#permeates throughout the entire game

[djsangos]

//also i love that salmon run, in universe, is unquestionably a terrible job and highly unethical from like. every single standpoint. in terms of employee safety and also what the employees are DOING

but all these inkfish still flock to grizzco anyway because mr. grizz makes it a game in which he rewards us with fun little gacha capsules and fresh new drip and prizes and we all just eat it up and go into salmonid territory to lay waste to them all and steal their eggs with no questions

[deadlyflames]

Abigail + The Invitation with a Klonnie twist

Klaus successfully broke his curse in 1492 and, consequently, Hope was born much earlier.

She is the apple of her father’s eye and he does little to curb her temper nor to temper her bloodlust.

But all children, even the immortal ones, crave the love of a mother.

Xxx

Sorry Im late Klonnie fandom! This is part 1 of 3 parts that I have planned - spoilers for Abigail (kinda) if you havent seen it

xxx

Hope isn’t in her room. In fact, she isn’t anywhere in the compound.

Which means she is likely in the hunting house.

When Klaus arrives, he finds evidence of carnage throughout the decrepit house. He sighs in exasperation as he searches the grounds for his daughter.

He finds her in the library, drenched in blood from head to toe, matching the blood that coated the walls and floors.

It’s vampire blood. The blood of a newborn, and the stench of it permeates the room. He'd have to compel several humans to scrub down the entire library.

Whatever mischief his daughter was up to tonight, he was going to have a stern talk with her about playing with her food.

A young woman faces Hope with her back to Klaus. Much like his daughter, she is covered in blood. But he can hear her pounding heart.

A mortal woman.

Hope sees him before the woman notices his presence, and the soft expression on her face shifts.

“Father!”

The woman turns and stumbles back in shock when she sees him standing before her. Klaus examines her face and he can see she's a pretty thing beneath the gore that cakes her skin and clothes.

But there is something familiar about her features.

“Klaus.” Even though she whispers his name, he recognizes her voice.

He recognizes the fire that burns in those olive eyes, even as they are wide with fear.

This was the little Bennett witch that tried to kill him the last time he visited to Mystic Falls.

Seems Hope was playing her old games again. Bringing a few of his enemies to this house and hunting them down through the night for her entertainment.

In her attempt to back away from him, the Bennett witch slips in the pool of blood and falls to the ground.

A vicious grin curls at Klaus’ lips as he watches her try to scramble away.

”Not that same plucky teen witch anymore, are you?”

“Father, don’t!” Hope’s voice fades into the background as he advances on his prey. “You don't understand!”

”I can smell your fear.” The witch flinches as his fangs grow and his eyes darken.

“Please stop!” Hope yells, but he ignores her.

“I can taste it.” Klaus snaps his teeth and though the Bennett witch grimaces, her eyes begin to harden. If she needed to fight him for her life, no matter how tired she may be or how unlikely she was to succeed, she would.

Hope does not allow things to go any further and she quickly stands between him and the witch. “She saved my life!”

“Hope. Move.” His voice is low with warning. Despite his attention being on the Bennett witch, he was cross with his daughter. She never should have been putting herself at risk and playing these games with his enemies in the first place.

Hope does not falter and her face remains as hard and cold as stone. ”She was here when you weren’t.”

Klaus straightens. “I came when you needed me.”

Hope says nothing but she holds out her hand. When Klaus takes it, he sees the events that transpired. The scheme Hope concocted in order to get several former foes and annoyances into one place. And how things went awry when one of her intended victims, a siphoner, turned himself into a heretic. Half witch and half vampire. How Bonnie Bennett fought tooth and nail in order to kill the heretic and save Hope’s life.

Beneath it all, he feels his daughter’s pain. Her loneliness. Her desperate desire to be seen and heard and cared for by her father. The kindling of fondness she had developed for the clever and plucky Bennett witch.

And finally, she shares with him the secret wish she now has, hopeful for him to grant it.

As Klaus sifts through his daughter’s thoughts and emotions, the Bennett witch slowly stands from the floor with a wary look.

Hope releases her father’s hand with a pout, her eyes wide and shining.

“Can we, father?” she pleads.

Klaus sighs deeply. He never could refuse his daughter anything. Even after all these centuries.

“Very well.”

Klaus turns his attention to the witch (Bonnie. Her name was Bonnie) once more, and she stays resolute when their eyes lock.

She was only a teenager the last time he saw her. A pretty young girl, righteous and impulsive, who managed to harness the power of her ancestors and drive him out of her town. She has grown into a beautiful young woman now, hardened and weary, but that iron core of hers remains.

This witch nearly killed him half a decade ago, but she saved Hope’s life.

Bonnie does not flinch as he reaches for her, and he can't help but be impressed by her fortitude. Her bravery soon turns to confusion when the hybrid gently takes her hand and brings it to his lips. He savors the taste as he places his mouth against her bloodied knuckles. When he pulls away, his lips are stained crimson.

“You must be exhausted, love,” Klaus croons, and the softness of his voice seems to unnerve the witch much more than him flashing his fangs had. “There is a spare room you can use upstairs for the night. And a bath where you can clean yourself up. Hope will show you.”

Bonnie glances hesitantly between Hope and Klaus before she finally manages to find her voice. ”I-I actually think I should... probably go home.”

“I insist.” His tone leaves no room for argument and after everything that had happened to her in the last 24 hours, the young witch had no energy to fight him.

Klaus watches as Hope takes Bonnie's hand and leads her out of the library. She goes along numbly but turns to meet his eyes one last time before she is pulled out of the room.

[lopposting]

I have the feeling that originally, earlier in development, P was supposed to die at the end.

(Or, About more than a year after the official release,

the headcanon that changed everything for me.)

So the ending I'm talking about is this, the Rise of P ending.

But what really made me think this is this event in 2022. (people back then correctly guessed might be one of the endings or the ending of the game. Taking from this post here)

At G-Star Neowiz booth in 2022, there was a promotional statue of the Saintess statue in the game, except the figurine of the puppet is strangely suspended, as if it's literally ascending to heaven. The post writer also notes even then that the figurine looks like P. (The literal Rise of P)

There's also some footage of the figure here: (around 1:16)

The symbolism seems very very apparent, as though Neowiz were spoiling their own game two years before release. Not only is the figure literally ascending to a higher plane (imagery often associated with death), the statue itself is an inference to a famous statue of Mary mourning the death of her son. The writer of an article covering Neowiz's section at the event also notes that the ascending figure looks like P, and that it has a feeling of melancholy.

Beginning and End

Around the time of the release I think what was going around was that Rise was being considered as the "true" ending. It's interpretably the best possible outcome of the game, but I feel like it's also because it made the most sense thematically (the puppet -> Human ending, and the saintess statue being foreshadowed earlier). But P's collapse at the end was also widely (mis)interpreted as his death. And I think that's also because, in a way, it makes the most sense thematically. Puppet awakens in the train, goes on an adventure, and then sacrifices himself for who woke him up in the first place, it's just narratively a very classic and might I say standard thing to do in that very traditional, circular sort of storytelling sensibility.

However, we know that the truth is that P has fallen asleep (a human act). It is still his death in some sorts - but he's leaving a past behind and it's his "rebirth" that is being emphasized now.

And then it hit me.

I don't know if P knows that he will survive reviving Sophia.

Keeping in mind that if P was originally supposed to die - I think the entire end sequence of ROP and the overall tone of it makes SO MUCH sense to me now.

Sophia brings a lone puppet to life in the train, he is animated, listening, fighting. At the end of his journey, so much has changed - but to return her favour perhaps, truly human at heart, he returns her life to her, and then - returns to back to stillness. It’s just a narratively very tight and circular thing to do in a traditional storytelling sense, especially when you consider a kind of tragic korean media sensibility that might have influenced the country in which this studio is based out of. (Film critic Roger Ebert once suggested that he had not yet seen a happy korean film.)

I am not an expert on the Korean cinema, which is considered in critical circles as one of the most creative in the world (“Oldboy” won the Grand Jury Prize at Cannes 2004). I can say that of the Korean films I’ve seen, only one (“The YMCA Baseball Club”) did not contain extraordinary sadomasochism.  "Oldboy" review (2005)

Not to mention... Since release, I've always felt like there was this strange feeling of sadness, of melancholy, permeating throughout the entire game. Of course, we're walking through a destroyed city, but still. And I was glad that that didn't seem lost on other people:

We know that Sophia is able to turn back the clock for our main character, but turning back time is Sophia's ability, and it's possible that she can't just revive anyone once that part of her that animated him was returned back to her. Okay, maybe it's a little contrived - but that hardly matters when audiences can often overlook these things for the sake of a story making a statement. Besides, remembering that P could not even wake up without Sophia's help in the first place, it's possible that for whatever reason, he cannot sustain life on his own. In his POV this might very well be his final act.

Another thing to keep in mind is that P has just lost his father. He's witnessed Polendina's death, Antonia's death, etc., in a string of major losses throughout the game's final arc. We see him mourn over his dad but in the ROP ending it will then cut straightaway to the balcony scene. Regardless of how much time has actually passed, Geppetto's death is the scene right before this one. I don't mean to suggest that this act was one of pure self-destruction, but it is something that we as the audience can't help but feel affects him and the decision we are seeing now.

There's a certain gravitas to the way he's walking towards her that in the released version isn't unjustified, but the tone of the entire sequence has so much conviction and sombreness that it came across as a little odd to me in retrospect. And I also think this is why others might have (mis)interpreted the ending as "he died", because of the tone of this scene. But in line with the game's themes - I remember that often, it's the intent that matters. And if he doesn't know that he's going to survive this, and this is what he chooses is his final act, for all intents and purposes, it IS him sacrificing himself to save Sophia.

Re-contextualizing it this way, I think the balcony scene was maybe originally meant to be him choosing to look at Krat one last time. I definitely think that was the implication now.

P's blue butterfly flying away (his spirit leaving him). I used to think this blue butterfly represented Sophia, but now I feel like it represents P ? as I don't think we ever see this specific blue butterfly anywhere else in the game. [maybe a reach I dunno]

To be honest - when LOP first came out, up until about a week, I really did think he was dead. I was honestly pretty sad about it, but in equal parts I was sort of really impressed that Neowiz would have the guts to kill off their breadwinner straight away [I WANT TO WRITE ABOUT THIS TOO AHH]

So if this ending was originally written to be P's demise, I wonder why the powers that be would have rolled that back. Presumably they need him alive for some sort of future franchise instalment? Maybe they genuinely thought it was just too sad? But there is one thing that doesn't change, and it's what P doesn't know.

The truth is what you make it, I suppose.

Who are you? Are you a puppet or a human being?

[sirobvious]

It is hard to believe that D&D5e is so bad that it has permeated a style of play throughout the entire TTRPG hobby where you just ignore all the dice and rules of the game you’re obstinately playing

[iced-cofi]

I kinda just wanna write game reviews here sometimes. *Ahem*

It's pretty damn rare that you find a piece of media like this throughout the course of your life.

One that elegantly, carefully, and lovingly traverses infinite despair in an infinitely more hopeful way. One that shows you that no true problem can be solved in a single day. One that teaches of the compassion in our hearts, for those around us and the world we all live in.

And, for me, one that teaches that in the face of despair, fear, and sadness, beauty can also be found, and that no matter how pointless it can seem, fighting, trying, and persistence is how we can push through the end of the world. And now matter how all encompassing it may seem, the end is never truly the end. It's just a new beginning.

I am, of course, referring to...

Before I continue, I must clarify, as I did in my ACT review, this will feature spoilers, and moreso than almost any other game I've played, you simply must play this blind if you can.

Ok, a brief, completely spoiler free review. *Ahem again*

Outer Wilds is a beautiful, relaxing yet occasionally stressful first person space exploration game, in which the only currency you collect through the game is knowledge. The solar system is your own journey through the puzzle box the devs made. The music is beautiful and touching, the visuals are distinct yet simple, and the story is like nothing else. The only genuine 10/10 I can give. It's brilliant.

Ok, I will now put a funny picture, this is your opportunity to leave spoiler free.

3

2

1

Ok now time for the real gamers to chat.

This game. This fucking game. It reaches deep to the innermost part of my mind and soul and shows me a more accurate depiction of the human experience than any other game, and it don't even got humans.

It is the absolute definition of existential optimism, and I think it's refreshing, and borderline spiritual.

And this fact is helped because the way you get to the end is entirely up to you. Every single person who plays this game will play it differently. Everyone follows what they find amazing and interesting, and everyone finds what they think is, and they fly and crash and die and laugh and love every moment they spend in this dark, enrapturing galaxy.

The combination of nostalgic foresty landscapes, crumbling planets, shoddy craftsmanship, and banjo laden melancholy music make for a uniquely sentimental game, which allows you to connect with what theyve done.

I mean fuck some of the coolest ideas for planets and worlds I've ever seen.

Brittle Hollow and it's crumbling deadly surface, and infinitely heavy black hole at the center

Dark Bramble, always enshrouded in fog and mystery, endlessly repeating dangerous, vine coated voids filled with the most terrifying creatures in the known universe

The Hourglass Twins, the most clearly time based astral body of all, as two planets pirouette through the sky, trading impossible amounts of sand due to a shift in gravity

And of course, the Quantum Moon, a blend of all other planets with an ethereal, eternally shifting vibe layered thickly on top.

It's brilliant, and scary, and add layers and layers to your story.

And the characters and all so clearly defined, with interests and dreams and hopes. Reibeck hates space but is obsessed with the Nomai technology and history, so he can't help but explore. Feldspar and his sporadic attitude and wealth of courage allowing him to explore anywhere, as long as it's got beasties. And of course, the one, the only, the best o Outer Wilds character, Gabbro!

This chill as mother fucker got trapped in the same time loope as you, and is simply to chill and content to give a single fucking shit, while still helping where he can with advice and knowledge. It's awesome, and he also teaches you how to speed up your death with meditation, so that's... Cool.

And of fucking course I gotta talk about the music.

It's hypnotic. It permeates your body and makes you happy and sad and lonely and any other thing you can imagine, while still fitting the game, and any individual story moment. It's brilliant.

Like, listen to this shit.

And what about this???

And how about this, which is from the dlc, which i will write about in another review when I'm not exhausted!!

I gotta say, this isn't a review in the way I'd like it to be, cause I'm tired, but fuck me play this game it's amazing and the music and visuals and every piece is just... Oh my God.

I hope you enjoyed reading this delirious mish mash of words I wanted to say about a game I really love.

No joke, 10/10

Would crash into the sun again.

Thanks!!

[landgraabbed]

one thing that imho makes bethesdas open worlds so special that i rarely see getting mentioned in essays is how lived in they are. and i don't mean it necessarily in the little stories you uncover by reading journals way, though it plays into it. it's just the sense of history that permeates places.

in skyrim, markarth is a nordic settlement that is part of contested territory of the reachmen; the markarth incident left deep marks on the city. these people use infrastructure left behind by the dwemer and as you descend into the bowels of the city you come to find the falmer inhabiting the deeper dwemer ruins, left behind after the dwemer tricked their race into slavery and forever changed their very nature. all steeped in local history, quite literally a vertical slice of it. markarth is a very clear example of this, but all over the region you see ruins and structures being repurposed and built upon throughout history.

with morrowind's smaller size bethesda was afforded the means to give each and every npc in vvardenfell a name. there are no generic bandit npcs. instead, they have a given name and a family name, and if you keep track of things, you may find that an npc hiding away in a daedric ruin might be related to another npc in an entirely separate place in the island. or you may even find the ancestral tomb of their family, housing their ancestors' remains for holy purposes. one of my favorite examples is the ienith family. two prominent members, brothers ranes and ievil ienith, work for the cammona tong and are a target of the morag tong. most interestingly, a member of this family can be met in skyrim during azura's quest, aranea ienith. it is fascinating to look through the ancestral tombs page of the uesp and see unlikely family relations.

idk, it is part of why i enjoy these games so much. i've always been a type of person to appreciate worldbuilding, and i've seen many amazing fictional worlds in games with incredible worldbuilding. but none has matched the way that history seemingly blooms up to the surface like granite in the world of elder scrolls

[goodshipskypirate]

So, I think "In the Womb of the Stars" has succeeded "Respite of Serenade" as my current favorite musical score in the entire Sea of Stars soundtrack. It's such a beautiful, serene piece that leaves you hopeful and content. It's a worthy, quiet tale remix of the opening title song.

But after listening to this song for the umpteenth time, I noticed something... distinct. A pattern, so to speak. So I listened to the opening title screen again. Then "Mooncradle". ...And then it hit me. So I gave "The Great Archives" a listen to confirm. Then I listened to the Moorlands theme, which I recently figured out was an arrangement of "The Great Archives." Then I listened to "Echoes of Wonder; Shadows of Dread" AKA the Alchemists' Gay Boyfriend song and then I listened to these songs like six million more times and ...

oh shit.

I think they're all arrangements of the same goddamn song - Resh'an's theme song.

My God, they really are going for a story overlap. They really do plan to tell a greater narrative scope with these bastard immortal wizards as the centerpiece for the next three games, and Resh'an's theme song being the connective tissue that permeates throughout the game is not only a massively subtle bit of storytelling that emphasizes how much he's gotten his hands into the overall setting of Sea of Stars, but a setup, a promise of something continuous beyond this game.

Sabotage Studio, you mad, fucking geniuses. ...I think you guys convinced me to play The Messenger in the near future.

[rustyvanburace]

I think one of the unsung morals in SMT IV Apocalypse is the danger of placing all your hopes or entire worth into another person. What might be called a parasocial relationship.

The Real Flynn is by no means self-centered or hostile since he does very much care for the people of Tokyo. All the same though, while good and necessary that he revived their hopes in IV's neutral route, his celebrity status posed a problem as people began investing all their hopes and expectations in him. That when he was kidnapped by Krishna, it immediately led to defeated anguish and fearful uncertainty. It also motivated some Hunters to take action, but there was nonetheless a permeating sense of doubt and loss of direction.

Flynn inspiring hope in the hearts of Tokyo was never meant to rally people around him as their one and only savior, but to encourage them to take charge in their own lives for a better tomorrow. Nonetheless though, the former was what ultimately happened. And I think it was that loss of a savior and the desperation to have him back that made Tokyo so especially vulnerable to Shesha Flynn's manipulation.

What especially stands out to me is during Armageddon at Camp Ichigaya when "Flynn" rallies his Hunters to recklessly charge at Merkabah and Lucifer, essentially throwing their lives away out of thoughtless, blind trust. Nanashi can try to stop them, but it just angers the Hunters and gets him accused of protecting their enemies. The Hunters are not thinking for themselves whatsoever.

IVA stresses throughout the game the importance of thinking for ourselves and making our own decisions. There are many who fall victim to blindly following the angels or demons. And there are also far too many who blindly follow Flynn as their sole savior, which the Divine Powers took advantage of.

A recurring theme in IVA is possession and I would think this to be an extension of that. IVA cautions us not to deeply invest in someone at the cost of our own needs or independence. Whether that person is a celebrity, a politician, a friend, a relative, or anyone else. Even if that person isn't actually taking advantage of us, the one sided'ness and worshipping in any relationship is all the same still unhealthy and dangerous.

[oktobearfest]

full thoughts on the borderlands movie

yeah the reviews weren't exaggerating this movie is fucking awful. probably one of the worst video game movies in recent memory. pretty much everything about it is horrible. don't know where to begin so i'll just list off my random thoughts about the movie

the visual effects are terrible. this movie visually looks like the VFX team didn't have a budget or didn't have any time to make this movie look even remotely competent. like some of the things in this movie look like a PS2 cutscene. i will say as a positive that claptrap consistently looked great and was thing i thought looked good. that positive is automatically retracted when i learned that the people that worked on claptrap specifically were not credited for their work

i know everyone is saying it but everyone in this is hilariously miscast. kevin hart as roland was ridiculous but honestly he didn't bother me that much in the actual movie. cate blanchett as lilith and jamie lee curtis as tannis were WAY worse. they're both too old for these roles especially given that in the movie tannis is supposed to be like, 30 ish years older than lilith. bitch these two characters don't look that far apart in age??? jack black as claptrap was annoying as fuck. just sounded like he was doing a bad impression of the original VA. another positive is that i thought the guy playing marcus was pretty good. he looked and sounded like the character but he's in like. 2 scenes and then you forget he exists. also i dont see a lot of people talking about this so it may just be me but moxy looked really old for the role as well. she's literally in 1 scene and thats it so it doesn't matter that much but it did stand out to me.

movie is insanely unfunny. nothing else to say. the attempts at "jokes" here were embarrassing

very confused as to who this movie was made for as it doesn't respect the source material in any way but also has a ton of references to the games that non fans would not understand.

not sure if this is true but this movie felt like it was originally rated R but it was trimmed down to be a PG-13 rating. why is a movie based off of a franchise with rated M games PG-13??????

every scene felt super rushed and you never get to know any of these characters or care about them. the writing and character development were very hollow and superficial. i know the borderlands games are not peak fiction when it comes to writing but you still come to like and care about these characters. in this movie, im like damn i dislike all of you lol

this entire movie has "was in development hell for almost 10 years" vibes all over it. it permeates throughout the entire thing. i couldn't stop thinking about how it took almost a decade for this movie to be shit out onto the big screen

w. w. why did they change tiny tina's backstory and why is it 100000000000% pointless.

WHERE ARE MORDECAI AND BRICK. WHERE ARE THEY

[writing-in-verse]

So I Finally Read Sword Catcher by Cassandra Clare

There will be some level of spoilers so do be aware all who enter here.

I was apprehensive at first when i heard Cassie was writing a book in an entirely new setting, a new adult book no less, after writing YA for as long as I can remember. I've seen authors attempt to pivot to a different age bracket before and it is a challenge if you're not fully prepared for it.

Sword Catcher is entering the space where Game of Thrones and Gentleman Bastards have long ago carved out their right to be there and became titans of their own. It was surprising then to see both authors of the above had read Sword Catcher and had given a review for the back of the book - George R.R. Martin's quote and name was displayed proudly on the front of my edition for added flair.

It was a bold statement of intent, to sit among giants and share the space meant Cassie was putting her best foot forward. I don't want to suggest Lynch or Martin 'allowed' or 'gave permission' for Cassie to be in this space but they did vouch for her, showing a creative respect which carries weight and expectation.

I'm so happy to say Cassie pulled it off.

I'll admit I was cautiously optimistic about Sword Catcher, about Kel and Connor and Lin, a slightly worry that perhaps Cassie's years as a YA author could hold back the potential of this new work. If in being really honest, Shadowhunters is very important to me and I think part of me was unsure about leaving it behind.

Cassie's ability to build a world here is striking in it's ability to never overwhelm the reader with context and exposition without losing any of the depth and complexity you'd expect from a novel concerning kings and kingdoms. You come to learn of Castellane's long and muddled history over time, never giving away more than is needed to make the world feel complete but without throwing nonsense terms around which would simply not be remembered.

The class divides that permeate the work, held up by proto-capitalist greed and the politics of nations happening atop a towering hillside is fed in lockstep with the rest of the plot, holding enough information in front of the reader without giving the whole mystery away. Woven throughout is the Ashkari people, very clearly a Jewish analogue, a nation with no homeland other than the one their communities reside in. Locked inside the Sault after nightfall and looked upon with distrust, othered because of their ability to use even limited magic. I'm certainly not selling the tact and nuance Cassie brings to the world and the people who live in it but it's beautifully presented and should be applauded.

I don't have much to say about the characters, mostly because I can see their journey has just begun and I'm excited to see them all grow and change as the narrative unfolds. What I will say is Lin can do no wrong, Kel is just a fella, and Connor is one of the best written protagonists for how deeply flawed and naive he is and yet I simply cannot wish him ill.

I summary, Sword Catcher is an almost flawless first entry into a series I could see becoming a favourite of mine and I cannot see where it goes next. What a dazzling and captivating read.

[satoshi-mochida]

PlayStation India Hero Project titles announced – Meteora: The Race Against Space Time, Fishbowl, Mukti, Requital: Gates of Blood, SURI: The Seventh Note

From Gematsu

Sony Interactive Entertainment has announced the first five titles as part of its India Hero Project, a new initiative that aims to “unearth and empower India’s brightest game development talents to share their unique visions with gamers globally.”

Get the details on each game below.

Meteora: The Race Against Space Time

Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR2, PC

Developer: Big Boot Games

Official Website: meteorathegame.com

Shoot yourself into the nebula and join a race for survival. In this arcade combat racer, you’re not just a meteor but a force of nature. Cascade your way through a volatile universe of awe and wonder as you outmaneuver, pursue, and obliterate rival meteors in a dazzling display of strategy and skill. Harness the power of the cosmos, level up your abilities, and climb the leaderboard in an experience that’s as thrilling as it is unforgiving.

Fishbowl

Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC

Developer: imissmyfriends.studio

Official Website: imissmyfriends.studio

Fishbowl is a slice-of-life story that takes players on a journey of nostalgia and melancholy, exploring themes of grief, connection, and self-discovery, set in the cultural landscape of urban India. The world is filled with crafted pixel art and an original Lofi soundtrack that forms the backdrop of our game. Fishbowl weaves together a multigenerational narrative, following the aspirations of Alo as she embarks on her first job in a new city, although working from home. Your decisions throughout the game will shape Alo’s journey, leading to moments of reliving the past and coming to terms with the present through a month of challenges and discoveries with Alo. Prepare for Fishbowl’s robust storytelling and immersive gameplay.

Mukti

Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC

Developer: underDOGS

Official Website: muktithegame.com

Mukti is a first-person story exploration game set within the immersive environment of an Indian museum, delving deep into a critical social issue: human trafficking. In Mukti, players embark on a journey of discovery as they navigate the labyrinthine corridors of the museum, uncovering the harrowing truths and hidden narratives behind the scourge of human trafficking. Through rich storytelling and immersive gameplay mechanics, Mukti invites players to confront the realities that victims and survivors face, shedding light on this pressing global issue. Drawing inspiration from authentic narratives and meticulously researched historical contexts, Mukti aims to raise awareness, provoke thought, and inspire action. Each interaction within the game is designed to provoke empathy, spark dialogue, and ignite change. Mukti offers an impactful gaming experience that enlightens and empowers.

Requital: Gates of Blood

Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC

Developer: Holy Cow Productions

Official Website: requitalthegame.com

Requital: Gates of Blood is a 2D side-scrolling action platformer inspired by Egyptian mythology set in the mystical underworld of Duat. Players assume the role of Zahrah, traversing the afterlife to defeat the mighty guardians of the Gates of Duat. Through a series of intense boss-rush-like encounters, players confront powerful gods, demons, and beasts. Embark on your journey of retribution from the celestial Nile, delving into the dark and twisted realms of the Duat. Engage in the immersive interactions with entirely hand-drawn characters and environments as you unravel the lore that permeates this enigmatic underworld. Traverse the Gates of Duat and forge a path through the afterlife.

SURI: The Seventh Note

Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC

Developer: Tathvamasi

Official Website: surithegame.com

SURI: The Seventh Note is a 2D action exploration game set in the enchanting backdrop of mythical India. A world brimming with captivating Indian mythology-inspired narratives, vibrant characters, and mythical locales, from the floating temples in the Himalayas, the lost forts of Rajasthan, ancient jungles nestled in the Western Ghats, and many more. Platforming meets a unique musical dimension as the game’s world synchronizes seamlessly with an enigmatic beat. Uncover the connection between rhythm and the mystical realm of Ragamandala as you traverse its landscapes and unravel its secrets. This journey promises to transport players to a realm where every step is accompanied by the pulsating heartbeat of the game’s universe. Get ready to embark on this extraordinary adventure.

[maytheoddshq]

Neptune Akoya (she/her). District 4 Tribute. 58. Michelle Yeoh.

There was a misunderstanding throughout all of Panem about District Four Tributes. Most people didn’t understand how they were Careers - trained killers - when the people who entered the Arena tended to be so mellow, down-to-earth, and humble. The image of a District Four Tribute did not align with those from One and Two, who sought glory, violence, and fame. The highly trained and focused Tributes from Four did not seem coherent with the District’s otherwise rebel-leaning sentiment, where they opposed much of what the Capitol did and stood for while sending Volunteer after trained Volunteer into the Games.

It came down to one word: community.

Community was everything in Four, and to Neptune Akoya. A deep distrust of government was instilled in her early, and a commitment to her District was similarly taught. After all - when the government eventually fell, District Four would have to take care of District Four. No one else would, and no one else could. This truism permeated through Neptune’s entire life. Whether that meant sharing her daily catch with a neighbor who didn’t fare as well, leaning on her family when she was injured on the boats, or training from birth to enter the Hunger Games, Neptune was solely focused on bettering the place she called home.

Yes, the Hunger Games were an integral part of District Four culture. Where Districts One and Two saw fame and glory, and many of the outer Districts saw tyrannical punishment, District Four saw them as a golden opportunity. Anytime Four brought home a Victor, that meant abundant food and resources for the District for a full six months. That was six months of time that could be spent shoring up for the next famine, or spent rebuilding walls and roads, or delving into the vibrant arts that District Four could create when taken care of. It meant that every citizen of Four was fed - not just those who could feed themselves. In short, winning the Games was the ultimate way to care for your community. And that wasn’t all; even entering the Games allowed for anyone in your District to take tessarae without fear and without shame. By Volunteering, you told the entire District, “I have your back. I support you.” 

And so, Neptune trained. She entered the Academy at a young age, fully prepared to lay down her life for the betterment of her community. After all, everyone died. If not of old age, then of the violence of the state. If not by the violence of the state, then the chaos of the ocean. If not the chaos of the ocean, then something else altogether - so what better way to let her community know they were loved than by offering herself to bring them the resources they needed? She felt comfortable killing; after all, the fish gave its life for her to feed her. The seaweed dried out in the sun made her fabrics. And every Victor that Four brought home came with it a District partner who had laid their life down for the community. All beings ceased eventually, so if it was by her hand, so be it. She could thank them for their aid, since every Tribute that died meant she was closer to enriching her entire District. What was 23 lives compared to the thousands back home?

Neptune trained for all of her youth in the Academy, perfecting weapons, staying fit, and maintaining her commitment to Four. However, it was simply never meant to be for her. Each cycle, a different pair was selected by the committee to represent the fishing District. And that was okay. That was part of all of it - serve her role as best she could until she was needed elsewhere. And at age 25, she graduated from the Academy and moved on to a different type of career. She returned to the coast to support her family - all fishermen. Her strength served her well on the boats out in the deep ocean, where the Akoyas fought big game like tuna and marlin.

Neptune found the love of her life on those boats: a fishmonger named Tetra. She was bookish and small, but gruff and hardheaded - the perfect balance to Neptune’s measured patience and grace. They met as Neptune brought fish to the market where Tetra was buying. She was the first person Neptune ever argued with, and from that moment she knew there was no one else who could rile her up that way. (At least, that’s the story Neptune told. Her family would disagree about the arguments).

For fifteen years, Neptune and Tetra built a life together. Hosting neighbors, attending to the home, keeping each other sharp and comfortable. Over the years, they did what they could to resist the Capitol, by shorting fish shipments, adjusting books to hide money away, by storing weapons on their fishing boat. But all beings came to an end. If not by old age, then by violence of the state. If not by the state, then by the chaos of the ocean. And sometimes, those lines were blurred.

Tetra had joined Neptune on a fishing voyage, as she often had over the years. A storm picked up, as it often did. And the boat capsized, as it sometimes does. What was odd, however, was the small explosion in the hull - where there was nothing that could explode. What was odd was the way neighbors seemed unable to reach them, even with their vessels designed for rescue. What was odd was Tetra, who could swim like the best of them, being too close to the blast when it happened. No one would be able to prove foul play, given the noise of the storm and the fact that the boat was now at the bottom of the ocean. But when Neptune was finally pulled onto a rescue craft, exhausted from trying to find Tetra, she knew in her heart that something was not right. Tetra’s body was never recovered.

All beings came to an end, as Neptune knew. But this event only spurred her on further, organizing and supporting the rebel cause. And then the announcement was made: the age restriction was to be lifted - and Neptune knew in her heart what she needed to do. There were young ones who felt prepared to go into the Arena, but that was not their fate. There would be other times for them. Neptune knew this was her chance to fully commit to the cause. Get in, win the Games, and bring back six months of prosperity to the District. After all, she had trained her entire life for this moment.

And all beings came to an end, anyway.

Trained, motivated, dedicated to the cause

Mellow, calculated, emotionally walled

Token: Tetra’s wedding ring

PENNED BY: M

[wormdramafever]

Turkish vg site Mavi Kol just released a review of Goodbye Volcano High!!

By Kaan Gezer.

Some translated highlights:

Conceptually, the idea of the end of the world can cause many reactions, especially among young people. No matter how you react, it's nice to see the ambiguity and variety of emotional responses within Goodbye Volcano High. My favorite reaction to this news was Trish's. Trish is currently struggling with the choice of whether to prioritize her own happiness or her best friend's happiness. Finally, she realizes that this decision is not binary. It's interesting to see her switch between being excited about her future and being baffled by the other characters' lack of consideration for the consequences of this end-of-the-world event. [...] The story of the Goodbye Volcano High game progresses through the themes of inclusivity, trauma, tunnel vision and friendship. Inclusivity permeates the entire game, with a non-binary protagonist and several trans characters; we do not see concepts taken lightly or clumsily discussed. While the primary group has no issues with how each other are represented and is fairly consistent in how they address their friends and respect their decisions, there are hints throughout the game that this is not consistent among the adults. Sage, a transgender character, complains that although his family was initially accepting, they did not take hisr transition very seriously. [...] Similar to the example I gave above, Fang's parents still use his/her pronouns as they wish and even prefer to use his/her deadname. These issues are not the central conflict, but help elevate the stories and conflicts surrounding them. No conflict is isolated, and Goodbye Volcano High does a good job of keeping things connected. On the other hand, the look of the game is truly timeless. Simply put, the character art is gorgeous. Each character's actions show you who they are, but the character art brings everything to life. [...] Perhaps unsurprisingly, the music is pretty good. I've loved video game performers for a while now, thanks to games like We Are OFK and Night in the Woods, and I think Worm Drama group's performances definitely place them alongside video game group royalty. It is a pleasure to listen to the game music alone, composed by Dabu, the composer of the developer KO_OP team, and complemented by the song performances of Lachlan Watson and Brigitte Naggar. My favorite songs are Don't Call and Pretty Heroes. Moreover, the performances and song choices in the game not only fit the story perfectly, but also enhance and elevate the rhythm of the story.

9/10 !!!

[asimperingswannsong]

Larissa’s Reluctant Romance

Part 2 of my shitposting a wildly inappropriate pairing just to amuse myself

Characters: Larissa/Wednesday

Summary: Wednesday’s efforts continue. Larissa’s reluctance intensifies. I was chastised by Tumbr for my failure to paragraph correctly but I still couldn’t be bothered.

———————————————————————

Over the next few days Larissa was confused as to how to proceed with Wednesday. Their regular interactions continued unchanged with Wednesday providing polite but blunt responses to her general inquiries; nothing new there. She was behaving as though she hadn’t appeared in Larissa’s bedroom in the middle of the night to confess her love for her. It made Larissa feel uncertain. She tried to return the necklace to Wednesday a few times by placing it in her room while she was in class, but it continued to return to her bedroom when she wasn’t looking. She changed the locks, added a deadbolt, and still it returned to her. Aside from this game of back and forth, there were no obvious changes in their relationship.

Eventually, Larissa decided to hang on to the necklace for safe keeping. She could always return it to Wednesday at a later time when she realized the error in her ways. She had begun to put the matter entirely out of mind when Valentine’s Day arrived. Larissa didn’t hate Valentine’s but seeing as how she’d been single since the dawn of time, she did make a concerted effort to stay buried in paperwork within her office to avoid most of the lavish displays of affection between hormonal teenagers, and to some degree, members of her staff. With that in mind, she returned from breakfast and entered her office. She was stopped immediately by the sight of seven dozen roses dotted around the room in beautiful vases. There was an expensive looking box of chocolates on her desk. There were no notes and no cards anywhere, but she had a good idea who might be responsible. Her suspicions were confirmed when she stepped into her quarters to discover a massive centerpiece of star gazer lilies and even more roses dominating the middle of her dining table. She started to be annoyed, but then the beautifully sweet aroma of the arrangement hit her and she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and allowed a small smile to settle on her lips. No one had ever done anything like this for her before, and for a brief moment, it felt really really nice. Then she opened her eyes and realized how difficult it would be to explain away so many flower arrangements to inquisitive students and staff who might stop by any moment. She returned to her office, gathered up five of the seven arrangements, and lined them up along the dresser in her bedroom. She placed the remaining two on either side of her desk and decided if anyone asked she’d claim she did it herself. A girl can buy herself flowers surely. She placed the chocolates in her desk drawer, and set about her usual day of paperwork. She wrestled periodically throughout the day with how she should address this with Wednesday. She also periodically throughout the day found herself breathing deeply and enjoying the novelty of having the scent of fresh flowers nearby. It put her in an oddly pleasant mood. When she finally finished her emails that evening, Larissa stood up, removed her heels with two small kicks, took the chocolates out of her desk, made her way into her quarters barefoot. The scent of the lilies and roses followed along behind her as she entered the kitchen where she surprised herself by opting for cognac instead of her normal glass of red. When she entered her bedroom with chocolates and drink in hand the scent of five rose bouquets in such a small enclosed space was intense. It permeated her senses. She stretched out on her bed and languidly enjoyed her drink and the chocolates. After awhile she decided on a whim that she’d like a soak in the tub. She refilled her glass, grabbed a few candles, filled the tub, dropped in a bath bomb, and stepped in. Once she was enclosed in the warmth of the water she reached behind her and cracked open the window just a touch. A chill breeze slipped in and with it the sound of Wednesday’s cello. Larissa smiled, closed her eyes, and rested her head on a towel she’d rolled up behind her. The next day she was determined to talk to Wednesday. This was not the sort of relationship a student and educator should have. She’d indulged herself yesterday, but this really did need to stop. The trouble was, she had to find Wednesday before she could talk to her. She spent the next few days unsuccessfully trying to pin her down. Eventually when she finally did have a talk with Wednesday, the gifts had been supplanted in her mind with Wednesday’s latest act of mayhem. She’d evidently found and attempted to tame a scorpion that had escaped from her bag and nearly frightened the English teacher, an elderly werewolf with a horror of all things creepy and crawly, to death. It had also caused several students to either escape or take up position on desk tops. Wednesday watched with

pleasure the sway, snap, bounce, and turn of Larissa’s hips as she paced back and forth while reprimanding her for nearly causing her teacher a cardiac arrest. Eventually, Larissa finished and Wednesday apologized for her oversight. She begged her leave and exited before Larissa remembered her original intention. They once again resumed their normal roles with one another. Days passed; weeks. A three day weekend for Memorial Day approached and Larissa was looking forward to a small road trip to a neighboring town with one her favorite dress shops and a really good Thai place. She stepped into her apartment Friday afternoon and discovered two small parcels on the table above her overnight bag. She opened the first and found a beautiful Hermes scarf that just happened to coordinate perfectly with the outfit she’d planned. The second package contained a bottle of jasmine and sun rose eau de parfum. She glanced up and saw Wednesday making her way across campus toward the lake. She grabbed the gifts and made her way outside. She located Wednesday on a bench reading a book of poetry next to the water. Wednesday looked up on Larissa’s approach and scooted to the side to make room for her. Larissa took a seat next to her. “Good evening Principal Weems.” “Good evening Ms. Addams.” “I found these items in my quarters, would you happen to know anything about them?” “I may.” Larissa sighed before continuing. “Setting aside your repeated comings and goings within my apartment for a moment, I’d like to address the inappropriateness of these gifts.” “What do you mean?” “Wednesday, these two items alone are worth several hundred dollars. That is not the sort of thing you should be doing for your principal.” “Did you admonish Alister Sloan in this manner?” “What do you mean?” “Alister Sloan.” “I remember him.” “I saw the $1,500 Mont Blanc pen he gave you while he was busy waving it around in front of his friends first.” Larissa rolled her eyes at the memory. “That was different.” “How so?” “He wasn’t buying me gifts as a romantic gesture. He just had the mistaken belief that his family’s money would allow him an exemption from the rules, a belief he got from his father who behaved in exactly the same way.” “Did you admonish him.” “No, but I did attempt to return it to him as he was leaving. He didn’t take it because he was too focused on creating as large and dramatic a scene as possible during his exit. I threw his pen in the bin.” Wednesday smirked briefly at that. “Did you just smile?” “No.” “I think you did.” Larissa nudged her gently with her elbow. Wednesday turned her head suddenly interested in studying the far side of the lake. They sat in silence for a few moments. “I can’t accept them Wednesday.” “I thought you might enjoy them on your weekend away. I did not intend to cause you discomfort. I will take them back.” Wednesday picked up the gifts, stood, and walked away. Larissa felt a pang in her chest. She felt she’d hurt Wednesday’s feelings. She’d obviously put thought into the items, but Larissa was anxious to maintain the professionalism of student and educator with her. Wednesday had always been a struggle for her. She’d had strong feelings for her from the beginning because of Morticia and Gomez and she couldn’t always define exactly what those feelings were. Later, as Larissa opened her bag to unpack, she found a volume of poetry entitled Blue Iris by Mary Oliver. Inside was a neatly written inscription: ‘I bought this used for $7.00 and I felt that any gifts with a monetary value under $15.00 qualified for exemption under the rules. Enjoy your trip. W—‘ Larissa smiled at the thought of Wednesday finding yet another loop hole to wiggle through. She sat the book aside and continued unpacking.

[fineartsjournal]

213341 Art Studio IIIA ⋆ Week 1 - Project Outline

Semester one was my space to toy around with facets of the artform, presenting methodology first, contextualization taking a backseat to the abstract. This semester will see me place deeper intent within this process but retaining the creative actions of sample ‘plundering’ as my avenue for messaging.

In the first semester of 2023, a perverse interest into the oversaturated visual culture of YouTube ‘thumbnails’ leant itself to a series of satirical response pieces, which soon transitioned into a general commentary on modernised visual culture by the second semester. The culmination of this was in the BRAZEN FUCK OBJECT (and children), a lumpy, three-legged sculptural beast of cardboard, spotted mass; a texturally overwhelming amalgamation of all things accelerated and visual – warped beyond recognition into an alien presence.

My work this year, while taking a step back from the distinctly visual – spiritually picks up where the concept was left off, now borrowing from, and rearranging the ever-growing expanses of man-made sound into something of a shattered, mosaic replica. Much the same in the world of music as with visual culture, the accelerating catalogue of past creation poses new challenges for the future. Specific movements are harder to pin down, motives see a greater focus on profitability than practicality, speed and quantity are key to material success. The capitalistic, slow death of the artisan permeates both years of study as such, and much as stripping away and re-meshing visible pieces of online culture bore a dystopian parody of what seems to come, to undergo a similar conceptual action in the collage of music is to bear fruit of similar flavor.

Last semester saw me tucked away at home, accessibly experimenting within the limited capabilities of a YouTube player and Audacity, a free sound-editing software. A CD player paired with bargain-bin CDs put the actions of transforming source material to the forefront. However, the overarching intention was to utilize what I aimed to be the workhorse of this year’s projects – a vintage Boss SP-202 sampler, purchased from eBay back in February. While a small, ‘lo-fi’ piece of machinery, it brings with it a method of creating deeply rooted into the mana and artistic history of plunderphonics. As much a plaything as an instrument, my (later than expected) use of the machine was a step outside my comfort zone, but the break has given me some time to familiarize myself; to which I’ll be making much greater use of it throughout this semester.

With the actions of sampling established, from here I can use sampling as a tool for remembrance, reconstruction, and illustration. Being from 1998, the SP-202 has 2MB of internal memory. But what I can evoke from using it fits on so much more.

With the imperative to find a group for an eventual joint exhibition later-on, fellow artists Olivia, Ruby and Steevee were on radar, with our works each following a method-focused, anectodally-driven interpretation of past media.

Anya was initially in our group too, but split off not long after.

We jointly created a group chat, as well as a Google Slides document for compiling notes. This was my moodboard going in:

From left to right, these interests are: My SP-202 sampler, a materially stripped-back approach to making (exemplified by Alan Vega from the band Suicide), Age of Empires - a game I have fond childhood memories for, the concept of nostalgia (or generally making fun of it), the album Replica by Oneohtrix Point Never, and Super Mario 64. More on that.

Over the past two months, I’ve had rough plans (and a little bit of working) towards a sample-based album entirely composed of audio taken from Super Mario 64.

When it comes to online sentiments, nostalgia is a driving factor to defining the now; and the associations of a ‘then’ manifest in cultural snippets (samples?), or as is often the case, specific published forms of media seeing a resurgence through childhood re-ignition.

This can be a means towards many things - a sentimental return to an old enjoyment, a reconnection with a newfound audience to share it with, and new media produced in admiration of such. 

It makes money, too. Pokemon and McDonald’s as brands are fully immersed in the value that nostalgia plays in securing a loyal audience, with the latter being a chilling example of how brand recognition can be ensnared in those valuable childhood experiences, to where you’ve guaranteed lifelong loyalty from the customer.

Video games are just one of many, many avenues for nostalgia to run free among a user base, in this case, perhaps a little more prone to bigotry. Indeed a familiar anecdote found in fan base communities of the ‘old being better than the new’ can turn concerning when faced with any degree of social progress within and around the game since.

Super Mario 64, like numerous other ‘childhood greats’ in the video game sphere, saw a return to popularity in the late 2010s, its every element picked apart by a now-adult audience, keen to re-immerse into naive wonder. 

I’m no different, my work leans into the growing concept of ‘liminality’ (concurrent with a return to remembered spaces of any kind). The game was released seven years before I was even born, and it’d be another nine until I would play it. Well, the 2004 remake, that was, but I begged my parents for the Nintendo 64 console so I could play the original. It never happened, but for a while I made sure I learned as much as I possibly could about it. To this day I’ve never played the original, and any nostalgia I have is as an outsider, absorbing an experience second-hand from YouTube gameplays. 

Perhaps this distance contributes to a somewhat aloof sound I’ve adopted in the audio portions I’ve pieced together so far, and of a general message to ‘go outside’. Now that I find myself in a group exploring similar concepts, I’m presented with the opportunity to resume work on the project, now with the grounding of research, plenty of written references, and bouncing off the exhibiting ideas of the others in the group.

The SP202 - a self-proclaimed sampling ‘workhorse’ for last semester’s work (which in fact only saw limited use from May onwards) will be returning, now with extra practice and me NOT nearly burning the house down with an incorrect adaptor. The Plunderphonical Chronicle will also return, picking up right where I left off, with the late 90s-present still yet to be covered. Stay tuned!

⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ ⋆

I surprisingly had less time over the 'holidays' to work on my music than I do in Semester 2, but what I was able to make, mainly came from sessions with Audacity, as well as the SP-202.

The goal was clear, to compose ENTIRELY from music samples, with not a finger to a keyboard note. Note the lack of a detailed categorization with these, I have no idea in which order I made them...

My pride and joy from these sessions would have to be "GETUP", a 1-minute house loop that uses 7 samples and took 2 hours to make!!

Samples used:

Jammin Gerald - Pump that shit

LVL1 - GOBL1N

Stock fire alarm sound

Jimmy D - Rescue Me (Imagination)

First Patrol - Get Up (Have Some Fun Tonight) (Acapella)

Shante - Big Mama (Acapella)

Fatboy Slim - Gangsta Trippin

There's a couple more, but Tumblr has an Audio upload limit.

[jcmarchi]

NBA 2K24 Removes Collector Level Reward Kobe Bryant At Last Second Sparking Fan Outcry

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/nba-2k24-removes-collector-level-reward-kobe-bryant-at-last-second-sparking-fan-outcry/

NBA 2K24 Removes Collector Level Reward Kobe Bryant At Last Second Sparking Fan Outcry

The late legend Kobe Bryant has served as the cover star for NBA 2K24 and, for many, a strong incentive to reach the top Collector Level in the game’s MyTeam mode. As the NBA playoffs’ first round wraps up, many fans are more disappointed than excited with the most recent NBA 2K title, as developer Visual Concepts has pulled back on a promise made prior to launch. 

In the lead-up to the game’s release date, the NBA 2K24 developer Visual Concepts released a blog post running down the features of its card-collection mode, MyTeam. In that blog post, the developer laid out several features and rewards for the then-upcoming title. It took special care to devote a section to an upcoming Collector Level reward, Kobe Bryant. 

In that post, the developer highlights just how crucial Collector Level rewards are to the overall MyTeam experience. “Collector level rewards have always been important in MyTEAM, and last year the rewards came as surprises with a hidden end goal,” the blog post from prior to launch stated. “So let’s look forward a few months and reveal that Kobe Bryant will be the top reward in the Collector Level, and this reward will be available in April, during Season 6.”

First reported by The Washington Post‘s Herb Scribner, with further reporting done by Forbes’ Paul Tassi, NBA 2K24 has changed its top Collector Level reward to not include Kobe Bryant. Instead, players can now choose from two previously released 100-overall cards. However, according to multiple community members, the most recent 100-overall card, Yao Ming, is not an option for players to choose from.

Centering a Collector Level reward around such an iconic and beloved player likely encouraged many to grind (or spend) to achieve the top Collector Level and obtain the reward. Many players have taken to social media and the NBA 2K Community Discord server to voice their displeasure. As of this writing, neither the official NBA 2K nor NBA 2K MyTeam account has posted anything regarding the situation, and the “developer-supported and community-run” NBA 2K Subreddit contains zero posts about the missing reward. However, the MyTeam Subreddit has multiple player-posted threads regarding the problem.

The only community-facing comment from the NBA 2K team that I have found was posted on the official NBA 2K Community Discord. That comment matches the comment provided to me by a 2K spokesperson when I requested comment from the publisher. You can read the entire statement provided by a 2K spokesperson below.

2K strives to deliver the very best NBA 2K24 MyTEAM experience to the community. Please note that a change to a reward has occurred. Players who achieve a top Collector Level will now receive an Option Pack for two picks out of ten previously released 100 OVR Cards. We appreciate that players have dedicated time and effort throughout the year to achieve this reward and 2K is committed to ensuring players continue to earn valuable content as their reward.

I followed up requesting additional information on why the change was made, but the spokesperson declined to comment further. Some online speculation has posited that licensing issues are to blame, but there is no confirmation or evidence to support that theory outside of 2K’s unwillingness to comment further at this time.

NBA 2K24 arrived on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC on September 8, 2023. While the gameplay is one of the stronger elements of the title, among our reviewer’s chief complaints involved the increasingly intrusive microtransactions that permeate multiple long-term modes within the game. This controversy surrounding one of the most monetized modes does little to refute that criticism. You can read our full review here.