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airxn · 4 years ago

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Instructions: Always repost with the rules, answer the 11 random questions left for you and leave 11 more for the people you tag!

TAGGED BY: @mycolovesick

TAGGING: @spiriitum . @hxldtheworld . @origcmibird . @bigwcrds . @birds-multimuse . @volcania

QUESTIONS I AM ANSWERING:

01. If you could be any fantasy race or creature, what would you be and why?

I’d be a dragon man. Being able to fly around, burn shit, and be absolutely chill AND terrifying at the same time? I want it. I need it. Bless Skyrim for its mods.

02. Rate five genres of music from most to least rated, in your opinion.

01. Electric Swing 02. Rock 03. Dubstep / EDM 04. Indie Folk 05. Pop

03. What were the biggest influences in shaping your character and making decisions in their story?

Honestly it’s the media I’ve consumed! Airin started as a Legend of Zelda OC / Digimon / whatever media I was consuming at the time. I adored throwing him into a universe I could to day dream how he’d interact / reaction at school. Through that it helped shaped what kind of person he is and how I want his original story to go. I have so many references and call backs in his main story it’s not even funny.

04. What inspires you to make muses (OCs) or pick up muses (Fandom RP)?

Music! Aside from media I consume, it’s music that creates my characters. Lone Digger is how the entire Gear Shift exists, and from there it was other tracks that developed the rest of the cast. Airin and Xavier are a different story though.

05. What’s the biggest struggle your muse(s) has/have had over their story? If you have a lot, just pick some points of interest.

For Airin it’s– watching his family die, being heavily manipulated / abused, coming to terms he’s man made, and because of his unique birth / soul he was chosen for a greater purpose that he constantly runs away from.

06. Community original settings! What’s your opinion?

They have their ups and downs! I had one great experience and one terrible experience. Haven’t been a part of one since. It’s all about communication among the muns for the plot and to handle any misunderstandings.

07. Do you get inspired when you play video games?

I literally cried over Okami today– which is one of the heaviest inspirations for Airin, so yEAH.

08.What music do you bump when you write, if any, and do you listen to different music depending on the tone of your writing?

I can’t listen to music and write at all. I need complete silence or some white noise.

09. Favorite comic. Go.

Shugo Chara is my favorite manga does that coUNT?

10. What’s the best ship dynamic, in your opinion?

Enemies to lovers, but only if it’s gay because if I wanted to hear a man and women scream at each other I’d just turn on any sitcom.

11. No judgement: dump some salt about a bad writing experience.

Here’s some really old salt– godmodding isn’t when you try to understand why all of someones characters hate yours out of no where. Only to find out they had beef with you the entire time and refused to you talk about it; and took it out on you via their characters. And then have the audacity to tell you you take everything out of character. 😩😔

My questions! 01. Describe your favorite youtube video. Don’t link it. 02. Shuffle your music. What’s the first 5 songs ( please I need new music to listen to I beg of you ). 03. You and your muse(s) are trapped in an elevator. How fucked are you? 04. Your muse(s) can only eat one kind of meat for the rest of their life. What do they choose? And impossible meat counts! 05. What’s that AU you want but can’t have? 06. If your muse(s) was a horse what kind of horse would they be? 07. What would your muse(s) do in the Trolley Problem? 08. Would your muse(s) be best friends with Keanu Reeves? Be honest. 09. Would your muse(s) eat the Annoying Orange if given the chance? 10. If your muse(s) constantly got knocked over by the waves in a wave pool would they give up and cry or accept their fate? 11. Where is Eeby Deeby?

#( i tried !!#also the last salt is from a hella long time ago #im over it now but the salt still lingers fjhdskfn )#ooc. local tangerine spawn #Airin.

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xb-squaredx · 4 years ago

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B-Squared’s Top 10 Games of 2020

I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that having something to distract me from the genuine horrors unleashed during 2020 was vital to staying alive, and for me that means a lot of video games! I played…a lot of games last year, but I spent a lot of time playing older games, so I didn’t get a chance to check out a lot of high-profile games that launched this year. Still, I do want to shine a light on the games that managed to resonate with me even a little bit, that somehow managed to launch this year. So let’s get to it!

#10 – No Straight Roads

Rarely have I been struck by a single trailer for a game like I was for No Straight Roads. Produced by industry veterans under a new studio, this is a rare game that’s not quite an indie game from a studio full of newbies, but it’s also not produced with the same kind of budget and resources of a Triple-A project. What do we call this? A Double-A game? Single-A? Regardless, I have to give the team at Metronomik some props for delivering a super stylish game in the midst of a very challenging year. No Straight Roads is a rhythm-based action game where two up-and-coming musicians fight to bring back Rock and Roll to the people of Vinyl City. I absolutely adore this game’s presentation, with each major boss being visually unique and having their own feel that compliments the music they bring to battle. There’s some real energy in these animations with character designs that ooze personality, and being a game about music the soundtrack is great! All that being said though, I have to admit I wasn’t a huge fan of the gameplay when all was said and done. It leans way more on the rhythm side of the equation than I was hoping for, and the action felt very shallow. The fixed camera made some phases of some fights a real problem, and the Switch verison, which I played, is plagued with a lot of issues that really brought the game down for me. If the game interests you at all, give it a shot on PC or PS4; I hear those versions are a lot better. Still, I liked the potential I saw in this game and in this studio, so I can only hope they did well enough to continue on. This definitely feels like the kind of passion project that deserves more recognition.

#9 – Streets of Rage 4

OK, so full disclosure: I didn’t grow up with 2D beat-em-ups. I missed out on all of the greats of the genre back in the day. No Final Fight, no River City Ransom, no Double Dragon, and definitely no Streets of Rage. In more recent years I have tried to dip my toe in the genre, as I did in 2019 with River City Girls. However, I came away from that game a bit disappointed by the overall gameplay and wondered if 2D beat-em-ups were for me. Seeing so much praise heaped onto Streets of Rage 4 had me curious, so I knew I had to try it, if only to broaden my experience in the genre. In many ways, this game is the perfect sequel to a franchise that hasn’t seen any signs of new life in years. It retains what made the series beloved with satisfying combat and challenge, but with a modern touch. The overall art style of the game and music work out pretty well, and I found the act of comboing enemies to be really satisfying. It really doesn’t overstay its welcome either, which is very appreciated in an age of endless timesinks. I also struggled a fair bit with the game, even on Normal, and well after some patches that seemed designed for more casual fans like me. Had this game not had online co-op as an option, I don’t know if I could have beaten the final levels. So my time with this game was pretty rough but despite that I can still see this was a game made with care, and if this game DOES do something for you, there’s plenty of reasons to keep playing on higher difficulties, unlocking more characters and even playing online with friends. Let me put it this way; I’m not all that sure I like the genre and I still liked this game, so I think that counts for something!

#8 – The Wonderful 101: Remastered

…this one is kind of cheating, I’ll admit! I had a lot of trouble thinking up ten games that really stood out to me this year, honestly. That said, I’ll definitely use loopholes to plug one of my favorite games from years ago. Seven years ago, PlatinumGames launched The Wonderful 101 on the ill-fated Wii U, where it bombed harder than just about anything on the system. For those that gave the game a shot, however, they were quick to discover a deep, complex, and charming action game that plays like nothing else out there. Controlling a team of 100 heroes at once, players form weapons out of the various Wonderful One’s bodies, smacking around giant robots and aliens far larger than them with the power of teamwork! How could you not love that, right?! Now, years later, PlatinumGames is aiming to become more independent and their first act was launching a Kickstarter as a way to get this game on newer platforms. While we may never know why Nintendo gave Platinum their blessing to release this game on non-Nintendo platforms (being as this is still, as far as I know, a Nintendo-owned IP), I’m just glad more people can have access to one of the most unique action games I’ve ever touched.

To sell it another way, this game combines the overall aesthetic of Viewtiful Joe with the shape-drawing action of Okami but with a bit of Bayonetta flair on the side. Basically, this is the culmination of everything director Hideki Kamiya has ever worked on. The Remastered version fixes some issues present from the game’s original release, and while I do think they could have gone a bit further with some changes, it is likely the best way to play the game for many. All those sections that made heavy use of the Wii U GamePad are a tad awkward though, but that held true even back on the Wii U anyway…d-don’t worry so much about that, though! I’d still recommend this game to anyone looking for the type of over-the-top action that only Platinum (and occasionally Capcom) can provide! So please consider joining the Wonderful Ones and Unite Up!

#7 – Paper Mario: The Origami King

Discourse around the Paper Mario series is…more than a little rough, honestly! Many fans have been quite vocal about not liking the direction the series has been heading with the last few games, but I went into The Origami King with an open mind and ended up really enjoying the game for the most part! What the game lacked in a developed storyline, it made up for with some really strong character moments and memorable setpieces. Bobby and Olivia are among my favorite partners in ANY of the Mario RPGs, easily, and the entirety of the Great Sea section of the game was a really fun adventure. I love the highly-detailed paper-crafted enemies and locales, and the soundtrack really didn’t have to go as hard as it did. While the battles against common enemies didn’t quite click with me, the boss battles throughout the game constantly surprised me with interesting twists on the ring-based combat and are a real highlight for me. I know this game is pretty divisive amongst Paper Mario fans, but I think the franchise has a pretty bright future ahead of it!

#6 – DOOM Eternal

Fair warning here, but I haven’t quite managed to beat DOOM Eternal at the time of writing this, but what I’ve played so far tells me it definitely belongs here. I think Eternal is hands-down the most intense game I’ve played in a long time. It gets my blood pumping as I dash about, shooting and slicing through demons that are extremely eager to rip and tear me to pieces. I don’t play many shooters in general, so I knew I was going to be in for a rough time, but DOOM Eternal brings it to another level right away. In some respects, I don’t quite agree with various aspects of the core game design that makes the game harder than I think it needs to be at times. The scarcity of ammo, and thus the constant need to use the Chainsaw weapon in order to gain more ammo gets tiring, though that somewhat levels off as more weapons are acquired and players learn of more efficient ways to take out the hordes of Hell. The game’s fantastic soundtrack by Mick Gordon definitely elevates the experience, so it is a huge bummer knowing that he and ID Software had a falling out and he won’t be coming back. I really dig the game’s expansive levels and more focus being put on exploring every nook and cranny for secrets, and certain old-school touches like finding extra lives or cheat codes definitely makes the game feel like it was ripped out of a bygone era and given a modern paintjob at times. Doom is eternal, and with it, so is pulse-pounding shooting action!

#5 – Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition

Compared to the other re-release of an old game on this list, I think this particular title had a lot more time and care put into it…and it also happens to enhance one of my favorite games on Wii as a bonus! Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii was a game that almost passed me by but even years later, I still adored the characters and world it introduced, and I’ve been happy to see what started as game that was almost stuck in Japan eventually grow into a full franchise. I consider the first game to the best in the series, though it was held back by a few issues later games would iron out. Chief among the problems was the visuals, particularly the character models and…wow does ten years make a world of difference. The Definitive Edition does more than just clean up everyone’s faces, it also cleaned up the game’s cluttered UI, made it easier to track quests and materials for said quests, and added some fun optional challenge missions for veterans to tackle. The bow that adorns the top of this package, however, is the epilogue story Future Connected that serves to tie up some loose ends and gives a particular character some great closure. If you love massive worlds to explore, a compelling, at times over-the-top story, and a deep, rewarding combat system, I can’t recommend THIS version of THIS game enough. If you’re going to give the Xenoblade series a try, there’s no better place to start.

#4 – Ghost of Tsushima

When Ghost of Tsushima was first unveiled years ago, I didn’t exactly have a high opinion of it. It seemed like a game that put more emphasis on visuals over gameplay, and I was almost certain it would launch as a PS5 exclusive so why bother getting excited when I probably wasn’t going to be an early adopter of the system? To my great surprise, not only was this game confirmed for PS4, it wound up being one of the prettiest games on the platform and well-optimized to boot, even on my old slim PS4. Playing as lone samurai Jin Sakai, players try to repel the Mongel invasion of Japan, but are forced to adopt less-than-honorable tactics to take on this ruthless enemy. Usually when I play stealth games, I find myself frustrated. I feel weak, or limited, and often the games feel overly harsh. If you get caught once, game over and there’s little salvaging being seen. In Ghost of Tsushima however, there’s a great deal more care put into stealth, and at times I’d argue it’s almost too fun to pass up over the sword play. Very few missions in the game force you to go completely unseen, so stealth just because yet another tool rather than a limitation imposed on you.

Swordplay felt a bit less engaging against common enemies (typically just being Simon Says, switching to the appropriate stance for a given enemy), but the one-on-one duels throughout the game were fantastic and I almost wish the game was all about them instead. I can’t overstate how gorgeous this game is either, with a world that feels like it is breathing, as the wind whips through the tall grass, the moon penetrates fog overtaking a creepy forest, or seeing the smoke from an enemy camp wafting over the distance. Hands-down one of the best-looking games on the PS4, and I’m particularly happy that developer Sucker Punch managed to land a hit with a new IP, as those generally feel more risky as times go on. While I’d argue that Ghost of Tsushima doesn’t really redefine how open-world games should be designed, it is an extremely polished experience and manages to do it well, with plenty of opportunities to grow in a potential sequel.

#3 – Animal Crossing: New Horizons

If there’s any one game that people absolutely needed in 2020, it was Animal Crossing: New Horizons. While there are other games of this type, like Stardew Valley or the Harvest Moon (and later, Story of Seasons games), Animal Crossing is one of the few games that gets mainstream attention while simultaneously running counter to most mainstream gaming trends. No conflict, no combat, no overarching story really…just a game that lets you live your live, day by day on your own terms. I tried getting into the series before with New Leaf but just didn’t stick with it, but New Horizons launched at the perfect time in an imperfect world. Being able to escape the uncertainty and dread that enveloped the world as the pandemic spread for even a little while was a necessity, and thankfully New Horizons had plenty to do to keep idle hands busy. Changes like item crafting and eventually limited terraforming of your island paradise give players so much more agency in decorating their homes and building up something they can be proud of.

We all start as nothing but a small tent on a mostly-empty island, but seeing what people were able to do even in the first few weeks or so was nothing short of amazing. We need more unflinchingly wholesome games in the world, and I’m thankful for Animal Crossing for being there when we needed it, and considering how well it sold and how much post-launch content is expected to be added with time, it remains a sanctuary to return to even now. Just…please let us craft in bulk? Pretty please, Nintendo?

#2 – Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity

Last year, Nintendo released Astral Chain, a game that no one knew about before release, which was revealed and released with very little gaps between them. It was a game I didn’t know I wanted until it was presented to me, and that trend continues this year with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. The first Hyrule Warriors was a fun, surprising spin-off of the main Legend of Zelda series, and Breath of the Wild was a fantastic game that shook up the core of the Zelda franchise, so in hindsight it really does seem like a no-brainer to combine the two into one package. Age of Calamity, for my tastes at least, cuts down on the repetition and overall stressful atmosphere of the first Hyrule Warriors and instead focused on fleshing out it’s core combat and crafting more creative main storyline missions. It helps that the game reimagines iconic locales from Breath of the Wild from before their destruction, and really makes you feel like you’re fighting through actual places rather than just a collection of random keeps that most Warriors games use.

Bringing in aspects like the Sheikiah Slate and Elemental Rods allows players to control the flow of combat more directly on top of letting them be more creative. Freeze enemies standing over water with the Cryonis rune or burn some grass with the Fire Rod to distract certain enemies, among many other things. Each playable character is also very distinct, even in cases where I could have forgiven the developers for reusing some attacks or traits. For one, Link has different movesets for his Sword and Shield, Spear, and Two-Handed weapons, but none of his attack overlap with the other Champions who use similar weapons. Some people might be put off with certain aspects of this game’s story and ultimately not everyone likes the overall structure of the Warriors spinoffs anyway, but for my part, Age of Calamity was one of the best surprises of the year, unveiled right at the end of the year in the nick of time. Of course, there was one game this year that surprised me more than any other.

#1 – Hades

I’ve known of Supergiant Games for quite a while and very recently began looking through their catalogue of games. They’re known for well-crafted narratives and satisfying combat, and yet when I first saw Hades when it was released in Early Access I was tepid on it. It didn’t look bad or anything, but it didn’t exactly blow me away and even now, I think a random screenshot or quick clip of the game might not do the game justice in explaining the appeal. I already wrote about the game at-length (as my only real non-retrospective blog post of the year, oops!), which you can read here if you want more in-depth praise, but to summarize…Hades is the total package for me.

Playing as Prince Zagreus your end-goal is to escape the puts of Hell, and more specifically get away from your overbearing father, Hades. It’s a rogue-lite, meaning you’re expected to finish the game in one shot and if you die you lose any upgrades you picked up along the way and have to start from scratch…to a point. Hades does allow you to keep a fair amount of items you pick up which can towards small, permanent upgrades or even gifts for various NPCs that can deepen your bond with them. Unlike most other games of this type too, the story constantly moves forward, even after death. The game is about dying over and over and then dusting yourself off to try again, all the while other characters remark on your progress or lack thereof. I grew to really enjoy this cast of characters, a fun spin on the Greek pantheon, paired with excellent voice acting for the entire cast. From the imposing, if somewhat sultry Megaera, to the nervous wreck that is the maid, Dusa, to the pompous ass Theseus, I looked forward to each new run just to learn more about this world and those within it. For once, death wasn’t really a punishment, but a reward, and just part of the process.

Of course, incredibly satisfying combat is ALSO part of the process and it just gets…addicting; muttering “one more run” over and over as you try out different weapons and boons, discovering what works well together and what doesn’t. While at first beating the game felt like it would never happen, I grew from my failures, adapted and eventually overcame. Multiple times. If you want the “full” Hades experience, this game can really demand a lot of time out of you but at the same time it stays fresh, so I can’t really complain. With new gameplay mechanics unlocking as time goes on, to the Pacts of Punishment players can trigger if they want a bit more challenge (or a lot more), Hades is that rare game that just keeps giving and giving. Before I knew it, I had dumped well over 50 hours into it, and I STILL need to get back to the game if I want that epilogue.

Compared to every other game that came out this year, Hades is the one game that grabbed me from moment one and would not let go until I hit credits. When I wasn’t playing this game, I was counting down the minutes until I could play it again, and let me tell you that is rare for me these days. At this point, Hades is clearly the breakthrough hit for Supergiant and I couldn’t be happier. The fact that this game got to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with industry titans at The Game Awards is kind of surreal, but I can’t think of many who deserve that recognition more. It helps that Supergiant is a studio that actually takes care of its employees, which is way rarer than it should be. I don’t mean to hype this game up like it’s the cure for COVID or anything, but I mean it with all my heart that this was the best game I played this year, and I’d recommend it in a heartbeat. I couldn’t stop talking about it for months after playing it, just ask my friends! So yeah, it’s pretty OK I guess.

CONCLUSION

I’m sure my Top 10 List looks a lot different from most out there, but that’s what’s great about games! So much variety and so much quality no matter where you look! Every year, without fail, there’s always at least a small handful of games that come out that I don’t get to, and try as I might I’ll never trim that backlog down. I want to keep playing games for as long as I can, trying out so many different experiences and seeing what this wonderful pastime can offer. For a good chunk of 2020 I was more than a little down, not just because of…you know, but a lot of games that were coming out weren’t appealing to me. That said, seeing as this was the year of shadow drops and announcing things at the last minute, I ended up loving a bunch of games I hadn’t already spend months hyping myself up for, which definitely helped to lift me up this year. Already, 2021 has a lot of titles I’m anticipating though, so it’s sure to be an exciting year.

Happy Gaming.

-B

#top ten list #gaming #animal crossing #paper mario #xenoblade chronicles #ghost of tsushima #doom eternal #no straight roads #hades #streets of rage 4 #thewonderful101 #age of calamity

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crimsonlocks · 4 years ago

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🎮 - What’s your favorite video game?

I have a few favourite video games. One of my all time favourites is the very unknown classic Terranigma for the SNES. It is an Action Adventure with RPG elements style of game which has an amazing lore hidden in its story as well as puts the world we play in as the planet we all live on. It has a lot of deep philosophical question and that ending probably won’t let your eyes dry. It is fantastic and everyone should try out this game. Because it never released in the US though, it is pretty unknown. Most people knowing this game are german like me. Here it was heavily advertised. Another favourite of mine is Okami. I bought it for the Playstation 2, but waited a while before playing and boy, do I regret it. That is one of the best games I have ever played. It is an Action Adventure in the style of Zelda, but set in feudal japan. You play as Amaterasu, the sun goddess, who took the form of a wolf and uses paint brush techniques to solve riddles and fight battles. The graphic style also reflects this, the whole game looks like a japanese aquarell painting from that period and it is GORGEOUS. It also has one of the best OSTs I have ever heard in a game and the story is a complete reference to japanese fairy tales and sagas. The game got a HD rerelease on Steam, so if you don’t know it, go try it out. You won’t regret it. And because my muses are from FromSoft games, I have to include Dark Souls and Bloodborne.

I like the first Dark Souls the most, simply because the world feels the most complete to me. I played 2 and 3 and while they are fine, something feels lacking. When I think about 1, I can think about a route to take immediately and I just love how the world starts to interconnect itself, it is a Metroidvania in 3D and that is so good. Of course it has some problems, but I don’t mind them. Excuse me while I try out the next build and see in which ways I can take the route to the Lordvessel. Bloodborne is just brilliant. Lore, music, atmosphere, god, the atmosphere. It was so creepy that I sometimes had to stop playing the game because I felt so uneasy. The battles are fun, as hard as they are, the creature design is god like and that shift into Eldritch Horror was one of the best video game twists I have seen. I also absolutey adore the voice acting and all the screeches the beast like enemies make, or just the mutterings of the infected in Central Yharnam. “This town is finished...” “Away Away” “Vile Beast!” Yeah, I say it again, but Bloodborne is an 11/10 when it comes to atmosphere. Also, for a game that is so character driven, it is astounding how little we know about them, so that is my cue why this version of Laurence exists.

#asks & answers #thx for the ask #about the mun #lighting & fire: out of character #theaureusleo

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earthnashes · 6 years ago

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Do you ever just see a movie and make an AU based on it? Like not an AU where its the same movie but all the characters are MLP ones, I mean one where its based on a certain movie’s setting. (EX: If you saw Balto and you made a wolf and husky AU based on it.) If so, could you give some examples of past AUs and what movie they were inspired by?

The Space!AU was originally an inspirational mashup of Atlantis and Mass Effect but I’ve kinda scrapped that idea and will go with something different for it whenever I return to it. Actually, the idea I have for it now was inspired by The Fifth Element (I LOVE THIS MOVIE OMG).

The Sugar Mama!AU (otherwise known as Glucose Guardian!AU). Like... that was not an AU I thought I’d entertain, but holy shit I had a lot of fun working with it. Someone suggested it and at first I was like PFFFT WAT BRAH NAHHHH. But then I remembered Pretty Woman (the one with Julia Roberts) and was basically like “wait, didn’t somethin’ like that work for that movie????”, mainly the age difference. Ol’ boy was like... what, late 30s and the gal he was with was like 25 at most. So after that I was like “fuck why not let’s do this” and ended up having WAY more fun than I thought I would. I don’t think I’d revisit the idea but it was an experience I tell ya hwat.

Werewolf!AU seems to be a favorite; I haven’t done anything with it yet aside from brainstorms and I keep getting asks about it despite saying I wasn’t gonna work on it at this time. THAT SAID, I do have a lot of ideas for it I’d like to share later, and the overall idea was inspired by The Wolfman (2010 version). I prefer werewolves as intelligent creatures that are more than just bloodthirsty mindless animals, but I adore the suspense held in old werewolf movies and how the mind battles with base instincts sapient kind has long since mastered. Basically I love the grit that came with old-school werewolves and it’s kinda what I wanna go for with the more modern werewolf twist.

Aside from those? Ahhh I don’t really find my inspiration in AUs in movies as much as I do in video games or just... overthinking in general. Of the two, I play way more than what I watch.

SO! That said, here are a few AUs inspired by my favorite games:

Guardian!AU was.... I actually can’t remember what it was originally, but a lot like the Space!AU and Infection!AU I didn’t like the first concept, scrapped it, and returned to it with a better idea. This came about in a mish-mosh between inspiration from Bioshock and Fallout. Surprisingly it worked?? Like it’s one of my favorite AUs to date, I’d love to revisit it at some point.

Infection!AU was originally called “Zombie AU” and was more based on I think The Walking Dead, as in the Telltale game? I love that fucking game, omg. Uh, anyway, that one’s first attempt was far more successful than the Guardian!AU’s first run, but I eventually scrapped most of what I had from the first cut and revamped it with a lot of inspiration coming from The Last of Us, especially the whole bit about the importance of a cure to Twilight. Difference here is she’s a bit selfish with that want: wants the cure for her brother’s settlement but is more than willing to deny it to anyone else because she believes the world doesn’t deserve it, period. Another AU I had a lot of fun developing and would like to revisit.

Goddess!AU actually wasn’t inspired by anything aside from my own thoughts, but toward the middle of developing its world I took some ques from Okami, specifically how the Gods’ power worked and how worship helps them maintain their strength and all that.

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Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh I think that’s all so far? The rest were just brainbunnies that developed into more.

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callmearcturus · 7 years ago

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Videos I Watch When The Brains Get Bad

Sup. When my brain gets bad, my reaction is to put on long videos and playlists to listen and watch while I try to reset my brain. I gravitate to the same ones over and over.

This is gonna be heavily video game-centric, just a heads up. Links are in the titles.

1. Cry Plays Okami

Cry Plays Okami is maybe my favorite long form lets play I have ever seen. Okami on its own is a beautiful game with a very engaging storyline that fits a very tidy three act structure. But with Cry on commentary, it's even better; it's a completely blind run of the game, and Cry has an extremely level commentary style. Watching him discover the wacky twists of the game, fall in love with side characters, stumble into secrets, and get invested in the story is fantastic. Also, Okami has a metric shitton of text to read, and Cry handles it all with aplomb.

"... Dots."

2. AGDQ 2016 Majora's Mask 100% Co-Op

I dig the Games Done Quick marathons a lot and get intense joy from watching runs. Some are really exciting short runs. Others are significantly longer and can tide you over for most of the day.

There are about three or four runs I constantly rewatch, and top of the list is the 4 man relay of Majora's Mask. This run is incredible. It's non-stop tricks and breaks and absolutely incredible routing. The way the runners set up the timeline of the game to enable them to accomplish so much is a treat to behold. And the commentary is very informative and fun.

3. Let’s Read Homestuck: Act 6

Act 6 Best Act.

The entirety of LRHS is a truly incredible accomplishment. But when I want to listen to something and relax, I put on the Act 6 playlist. The production value is at its peak, some of the character castings are absolutely stupendously spot on (Jake, Jane, Roxy, Calliope, and Aranea especially), and in my opinion Act 6 is the most listenable of the acts thanks to the spike in writing quality.

4. SGDQ 2016 Illusion of Gaia run

Another shorter one due to being a single run, but it's one of my all time favorite things to relax to. The run was done very, very late at night and was a surprise addition to the schedule. These things show in the style of the run; it's low key, it's informative, the couch commentary has good rapport with both the runner and the donation reader, and the gameplay show is done with great skill without relying on intense sequence breaks that make the run hard to follow. Just excellent. Puwexil puts on a great show.

5. Chip Cheezum's Metal Gear Solid LPs (Alternate Youtube Link)

Listen.

I adore Chip and Ironicus.

I have watched their work since they were stationed on the SomethingAwful forums, the birthplace of the Lets Play. And they do incredible work. Compared to their contemporaries, they grew up and stopped being Gamerbros before almost anyone else in the biz, and as such their work soars above the rest.

They have a lot on offer to watch, but are best known for their Metal Gear Solid series LPs. Chip is an extremely well-informed, skilled player of the series who knows how to make a great video that shows of the pathos and the ridiculousness of this series. Also, importantly to me, they don't pitch a fit at all the homoeroticism in the games, and even lean into it at times. They are, in my opinion, the greatest avenue to experience the series with.

MGS3 is the first LP they did, and it holds up despite its age. It's also the least metatextually impenetrable of the games, so it's a fantastic starting point. But I would also recommend MGS2, especially MGS4, and the just-started MGS5 LP. The MGS5 LP has such sky high production value it's disgusting that Chip is so good at making these videos. Also, you can trust Chip and Ironicus to enjoy the wackiness of the games without ever forgiving Kojima his many sins.

Any single playlist will kill a few days for you, if not a week. Pick one and enjoy.

There. Enjoy, fellow sad anxious folks.

#life sucks here's some distractions

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edgeanescence · 2 years ago

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Top 5 video games 👀

hmm tough one i think. not for the top spot though, i know that easily. i dont think ill number the others just because im not sure what should go where but ill try to give reasoning

1. psychonauts (overall best game ive played. great writing for everything, great character design, good levels. only pitfalls i feel is music and a couple things that didnt age too well regarding word choice or location. best recommended 100% completion because for a collectathon the collectibles actually matter if you want to learn about the characters more)

sonic adventure 2 (childhood nostalgia favorite. jank as fuck because sonic game. story is weird because sonic game. but the music is bangers and shadow the hedgehog is genuinely one of the best characters. shame he fell off hard after sa2 though. i love to play this game so much)

okami (i adore the art direction and gameplay gimmick of the game a lot. kill bitches with brush strokes, powerful. dog that pisses on enemies to get their teeth, amazing. its a fun journey through some somewhat modified japanese folklore, shouldnt be taken as a strict guide to the actual stories but it definitely is a good isolated adventure. stan tama the fireworks man i love him)

terraria (great game with great dev team. definitely something you play for more sandboxy/boss battle stuff though but its genuinely a game made with love and care. i like to play it with friends sometimes)

pokemon scarlet/violet (my hottest take here but i think these games are genuinely some of the best pokemon experiences in a while. there are definitely still issues from rush to be worked out and i think these games need two years more dev time for polishing alone, but story wise its solid. characters are pretty great and theres not many i dislike at all. i love you stringy joe my gholdengo. also listing both games because they are literally the same game with minor differences as per usual with pokemon)

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freezingicekirby · 7 years ago

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DAY 30 - YOUR FAVORITE GAME OF ALL TIME

Well, I’m sure this ain’t surprising in the least bit, ehh? Considering the number of times I’ve brought up both the character and his games throughout this whole 30 Day Challenge, I’m sure it was easy to guess that at least one of his titles would be on my favorite list.

And wouldn’t you know it, my #1 favorite game of all time just so happens to be the one that started it all for the feisty purple dragon.

To tell you the truth, I like pretty much everything about this game. Its graphics are quite nice (for the system it’s on), I love its soundtrack (it’s my personal favorite out of the three PS1 titles), I think the gameplay is very spot on (albeit with a few minor quirks), I think the level design does a great job of keeping things fresh and interesting yet never gives you anything too confusing or frustrating, the environments are quite nice to look at, among other things. And naturally, I’m a big fan of Spyro, himself... and say what you will, but I still think Carlos Alazraqui is the best Spyro, despite Tom Kenny’s solid performances in the sequels.

Plus, it’s the kind of game that’s right up my alley. For starters, it’s a 3D Platformer, and as I’ve admitted before, that’s one of my favorite genres. Secondly, it’s a game that doesn’t try to over-complicate things by stuffing in a bunch of minigames, extra playable characters, and/or a ton of new abilities to learn, which are often pet-peeves of mine depending on how how carried away some games can get with them (like YotD and Tooie.........). And finally, it uses my always-preferred system of allowing you to enter into a stage, collect everything and do whatever it wants you to do, and then get out and move on to the next stage in order to keep things going at a great and fun pace. Basically, there’s no having to return to previous stages because the game forced you to leave and come back later with a new ability, no interference from the plot to prevent you from doing something or going somewhere, etc.... and I’m always grateful whenever developers avoid that kind of design.

I suppose if I had to nitpick about one small thing, it’s that the controls could’ve used some slight tweaking... and said tweaks actually made it into the two sequels. I wish it were possible to include those improvements into the first game, but... meh, that’s a minor complaint.

At this point, what else is there to talk about? Needless to say, I think the game is pretty dang great, and I simply adore it. It’s the kind of game I can play all at once (and that’s even getting 100%) or break it up into chunks in order to enjoy during some free time. It’s something that’s pretty special to me, and I imagine I’ll probably never find a game that’ll dethrone it as my #1 favorite game of all time.

So..... thanks, Insomniac!

(And contrary to what it must sound like, I actually do like Ripto’s Rage as well, despite it containing some design decisions I don’t care for. I don’t like it as well as the first game, but it’s still pretty solid overall. Year of the Dragon, on the other hand... ugh, don’t even get me started).

And because why not, here are some other games that are on my favorites list.

- Rocket Knight Adventures - Yoshi’s Island - Bubble Bobble (NES) - Tails Adventure - Daxter - Croc: Legend of the Gobbos - Okami - Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap

As well as some others that aren’t quite on my favorites list, but still ones I really enjoy quite a lot as well.

- Rayman: Origins - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess - Mega Man 3 - Rainbow Islands (NES) - Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow - Metroid: Zero Mission - Banjo Kazooie - Ty the Tasmaian Tiger - Gex: Enter the Gecko

And... I suppose that concludes this 30 Day Video Game Challenge! I hope you guys had fun reading everything I put down, and thanks for tolerating my goofy standards! ;P

#tdvgc #30dvgc #30 day video game challenge #30 day challenge #thirty day video game challenge #spyro #spyro the dragon

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fawninthewinter · 8 years ago

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1. Aside from the Disney movies, what are your favorite Pixar animated films and which ones were your least favorites? 2. What are your favorite video games and why? Mine are from Nintendo! 3. You do love Pokemon, right? In fact, what are your personal favorite and least favorite Pokemon types and species from those types?

Favorite Pixar movies are of course the Toy Story franchise and I adored Inside Out and Up.

Brave was a bit of a mess of a movie, Cars 2 though I think the majority of people really didn’t like that one, and even as a kid I could never really get into the first Cars. I hear the third one is actually good though. The good Dinosaur was fine but it wasn’t anything spectacular by Pixar standards.

My favorite games are Portal, Okami, Kingdom Hearts 2, Luigi’s Mansion and Super Mario Sunshine, Pokémon Platinum and Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Explorers of Sky, and Sonic Adventure 2.

There’s a big sense of adventure and en engagin story in Kh2. You really get invested in what’s going on with organization 13 and the whole Ansem plot. Fun Disney worlds to visit, as well as fun game play. Nice character moments and interactions as well. Nice balance of both dark and lighthearted.

With Portal there’s a disturbing feeling asnyou’re playing and then sense that something isn’t right underneath the comdric tone of Glados. I love games like that. Comedic darkness for the win. Also, Glados has got to be a video game character with some of the best and funniest lines of anything. The puzzle solving game play makes for a fun and challenging experience.

There’s such a sense of wonder and creativity in Okami. The game play is unique and the environments are beautiful and reminiscent of a fantasy setting.

Luigi’s Mansion and Super Mario Sunshine are just plain fun and cool. Sunshine has some of the most creative level design and game play style out of any Super Mario game along with Galaxy. Mansion has some really creative bosses, ghost designs, and ways to suck up the ghosts. There also a surprisingly creepy atmosphere for a Mario game. I remember as kids my brother and I would never play this game at night. We loved it but we vowed to play it in broad daylight. Like Sunshine, it also has some unique and fun game play.

Explorers of Sky has such an amazing story with some of the best writing and character development out of anything Pokémon related period. Plus, the Pokémon can actually talk and you feel a strong connection between the characters, particularly the hero and partner. It’s also lrobably the most heart wrenching Pokémon related thing period. It’s surprisingly dark and heavy on emotion and mature themes for a Pokémon game. The game play can get repetitive but the engaging story, interesting characters and the way they interact with one another make up for that. These games are much more heavily story based than other Pokémon titles and sky remains my favorite of he series as I feel it tells the best out of all of them with interesting stories to tell for the supporting characters in the form of special episodes. I actually feel there was great oppurtunity for an anime based on the mystery dungeon series rather than just the short specials we got. God I could go on firever about how much I love this series, especially this game. I’m actually working on a fan fiction based on the mystery dungeon series. Updates are really slow as I’m busy at the time.

Sonic Adventure 2 had a fun story, introduced both Rouge and Shadow, had the freaking CHAO GARDEN WITH ANGEL AND DEVIL CHAO COMPLETE WITH GARDENS JUST FOR THEM, a great soundtrack I’m always bopping my head to, and an entertaining final boss battle, and was just a whole lot of fun to play in general. It also has the feel of a classic action/adventure movie which I love. Especially when it comes to Sonic games. Sure, I felt the story could go a bit overboard what with a terminally ill twelve year old girl being gunned down and her insane grandfather being executed, the graphics and voice acting really don’t hold up and weren’t good at all even then, the sound mixing was atrocious with characters being barely audible due to the loud music playing over the dialogue (thank god for captions), but it’s still a fun game and a great piece of nostalgia with a lot of charm to it. As is the first Sonic Adventure game.

Why, yes. I am a huge Pokémon fan. My favorite types being ghost and ice type. Froslass for the win! A mix of ice and ghost? Yes please. Gengar is my spoopy baby. I love Driftblim and Chandelure so much as well. Glaceon is my favorite Eeveelution. Despite everyone else’s thoughts, Vanilluxe makes for a great design and awesome Pokémon. Seriously people, how could you hate an ice cream cone Pokémon?! Weavile is another baby of mine.May have to get back to you on least favorites. Can't think of any off the top of my head right now.

#ask the kat #anon

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