute #lifesuccess #dreambig #meninbusiness #entrepreneurship #portlincoln #panelsession #biggoals #innovation #morpheus #think #businessgrowth #life #ourlife #attitude #dailyquotes #motivational #inspirational #thoughts #thoughtsbecomethings #changeurmind #thinking https://www.instagram.com/johndorseythree/p/BupFNxcgKsu/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=92d0xj8lo54n

[girugin]

(Hey, me again! Thanks for answering my previous asks, and Sel pointed to you again, what can you tell me about the War that made the rift? And also, About the Black artifacts!)

Well the details are mainly in @vine-the-healer 's hands at the moment as I have trusted him to form the world's past, so I'll talk about the Black Artifacts a little. When the Emperor was defeated, his bones and throne were carved into pieces and his soul fractured and fused to them. In order to contain the power the objects became artofact-level magic items. Containing his Draconic might along with his other powers, each with different effects and abilities. While powerful these artifacts are incredibly corruptive as the Emperor's presence seeks to manipulate or possess the artifacts weilders. I'm working on a comprehensive list :3

[filmfandojo]

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#Repost @thescottadkins • • • • • • ‪A very special guest on next weeks Art of Action Episode 10 - the great Mark Dacascos. What a pleasure talking to this man. A true martial artist and bonafide action star for the last 30 years. Don't miss it Tuesday 18th Aug 9am PT/5pm BST #artofaction #scottadkins #markdacascos‬ @dacascosmark https://www.instagram.com/p/CD4tMZuAQaj/?igshid=1qlvj0g4s10gq