#noctropolis

[bluntshavingrazor]

All the games I have on Steam that involve live-action FMV sections, ranked entirely in order of how good the acting is.

This is in ascending order, so while I might say something has a 'low' ranking, I actually mean it's near the top. Just to keep you on your toes. Also, please be aware that a low ranking on this list is not intended as comment on the gameplay itself, or meant as an insult towards the actors involved. Many of these games were recorded in front of blue-screens with minimal interaction with characters, props, or context. Anything that is intended as an insult towards the actors will be openly addressed as such.

BAD MOJO (REDUX) - 1996

Vaguely inspired by Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis, Bad Mojo sees the protagonist Roger Samms transformed into a cockroach moments before he attempts to run away to Mexico with a suitcase of stolen money. With how much he eats the scenery, he might have been better off getting transformed into a termite instead (affectionate insult). OK, they were clearly going for a surrealist vibe here so the acting choices are fitting, but I still ranked it lowest because most of the other speaking characters are insects who speak to you in rhyming couplets for some reason and that got real irritating after a while.

Roger Samms was played by Michael X. Sommers, who later went on to have a recurring role in the show Sense8 as 'Bug'.

HARVESTER - 1996

An young man named Steve wakes up to find himself in a small US town with no memory of who he is, how he got there, or who any of the people claiming to be his friends and family are. This is a really hard one to grade, because despite being an English-language game developed in the USA, the characters are dubbed over by different actors to the ones who play them physically. As far as I know it's the only game on this list that does that. Like Bad Mojo, it does help to increase the disturbing, surreal tone of the game. Unfortunately, that doesn't raise it higher on the list.

Steve Mason was voiced by Ryan Wickerham, who went on to voice act in many other video games including Turok 2, Deus Ex: Invisible War, and DC Universe Online. He was portrayed physically by Kurt Kistler, who went on to be arrested in 2010.

PHANTASMAGORIA - 1995

Remember when I said that the ranking on this list was not intended as an insult to the actors? This is why; Victoria Morsell does her best as Adrienne Delaney, a mystery writer who recently moved into a needlessly big and inevitably haunted house with her husband Don. But you can find the BTS footage of them doing the scenes, where she is acting in a set that is completely blue. You can't be expected to perform well under those conditions.

Then there's the housekeeper and her son, who are played by a comedy gnome and Lennie from Of Mice and Men, respectively. (Insult? I dunno.)

As far as I can tell, Victoria Morsell quit acting a few years after the game when she married David Hemingson, writer of 2023's festive comedy drama The Holdovers.

TOONSTRUCK - 1996

This is the part where we get into cast members that have actual IMDB credits to their name. The story of a cartoon animator who is pulled into a cartoon world to help save it from corruption, Toonstruck features Christopher Lloyd and Ben Stein, as well as some other people who don't count because they are voicing animated characters. Yeah, Lloyd and Stein (Protagonist Drew Blanc and his boss, Sam Schmaltz) are the only live-action actors in the game and Stein only appears briefly during the start and ending cutscenes. Honestly I debated even putting it on the list. I compromised by only rating it by the live-action parts; Lloyd is good throughout but Ben Stein sucks. Both as an actor and just in general.

Christopher Lloyd later went on to appear as Granddad in King of Van Nuys, the poorly conceived US remake of beloved British sitcom Only Fools and Horses. The pilot was never picked up. He also did some movies about time travel back in the 80s or something.

NOCTROPOLIS - 1994

Peter Grey, recently divorced and living in the back room of his failing bookshop, gets transported into the world of his favourite comic book superhero Darksheer and has to take the hero's place to fight five of his greatest enemies.

OK, I'm gonna be honest here, the acting in Noctropolis is also not that great. It's almost all character portrait things where the actors speak directly into the camera in response to the dialogue option chosen; there isn't much in the way of acted cutscenes I could make a proper opinion over. I would have put it before Toonstruck if not for one reason, and that is because during the ending credits they do a blooper reel from the recording sessions and the actress playing Stiletto (another superhero) has a really adorable laugh.

Peter Grey was played by Michael Berger, who was apparently in one episode of Malcolm in the Middle.

Stiletto was played by Hope Marie Carlton, who snorts when she laughs.

DOCTOR WHO - THE LONELY ASSASSINS - 2021

Yes, you read that right. This one is actually from the 2000s. Amazing. This is a tie-in game for Doctor Who and actually involves Ingrid Oliver and Finlay Robertson, who play Petronella Osgood and Larry Nightingale, respectively. The acting is fine, I guess, but the dialogue itself often comes across as very This Is Exposition-y, and that's hard to sell.

Sally Sparrow was played by Carey Mulligan, who does not appear in this game despite being the central character of Blink, which this game is a sequel to. Probably couldn't afford her these days.

PHANTASMAGORIA: A PUZZLE OF FLESH - 1996

The first Phantasmagoria was done entirely on a blue-screen set, and it shows. Phantasmagoria 2 was done almost entirely on an actual, physical set and holy shit it shows. Characters actually interact with their environment in a convincing, realistic way. Dialogue between them feels natural, like they're not simply reading their lines from a script. The game feels like you're watching a low budget, made-for-TV horror movie which, while that would be a terrible review for an actual movie, is a win for this list.

It also plays like you're watching a low budget, made-for-TV horror movie but gameplay is not a factor in this list.

Curtis Craig is played by Paul Morgan Stetler, who now has a YouTube channel where he talks about old adventure games and interviews people involved in the industry. He did a playthrough of the game there as well.

[boredtechnologist]

"Noctropolis," a PC game that delves into the realm of a comic book world come to life, presents a unique blend of gothic fantasy and interactive narrative, making it ripe for a deep philosophical analysis, especially through the lenses of feminist theory and the concept of the male gaze.

The game portrays a series of dark, intricate relationships between its protagonist, Peter Grey, who becomes the hero Darksheer, and the game's female characters, notably Stiletto. Through the examination of these dynamics, the game can be dissected using the philosophical contributions of Laura Mulvey, Michel Foucault, Simone de Beauvoir, and Judith Butler, which highlight themes of power, identity, and gender performance.

1. Laura Mulvey and the Male Gaze: Laura Mulvey's theory of the male gaze is essential for analyzing "Noctropolis." The game frequently positions Stiletto and other female characters as objects within the visual pleasure framework, primarily to appeal to the male spectator/player. This portrayal aligns with Mulvey's critique of traditional cinema, where women are often stylized and sexualized, serving as mere props to enhance the voyeuristic experience of the male viewer. In "Noctropolis," this dynamic is evident in the way the camera emphasizes Stiletto's physicality and allure, which may detract from her complexity and agency as a character.

2. Michel Foucault and Power Dynamics: Foucault’s ideas on power and the ways it is embedded within societal structures and institutions provide a way to understand the narrative and interactions in "Noctropolis." The power dynamics at play, particularly in how Peter/Darksheer exercises power over or on behalf of female characters, can be seen as a manifestation of Foucault's power/knowledge concept. The hero's role often involves protecting or saving female characters, reinforcing traditional power hierarchies and gender roles.

3. Simone de Beauvoir and the Other: Simone de Beauvoir’s exploration of the "Other" in her seminal work "The Second Sex" offers a profound lens through which to view "Noctropolis." Beauvoir argues that woman has historically been constituted as the Other, an essential counterpart without which the category of man would not be complete. This philosophical perspective is crucial for dissecting the narrative of "Noctropolis," where female characters might be construed less as complete agents within their own right and more as complements or challenges to the male protagonist's journey.

4. Judith Butler and Gender Performance: Judith Butler’s theory of gender as performance, which posits that gender identity is a performance with highly regimented scripts, sheds light on the interaction between Peter/Darksheer and the women he encounters. Butler's notion that performative acts are forms of authoritative speech provides a framework for understanding how "Noctropolis" not only portrays but also enforces certain gender norms and expectations. Stiletto’s character, often seen wielding power in her sexuality and combat prowess, can be analyzed as performing a prescribed role that simultaneously empowers and confines her.

5. Feminist Dominance and Subversion: Beyond the initial application of the male gaze, "Noctropolis" also presents moments of feminist dominance and subversion, where female characters challenge or invert traditional gender roles. This aspect can be viewed through the radical feminist lens, which seeks not only to understand gender oppression but to dismantle it. Stiletto, at times, subverts her objectification through actions that assert her autonomy and power, challenging the narrative imposed by the male gaze and suggesting a more complex interplay of dominance and submission.

In conclusion, "Noctropolis" serves as a rich text for exploring dark philosophical themes related to gender, power, and identity. By critically applying feminist theories and examining the interplay of the male gaze with moments of feminist dominance, the analysis reveals the complex ways in which the game constructs its narratives and character dynamics, offering insights into the perpetuation and potential subversion of traditional gender roles within digital storytelling.

[phoenix]

My next Trisking, which I should be editing right now, but lol whoops, has three very obscure references, all at once. I try not to make things that are TOO in jokey, or too obscure, so NO ONE gets them, and if I do, I try not to do it too often. But here we are.

Sleepwalker is probably the least obscure of the trio, since there are comic fans who know him, but he's way down the list of comic character awareness.

The other two are a bit of lyrics from a band I call "Fleetwood Mac from wish dot com" and the video game Noctropolis.

[alfea]

i really should finish playing noctropolis but steam says it’s been almost two years since i opened it so idk how much i’d remember about what i was doing

[adventurerooms]

[supergreatfrien]

Bumbling Through Noctropolis p.4 (FINAL)

It's time for Peter Grey to save the city by doing what he does best! As soon as we figure out what that is

[nyteblaydette]

Anyway here's the newest additions to my collection 💖

[abandonwave]

Noctropolis (DOS), 1994.

[lesserknownwaifus]

Stiletto From Noctropolis

[bihet-dragonize]

Doom anon here, I'm bored so I'm gonna lay out the interesting background of the Doom 64 remaster released on modern consoles & PC. it got longer than I anticipated though...

so Doom 64 originally released in 1997. it was created by the same team as the PlayStation Doom and Final Doom ports. there's more to both of those releases, like PlayStation Doom inheriting things from the Jaguar port, but I'll skip it since it's not terribly relevant here

Doom 64 used a heavily modified Doom engine descended from the modified engine that was behind the PlayStation ports, and its source code was never made public

Doom 64 was never officially ported from the Nintendo 64 until the 2020 remaster, which meant you had to play on N64 or on an N64 emulator. N64 emulation was then and is still now an imperfect thing, but especially back then it was pretty rough

thanks to no port & no source code, people in the community wanting to play it on PC decided to recreate its levels to play in one of the Doom source ports on PC

initially, Samuel Villarreal (also known as Kaiser) released Console Doom in late 2002, a set of maps based on various console versions of Doom (including Doom 64)

in 2003, a team led by Kaiser released Doom 64: Absolution, also known as Doom 64 TC. it was a total conversion mod created to run in a custom Doomsday source port engine. this actually recreated Doom 64 as a whole, though with many obvious differences too. levels were recreated from scratch, and it won a Cacoward as 1 of 2003's 10 best WADs

Doom 64 TC rearranged the level order, as well as adding 6 additional levels by Kaiser, 4 of which were in the campaign and 2 which were like bonus levels (Doom 64's original bonus levels were added to the campaign as secret levels reached from new secret exits)

in 2005, Kaiser released The Outcast Levels for the Doom 64 TC, a mini-episode set of 7 new levels by Kaiser and 3 unfinished levels which would later be completed and released in 2008 as part of Kaiser's next Doom 64 project, Doom64 EX

Doom64 EX was Kaiser's further attempt at accurately recreating Doom 64 for PC. to this end, Kaiser reverse engineered Doom 64 and created a nearly 100% accurate reimplementation of Doom 64 for PC, which you needed to provide the ROM to play it as it used many of the game's assets and its levels directly from the ROM

in 2013, Kaiser won the Cacowards' first Lifetime Achievement Award, or Espi, named in honor of Esa "Espi" Repo. he won largely but not exclusively for all his work around Doom 64. in the article, Kaiser's next project -- Turok EX -- is mentioned

I won't go into all the history of Turok, the decades of Gold Key Comics or Valiant's revival or Acclaim purchasing it. I could write an entire box set of books about Turok, tbh

Kaiser was working on remaking Turok: Dinosaur Hunter using his KEX 2 engine, which was an outgrowth from Doom64 EX. it was pushed to the side for awhile though

in the meantime, Kaiser worked with Nightdive Studios on the Strife re-release. the source code was lost, so Strife: Veteran Edition essentially uses Kaiser and others' pre-existing work on Chocolate Strife for its engine -- Chocolate Strife being an offshoot of Chocolate Doom, a Doom source port with the goal of being strictly accurate to vanilla Doom including its bugs and limitations. because of this, Strife: Veteran Edition had to be open source itself for using that code

KEX 2 was the basis for Strife: Veteran Edition's graphics engine, as well as being the basis for Nightdive Studios' next remaster, Noctropolis, in 2015

also in 2015, Kaiser mentioned in an interview that Nightdive had acquired the license to remaster Turok and that work on it would resume. the remaster released later in 2015, using the next iteration of Kaiser's KEX engine, KEX 3 (or just KEX now). KEX was also what was used in System Shock: Enhanced Edition, also released in 2015

I could go on and on about KEX... but I won't. it's a very cool engine though, used in basically all of Nightdive's remasters -- not always as a way to recreate everything, it's used as an abstraction layer for things too, much like Unity in those Doom remasters from 2019 done by Nerve Software

well, just to bring things full circle, when they were going to remaster Doom 64 for release alongside Doom Eternal, they went to Nightdive Studios, where Kaiser is employed, and they used his KEX engine for it. and the 7 new levels as part of a mini-campaign that acts as a sort of prequel to the 2016 Doom and Doom Eternal, called The Lost Levels? those new levels were made by Kaiser too!

sorry it took so long for me to get there, but I just think that it's a very cool story

it shows how incredibly important it is for game developers to support modding and to release the source code for their games. this wouldn't have been possible otherwise

I think it's insanely cool that someone was so dedicated to playing a specific version of DOOM that they straight up reverse engineered it. That's cool as fuck. Also YES I think modders are so cool and I think they're a necessary part of the video game ecosystem. It's a great example of how if you have a question their is always some person that has the answer lol video game molders remind me of those people in Minecraft who've recreated the entire Library of Congress. It takes such great dedication and patience and love for something and it makes me a lil emotional.

Sorry my reply is so late, but this was nice to read. Mad props to Kaiser and respect to the devs for being like "Ayo, we're trying to remaster Doom64, you reverse engineered it, join us please!" lol

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

HASO, “Freak of Nature.”

A continuation from yesterday. I hope you all enjoy, and I hope you enjoy the setup for some other stories I am planning on doing :)

Have a good day!

Breaking News

The Galaxy is left stunned after the events of late yesterday evening, when a single armed shooter appeared from the crowd and fired on UNSC leader and cultural icon Admiral Vir during a routine press conference given at UNSC headquarters Fort Harmony on the eastern Mericandian coast. Reports describe the event as happening midway through Admiral Vir’s address as the single, hooded female pushed through the crowd and drew a handgun on the Admiral firing once before fleeing into the crowd. She was apprehended by armed security agents only moments later as she tried to flee the scene. On scene witnesses report that an accompanying marine tackled Admiral Vir to the ground just as the shot was fired.

 In a statement made early this morning by Admiral Vir  he reports that, ��Thanks to the brave actions of Corporal Angel Ramirez I am alive and unharmed.” Corporal Angel Ramirez is a decorated veteren of the UNSC deep space division and served his first tour aboard the UNSC Enterprise on its maiden voyage. Since then he has served under Admiral Vir on both the UNSC Harbinger and most recently the Omen distinguishing himself in combat during the Burg war and the Kree engagement. Our sources report that Corporal Ramirez was once an up and coming champion in the Mericandian winter Olympic ice skating team before joining the marines. 

Reports say that the corporal came out of surgery early this morning and is in stable but critical condition. 

The only question remains is who would attempt an assasination on such a beloved cultural icon. More on that with our crime reporter Jim Shaw.

Thank you, Emily, early this morning we received reports from Fort harmony officials that the name and identity of the shooter is 37 year old Adrea Halen member of a traditionalist leaning moderate group the Hunt Party, who have condemned Admiral Vir in the past for his support of legalizing extrial relationships. President Hunt, leader of the hunt Party and CEO of Hunt Metals said in a statement today. “Our party had nothing to do with Ms. Halen’s actions, while we disagree with Admiral Vir on some fundamentals of government, we would never attempt to silence him through violence. At the end of the day Admiral Vir has done far more good than he has bad and no man deserves to die due to his political views. What Ms halen has done is condemnable, and the party does not support her actions.”

Further comment was withheld until a later date. As of yet police have been unable to determine if she acted alone or with the assistance of the group. Police chief Henry Winzer added in his statement today, “Ms. Halen has not, as of yet, divulged her motives behind the shooting, however based on preliminary evidence of the scene it seems as if these were the actions of a woman acting alone. Detectives have been unable to find any correspondence between her and a third party and even her husband had been out of the country for the past few months.”

Her motive remains, as of yet, unknown. There is evidence of a radicalized political view since she did attempt and target Admiral Vir, and some of her personal social media content has been leaked to the public reporting her dissatisfaction with going the GA and her open disgust for extrial activities especially in regards her oldest son who was in a relationship with a Finnari before moving to Noctropolis. We have since been unable to contact him.

In the past Admiral Vir has been known as a great political proponent in favor of extrial relationships, and a non isolationist view having once said that, “Cooperation and companionship with the GA will be the bedrock of human expansion into space.” With the popularity of Admiral Vir as a cultural Icon, it can be said that his political views have been influential on the younger upcoming generations of today, while the older populace still remains wary of political involvement with extraterrestrial life. In oth-

Adam shut off the TV sinking back into one of the stiff plastic chairs that adorned the hospital waiting room. His eyes felt grainy and dry, and his head ached dully behind his eyes. Off in the corner of the room much of Ramirez’s family lay asleep on the plastic chairs including his father and otters who had arrived late last night. They had fallen asleep after a nurse ventured in a few hours to go to let them know that he was stable and alive. Adam himself had not been able to sleep thinking about his friend, replaying the moment over and over in his head wondering if there was something he could have done to prevent all of this from happening. But the more he thought the more he realized that it was probably unlikely. He might have been able to dive out of the way himself before the shot was fired, but Ramirez was already in motion before that.

He couldn’t have seen it coming, no one could have, and no one did.

Ramirez had just been the fastest.

He sunk back into his chair miserably and stared at the wall. There were no windows in this room, the guard detail had insisted upon it incase someone else tried for his life. It all seemed so strange to him. Why would anyone want to kill him? 

He knew the answer though, as much as he wanted to think he was just some nobody, he wasn’t anymore. He was… a political figure, someone who could influence what happened in the galaxy and there were plenty of people who weren’t bound to agree with him on a lot of things.

He just wondered why he hadn’t seen this coming sooner.

His implant buzzed, and he looked down to see that his mother was calling. Whoopse, she wasn’t going to be happy that she was just hearing about this over the news, but he knew he needed to talk to her. He stood and made his way into the hallway, where a protection detail eyed him hawkishly.

Closing the door behind him, so as not to disturb its sleeping occupants, he answered the call, speaking out loud as the implants in his throat and ear picked up the sound, “Hey, mom.” 

“Adam! Adam are you alright! I just saw the news.”

“Yeah, yea I’m ok.” He took a deep breath, “Sorry I didn’t call. It’s just been kinda hectic.”

“And you’re sure you’re ok?”

“Yeah, I mean, I feel like shit but no bullet wounds….” he trailed off 

There was silence for a moment, ‘I’m so sorry sweetheart, how is Ramirez?”

“Doctor’s haven’t given us all the details yet, but he's at least alive and survived surgery.”

“Thank goodness…. We owe that boy.”

“I know, mom…. I know.”

Just then he heard voices off down the hall and turned to see Dr. kill and Dr Katie approaching from the wings.

“Mom, I’ve gotta go, but I’ll call you as soon as I can, Ok?”

“Ok.” 

She let him go and he hung up as the two doctors approached.

“How is he!”

They motioned him into the room and he followed just as Ramirez’s family members were waking up.

Adam hovered near the door not entirely sure if he was supposed to be there. Ramirez’s mother sat up, “Is h ok!”

Dr. Kati and Dr Krill glanced at Adam. Adam realized with Dr. patient confidentiality, and it being family, he probably wasn’t supposed to be here. He went to step outside, but Ramirez’s abuela waved him back.

Ramirez an Dr Katie nodded.

The little alien stepped forward towards the family, “I have both good and bad news.”

The group waited with bated breath.

“THe good news is that your son made it through surgery. He is stable and recovering in the ICU.” he glanced over at Katie, “The bullet went in through his back, through his right kidney and perforated some of his lower bowl. We were able to fix the tears but the kidney…. Was not salvageable.”

The family glanced back and forth between each other, “That…. That’s not so bad though. He has two….”

Krill shifted slightly, “Well that is the remarkable thing and also the bad news but…. Your son only had one kidney. We wouldn’t have noticed it were it not for our imaging, but it seems he has lived with this defect his entire life without complication.”

Dr. Katie Cut in just then, “Since he was born with the defect, his body compensated. The kidney that was destroyed was much larger than average…” She trailed off 

The family members looked between each other, “So…. So what does this mean.”

“We have him on dialysis right now, and he is going to need a kidney transplant.” Dr. Katie folded her hands, “There are a few options, there is always the possibility of getting him a donor kidney or equally possible and more…. Advisable would be to have a kidney grown for him using his own stem cells, that way we can grow him one like the one he lost considering there is no way for us to give him two. If he were to get a donor kidney, he would have to undergo chronic gene therapy to avoid medications that would leave him immunocompromised. However in that case he would need to be medically discharged. If we were to grow him a new kidney, he would be able to return to his post without being discharged, but the cost is…. Admittedly much higher.”

The family glanced between each other their faces pulled into grimaces.

Adam knew their financial situation. He had heard stories about Ramirez growing up and knew enough to know that his family had never been well off. They had been close, his childhood had been excellent, but they had never been rich. Affording either of those options was going to be a stretch.

“Well we will have to talk about-”

“I’ll pay for it.”

The entire room turned to look at him.

“You-”

“I said I will pay for it. With the settlement for the court case, I can pay for it. He saved my life this is the least I can do, Please…”

His pleading was so plaintive that the family could hardly say no. He did have a point as well. Instead, he received an enthusiastic hug from Ramirez’s younger sister who clasped her arms around him and nearly snapped him in half with her strength. She was an olympic boxer after all, so he wasn’t surprised.

“Thank you thank you thank you.” She repeated.

Dr. Katie looked at him with a pointed expression, but she didn’t need to ask. He intended to pay for every last cent of Ramirez’s treatment even if he had to fight his abuela for it. He wasn’t entirely sure he’d win against her, but he would damn sure try if it meant doing something fo his friend.

He owed him after all.

And even if he didn’t Ramirez was his best friend. This wasn’t about owing him, this was about doing anything for someone he cared about.

Dr. Krill shifted in his place, “We will get the equipment ready and start later this week. I…. would be honored to perform the operation. I will be upfront with you and say that I am the universe's foremost surgeon, but I would also be the first Alien to perform a transplant”

“I of course, you saved his life last night-”

They seemed almost in shock. Everything was being paid for and the universe most renowned surgeon was practically begging to do it.

The only way this could have been better is if their son hadn’t been shot in the first place.

***

The steady beeping of the machine echoed around the room. Adam sat with one ankle crossed over a knee looking down at his implant and absently reading through that day’s news report as a soft whirring came from the machine just to his right. He wasn’ technically supposed to be here, but the doctors had made an exception for him and the family. On the other side of that a glass tube was busy growing an extra kidney. There was security outside the door and a doctor came in every few minutes to check on the kidney, and the man to which the kidney belonged.

Adam scrolled dow.

There was a shifting just to his side, and with relief Adam looked up to find Ramirez stirring. The man tried to open his eyes but squinted against the light and groaned raising one IV tethered hand to block the light.

Adam leaned over resting a hand on his arm, “Hey you’re finally awake.”

Ramirez cracked an eye at him and groaned.

“Come on ya freak wake up.”

Ramirez closed his eyes again, “Why…. When I wake up do I have to see your ugly ass.

Adam snorted, “How sweet, freak.”

“Freak, have you looked at yourself lately.”

“At least I was born with all my kidneys.”

Ramirez opened his eyes and frowned, “What?”

Adam smiled slightly, “Turns out your dumbass has lived his entire life with only one kidney. Congratulations, you are a freak of nature.”

“No shit, really? I had no idea.”

“We know, anyway the bullet sort of ruined it, so you have to get a new one. He pointed across the room to the glass tube and its slowly growing kidney which was no bigger than a jellybean right at that moment.”

Ramirez looked and frowned, “Ew, gross… wait who's paying for that,because I don’t think the military covers transplants.”

“It's taken care of.”

“By who.”

“By someone.”

“Someone who.”

“Someone who would rather remain unnamed.”

Ramirez looked at him,”It’s you isn't it.”

Adam sighed, “You saved my life, so shut up and let me buy you a new kidney. I owe you that much at least.”

“Fne, fine.”

There was a pause between them.

“I….. thank you, for saving my-”

“Dude don’t get all sappy and shit on me ok. You would have done it for me.” Adam went quiet still wishing to thank his friend but knowing Ramirez would never accept i.

Ramirez shifted to look at him, “So, you know why they tried to kill you?”

Adam shrugged, “Not really, the lady who did it has some political affiliations who don't tend to agree with me, but that connection doesn't seem to fit completely. Either that or she blames me for making her son an extrial in which case….. That hardly makes sense either.” he shrugged, “Either way she isn’t talking, and now I can’t go anywhere without five to six bodyguards spilling out my ass.”

Ramirez snorted, eyes closing, breathing deeply.

“You feeling ok.”

“Yeah…. I’m alright, just tired.”

“Then go back to sleep ya big idiot. Maybe if you’re a good boy santa will leave a kidney under your pillow.”

Ramirez let off a weak huff, “Didn’t know santa was a black market organ dealer.”

“He is this christmas, now shut up and go to sleep.” Ramirez didn’t argue with him beyond that point, and fell back asleep just as a nurse ws coming to check on him.

Adam was relieved. 

Ramirez was, hopefully, going to be ok.

Though what remained were far more questions than there were answers. 

[thedoteaters]

Enter the Nightmarish Urban Terror of Noctropolis

Noctropolis, by Flashpoint Productions and #EA (1994) A point-and-click adventure game with a fairly compelling visual flair. #retrogames #retrogaming #nostalgia #bitstory

[atortheadventurousgator]

I’ve been on a point and click rampage recently, having completed Grim Fandango and Noctropolis. I figured it was finally time that I played the most recent addition to the Syberia series, given that Syberia I & II are among my favorite point and click adventure games.  

Sadly, I’m a tad disappointed. 

While I knew Syberia III would never truly live up to my unrealistic expectations, the technical side of things is rather jarring and distracts from some of the nice visuals and story (so far). Kate’s movements are clunky, the camera seems to sway sickeningly from time to time, and audio frequently clips out. Voice acting is another issue. Many characters don’t seem to have a voice that suits them and the ones that do are plagued by... subpar voice acting at best. This isn’t to say that I thought the older games had perfect voice acting, but at least the voices appeared to suit the characters. 

The good news is that for what the game is, I’m still finding things to enjoy. Kate’s voice actress is back and her performance appears to be as good as ever, at least from the few hours I’ve played, and I’m interested to see where this adventure is going to take me. I just wish that this game had been given the polish it deserved. There’s a good game in there, it’s just tarnished by what appear to be some unfortunate design decisions and a rushed release. 

Keep in mind that this is only based on the first 3 hours or so of the game, I’m hopeful that perhaps my experience will improve in later areas especially after I get used to the semi-fixed camera and movement. 

Oscar, you are sorely missed. 

[alfea]

[adventurerooms]

[supergreatfrien]

Bumbling Through Noctropolis p.3

Darksheer and Stiletto meet their greatest challenge yet! The DOOR OF PEGS.