#hopefully when silksong comes out that will change

[vamp1rical]

Some hornet doodles I did a while ago

[silksongeveryday]

Drawing Hornet everyday until Silksong comes out - Day 100!!!! 🎉

Man! I can’t believe I actually made it to 100 days, this has been such a wild ride. Here’s to 100 more!! (But hopefully not!)

Genuinely though, thank you all so much for all the love and support and kindness. I never thought that my mostly low effort hornet doodles would get anywhere at all. And I’ll be honest, I don’t think I would have continued had it not been for 650+ of you following along the way. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much!

that being said,

A few announcements going forward!!

I’m changing my pfp! It’ll be the exact same as the previous, but a more updated version of it! That one was the first drawing ever but I think it’s long overdue for an update lol

With requests reopening in under a week, there are a few things I’d like to bring up. I might close requests a lot more often, but most days it will stay open! Just keep an eye out for when my bio updates!

All daily posts will now have an official time that they will be posted! They will all be posted at 7 am PST going forward, since I found it a bit inconsistent to just post/schedule whenever.

that’s it for now I think!

The art in this drawing is inspired by my post on Day 7 one of my first few posts to this blog back when activity first started picking up!

For the version without the number 100 in it, check out my main blog @miizori !

Also a reminder that my dtiys is still available for those who are interested! :)

Thank you!!

[icedcaramelcake]

Overanalyzing hollow knight characters episode 1: Hornet

Hi I don't know how to write intros but I've had SO MANY THOUGHTS about this game for the longest time and with the encouragement of my friend I'm here to dump them on this wonderful website! This is the first of hopefully multiple posts in this style with hopefully different characters and hopefully different games or shows I enjoy.

DISCLAIMER(s)!!

1. There will (obviously) be spoilers in this, if you haven't at least watched a summary and/or don't want to be spoiled I highly recommend clicking off and coming back later when you're up to date!

2. English is not my first language and I am slightly dyslexic AND I tend to ramble so I'm sorry if any of that shines through, I'll do my best to reread and cut out unnecessary parts but some might slip through so I apologize in advance.

3. I tend to read into characters wayyy too much, especially characters I like, so some of this might tread into headcanon territory even though I'll have a headcanon section at the bottom for that. Also I consume way too much fan media so that might skew my view on things too.

And last but not least 4. REMEMBER this is 100% my opinion, not law. This is just how I interpreted the character's overall arc and it's by no means canon, I'm just sharing my silly little thoughts on silly little fictional pixels on my screen, I'd love to hear what you think or if you want to add onto anything I said!

With all that out of the way let's start with probably my favorite character in this entire game, Hornet! <3

When I first got introduced to Hollow Knight it was through some challenge videos I believe, I heard of the game before but it didn't seem like something I would be interested in (spoiler alert I was wrong). As I kept diving down the rabbit hole I found myself getting more and more fascinated with the lore and especially with Hornet but it wasn't until my own playthrough that I crowned her as my favorite.

On the surface Hornet already has a lot of traits I really enjoy in a character. She can be sassy (as shown in the Silksong trailers which fdjhkfdjhksjkfd yes), she can be cold but she can also show kindness and gentleness every now and then.

Being the daughter of the Pale King but not ever receiving royal treatment from the bugs of Hallownest, having Deepnest's queen as her mother but being forced to leave her home due to the infection and never having a parental figure besides...Midwife...if you can count her as "motherly", all these shaped her into a powerful, agile but most of all determined bug that wants to get rid of the Radiance for good even though she's aware she doesn't have the means for it.

Her meeting the player character (who I'll call little knight for the rest of this post for the sake of simplicity + it's cute) is completely by chance, might be her first chance at "recruiting" a vessel in years, she has no way of knowing if she'll ever have this chance again. This might be her only shot at protecting the kingdom and her home, uncovering its secrets, basically fulfilling her life's goal! What will she do??? Befriend it, help it and defeat the Radiance with the power of friendship????????

Of course not, you've played this game you know exactly what happened.

Hornet attacks the little knight with little to no hesitation with OBVIOUS intent to kill (see: the dead vessel that's literally in the arena) despite this being a massive risk. She's dedicated, she knows that if the vessel is too weak nothing will work, she puts her desire to quickly solve the problem behind her and does what she thinks is best for the kingdom, trying to see if the vessel is strong enough to not only replace the Hollow Knight, but maybe even destroy the infection. She's been at this for so long, she has probably killed or seen so many other vessels getting killed and she knows they're not infinite but she still takes the risk and thinks of a farther future.

As the game progresses, her attitude slowly changes. While she never outright states this as far as I know, she doesn't treat the little knight as her sibling, downright pitying it for its heritage. But I think she starts to sympathize for it. They have the same goal, and while Hornet maybe thought she would be the one to save Hallownest, she sees why that would never happen. So she starts to guide the knight, helping where she can in her own distant way.

She starts being more open, less formal and while she never fully lets her walls down, her dreamnail dialogue from right before the true ending Hollow Knight fight show her being hopeful. She doesn't outright say it but I know for a fact (I'm speculating) that no matter what would happen she would accept her fight with the infection being over, she would be thankful for the little knight and dare I say proud (let me have this it was the only thing I could think of while watching the true ending cutscene ueueueueue).

Besides the in game playable lore I wanna touch on something I noticed while staring at her wiki for the 7381297th time today, and that is how Hornet has a piece of every "region" with her (at least mentally) if you squint. This is rllllllly iffy but I thought it was poetic and this is mY POST AND I GET TO WRITE WHAT I WANT DAMMIT.

Anyway

She has a piece of deepnest, kingdom's edge, city of tears and crossroads + greenpath + queen's gardens through Herrah (her mother), Vespa (who she was trained by), the Pale King (her father) and the White Lady who isn't explicitly said to have met Hornet but she knew of her existence and of the Pale King's... liaison for lack of a better word. I'd like to think she was part of Hornet's childhood if only for a little bit because i think it's cute and it has no lore evidence besides something Team Cherry said on their kickstarter

Anyway this is getting dangerously close to headcanon territory so I should probably summarize all this lmao.

Overall, Hornet relies on herself. She's independent, she's motivated, she's strong, she's everything you'd expect from a perfect princess. But she's also sassy, she takes risks, she has growth and passion and wants to help and do her part. I love her sm. She is an ice princess but the ice can help protect small critters from the harsh winds of winter.

FROM HERE ON OUT I'LL START RANTING ABOUT MY HCS SO IF YOU DON'T CARE ABT THEM TY FOR READING THIS FAR ILY HAVE A GREAT DAY <3

This. This entire video was the reason I wanted to make this. GOD. G O D. I KNOW IT HAS NO WAY OF BEING CANON BUT I ADORE IT???

Most of my hcs are gonna stem from this video so yeah watch it and like it and give it all the love it deserves.

I'd like to think that the Hollow Knight was some of the only family she had, even if it was only for a brief period of time. I'd like to think that one of the main reasons she wanted to get rid of the infection early on was to save her big brother. But as she grew up she realized that wouldn't be possible anymore. I think that was her tipping point, the thing that made her into the Hornet we know today.

I'd like to think that at the start she saw the vessels as pieces of her, potential siblings that could help her get her family back, that they could all be one big family. She loses that hope quickly until the little knight comes along. As she watches it walk around, discover the world with one goal in mind, she can't help but see herself when she was younger. She knows it won't make it out of this alive no matter what it does but she isn't sad. She knows this is what is supposed to be done. She knows that they'll be free of their cursed life once the fight is over. That doesn't mean she wants that. She tries to deny it but it can get lonely.

In the sealed sibling ending I'd like to think she feels guilty for becoming a dreamer but she knows she chose this path and she only hopes her mother can forgive her for it.

In the embrace the void ending when she readies her nail to fight the Hollow Knight I'd like to think some part of her is happy that it's alive, but she knows it's not the same as it was before.

I have more but I've been typing for an hour and my brain hurts and I can't think of them rn but I hope you enjoyed reading this! Lmk if you have any other ideas and I'll see you again when I have too much time on my hands<3

[angeliccynthious]

Hi yes I’m back on my Hollow Knight shit again- well I’ve always been into Hollow Knight of course but It’s been more in the background for me, as I patiently wait for silksong. But it doesn’t mean I don’t still think about my au, because I do lol Anyways! Welcome then newest addition to said au, Mona. The literal, and I mean literal, clone of Monomon, created by Quirrel. And is technically the 4th and LAST quirrnet child. Allow me to explain more about her below! Because I like to ramble,

Mona is actually technically the 3rd quirrnet child, she comes before Kier. I’d say she’s a good couple years older than him.  The girl was a secret project that Quirrel had been working on in,, well- secret, only allowing Hornet and also PK to know about what he was doing. PK specifically knew because he actually assisted him with the process of creating said clone. Why did he want to make her? To hopefully have a proper successor, one that he could trust, and one that would live a long life. Like Monomon, but her life was cut short due to becoming a dreamer... and yknow what Ghost did.  When she was finally alive, Quirrel would continue to keep her secret and raise her all on his own in the archives, to keep her safe as she was very small at such a young age. And to watch her progress as she aged.  But once she was finally at a good age, and a good size, he allowed her to be known to the world-- and to meet her elder siblings. This is around the time where Kier is born, so the public not only has one more prince.. but another princess! ohoho! How interesting! and exciting! and confusing! ... especially for those said older siblings. While Hera embraces little Mona fully, excited to have yet another new siblings- although she is confused as to why Quirrel hid it from her.  Indigo, much like he was with Kier, isn’t really having it. He just-- doesn’t get it? Why do they need more children that they’ll neglect? Perhaps it’s out of jealousy with how his parents didn’t parent him, but his opinion is just fully negative.   There's certainly more to be said, but not enough time to type it all out. But what should be noted is that Indigo’s opinion on Mona does change, very much indeed! A key moment does cause the two to bond and him to have a better understanding of her situation.  And lastly, this is just Mona as a child. She’s gonna be a big ol lady when she’s an adult.

[repentantsky]

6 Things I Want To See At The Nintendo Direct

After nearly a year and a half, we are finally getting another full on, Nintendo Direct. I am one among many who thought the Direct as we knew it was gone, but I am also so very happy to be wrong. While I’m also one to not put any expectations on a presentation like this, and please do not let this list hype you to the point where you are disappointed if they don’t happen, I can’t deny how fun it is to speculate. So, with only a little less than 12 hours to go before the show begins, let’s talk about 6 things that will hopefully be at the show. Please remember my lists are not ranked based on how much I want something or how popular it is, so much as how much I want to talk about it. That means your favorite possible thing can be in the first, or last spot of the list. Now let’s begin.

6. A Zelda Collection of some kind

There are a lot of important anniversary’s in 2021 for games, and none may be more important to many fans than Zelda itself. The series is turning 35 in four days if you can believe it. Mario got a lot for it’s recent anniversary and while it’s pretty likely something is planned for Zelda, getting a good idea of what that might be, would be nothing short of fantastic. Perhaps we’ll see Wind Waker HD, Twilight Princess HD, and something completely out of left field to round it up. Who can really say, but it is absolutely the perfect time to announce something, and something big at that. Nintendo does love to surprise people, so let’s hope something surprising pops in. 

5.  Falcom get’s some much needed attention

Falcom, one of the oldest developers in Japan, has been releasing hit after hit, after hit, but like many other fantastic developers making the best double A experiences, they’ve never really made it into the limelight like they deserve. With two games coming for the Switch YS IX: Monstrum Nox, and The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV set to come out in April and Summer respectively, and with so many eyes on Nintendo, it’s time they got a proper slot to be talked about. It would also be nice to see something new come from Falcom that isn’t previously announced, as even though the focus of the direct is seemingly about the next 4 months leading up to E3, hints of something more are always possible. Falcom is a brilliant developer, so hopefully, they manage to get their time to shine. 

4. A Sonic Collection of some kind

Sonic is yet another franchise that’s hitting a major anniversary, as it’s turning 30. With that kind of history behind it, Sonic has a lot of ups and downs. Surely more than enough to make an enticing collection. to be...sure. Perhaps a remake of Sonic Adventure 2, a remaster of Sonic generations and maybe a fixed version of Sonic ‘06? Wouldn’t count on that last one especially, but Sonic has such a rich history of games it could pull from that could get everyone hyped. There’s also rumors of another 2D Sonic game, which would also be nice, but what’s an anniversary if you don’t target nostalgia in more ways than one? Hopefully, we’ll find out soon. 

3. Something Indie

While Nintendo has had some...issues with quality checks with the Switch, there’s no denying that it’s absolutely got hundreds of amazing Indies, and that the Switch is a great source for them. A couple of possible exciting indies could be Windjammers 2, Atomic Heart, Mineko’s Night Market (please gawd let’s hear about that one) Sports Story, Hollow Knight Silksong, Eastward and Garden Story to name but a few. Indie games need love just as much as any other game out there, and with so many potential high quality indies coming our way so far as plans go for 2021, it would be a sad thing to miss out on some spectacular games that are headed for the Switch. 

2. The next Mainline Pokemon game

Rumors were abound a few weeks ago that Pokemon’s 4th gen was already set to be remade for release this fall, 2021, and while as I’ve said this direct is planned and meant to tide us over until Summer when E3 comes along, it doesn’t change the possibility that something coming out past that point, if not several somethings will still be given an update or announcement. I think it’s safe to say based on the hype of the rumor that for a lot of people, Pokemon Diamond, Pearl and Platinum are top tier games and in a lot of ways, and rightly so. Sure, they could use a good number of updates, but that’s what remakes are for, and while a Pokemon direct on Pokemon day itself would suit just fine, I feel if something is coming for Pokemon 25, this is the time to get it out there. Just please, don’t throw in any DLC Pokemon you get for buying a special item. 

1. Metroid/Bayonetta/Breath of the Wild 2, get something. 

Am I mashing a whole bunch of entries into one, yer damn right I am, otherwise I’d be here until the direct started, and where would the fun in that be? Jokes aside, these franchises all of have been lying kind of dormant in the mainline entry department at the very least, and while it’s like I said, something for Zelda is going to be announced mostly likely anyways, to see a continuation of that as we look to the future for the series would be amazing. It would also be nice to see Metroid Prime 4 get an update, or see the original trilogy hit the Switch. Bayonetta 3 is the Devil May Cry of Switch these days despite having DMC on it, and darn it all, it’s time we got SOMETHING for it. Sure, none of these games are coming out before the holiday season this year and that’s fine, but just to know they are on their way, would be good enough. 

And that’s my list, did I miss anything you’d like to see? I’m sure I did, especially since I left Smash on the table as that was confirmed. Let me know what else you want to see at the Nintendo Direct today, reblog this if it interested you, and feel free to leave a note. 

[8bitsupervillain]

End of the Year 2019: Games of the Year

Hello everyone, it's that special time of year again! Time for me to shower praise upon some games that I absolutely adored, while mentioning some games that I liked, but not really enough to put on this list. For a remarkable change of pace I have a full list of ten for the best of 2019, however I only have four for the pre-2019 so that's a bit disappointing. If you notice any glaring omissions for the best of the year the simple explanation is that I probably just didn't play it, or I didn't play it enough for it to enter consideration. I also didn't really play anything this year that stands out as particularly bad, there was maybe one game, but I don't have it in me to write a full length thing to expound upon its terrible state. There are also some games that I'm disappointed I didn't get to play, but hopefully I'll be able to in 2020.

Honorable Mentions:

God Eater 3. I've sunk almost twenty hours in to this game, but I haven't played enough of it to really make a declaration that I think it's good. I still intend on playing the game to the finish, but for all I know the game could take a real nose-dive in quality towards the end. I have a desire to go back and play the previous God Eater games as well, so I guess that could be considered an endorsement. I like the visual style in this game, the models all look very nice, and the monster designs are pretty neat to look at as well.

Remnant: From the Ashes. I never quite got to finishing this game, but from what I played this was a pretty fun little co-op shooter. There are some things that the game does that I don't particularly care for, some of the one-shot enemies in the swamp level, the confusing design of this one dungeon in the desert area being particularly troublesome things I remember. I would love to go back and finish this one, but as it stands it'll have to stay with an honorable mention.

King of Fighters XIV. I'm not great at fighting games, but I still enjoyed this game a whole hell of a lot. But like I said I'm not great at the game, but it's a fun one to pop in every once in a while just to get annihilated by all the killers online.

Death Stranding. Please don't post spoilers here. I've greatly enjoyed my time with this game, but as with Remnant and God Eater 3 I didn't finish this one. I've played maybe about twelve hours into this one, but I don't know if that's enough to really comment on the games overall quality. As with God Eater 3 for all I know it could take a real nose-dive in quality.

Hollow Knight. I played a very little amount of Hollow Knight, but I liked what I've played so far. Hope to go back and finish this one before Silksong comes out.

The Elder Scrolls Legends. I quite liked the Alliance War and Jaws of Oblivion expansions. It's a shame they've cancelled all further expansions for this game, because I liked the story based ones they've put out in the past and I was hopeful for more sets in the future. It was never a particularly great game, but I liked what they had going for the longest time.

Pre-2019 Games of the Year

04: Death Mark

This is a fun little RPG/Visual Novel horror game that came out in 2018 that I got a chance to play back in May. It's an investigation game where your character and a host of other characters are trying to solve the mystery of their death mark. A strange design that looks like a bite that materializes on their bodies one day. If they don't get to the root of the problem they die a horrible grisly death. I like the episodic nature of the game with each chapter revolving around a mystery involving a different type of vengeful spirit than the other chapters. There is a small combat element that happens toward the end of each chapter that isn't particularly deep to deal with as it's more puzzle-based rather than being an actual combat engine. It doesn't feature much in the way of blood and gore, but what's there is frankly mortifying to look at. I played it on the Switch, but the game is available on the PS4 and PC as well. Death Mark is definitely worth playing through at least once.

03: Monster Hunter 4: Ultimate

I'm ever so slowly going through my 3DS backlog and finally played through this one. I can understand why people say that 4U is their favorite Monster Hunter game because it is just an absolute blast to play through. I really like the design of the monsters in this game especially Gore Magala and Masharu Magala. I don't know if I would recommend it over World or Generations Ultimate but I had a hell of a time playing through this game.

02: Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen

I love the way the combat in this game feels. I love how you can climb on the monsters and start stabbing away at them. Magic and ranged combat feel really good, and I especially like the Pawn system so you can keep trying out other player's pawns until you hit that sweet spot of the type of combat you want to have for the game. The story is a little basic, kind of your typical "slay the evil dragon" storyline even though it's great how the game gives you a personal reason to want the dragon dead. Guy stole your heart after all, literally ripped it from your chest. I liked the story towards the end when you actually face off with the dragon and all that occurs from then on that was great fun. I played this on both the PS4 and the Switch port that came out earlier this year (I guess I could've put this in the 2019 category), and I was surprised at how well the Switch was able to play the game. The game doesn't look completely awful in handheld mode, and it kept a stable framerate throughout my playthrough. The PS4 and PC versions look better of course, but the Switch version keeps the spirit of the game rather well and is just as good to play there as on the other consoles.

01: Nioh

Bill Nioh's adventures in feudal Japan was a great time. This game made me consider the notion of a mission/loot based Diablo done in a Dark Souls style to not be the worst thing I've ever heard. My only major complaint with the game is that there's too much vendor trash in this game. There's also the problem that you'll be constantly switching from one version of your weapon to another with barely any time to gain "familiarity" with your weapon. Familiarity means you hit slightly harder than you would with another version of that weapon, but with how many variations on whatever weapon your using you'll constantly be scrapping older versions of your weapon and armor without really raising your familiarity. I wish that the game would've gone with an experience meter per-weapon deal rather than loading you up with a million variations of each weapon. Like a leveling bar for Katana, Dual-Blades, Nodachi, and so on, there's already a skill-tree for each weapon, so I think an experience meter for each weapon would work better. It's not a deal-breaker by any means, but I think it might work better.  I like the mission-based focus of this game rather than being a pseudo-open world affair like most Soulslike games. I still need to play through the expansions before Nioh 2 comes out.

Games of the Year 2019

10: Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night

This was a good Metroidvania to play through, and certainly better than I thought it was going to be. I enjoyed the various weapons you can acquire throughout the game, the spear and great swords were particularly fun in my playthrough for instance. I have some minor complaints that arise towards the end of the game, but they're not major issues. A boss fight or two will just absolutely destroy the framerate while you're fighting them (I can only imagine how they play on the Switch if the game was dying on the PS4 Pro). I liked some of the extra bosses you can fight like the Millionaire's Bane and the bonus boss that's Definitely Not Simon.

09: Untitled Goose Game

An amusing game to play, and I had a fun time playing it. It's definitely not the deepest or longest game to come out this year (from start to finish the game is maybe four hours long), but it's a fun enough "nuisance simulator." It reminds me of playing a game like Hitman, cause Goose Game is definitely a stealth game, even if every time I completed an objective I unfurled my wings and honked to assert my dominance over the people in the village.

08: Samurai Shodown

As previously mentioned I am not good at fighting games. Yet despite my being bad at them I find myself constantly going back to SamSho just to get obliterated online. I positively adore the art style in this game and the completely vicious gameplay. Unlike some other fighting games you can be destroyed within mere seconds of the match starting. If you play super poorly your opponent can cut your lifebar down from 100% to next to nothing with one or two moves. It's very exhilarating when that happens, or when they do a super that just destroys your lifebar. It reminds me a lot of samurai movies in that way where guy does the move and the opponent just stands there for a second then falls over dead. I get the impression that this is going to be a "small pond" scenario where there's the handful of godlike players and everyone else will just get bodied everyday, but I really love this game. I absolutely despise the final boss in the arcade mode.

07: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Speaking of games that are absolutely torture to play. Sekiro is really insidious, the first half or so of the game is relatively easy, but then you hit a certain boss and the game decides its done toying with you and will just start absolutely and utterly destroying you. Every single boss fight from that point forward are some of the most brutal and agonizing fights that have been put in a video game. I had to give up on playing this game for a few weeks because I was getting too tired of throwing myself against the wall in the hopes that this time I'll get the best of this bastard. After finally killing the final boss I had vowed to never play the game again. Then two days later I started a new-game plus playthrough. Whoops! I love the verticality of this game, being able to jump and use a grappling hook was absolutely great. Despite my complaints about the sheer difficulty of the bosses  I love the combat in this game. It is particularly exhilarating when a guy makes to stab you with a spear and you stomp it into the ground and take him out yourself. Masataka Oniwa and the Divine Dragon are hands down the best fights in the game, with the final boss being a particularly noteworthy bastard of a fight. Oniwa and the Dragon are great because of the sheer spectacle of the fights, whereas the final boss is great because of he is a great amalgamation of everything the game has thrown to you at that point. I liked this game a lot, but I certainly don't hold it against anyone who decides the difficulty is too much.

06: Nioh 2 Beta

Meanwhile Nioh 2's beta was an absolute gem of a thing that I played this year. Sadly I didn't get into the private alpha towards the start of the year, but I did download the public beta and proceeded to sink nearly thirty hours into it. I love the new weapon they added to the game the switch glaive, which is a combination knuckle weapon/spear/scythe depending on your stance. In low stance it's a lot like Bloodborne's switch-axe or spear in that the blade covers your fist and you punch it into enemies. Mid-stance it turns into a spear, and high turns it into a scythe and I had great fun trying out all the forms in this beta. I adore the fact that the game gives you a devil trigger for your spirit animals, and I love the fact that this game has a character creator. It seems like they're keeping the volume of the drops to the same level as the first game, but that's fine. I cannot wait to get my hands on the full version.

05: Devil May Cry 5

This was a great game, filled to the brim with some amazing set-pieces and great moments. It very much feels like a "greatest hits" version of Devil May Cry combining all the elements from the four original DMCs and also bringing over some stuff from DmC. I was worried a bit about the game being similar to DMC 4 and splitting the action into "Here's the Nero section, here's Dante's, and V's" but it worked out pretty well. It gives you a mission or two to get used to how the characters play but not too much time that it feels like "you've learned this character, but screw that learn Dante." It all blends itself really well. They each have their own feel which works really great with their differences in character, but for my money Nero is the best to play as. The story is also really fun to play through, it has some amazing moments even if some of the stuff is really silly. Also the game gives us Nico, and she's really great.

04: Monster Hunter World: Iceborne

The jump in difficulty from the High-Rank quests to Master-Rank was crazy. Maybe it's because I got rusty, not having played World since roughly February, but I was not really prepared for the increase in difficulty. That said I still adore this game, plus they added both Zinogre and Stygian Zinogre, the only way they could've made an already great game even better is if they were like "and here's Gore Magala and Masharu Magala." I like the new hunter's hub, and they made the game so much better with all the variations of monsters they added to this game. I like the Seething Bazelgeuse and Blackveil Vaal Hazak a lot, and the Ebony Odogaron has an amazing looking set of armor. My only wish was that they add some variations to other monsters, I would've loved to see a variation to Kushala Daora or Teostra and Lunastra. I like the clutch-claw very much even if it's the reason my deaths in hunts has skyrocketed. I can't help but wonder what they're going to do for the next Monster Hunter. What can they do to improve this for the inevitable PS5 and Xbox versions? HD version of Gen Ultimate?

03: Blasphemous

The past couple of years I've grown really dismissive of pixel-art 2D games. Just something about the way they look made me grow weary of them, and maybe I've missed out on some amazing games. Then I believe it was E3 2017 I saw a trailer for Blasphemous and I was instantly drawn to it. There was some combination of the religious horror and gore that just made me very excited. Then the game more or less disappeared, then I laid eyes on this game's trailer and I was instantly back in. This game is absolutely wonderful to play, I love the unlockable moves the game gives you as well as the amazing bleak tone and atmosphere in this game. I like the fact that the more you die in the game the more the game covers up your available MP meter, that's a nifty little mechanic, and I liked the paying money to cure yourself from that problem. It's flavorful, and fits with the tone very nicely. I plan to one day go deeper into why I think this game is as good as I think it is, from both a gameplay and aesthetic sense, but I don't think here's really the place to do it. It's a very good 2D exploration game, and I love it to pieces even if I do think some of the bosses aren't good.

02: Fire Emblem Three Houses

Aside from Monster Hunter and Samurai Shodown I probably spent the most time with this game. One campaign playthrough took me over a hundred hours, and I'm presently ten hours into a second playthrough (of four). I went with the Blue Lions for my first playthrough and I really liked the story the game presented to me. It's not without its faults but overall I quite like what it did, I felt that it was a nice upgrade from the storyline from Fates. I get the distinct impression that there was originally going to only be the Red Eagles and Blue Lions routes but then someone at IntSys just went "give the Golden Deer a path" and so here we are. I don't entirely understand why there's the weapon degradation system in this game, for the relic weapons sure, but for your standard weaponry it doesn't make sense. That said I do really enjoy the missions in this game, there aren't any that really stand out as horrible. I like most of the characters in this game, and it kept me gripped for the entire length of the campaign. A ton of fun this game.

01: Resident Evil 2

I played through this game six times in a month, and once more while I was writing this list. I really, really enjoyed my time with Resident Evil 2 and it is positively astounding that Capcom did such a great job with this game. There are some minor complaints I have with the game, the second run having the completely silly and superfluous handgun with its own ammo certainly stands out. However the game is positively gorgeous, sounds phenomenal and is just ridiculously fun to play. In addition to the wonderful base campaigns there's also the revised 4th Survivor and Tofu modes, then in the summer Capcom released the Ghost Survivor DLC missions which are fun little challenge modes to play. I love everything about this game Capcom really knocked it out of the park with this one, and I cannot wait to see what they do with Resident Evil 3.

The real game of the year was all the War of the Spark pre-release, and the drafts I did. Both IRL and in Magic Arena and Online. That and Core 2020 Pre-release.

[throughscarleteyes]

How's your portrayal meme: a bit dark and a little depressing at times. Nothing wrong with that but it gets a bit monotonous. I'd like to see you more, but I realize with the community waning, there's only so much you can do

[Oh yes, I understand that. I have been trying to cut down on the bad feels and have more of a balance. The main reason is that I've not been doing the best mentally and tend to vent it out with Grimm. To fix that, however, I plan on attempting to write on ao3. My boy does deserve to be happier.

I'd like to be a lot more active too, but without any other activity in the community, it's pretty hard do anything and I can only really rely on asks. Even then, asks are pretty dry now too. Hopefully that'll change when Silksong comes out though. I'd really love to see more activity in this fandom.]

[entergamingxp]

15 Upcoming Indie Games to Put On Your Radar in 2020

January 16, 2020 12:00 PM EST

2020 looks to be another great year for indie games. Here are 15 of them to keep an eye on as the year rolls on.

Last week, we gave you 10 2020 releases that you absolutely shouldn’t miss. However, that list mostly dealt with the biggest games of 2020. What about all the awesome games being made by smaller studios? Well, here’s the list for them. Below are 15 incredible-looking games coming from the indie scene in 2020.

Before we start, it’s important to note that with the continually growing indie space in games, there are hundreds of games that could easily make this list. I’ve capped the list at 15 mostly for my sanity, but the initial shortlist for this article was a mile long. Here are a few extra honorable mentions you should give a look: TemTem, Boyfriend Dungeon, Griftlands, Minute of Islands, Sable, Roki, Baldo, Garden Story, Ikenfell, Knuckle Sandwich, and She Dreams Elsewhere. I also chose to not include Axiom Verge 2, as that was already covered in last week’s article. Anyways, on to the list.

Lenna’s Inception

This Legend of Zelda-like from Bytten Studio is actually out this week. You play as an unlikely hero in a procedurally generated world that flips from 8- to 32-bit pixel art. It looks to turn the typical conventions of the genre on its head with a wild storyline that features multiple endings. You can also play the game with a friend in local co-op. A Link to the Past is my all-time favorite game, so any game that looks to iterate on that excellent formula is automatically something I’ll be paying attention to.

12 Minutes

Time loops are all the rage these days after the excellent Outer Wilds took the world by storm last year. Interestingly, 12 Minutes is another Annapurna-published game that explores the mind-bending concept. While Outer Wilds had you exploring an entire galaxy, 12 Minutes’ experience is a bit more intimate. As a husband trying to share a romantic evening with his wife, you’ll discover the many secrets taking place inside your apartment. On the surface, it might not sound like the most thrilling concept on this list, but everything I’ve seen has been very impressive.

Cook, Serve, Delicious 3

Before seeing this in action, I wasn’t really sure if the world needed another Cook, Serve, Delicious game. After all, how much more cooking, serving, and delciousing can a person reasonably expect to do? And then I saw that the game takes place in the post-apocalyptic US and you play as the owner of a food truck. As you travel across America, you must both cook food and fight off roving bands of evil cooks. It’s hard to imagine a cooking game with a better elevator pitch than this one.

Eastward

Earthbound-like games are a dime a dozen these days. The SNES classic made a major impact on the developers of today, and we’re seeing that love play out in games like LISA, Citizens of Earth, and, of course, Undertale. However, there’s something about Eastward’s style that really sticks out to me. While other games have done a great job of capturing Earthbound’s charm and gameplay, Eastward also nails the look. If I close my eyes and imagine what Earthbound would look like in 2020, Eastward isn’t far off. Hopefully, the team at Pixpil can nail everything else it’s going for just as well.

Sports Story

Golf Story is my favorite game for Nintendo Switch. Full stop. And now Sidebar Games is adding tennis and dungeons and espionage and buried treasure and a meeting with a queen? I need this game yesterday. If Golf Story wasn’t up your alley, this probably won’t be either, but for us beings of superior intellect, Sports Story is set to be one of the most exciting releases of 2020. I cannot wait.

The Red Lantern

The Red Lantern basically looks like FTL except instead of crossing the galaxy, you’re racing the Iditarod with a team of the best boys. When I was a kid, I was obsessed with the book Stone Fox. So, a game that lets me play out the fantasy of racing Searchlight through the Alaskan wilderness is very much right up my alley. My only worry is how brutal the game looks. The trailer has a scene where a bear attacks one of your dogs and I really hated watching it. Hopefully, that’s a rarity or else this might just become an idea I love and not a game I play.

Spelunky 2

Spelunky remains one of the best rogue-likes on the market. The platforming is tight and the game has so many awesome secrets for you to discover. The sequel looks to be more of the same and I can’t wait to join the community in uncovering all the weirdness that lies within. This spot could also easily go to UFO 50, which is another Derek Yu project I’ve been waiting for with bated breath. Crazy to think both games are likely for 2020.

Spiritfarer

This is a resource management sim that is all about dying. You play as a ferrymaster to the deceased. As you craft your way across the world, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to improve your custom death ferry. Spiritfarer has a unique setting that is well worth a look. However, the thing that really made me pay attention is the game’s visuals. The hand-drawn art quickly catches the eye and seeing it in motion is even better. I’m intrigued to see if the game’s look and premise are matched by its quality.

Carrion

Spoiler alert for 2016’s Inside. Carrion is like that ending sequence where you play as the gigantic amorphous blob except that’s the entire game. Oh, and this blob is straight out of a horror movie and is very interested in eating everything. Publisher Devolver Digital describes it as “a reverse horror game” and I have to agree. The way the blob moves through the levels is both deeply unsettling and incredibly cool.

Hollow Knight: Silksong

Y’all remember how Hollow Knight is one of the best Metroidvania games of the last decade or so? Or how it was a perfect match for Nintendo Switch? Well, how would you feel if I told you Team Cherry was going to do more of that except even more polished? Great news! That’s what happening and it’s going to be great.

Ori and the Will of Wisps

If you are a fan of sequels to tough-as-nails platformers with Metroidvania elements, 2020 is going to be a great year. Getting both Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Hollow Knight: Silksong in the same year seems like an embarrassment of riches. Plus, Axiom Verge 2 is coming, which is a bit different, but still sits in that same realm. Personally, Ori is the one I’m least excited about; however, I can’t deny that this will probably be great.

Mineko’s Night Market

Mineko’s Night Market is maybe the cutest game on this list. The “adventure/merchant simulator” wears its Animal Crossing inspiration on its sleeve. However, developer Meowza Games aims to put a much bigger emphasis on narrative and crafting. You play as a young girl named Mineko who has arrived on an island filled with cats. Your options for what to do are varied, but discovering the game’s secrets and preparing for the weekly Night Market is paramount. Mineko’s Night Market looks like it could fill a similar space to games like Stardew Valley. Great experiences to sit back, relax, and let wash over you.

Cris Tales

Cris Tales is billed as “a love letter to classic JRPGs”, but with a big twist. The game lets you simultaneously see the past, present, and future of your actions, which results in some fascinating situations. Maybe you warp your enemy into the future to make them older and weaker. Or you warp yourself to the past to make you shorter and are able to more easily dodge an attack. It’s an innovative idea that has major gameplay and narrative implications. The best part about Cris Tales is that there is a demo out on Steam right now. So, if you’re interested, you can go check it out and see if this game is up your alley.

Murder by Numbers

Picross is one of the best types of puzzle games in video games. However, outside of Picross 3D, there haven’t been that many innovations in the genre. Murder by Numbers looks to change that by adding a murder mystery narrative to the game. What a perfect marriage! And the whole thing is set to a score from Masakazu Sugimori who counts Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney and Viewtiful Joe among their credits. I need this game now.

Emily is Away <3

Both games in the Emily is Away series are incredibly moving experiences, especially for those of us who grew up in the time of MSN Messenger and AIM. The third game takes the series forward to a Facebook analogue. It’s tough to say if this release will hit as hard as the first two, but given the pedigree, I’m pretty confident in saying that Emily is Away <3 will be worth your time.

Obviously, the number of video games releasing in 2020 is vast. It would be a herculean task to try and cover everything. However, this list should be a great reference point for games to put on your radar. Of course, the best indie game of 2020 might not even be announced yet, but you can rest assured that when it is, DualShockers will be there to cover it.

January 16, 2020 12:00 PM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/01/15-upcoming-indie-games-to-put-on-your-radar-in-2020/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=15-upcoming-indie-games-to-put-on-your-radar-in-2020