#the stanley parable ultimate release

[neverendingparable]

The Stanley Parable: Ultimate Release coming soon...

[ducktastic]

Derrick's 2022 Gameological Awards

Every year on the Gameological Discord, rather than a simple top ten list, we ask what games did what things especially well. Here are my picks in this year's pool...

Game of the Year

Game of the Year means different things to different people. Simply being “the best” is subjective. For me, it’s a matter of which game stuck with me the longest, a game that I couldn’t stop thinking about, a game that captured my imagination and would not let go until I was through. In 2022, no game did that quite like Tunic. A gorgeous isometric action-rpg heavily inspired by classic The Legend of Zelda games, Tunic fashions itself as a long-lost retro game. One where the instruction manual has had its pages separated and lost within the world itself, leading players to explore the world with little guidance and literally piece things together as they go. Mysteries on top of mysteries, stretching through the corners of my mind, obsessing for days on end. Tunic is a whole damn journey and no game in 2022 swept me away into its mythology, world-building, and sheer scope quite the way Tunic did.

Single-player GOTY 

As we continue to blur the lines between the various forms of media, the main detail that separates games from comparable experiences in film and books is that games are about the agency of the player, that the person consuming the media is actively a part of it. It’s easy to escape into lives unlike your own by watching them on the silver screen or reading about them on the page, but games make you FEEL the way a different person might feel. Put aside the dreamy aesthetic, raunchy dialogue, and supernatural conspiracy story… the real star of Neon White was that it made the player feel like a goddamn golden God, launching themselves into the heavens and crashing down on the heads of their foes with righteous justice and unwavering focus. The absolute speed and force of Neon White’s gameplay made every player experience the rush of being a pro gamer, squeezing every last drop of blood out of a game’s throat as you dominated it. Yes, it’s gorgeous and sounds great and all that good stuff, but the adrenaline provided by Neon White was unlike anything else this year.

Multiplayer GOTY  

The Splatoon games have lovely and imaginative single-player campaigns, but let’s be real, the franchise is all about frantic multiplayer paint action. Splatoon 3 is the least innovative game in the series so far, but that doesn’t make it any less joyous an experience to hop online with some friends or make some new ones while painting the town [insert your randomly assigned team color here]. New personalization features like SplatTags and lockers, along with games-as-service inspired seasonal catalogs and an always-on upgrade to Splatoon 2’s Salmon Run, Splatoon 3 is constantly hitting players with reasons to keep coming back for more.

Favorite Replay

The Stanley Parable remains an iconic experience from the previous decade’s golden era of indie games. It introduced countless impressionable gamers worldwide to the concept of metatextual narratives within gameplay and the relationship between the player’s choice and the creator’s voice. It was all set to remain a once-in-a-lifetime exploration of interactive media, right up until this year’s release of The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe, a game that was, on the surface, a modern remaster of a decade-old PC game for modern hardware and consoles, but was secretly a stealth sequel with even more to say about the current gaming landscape. While the original Stanley Parable was happy to direct a mirror at gamers to make them question the choices they make when they consume media of any kind, the additional new areas of Ultra Deluxe raise new questions and concerns about the game industry and the ways that video games are designed, consumed, critiqued, discussed, and ultimately tossed aside. The revelatory experience revealed more than ever before, and remained effortlessly hilarious all along the way.

Didn't Click Award 

Going into 2022, there was no game I was more hyped for than OlliOlli World. The first two entries into the side-scrolling skateboard trick-em-up were damn near perfect. Perfectly at home on the Playstation Vita, they were tight, thrilling, and oh-so-stylish. A long-awaited sequel was just so exciting, and the new Adventure Time-inspired aesthetic had a ton of potential, along with the ability to finally design your own skater and express yourself through fashion and gear. The only problem was… the gameplay never quite CLICKED. What was so magical about the previous games was how responsive the controls were. Just like Super Meat Boy assured people that, if they died, it was their own mistake and not the game’s controls, OlliOlli 1 and 2 both had immaculate precision with the skateboard controls. OlliOlli World did not. Controls are floaty and imprecise, sometimes it felt like the game just decided you didn’t jump in time or didn’t grab correctly. Without that precision, OlliOlli World just never felt right, and no matter how many times I tried, I just never connected with it the way I had with its predecessors.

Most Forgettable Award 

Netflix made its first proper foray into game publishing this year, along with its first showing at the not-E3 “Summer Games Fest,” where they announced plenty of successful licensed games coming to mobile devices via Netflix, several Netflix streaming projects based on popular video games, and most notably surprise-dropped a new Netflix-exclusive game from the creator of Downwell. “Poinpy” instantly trended on social media as gamers laughed about the humorously named vertical platformer, and as one would expect from the creator of Downwell, the game showed a surprising amount of depth and strategy. That said, I only played the game maybe three or four times that first week and then it lay idle on my home screen for months before I finally just deleted it. Poinpy was certainly a thing… but only for a hot minute.

(In)famous Award

Social media could not get enough videos of the viral sensation Trombone Champ, a rhythm game played by sliding up and down the screen like pushing and pulling the slide of a trombone. People loved adding silly songs or viral audio clips and making Trombone Champ levels out of them. I have no idea if the game is fun because frankly I have no interest in playing it. The videos were funny for a while, but really, they just felt like yet another meme, just one that happened to be centered around this silly game.

Unexpected Joy  

With an uninspired name like Vampire Survivors, a nondescript retro pixel art style, and the increasingly tired “rogue-like” label, I had absolutely no interest in what seemed like yet another flash-in-the-pan indie sensation. And then they went and dropped a free mobile port during The Game Awards and I was like “eh, what harm could it do?” And then I drained my phone’s battery twice a day for a week, completely addicted to its game loop. As much as the game lazily lifts from rogue-likes and bullet-hell shmups, it brilliantly and expertly lifts from idle games and clickers. The end result is a remarkably passive game that steadily makes you feel more and more like an unstoppable machine of divine power. It’s incredible and has no right being this good.

Best Music  

Melatonin only just came out a few days ago, so I haven’t had enough time with it to really consider it for titles like GOTY, but I can already say that this Rhythm Heaven-inspired minigame collection absolutely nails its inspiration when it comes to hooky melodies with toe-tapping beats. More than anything else, a rhythm game has got to have compelling music to keep you playing, and there is no doubt that Melatonin has that in spades.

Favorite Game Encounter

There were several fascinating encounters in my GOTY pick, Tunic, from enormous mechanized sentinels to flittering joyous fairies, but nothing this year came close to The Mountain Door. If you’ve played Tunic, you know. Opening The Mountain Door is a puzzle that literally spans the entire breadth of the gaming experience in ways that I still get excited about just remembering months after the fact. It requires using all of the knowledge you’ve collected along the way to explore, examine, and rethink dozens of smaller puzzles that culminate in one euphoric victory. And it’s still not even the end of the game!

Best DLC of the Year

Little Inferno was the unlikeliest smash hit of the Wii U launch library, and proved to be an absolute delight when it came to PC and mobile devices. Equal parts idle game, passive toy, and black comedy narrative adventure, the game remains a truly special oddball indie romp. Ten years after its initial release, in Fall 2022, players were surprised with its first DLC—Little Inferno Ho Ho Holiday—taking the game’s already explicit anti-consumerism bent and applying it specifically to that most commercial time of the year: festive winter holidays. What an unexpected joy!

"Waiting for Game-dot"

Disco Elysium. I know. I KNOW. It’s been sitting in my library for years now. I’ll get there someday.

Game that Made Me Think

I continue to find Sam Barlow fascinating as a game creator. He and David Cage are the two directors most experimenting with the rapidly blurring line between cinema and game, and his latest title, Immortality, blurs that line even further by actually just being about movies. The game is, essentially, three feature-length films, broken up into reels and rehearsals and behind the scenes footage for players to scrub through and explore, and even more than his previous efforts Her Story and Telling Lies, Immortality really bonks players over the head with "THAT WAS IMPORTANT" by disrupting the footage in jarring ways that I don’t want to discuss in case people want to enjoy the game unspoiled. It’s not my favorite of his titles, and I had a harder time investing in the characters than his other works, but from an interactive standpoint, Immortality pushes boundaries in fascinating ways that I couldn’t stop thinking about, even when I no longer really cared about the game’s mysteries.

Girlfriend Reviews Award

The last major feature update Harmonix’s Fuser got in 2021 added a “Diamond Stage” where users could buy spots on the bill and mix tracks live to a global streaming audience. As the game steadily died through 2022—first with an end to new DLC tracks, then the decline of weekly challenges, and finally online services being shuttered just this week—but even when the game didn’t compel me to come back and play more, the Diamond Stage kept me hooked on the official Fuser Twitch stream, enjoying endless mixes by players spinning live at all times. The stage is finally closed now, leaving legacy players to their own devices to play locally and share mixes as one-offs rather than real-time collaborations, but for half of the game’s short life-span, we had a lovely dance party available to us 24/7 we could all share together.

WILDCARD

Kirby and the Forgotten Land is just too good a game to not mention at all. It’s the best Kirby game since Super Star, which is very possibly one of the greatest video games of all time. It’s also, somehow, the first mainline Kirby platform adventure on a three-dimensional axis, something that other Nintendo icons Mario and Zelda did back on the N64 and Metroid did on the GameCube, all while Kirby kept happily within the confines of flat two-dimensional platforming (aside from some spin-offs like Air Ride, Blowout Blast, and Dream Course). Not content to simply mimic foes by stealing their powers, this time Kirby would take on the characteristics of inanimate objects in the world, becoming a car, a vending machine, a staircase, and more. The game ends with a spectacular over-the-top battle that feels like it belongs in Bayonetta, not the unassuming pink puffball that is Kirby, but it all works! Hell, this game gives Kirby a gun, AND IT WORKS!!! On paper, nothing about this game makes sense, but in practice, it freakin’ rules. If this is what 3D Kirby games are going to be like, I can’t wait to see what’s next.

[woodaba]

Reddit's Revenge: The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe

It's easy to look back at The Stanley Parable and laugh at it. It is, after all, a kind of self-important bluster of a game, that kicked down the door and made smarmy observations about video games that were getting pretty tired even in 2013. As a mod, it did what it did and did it extremely well, but the more re-releases that pass and the more money it charges, the less sense The Stanley Parable makes. I loved it when I first played the mod, loved it a little less when I played the steam release, and ultimately have found it less and less compelling as time goes on, as the times in which the jokes landed got more and more distant and the commentary got more and more trite.

One might reasonably ask why such an aging process has harmed Stanley when it hasn't harmed other games on quite the same level, and my argument for that would be that Stanley, to use a memetic phrase devoid of meaning, insists upon itself. There's little room for interpretation or multifaceted interpretation of it: Stanley Parable is a two-dimensional game, and what I mean by that is that it works on two dimensions: the jokes, and the commentary. There aren't really any other characters or themes or aesthetic twists and flourishes to appreciate: it's a game that is very blunt about what it's saying, and doesn't really have anything to it other than that. Which is fine! Really! But it kinda relies on the things it's saying being really good, and maybe they were, once on the facepunch forums or on ModDb. But now? Not so much.

Which is why the prospect of Ultra Deluxe intrigued me. It represented an opportunity to provide a new experience, to build on what came before, and make a case for Stanley Parable still being relevant, over a decade after the original mod came out. Perhaps I built some unrealistic expectations for it going in, as I did honestly think that a Rebuild of Stanley Parable was the right step to take for this, and I remember feeling similarly deflated by the steam release of Stanley hewing so close to the original mod, but regardless, The Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe arrives with the enthusiastic impact of a wet fart in an empty room, not so much making a case for the relevance of the work in 2022 as making a supreme demonstration for it's growing irrelevance.

What we have here is an acceptable repackaging of the original game (with some pluses being options to sidestep some of the edgier stuff in the original release, namely the unbearably cringeworthy suicide sequence, and some minuses being the stripping out of jokes in the subtitles and the loss of the language of jokes that Source familiarity provided) alongside some, on the whole, pretty dire new content. Teeth-grindingly ancient observations on collectibles and DLC that would make CTRL+ALT+DEL groan paired with the Bucket. The fucking bucket. All the bucket stuff is absolutely unbearable humor that felt like being trapped in 2012-era reddit with people going on about narwhals and bacon. The superfluity of The Bucket Arc is clearly an argument about the futility of adding extra content in a re-release, but you still went and did it, and it was shit. It's satirical bent never rises above putting a dunce hat on itself and going "look at how dumb we're being". Ultra Deluxe has the same problem as Stanley Parable proper: it cannot help but slam you in the face with it's Point and it's Jokes, and when those land it works, but in Ultra Deluxe they almost never do, so you're just left trudging through a tediously unfunny experience reliving 2015 neoGAF in the most agonizing manner imaginable.

Ultra Deluxe is not without merit: there are truly talented artists and level designers at Crows Crows Crows, and they've crafted some really amazing spaces here. It's something they're really great at: their online multiplayer game/space TheClub.zone (which was shut down to give them time to develop this lol) is proof positive of that. But underneath the enormous weight of The Writing, they're never allowed to live, to breathe beyond beyond being simply The Writing's vehicle, and unfortunately, The Writing here is crap. It's as simple as that.

I wanted Ultra Deluxe to let me love Stanley Parable again. To prove once and for all that it has stood the test of time, that it does have a worthwhile place in video games and video game culture. But after seeing everything Ultra Deluxe has to offer, all I can do is sigh wearily, and type my review, which is as follows.

(ahem)

"Reddit Game."

[raven-wraith]

A Completely Subjective (Objective) List of Titles to Examine (Purchase), Play Through (Waste Your Life), and Enjoy (Enjoy) During Quarantine (part 2)

We know what’s happening. It’s April 1st, but the joke has been going on for far too long. Trapped in our homes with Covid-19 actively shooting people in the streets outside, we have to find a way to pass the time. As an avid gamer and professional uncooked cookie dough eater, I have compiled a list of games, both multiplayer and singleplayer that anyone and everyone should play for an enthralling experience. These games range from the newest releases to golden classics, so be warned if, I don’t know, Halo Reach appears. By the way, Halo Reach is appearing.

Multiplayer Games: 

I would like to point out that the following games are more directed to be in the vein of multiplayer, however, the single player experience should not be disregarded at all with these titles. I just find that the replayability comes from the multiplayer modes in these titles, but go ahead and check out the single player. After all, these games have strong versions of those modes either way.

A Way Out

Okay so I already lied. A Way Out is exclusively multiplayer. But before we hop into the gameplay itself, I do want to emphasize that only one (that’s right, one) copy of the game must be owned for 2 people to play, even online. A cooperative 2-player interactive drama game, the game paints a story that involves a prison break, found family, betrayal, and interesting and original levels, each with unique controls involved in every set. 

The game plays in split screen, even when playing online, allowing for one player to be in a cutscene talking to a guard while their partner is to be off somewhere else, in full control. A Way Out also has very interesting mechanics, where branching discussions can be given depending on either player’s interests or playstyles.

A Way Out is a once in a lifetime experience and it won’t be the same after replaying it, but the time spent with a partner is special and unique for first time players. I had an amazing time, I’m sure you will as well.

Monster Hunter: World

What is better than hunting parking garage sized Pokemon on crack? Hunting parking garage sized Pokemon on crack with three other friends. Monster Hunter: World threw things like story and development out the window to focus on gameplay, and for that, I appreciate their direction with this game. 

In this game, the idea of the hunt is everything. Figure out your prey, find and craft potions and weapons that are best against it, track that fool, beat that thing’s head in 500 times. Rinse. Repeat. While it sounds simple, MHW’s massive size would prove you wrong. This game is so gigantic, you and your friends have to camp out in the game, you may have to in real life, just so you don’t lose too much sleep.

The game runs closer to an RPG as well, with weapons and armor that can only be wielded by players seeking a specific role for their hunting party. It’s like every good part of hunting things in The Witcher, only you do it with teammates that never brought enough health potions. For people with a lot of time on their hands, this game is a must have.

Did I mention that you kick the shit out of monsters?

Borderlands 2

The most self aware game I’ve played since the Stanley Parable, Borderlands 2 is a phenomenal game that only gets better the more friends you throw in it. A first person shooter built around a campaign of limitless side quests, an expansive class and character system, and of course, guns. Borderlands 2 brings humor to an already mixed genre of looter shooter that there is so much to unpack, I feel it’s unfair to do so here.

Borderlands 2 is the ultimate hunt for treasure and glory. You journey through the planet of Pandora, a mixture of Mad Max and a 2012 mlg compilation video. The game has a strikingly intriguing story with multi-dimensional characters and a fascinating intro to anyone who is opposed to shooters, RPGs, or both. The game offers hundreds of hours of content with the numerous DLC’s, all offering new areas, quests, and characters. The unserious Destiny, COD Diablo, whatever you want to call it, it’s all there in Borderlands 2.

The game, however, goes above and beyond what it already has when you incorporate two or three friends. After picking classes/characters and starting a new journey or just dropping in and out of co-op, the game is always fresh and welcoming with endless things to kill and loot. All in all-

Look. Just play it. Seriously. It's good. It’s like Spider-Man

Halo Reach

Ha, what’d I tell you? Boom, Halo Reach! Let’s get into it.

You don’t even have to play any of the other Halos to even start to understand what is happening. The game has so much to do, not in comparison to world size or gameplay, but in just sheer amount of modes to participate in. There's a campaign (with 4-player support), firefight, forge, custom games, and all the different playlists in multiplayer like infection, SWAT, Invasion, Big Team Battle, and more. 

While I did say that these games were centered on the multiplayer experience, I do have to highlight the campaign of Halo Reach. It is filled with beautifully destroyed battlefields, detailed corridors of enemies, and a cast of dynamic characters, all with impressively delivered voice lines and performances. I can give just the campaign alone a 9/10, honestly.

Back to the real shit, there is an incredible amount of things to unlock in Halo Reach’s armory, a list of cosmetic items that you can slap onto your super soldier to make your flex just that much harder when you kill and t-bag a person online. And also, everything that can be done between the multiplayer and single player ALL accumulate experience to your level, meaning no matter what you play in this monster, you can still access the armory and look fly as hell. Even for those who haven’t even heard of Halo, I guarantee that this entry into the series is the strongest. 

Titanfall 2

It is fucking criminal how underrated this game is. This is the only game, the ONLY game I know where Hollywood level shit happens on my screen every match. Every. Single. Match. Things that aren’t in cutscenes or in the background, we’re talking player to player encounters in the game. This is the only game where you can run along a wall at mach speeds, drop kick a guy, hop onto the back of his thirty foot tall mech suit, throw a grenade into it’s engine, blow it up, double jump onto a different building, hack a robot, kill a guy while invisible, teleport to a different fucking dimension, and board an evacuation ship all at once. 

Titanfall 2 offers a shooter experience that anyone who has ever played online has to hop in and see. While the skill gap is high (like Snoop Dogg high), it is beyond exhilarating in every match. The game allows for customization for your skills, suits, guns, and of course, your big ass Titan.

The game’s online modes feature a pick and choose system in loadouts where players of Call of Duty games will feel at home. However, players of Mirror’s Edge will feel at home with the fast paced mobility of Titanfall, where the player actually shines. The game sports wall running, double jumping, slides, movement assisting skills like grapple hooks, and momentum physics to all feed into an impressive movement experience to an otherwise simple online shooter.

Multiplayer revolves around less diverse playlists than Halo Reach, but between a surprisingly short and sweet campaign and an online experience that I think is unmatched, Titanfall sports such clean animations, well done lighting and curated maps, that I think that it holds an unparalleled online experience (3).

And that’s the list, really. I didn’t include games I thought were 10/10’s, perfect, or otherwise critically acclaimed just because everyone else had played them. I went off to analyze these titles and try to comprise them into just a few short paragraphs using the experience in writing and gaming I knew. Stay safe during quarantine. And please…

Check out Titanfall. Those dudes need more players. Seriously.

(3)  Also, see the campaign. Seriously. It’s a little too good for a shooter.

[cwtwheely]

CTR HD Hype

I didn't think I'd get excited about a game release for a while after Spyro. But then The Game Awards came along and announced Crash Team Racing Nitro Fuelled. And... well, I'm in love already.

I'm still holding Activision Blizzard on a tight leash, especially since they've released a digital deluxe edition that looks redundant and overpriced. But I'm confident that the developers are gonna do an amazing job with it.

I have pre-ordered the standard edition though as... well, it's CTR. I'm also getting the Switch port as... well, portable CTR. All of my yes. I'm also excited for Marvel Ultimate Alliance and the console port of The Stanley Parable.

[missazura]

It's around 16 minutes till 2023 arrives.

Now I think reading back on these stuff it would fun to do a little recap on all the things that happened in 2022. It was EXTREMELY eventful, I don't know how I managed to go through so much grief and heartbreak and having dreams come true at the same time, but that happened. So I'm gonna list down the stuff that I remember at the top of my head:

This year, I managed to:

Witness and experience my work in the game that I love most, The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe, my name now immortalized inside something that I've been passionate about for years

Have my art seen by my art idols; Alan Ituriel, Dana Terrace. My Nope fanart exploded which made me seen by people like Hollywood screenwriters in which I've never expected them to

Met Snatcher's VA online in his streams! That one made me happy

Worked on my very first fanzine project, The Stanley Parable: Welcome Home Stanley was released!

I was chosen to work on Moral Orel Reanimated project, something that I've always wanted to do for a long time.

Now I'm working on a Portal fanzine as well!

I've sold art for the first time at the BIGGEST convention of the year in my country and it went super well and made me proud that I pulled through

I got a major deal with an illustration agency at the end of the year. Next year I'm very excited to work hard and see where they'll guide me and hopefully it will grant me the chance to leave and start life anew.

For the heavier stuff:

Found out that I have DID/OSDD and I'm working on accepting that I'm a system who always had alters who helped me survive

Learned the fact that no matter what I do to my abuser, how kind and helpful I am to her she will never appreciate it. I'm heartbroken but ultimately freed from her expectations and I'm still struggling with the grief that comes with it.

I think recently, I don't know if I'm co-fronting with another but I am severely tired out by the drama and I'm doing the best that I can to take care of myself. I don't think I have it in me to hate myself like I'm used to.

Overall the lesson I've learned in 2022 is that I have the power to make life the way I want it to by taking action instead of wishing the good stuff will come to me. Can't wait to work on 2023 and see what happens next.

🎉 Happy new year! 🎉

honestly i think my brain just stopped hoping for the best and i don’t want to expect anything short of a miracle to happen in 2019. terrible things happen each year, leaving me in disappointment and hurt. so i’m gonna compromise, if its gonna happen, it’ll happen. i’m not going to expect ridiculous things like finding someone special or getting rich enough to roam the world or lose weight anytime soon.

i’m just… going to survive. that’s all i can do for myself right now.

[terryblount]

Here’s All The Game Announcements At The Game Awards 2018

The Game Awards 2018 promised over 10 new game announcements happening while they dole out the glamorous awards. And it certainly did not disappoint. Just like what we did last year, here’s a rundown of all the big game announcements that happened during the show.

Sayonora Wild Hearts

A Pop Album Video Game. Published by Annapurna Interactive and developed by Simogo. This team specialises in making mobile games, including Device 6.

This time, Sayonara Wild Hearts will be out on Nintendo Switch.

Journey To The Savage Planet

By 505 Games and developers Typhoon Studios. Alex Hutchison, director of Assassin’s Creed III and Far Cry 4, is part of the team. Not a battle royale. Not a survival game. But an adventure game.

Solve the mystery of the savage planet. More info will be revealed next year.

The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe, Out On Consoles

2013’s narrative-driven comedy that throws you off every moment and, will be out on consoles. Now with new content and new endings.

It is also coming to PC.

A little teaser trailer pic.twitter.com/VfC0IAN3uz

— Among Trees (@AmongTreesGame) December 7, 2018

Among Trees

By Fjrd Interactive, it is a beautiful looking first-person adventure, coming to Steam Early Access in 2019.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

The sequel to the Diablo-style action game is coming to Nintendo Switch. Featuring many of your favourite characters from the Marvel universe, including the X-Men.

Rocket League New DLC: McLaren 570S Car Pack

A real car as DLC in Rocket League! McLaren has been flirting with gaming for some time and this is further commitment that they are seriously courting us gamers to like the Woking-based automotive company.

Far Cry New Dawn

Developed by Ubisoft Montreal, it’s post-apocalypse Far Cry 5, set in the same map of Hope County.

Featuring more crazy weapons, beaten up vehicles, a very pinkish hue and two new leading ladies. It’s coming out on February 15th and hinted that it’s following a timeline set up by events of Far Cry 5.

Hades

A new game by Supergiant Games, creator of Bastion, Transistor and Pyre. Looks like it plays more like the combat-oriented of the earlier two games married with the visual-novel artstyle in Pyre. It is also a rougelike.

Hades is available now on Early Access at the Epic Games Store.

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey

New, actual gameplay of Patrice Désilets’ Panache Digital Games. The creative director of Assassin’s Creed Games takes you on a singleplayer open world adventure through the times. Starting as a monkey and into the early parts of civilizations somewhere in Africa.

Ancestors is set for release sometime in 2019.

Scavengers

Developed by new studio Midwinter. Powered by SpatialOS, the first tease shows a cold, frozen wilderness. Described as a multiplayer ‘co-opetition’, sign-ups are open at the official website here.

Dead By Daylight Darkness Among Us DLC

The asymmetric horror multiplayer game is getting another DLC. And boy does this game have a lot of DLC.

Also, the game is getting dedicated servers by Summer 2019.

New Anthem Trailer

A new trailer for Anthem, EA and Bioware’s upcoming looter-shooter. Here’s more plot and world-building for this new IP.

Crash Team Racing

The remaster of is introduced by the iconic man in the Crash Bandicoot suit. This is the same treatment as the previous Crash and Spyro remasters/remakes. The same game you know and love but built from the ground up with the latest tech. Beenox is handling the development.

It will be out in June 2019.

The Outer Worlds

The new game and universe by Obsidian and Private Division. It is a single-player first-person sci-fi RPG. It features an old-timey aesthetic in space played in the first person. A hint of Borderlands, but more gritty and you can make meaningful story decisions, hopefully.

This is the game the original creators of Fallout that joined Obsidian a few years ago, Tim Cain and Leonard Boyarsky, worked on. It will be out in 2019 for the PS4, PC and Xbox One.

Dauntless On PS4, Xbox One and Epic Games Store

First announced at the Game Awards, the Monster Hunter-style action RPG will be coming to the PS4 and Xbox One.

For PC, aside from its own launcher, it will also be available through the Epic Games Store.

The Last Campfire

Hello. From the creators of Joe Danger and No Man’s Sky, Hello Games’ next title is a very surprising one. It is described as “a story of a lost ember trapped in a puzzling place, searching for meaning and a way home”.

A calming looking adventure game.

New Winter Map for PUBG

New map Vikendi has been revealed. The map is smaller than the usual maps but larger than its small map Sanhok.

New weapons, new vehicles including a snowmobile and snow. Snow will play a part on strategy as it leaves tracks.

The map is now available on PC Test servers and are on its way to Xbox One and PS4, soon.

Atlas

New game by the developers of Ark:Survival Evolved. A world of pirates, knights and cowboys? and magic? Every fantasy trope collides in this open world survival MMO, with 40,000 concurrent players.

It will be out on PC via Steam on December 14th, with a release on Xbox One via the Preview Program coming soon.

"I suspect you have questions…" #TheDreadWolfRises pic.twitter.com/oT7L6LOFKA

— BioWare (@bioware) December 7, 2018

New Dragon Age Teased

A new Dragon Age game has been announced. While it’s an open secret one is existed, it’s good to finally have it properly revealed.

Though no name has been attached to it yet, but the tease suggests the next game will continue directly after the end of its last game, Dragon Age: Inquisition.

The Pathless

From the creators of Abzu comes a new adventure game, featuring fantastical ruins, forests, flaming mythical beasts, an eagle and archery.

It will be released on PS4 and PC via Epic Games Store.

Stranger Things 3: The Game from @BonusXP is coming to all platforms. Hold onto your quarters. #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/m00x1nGeFy

— NX (@NXOnNetflix) December 7, 2018

Stranger Things 3 The Game

Developed by BonusXP, the same developers that did Stranger Things The Game. Now it’s in a 16-bit style aesthetic instead of 8-bit and will follow along the adventures that will happen in Season 3 of the Netflix show.

Mortal Kombat 11

While Ed Boon was presenting an award, it cuts to the announcement of Mortal Kombat 11. It is a CG trailer but the game will feature a new graphics engine and Custom Character Variations.

A full reveal for the community is set to happen on January 17th with a full release on April 23rd for the PS4, PC, Xbox One and Switch.

Psychonauts 2

A new trailer for the long-in-development platformer Psychonauts 2.The trailer details the setup for our hero Razputin’s next mission.

It is still set for release sometime in 2019.

Demo May Cry Coming First to Xbox One

The demo for Devil May Cry 5, which we are dubbing as Demo May Cry, will be out on Xbox One December 7th. This is the Nero demo as seen playable at various events this year.

Alongside that is a new trailer, including a glimpse of how V, the third playable character.

Fortnite

The world of Fortnite literally changed with the introduction of The Block where the coolest content from the game will be featured. Goodbye Risky Reels. For now.

Rage 2

A wild new trailer for Rage 2 dropped. Featuring more of the wacky post-apocalypse open world.

There are no words! Joker from Persona 5 in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate!? Wow! #TheGameAwards pic.twitter.com/uga2qxQluT

— The Game Awards (@thegameawards) December 7, 2018

Persona 5’s Joker In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

For real?!?! It’s real! The Persona 5 protagonist is the coming to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, the first of five as announced earlier. All DLC characters will be new to Smash and will be of this sort of wild pick.

Lookin’ cool, Joker!

For the list of award winners for The Game Awards can be found here.

Here’s All The Game Announcements At The Game Awards 2018 published first on https://touchgen.tumblr.com/

[neverendingparable]

The Stanley Parable: Ultimate Release is on its way!

[aion-rsa]

15 Best Video Game NPCs Ever

https://ift.tt/365jHPy

Free Guy follows a video game NPC who becomes aware of the circumstances of their existence and uses that newfound awareness to become the star of a game that they were only ever supposed to be a bit player in. It’s ultimately a look at the little people in video games and how easy it is to ignore them.

Of course, most gamers know that NPCs can be so much more than non-playable characters. While there are some NPCs that are little more than seat fillers in some of the largest and most elaborate video game worlds ever, others have used their supporting roles to steal the show and establish themselves as legends in their own right.

From mistranslated villagers and merchants to dogs and knights, these are some of the absolute best video game NPCs ever.

15. Error – Zelda II: The Adventures of Link

With the immortal introductory line “I am Error,” this humble NPC from Link’s bizarre second adventure found a home in the memories of a generation of gamers that wondered what the story behind this seemingly glitched character was. 

It turns out that Error’s bizarre dialog can be attributed to good old-fashioned translation issues, but this is a prime example of a seemingly meaningless NPC’s ability to work their way into our hearts despite being given almost no time to shine.

14. The Merchant – Resident Evil 4

For anyone who played the Resident Evil games up until the release of Resident Evil 4, the joy of encountering “The Merchant” cannot be overstated. Just when you thought you were about to have to battle yet another insane villager in a Wicker Man setting, the Merchant speaks cryptically, opens their coat, and offers you a very surprising helping hand. 

The Merchant’s sporadic appearances and unique role made them an instant favorite among franchise fans, but it’s the character’s mysterious nature that makes them so compelling all these years later. We still don’t know a lot about the Merchant, and that’s the way it arguably should be.

13. Jeff “Joker” Moreau – Mass Effect Trilogy

There’s no shortage of incredible characters in the Mass Effect franchise, but since we’ve already shown a lot of love to the game’s best squad companions, let’s talk about one of Mass Effect’s best NPCs that can’t join your away team: Joker.

Along with being one of the best pilots in the Alliance fleet, Joker is one of Mass Effect’s most consistently funniest characters. BioWare did a brilliant job of growing Joker’s story arc in future games, but he always remained a source of strength was always there to help make the Normandy feel like a home.

12. Elizabeth – BioShock Infinite

It’s fascinating to see how divisive BioShock Infinite remains eight years after its release, but one of the things that the game absolutely got right was Elizabeth’s role as an NPC companion. 

At a time when it was still fairly common to have to babysit your companions (even though there had obviously been tremendous advances in that area by this point), Elizabeth proved to be a more than capable partner who not only used her unique abilities to help you out of tight spots but would even occasionally toss you ammo and health. Elizabeth is an incredible character in her own right, but few games have ever made an A.I. partner feel so invaluable. 

11. The Narrator – Stanley Parable

It feels strange calling Stanley Parable’s narrator an NPC given that they’re the main reason that this game is one of the best of the last decade, but this disembodied voice certainly meets the technical requirements for that role.

The narrator’s determination to get you to follow The Stanley Parable’s most obvious path forward is bested only by the dry, witty frustration he exhibits whenever you start to veer off-course. He’s the real star at this look at the relationship between choice and storytelling in gaming. 

10. Cortana – Halo (Franchise)

Cortana is absolutely a strong character in her own right, but the thing that makes her stand out among the best NPCs ever is the nature of her relationship with Master Chief and you as the player. 

Cortana is the voice in your head that manages to guide you along the path while making the world feel a little more interesting along the way. At a time when gamers grit their teeth at the mere mention of the words “Hey listen,” Cortana proved that it was possible to make such a character feel like an irreplaceable part of what is ultimately the player’s journey. 

9. Dogmeat – Fallout (Franchise)

Truth be told, you could fill a list of the best NPCs in gaming history with Fallout characters and it would be difficult to argue with you. However, it’s hard not to ultimately give the nod to Dogmeat. Not only is this companion one of the most consistent sights in the Fallout universe, but their status as the absolute goodest boy/girl is undeniable.

In a series filled with moral ambiguity and complex characters with unique agendas, Dogmeat is…well…a dog. They’re loyal, loving, and willing to help you in any way that they can. They’re as perfect of a companion as you could ever ask for, and they make the wasteland feel just a little less hostile. 

8. Phillip “The Bloody Baron” Strenger – The Witcher 3

In a game that’s arguably best known for a collection of side quests and side characters that are better than most of the main stories and main characters seen in other games, it’s telling that “The Bloody Baron” is regularly referred to as the highlight of this epic adventure. 

The Bloody Baron may get more screen time than the average NPC, but it honestly doesn’t take long for this morally complex and utterly fascinating character to simply steal the show. He’s one of the best examples of why you should take the time to get to know the various inhabitants of RPG worlds. 

Read more

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7. Sans – Undertale

While it sometimes feels like blasphemy to rank one Undertale character over another given how well-rounded and important so many of the game’s NPCs end up being, it’s hard to talk about the game’s best characters for long without the conversation turning to Sans. 

This apathetic skeleton’s most tragically relatable quality is his tendency to pivot between whether or not the futility of his existence is a reason to do nothing or if it’s all the more reason to relax and have fun. He practically embodies this game’s complex morality and wicked sense of humor. 

6. Hal “Otacon” Emmerich – Metal Gear Solid (Franchise)

Granted, Otacon doesn’t exactly make a great first impression (he wets his pants the first time you meet him), but this quirky scientist has to be one of gaming’s best examples of how an NPC can grow on you over time. 

While it’s easy to champion the way that Otacon becomes slightly more badass over the course of this series, his most enduring qualities are the two things that never really change: his weirdness and commitment to going above and beyond to try to help. He’s one of the most “pure’ Kojima characters. 

5. Tom Nook – Animal Crossing (Franchise)

The debate over whether Tom Nook is the quiet hero of Animal Crossing or little more than a loan shark who introduces this quaint world to the joys of capitalism will rage on, but nobody walks away from Animal Crossing without some kind of thoughts about this true icon.

Tom Nook helps you get started in the world of Animal Crossing and is often the character you need to go to whenever you want to move on to the next part of your adventure. He’s kind of a gatekeeper in that sense, but he’s also the thing that keeps the Animal Crossing experience consistently compelling. 

4. HK-47 – Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

You do technically have the ability to control HK-47 during combat sequence, which means that their presence on this list could be considered a bit of a cheat. However, I dare you to play Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and let that technicality get in the way of giving this character the love they deserve. 

While KOTOR’s morality system helped distinguish it from so many other console RPGs of its era, there’s always been something undeniably compelling about HK-47’s wonderfully uncomplicated moral code. He sees every human as a “meatbag” and struggles to understand why you wouldn’t just blast your way out of a situation. 

3. Solaire of Astora – Dark Souls

Solaire of Astora is everything that you’re not expecting to find in Dark Souls. He’s optimistic, friendly, and, if you play your cards right, helpful.

While it’s possible for Solaire to succumb to insanity if you make the wrong choices along the way, he’s best remembered for his unusual commitment to the idea that there is hope and good in the game’s overwhelmingly dark world. His viewpoint may be idealistic, but you cannot deny the purity of his spirit and intentions. “Praise the sun” indeed. 

2. Cave Johnson – Portal 2

It’s impossible to ignore that GLaDOS is indeed the most famous NPC in the Portal franchise as well as arguably one of the most memorable characters in video game history. Long after “the cake is a lie” became one of gaming’s most overused memes, though, it’s Cave Johnson that stands apart as one of this franchise’s greatest creations.

Cave Johnson is the former CEO of Aperture Science who apparently reached Mr. Burns levels of evilness before he died from moon rock poisoning. His incredible dialog (which, it must be said, is expertly delivered by the irreplaceable J.K. Simmons) includes some of Portal’s best jokes, but it’s when you start to spot the tragedy and world-building in-between his jokes that you really appreciate how much this character accomplishes.

1. M’aiq the Liar – The Elder Scrolls (Franchise)

I love an NPC who practically becomes the star of the show, but my heart goes out to the NPCs who occupy a small part of a game’s world but a large part of our hearts. So far as that goes, M’aiq the Liar may just stand alone. 

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

As the name implies, M’aiq the Liar isn’t always entirely truthful. While those lies are often hilarious and clever, M’aiq is best known as a kind of unofficial developers’ commentary track. He often addresses meta subjects regarding missing features and misunderstood pieces of lore but does it in ways that make it difficult to separate the world-building from the Easter eggs. He’s the perfect reminder of the ways that the best video game NPCs can surprise you. 

The post 15 Best Video Game NPCs Ever appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3iEiw0w

[nicholasbarnett-blog1]

Dr. Langeskov, The Tiger, and the Terribly Cursed Emerald: A Whirlwind Heist

If your following my analysis’s on my blog here, you’ve probably noticed that i have a thing for narrative games, and with that, lets jump into Dr. Lageskov, which is what i will refer to it from here as typing it all out every time would be a pain.

From the beggining of the game it sets itself up as a daring heist game, even with the loadings screen hints which include

Italian Cypress trees cast long shadows, use them well

Use vents to stay hidden from guards

and even

Contessa Amadori has recently purchased a number of colourful, Noisy Birds.

And once the game loads what do you see?

the start menu, but this time as a projection on the wall.

And with this, the game begins. You are introduced to the narrator, who sounds like a narrator from a play, telling people to get lights and things ready.

With nothing to do in the room the player will eventually have to push the only button in the room to get the narrators attention, who tells you that its very awkward, but there’s already a player playing the game, and we will have to wait our turn. 

He then recruits you to help setup the level, puloing switches and pushing buttons to make this amazing level happen from behind the scenes, or at least theats what the narrator tells you is happening, you never get to see it.

from the start is a story board of the basis of the level, cool looking design and ideas

From Fliers, pickups, and picket signs around the levels, you quickly see that many of the employees have quit because this is a very dangerous job, what with a live tiger to deal with on a daily basis.

In the first area where you actually get at affect the story, you have to turn the lights on for the player, when we do the narrator describes how beautiful  the scene is on the other side of the walls.

This goes on for a while, doing what the narrator tells you to.

Showing the game like it was a play and your behind the scenes waiting for your queue

This goes on until you finish the level for the player inside, he has a great time and now its your turn, and you get to enter the game.

this time your on the other side, playing, hearing the narrator telling the person who’s next what to do so you can play, they skip everything as he tells them not to and to turn on the lights as we are still in pitch black, they of course release the tiger on you in the dark and the game ends.

One thing i did love about this game was the music, it was jazzy and very reminiscent of old heist movies.

On the second play though though i realised that you cant ignore the narrator, locking you in rooms until you do what he says, you cant mess up, and even if its time sensitive, you cant run out of time. This was still a very unique concept for a game and told a good story. Maybe i was spoiled by Stanley parable expecting more choice, but this game was a fun, quick play regardless.

This games core mechanics are basically, 

pushing buttons or pulling levers,

Following instructions, 

And Listening to story.

It makes for a good story, but if a games narrative is a book, this game is an online story. It was short, interesting, a good take on the concept it was going for, free, and ultimately short.

I think this game was on the list of games to play, because it took the concept of what a game is, and made something completely different. Being narrative helped this game, and i don’t think i would ever go back to it, but for the play through i went through my only real thought was, this is different and quirky, i like it.

[savetopnow]

2018-03-22 01 MOVIE now

MOVIE

Birth. Movies. Death.

SXSW 2018 Review: TAKE YOUR PILLS Shines A Light On An Alarming Problem

Is Denis Villeneuve Still Making a DUNE Movie? Nope! Now He’s Making TWO Of Them

FIRST MATCH Trailer Takes A Girl’s Troubles To The Mat

Wes Anderson And Bill Murray: A Cinematic Rapport

Book Review: S. Craig Zahler’s HUG CHICKENPENNY Is A Touching Gothic Parable

CineVue

Film Review: Ready Player One

DVD Review: Legend of the Mountain

Criterion Review: The Age of Innocence

Film Review: The Square

Banking on a box office hit

Cinema Blend

Black Panther's Michael B. Jordan Has Landed His Next Movie Project

American Idol Contestant's Audition Interrupted By Dog Pooping ON The Stage

Lala Kent Fires Back At Jennifer Lawrence After She Dropped The C-Bomb

Jeff Goldblum Teases Laura Dern's Possible Return To The Jurassic Park Franchise

Pacific Rim Uprising Reviews Are In, Here’s What The Critics Are Saying

Cinema Scope

Cinema Scope 74 Contents

The Work (Jairus McLeary & Gethin Aldous, US)

Global Discoveries on DVD: A Few Peripheral Matters

Canadiana | Hometown Horror: Robin Aubert’s Les affamés

Exploded View: Bruce Conner’s Crossroads

Comicboook.com

Giant 'Avengers: Infinity War' Billboard Goes Up In Los Angeles

New 'Deadpool 2' Trailer Coming Thursday

'Avengers: Infinity War' Writers Compare the Film to 'Game of Thrones'

Henry Cavill Bids Goodbye to His Mustache in Hilarious Tribute Video

New Look At Spider-Man's Possible New Costume In The MCU

Film Comment Magazine

Rendez-Vous: Salut les Jeunes Critiques

Interview: Khalik Allah

The Film Comment Podcast: Satire’s Funny Like That

SXSW Interview: Eugene Kotlyarenko

Film of the Week: 12 Days

Film Inquiry

I KILL GIANTS Trailer

WILD WILD COUNTRY Interview: Mark Duplass, Executive Producer

TERRIFIER: Missing Depth & A Point

SXSW Review: 6 BALLOONS: An Intimate Foray Into Crisis

SXSW Review: YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR FAMILY: A Tour Of Toxic Masculinity

Film School Rejects

Kumail Nanjiani is Becoming a Bona Fide Movie Star

Watch These Movies and Shows Before You See ‘Pacific Rim Uprising’

Who Asked For This? A Brief History of Hollywood’s Forgotten Sequels

Jacob Tremblay Enters a Raunchy Comedy Phase With ‘Good Boys’

Roland Joffé on Exploring the Humanity Behind Atrocity in ‘The Forgiven’

Reddit Movies

Under The Silver Lake | Official Trailer HD | A24

Kumail Nanjiani to Star with Dave Bautista in Action Comedy 'Stuber'

A Quiet Place is going to be awful to watch in theatres

Stanley Kubrick Auction: ‘The Shining’ Rare Cut, Jack Torrance’s Corduroy Jacket, and More Items Being Sold

FLCL Progressive and Alternative Japanese Trailers (being released as movies in Japan)

Roger Ebert

Bill Hader’s “Barry” is Dry, Brilliant Comedy

Unsane

I Have Seen Grace: Revisiting Harriet Andersson’s Classic Performances

Syfy's Krypton Imagines the Origins of Superman

#324 March 20, 2018

Screen Rant

It Follows Director Goes Noir With Under the Silver Lake Trailer

Spider-Man Is The Root Of Marvel’s Timeline Problems

Elizabeth Olsen Criticizes Photoshopped Infinity War Empire Cover

John Wick: Chapter 3 Could Be Headed to Japan

Star Wars Characters That Should NOT Cameo In Solo

Slash Film

‘Avengers: Infinity War’ Screenwriters on Making Thanos the Ultimate Marvel Villain and Writing Within a Shared Universe [Set Visit Interview]

‘Pacific Rim: Uprising’ Early Buzz: First It’s Boring, Then It’s Totally Bonkers With Mixed Results

The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen Featuring Unexpected Swordplay

‘Under the Silver Lake’ Trailer: Andrew Garfield Follows the Girl Who Got Away in Wacky Neo-Noir

The Unpopular Opinion: ‘The Darjeeling Limited’ is Wes Anderson’s Best Film

[deathghost8]

Q- 2009 Words are just noise to me :: A- 2019 gratitude note to small creators

It's me speaking to me across the 10 year rock bottom timeline from AUTOLYSIS-CRAFT - MONDAY, AUGUST 31, 2009 words are just noise to me - expanded Human existence is merely a series of biological addictions. We have needs for survival. We desire survival because it is our instinct, hard-wired. Then we also have desires that occur purely as a result of chemical rewards & punishments that are also hard-wired into us. Sexuality, for example. Ultimately we form behaviors for two reasons - so we can "Feel More Good" or so we can "Feel Less Bad." What would life even be without all this? We live as slaves to these needs, forming a belief system about our world that is shaped by the various chemical rewards and punishments related to the fulfillment of these instincts. Significantly enough, human beings somehow find ways to attach value to these occurrences of chemical rewards & punishments-- we form infinite ways to re-describe and recreate our experiences through symbolic language, and we build ourselves what we call identity in the process. I do not see the point of this. All it does is make up false value for these hard-wired impulses. Empty expression. As significant as the noise of the freeway I can hear from my dwelling- a great metaphor as a matter of fact, since this noise is merely being generated by the existence of a large number of entities operating as designed. It is the simple result of the nature of the entity. The identity is like a brand.. fabricated for the purpose of promoting the self towards the end of some beneficial transaction (for example mating). Everyone wishes to understand the meaning of life. The fact is that it really has no meaning. We are experiencing the result of a brutal evolution process that has refined these instincts into their current state. Non-existence of the self is a difficult concept for most. For me, it is the only thing that makes any sense. There is no me. There is only the prison of my physical needs and my biological addictions, forcing me to form behaviors. There is no end to it. Every single day is defined by these compulsions. Right and wrong start to lose their definitions. I start to wonder why I care so much. The significance of the end, death as we know it, is colossal. An incomprehensible occurrence, total destruction of one's own self. Complete and final termination of existence-- the impact of such an event is so great that it seems most humans just avoid the thought completely, while some try to make up false identities that somehow avoid this termination of existence through the acquisition of some form of afterlife. Considering all of this it follows very very easily that I prefer to escape and forget myself through things like film, computer game, and other art. Self-expression? These are in fact not expressions of "me." These are expressions of... non-me. Art is freedom. The destruction of the illusion of self. Many people seem to squabble a lot about creativity & originality. The problem is this concept of ownership. People are so attached to their made-up identity that they feel they own. You have to step away from this fabricated ownership trait to understand the what originality means. Great creativity is part inspiration and part experimentation. These are wholly separate from influence. Again, "my own" creation is meaningless, this is simple once one truly considers the nature of what one really is, and sees that the identity concept is a complete fabrication that helps us defend psychologically against the inevitability of our own demise. When I listen to or create art, what I feel I am doing is engaging in escapism. The foolish illusion that what I'm doing is somehow disconnected from the driving forces of my biology and that I'm somehow doing something with more value than the constant addiction to survival & sex that governs every single day & never quits is pretty exciting... but in the end it is false. It doesn't stop me from continuing to experiment and try to transfer my inspirations I can hear "in my mind" into a physical production I can "own" and perhaps share, for the simple fact that when I do succeed, it seems to feel good. I can combine sounds in such a way that it gives me a rush, pure feeling, something I KNOW comes from my biology, but nevertheless I still enjoy experiencing. This is probably as close as I can get to achieving value, considering the nature of what I am. It just makes sense to me. Words rarely measure up. Music however provides tangible biological feedback. The perfect drug, in a way. In music I feel I no longer need to rely on this empty identity. It frees me from the need to possess my "self." Other art seems to have the same effect, whether it is storytelling of any form--films, books, interactive games, pornography (yes this is storytelling, probably the type with the most profound biological impact)-- images of all kinds imagined or photographed (which really are just an encapsulated moment of storytelling except for the completely abstract designs), even culinary art. There are some who believe in a philosophy of hedonism, where they feel there is nothing wrong with constant indulgence to engage these hard-wired instincts towards chemical reward. It seems to me there really is nothing wrong with that, as long as it helps you face what you are: a creature enslaved to chemicals, and ultimately destined for complete and total obliteration. -- Aug 22 2019 []This is essentially a Message to all creatives I have encountered, in thanks.[] This came from pondering the two energies that represent a true human ultimate truth / power - awe and passion. This is like seeing the full reality of that, to feel the awe of any small artist I have had the privilege to encounter. For me to gain the passion that someone actualized into view. That is Real communicate mindstate. That I gained benefit of growth by light that was packaged from others and granted to me. This is what art is doing The games like Stanley parable, flower, or journey did things with narrative force truly never before seen. I have awe for the music that has occupied the empty quiet spaces of me, and made me alive in the deep moments of self ignorance / neglect. The light actualized from our passion builds people. I have strong gratitude perceiving that and having contact with small creators who are presenting a pure force of will, unwarped by Muting or Modification that material convention inevitably invokes on whatever humans make. [[]] original context for the gratitude note is a message to Alex who creates Cynic Project Background Soundtrack ~korn issues About Cynic project and my music and fav games. Alex’s game is pixelsphere Was sitting here somewhat tripping out and listening to some best cynic project music picks from legit 17 years back in my timeline, trying to release spirit and respawn, from a major catastrophe. But pondering the power of the energies we actualize into song and writing , and I saw the pixelsphere post on his site describing generative musical performance to interact with a game state. It reminds me of elements of left 4 dead which used a gameplay system called director in order to cue musical responses as well as tune the hostiles : challenge focus pacing. I see the concept. in the meantime in which i wrote my latest compositions , I had come to imagine them as originate from the computer living in my head, crafting its voice, the appearance of its narrative as a Real actualized mind despite artificiality. Conveying itself was synonymous for creating itself / adding to others was what constituted Living.

[frozendoorgaming]

Morning Mist #7

Announcements, Releases, Trailers

Skullgirls creators’ RPG Indivisible release date announced

No Man’s Sky Beyond Launch Trailer Released and It’s Beautiful

New Disgaea 4 Complete+ Trailer Shows Characters and Gameplay

Hatsune Miku VR coming to PlayStation VR Dragon Quest XI S Takes Us Around The World Of Erdrea In Its Latest Trailer

Trailer: Just Cause 4: Danger Rising gives Rico a hoverboard 

New The Alliance Alive HD Remastered Trailer Shows Characters, Gameplay, and Story

Fury Unleashed Trailer Looks At Comic Book-Inspired Mayhem

Milestones, Industry

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Has Sold 3.8 Million Copies

A Way Out Tops 2 Million Units Sold - Sales

Fuel Games is now Immutable

ESPN, ABC pull Apex Legends tournament show in wake of mass shootings Walmart orders its staff to remove signage for violent video games following mass shootings 

Deals, Freeware

Nintendo Switch Online NES games for August 2019 revealed (Kung-Fu Heroes and Vice: Project Doom)

GNOG is free to claim on the Epic Games Store for this week (Alan Wake and For Honor free for another day)

Your Joy-Cons are Holding You Back: Grab This Wireless GameCube Controller For Just $37

Confront the past in beautiful free adventure game An Eternity, Reflecting

GIVEAWAY: 15,000 free codes for The Elder Scrolls Legends: Moons of Elsweyr expansion Huge Sale On VN Games By Spike Chunsoft (80% off Danganronpa)

Information

One of the devs behind The Stanley Parable made a free MMO

The Double-A Team: their lives are in your hands - and your wife is in your arm - in Bionic Commando (Hyped for grappling hook traversal. Anyone remember the CYOA book?)

XIII Remake Delayed To 2020

Capcom Just Announced That ‘Monster Hunter Freedom Unite’ for iOS Will Be Delisted On September 1st and Here Is What You Can and Cannot Do After That Happens

Call of Duty 2020 campaign might be set during the Cold War

Rumour: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Will Get a Free to Play Battle Royale Mode After Launch

Ubisoft’s Working on the Splinter Cell Brand Bit by Bit to Eventually Bring it Back (Yes please)

PUBG Mobile Club Open Fall Splits Now Available for Registration

Etc

How Much Money Have I Spent in League of Legends? (Too much)

The Entire Overwatch Story Explained

Vancouver Titans collectible cups available at Circle K

What is Sub-Zero's Real Name?

US University To Offer Scholarships For Top Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Players (Esports has come a long way)

A Nintendo Switch Portable Dock Has Been Funded On Kickstarter (10x smaller)

[guidetoenjoy-blog]

The 35 best indie games on PC and consoles

New Post has been published on https://entertainmentguideto.com/awesome/the-35-best-indie-games-on-pc-and-consoles/

The 35 best indie games on PC and consoles

Update: Added the open-world survival indie RPG Outward

Although the best PC games with money to splash are quickly evolving, so are the best indie games you might not have heard of.

One of the best things about our best indie games list is that most of these more obliterate titles, unlike AAA game publishers, don’t try to manipulate you out of every penny any chance they can get. Free from corporate influence and constant badgering for your fund, the best indie games represent the pure artistic vision of the developers- especially if you have one of the best gaming PCs.

However, merely because the best indie games don’t make a lot of money, doesn’t mean they can’t keep up with the latest AAA reaches in scope and ambition. In fact, the opposite is true: the best indie games can easily rival or even exceed mainstream games in both quality and scope- becoming artistic masterpieces in the process. And, they don’t have to rely on tired tropes just to sell millions of copies, like their AAA counterparts.

This is all exciting stuff, and if you want to dive into the best indie games, you’re in luck. We’ve put together a list all the best indie games on the PC market today. We’ve included both in vogue indies like Return of the Obra Dinn and Outward, alongside classic titles like Braid and Dwarf Fortress. And, don’t worry, we’re going to keep such lists updated with all the latest and greatest indie makes.

If you’re looking for the next great indie title, keep reading.

Linux, Windows or Mac – which one is best for you? Watch our guide video below :P TAGEND

Bill Thomas, Joe Osborne, Kane Fulton and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article

Yeah, it’s not out yet, with Double Fine promising it’ll be out’ soonish’. Still, Ooblets is staying on our radar. Ooblets is being developed by first-time studio Glumberland, and is backed by Double Fine. The game is described as some kind of combo between Pokemon, Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing, which has certainly captured our attention- and it should probably capture yours, too. The game blends an art style curiously reminiscent of post-apocalyptic sensation, Adventure Time, with gameplay that revolves around gathering animals called ooblets in the town of, uh, Oob.

In the game, you’ll be able to train and battle your ooblets against other ooblet trainers. At the same time, you’ll have to balance your ooblet training with the real-world responsibilities of being a farmer. That’s right, drawing influence from the likes of Stardew Valley, you can cultivate produce and decorate your house with various trimmings as well. You’ll also be able to join an Ooblet Club comprised of friends( NPCs) you’ll gratify along the way.

If you don’t know what to do in Ooblets, simply walk around and discover new shops and builds that suit your interest. Better yet, you can open up your own shop and sell make that you’ve grown on the farm as well as items that you’ve scavenged throughout the world. Otherwise, you can feed the leftover harvests to your ooblets to watch them level up and learn new techniques to be used in the turn-based, RPG-style battles.

Expected:’ Soonish’

Jonathan Blow& apos; s brainchild first appears to be a simple pastiche of Super Mario Bros, with a middle-aged curmudgeon replacing the titular plumber but still seeking to rescue a princess.

The longer you spend in the game, however, the more that’s revealed to you, progressing from a series of time-bending puzzles to quiet reflective texts- which doesn’t stop it from being the smartest puzzle game since SpaceChem. Blow himself has subtly hinted that the ultimate narrative may revolve around the atomic bomb.

First released as PC freeware by Japanese decorator Daisuke “Pixel” Amaya back in 2004 after five years of 100% solo developing, Cave Story predates the recent indie renaissance by a few years. Because of when and how it was first released, it& apos; s often omitted in indie gaming discussions.

However, this classic more than deserves to be on every best-of list for its caring homage to the classic action platforming games of the Super Nintendo era , not to mention its unbelievable music and breathlessly vibrant world. Oh, and don& apos; t forget the hugely intuitive controls, gobs of secrets and weapons that are simply too fun to use. If you& apos; ve yet to enjoy this one, you need to set it on your backlog already.

From family-owned and operated Studio MDHR, Cuphead has connected with millions of people around the world, many of whom commonly wouldn’t touch a run-and-gun platformer with a ten-foot pole.

Although its gameplay was inspired by classic games such as Mega Man and Contra, most gamers would likely compare it to a Fleischer Studios cartoon like Betty Boop. Because Cuphead employs a hand-drawn art style likened to a 1930 s animation, it’s been universally praised for its gorgeous visuals.

Cuphead is more than just its stunning visuals, however. It’s a series of 19 challenging and engaging boss, with platforming bits interspersed between them. It already attained our list of the best indie games, but Studio MDHR has announced that the Cuphead: the Delicious Last Course DLC, slated for 2019, with a new isle to explore, new boss to conquer and, most importantly, a new character to master.

Many AAA games serve as escapist power fantasies, where the player is ultimately able to dominate the game’s cosmo- right until video games aims. But, many indie games are the exact opposite- like the IGF award winner and suffering simulator Cart Life.

Papers Please is similar to Cart Life in that it& apos; s also an IGF winner with elements of misery about it. Merely, it& apos; s better – it’s a smart, weird sim about the compromised life of a border guard living under a totalitarian regime. It& apos; s ugly and desperate, but also innovative, uproariously funny and terribly smart.

Among the hardcore gamers we know, Spelunky is the go-to drug. Even today, several years after its release, some of them still play it every day, despite having completed it many times over. That& apos; s because Spelunky, an ostensibly rogue-like platformer with a definite objective, is tough, differed and highly randomized.

It also has more dark secrets than a presidential candidate, meaning there are a boatload of ways to finish it, and its daily challenges are a sure-fire way to public humiliation.

Does humor belong in video games? Well, according to the Stanley Parable, that’s a resounding’ yes ‘. This game is hilarious without being dumbed down. Players follow( or don’t) a very British narrator who alterations the world around you, based on your choices.

No choice is penalized, and every playthrough will be fresh with new humor and weird goings-on. Being trapped in the closet in The Stanley Parable is more moving and funny than the majority of members of other indie games.

If you missed out on this ironic gem back when it first launched, you’ll be happy to know that the developer announced the Stanley Parable Ultra Deluxe edition for 2019, with fresh content, more endings and a console release. This Ultra Deluxe edition actually sounds pretty tempting, even for us- and we played it a whole lot when it first came out.

Farther reading: Retro-me-do! Digitiser’s Mr Biffo on his top PC games of all time

It took more than nine years to build, but Owlboy is definitely worth the wait. Originally designed for PCs and released in late 2016, this clever indie game masterpiece is now available to experience on Mac and Linux as well- and there’s even a Nintendo Switch version! Owlboy centres around a race of owl-human hybrid characters called, and aptly so, Owls. Of them, you control Otis, an Owl who is censured by his mentor for his inept flying skills.

The story finds Otis’ village destroyed by pirates who clearly have is consistent with the Owls. As a result, Otis has to work with an assortment of villagers in-game to take out foes. Of course, when boss combats develop, you’ll need to manage friends accordingly, as each character comes with their own situate of unique skill sets to use in conjunction with one another. If you’ve ever played and enjoyed a Kid Icarus game, this is one for the books. Otherwise, play it anyway.

Similar to The Stanley Parable, Gone Home falls into the unofficially labeled’ walk-to simulator’ genre. Where it diverts from the clever and philosophical Stanley Parable, however, is its focus on life’s difficult realities, as opposed to light humor.

After arriving at your childhood home following an overseas visit, you play as 21 -year-old Kaitlin Greenbriar who is greeted by an empty home. While gameplay is essentially limited to scavenging through notes to find out where your family is, the gripping narrative is exceedingly emotional and obligating, as long as you keep an open intellect. After all this time, Gone Home stands out as one of the best indie games out there.

Only SpaceChem has mixed learning with amusement as successfully as The Kerbal Space Program. The game is simple – design and build a spacecraft to take the cutesy Kerbals to the Mun and beyond.

Yet its focused use of real physic means that you& apos; ll find yourself following NASA as you’re building multi-stage rockets and space station as well as exploring the Kerbal& apos; s strange world on EVAs, before bringing your discoveries back for research on the Kerbal planet – that& apos; s if you can get off the ground at all. It& apos; s a huge, complex, challenging and fun game, that manages to be super smart without being preachy.

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is the exact opposite of something like Kerbal Space Program – it’s an action roguelike par excellence. You play as a young son attempting to kill his damned siblings, mom and possibly the Devil, using only your tears, which he shoots from his eyes, naturally. This indie games is matched only by the equally visceral Nuclear Throne.

With dozens of bizarre items to collect, endless procedurally-generated levels, and tons of secrets, the Binding of Isaac is a very dark take on the exploratory model established by Spelunky.

Don’t let the pixel art graphics put you off- Undertale isn’t a game that would have fit on the Super Nintendo. That’s because, in Undertale, the decisions you attain have a huge impact on how the game objective and, more importantly, how it continues in New Game Plus.

While playing Undertale, you’ll come to realize just how much freedom the game gives you. Despite its highly inspired , not to mention intense, boss matches, you’ll be able to make it through the entire nine or so hours of Undertale as a total pacifist. Plus, when you go through the game a second time, you’ll bear the weight of the consequences from your previous operate. What’s even better is , now Undertale is out on the Nintendo Switch, so you can take this masterpiece of game design wherever you go.

From developer Playdead, Inside is comparable to its predecessor, Limbo, in some ways, merely with an added layer of depth that inspires constant wonder. This is mostly a result of the unspoken narrative, which revolves around yet another nameless boy. In Inside, however, the boy in the story is running away from a group of men who- if you fail to stay out of their sights- will try to mercilessly kill you.

Though it isn& apos; t quite clear why the boy is running from these men or why you should even care since you don& apos; t know who he is, so Inside will leave you begging for answers. The bleak, lifeless defining of Inside is more than worth the price of admission. Its minimalist art style alone is avant-garde enough to feel right at home in a museum. Factor in the fact that this game that& apos; s both fun to play and dripping with curiosity, and Inside is one of the best indie games fund can buy.

Developed single-handedly by Eric Barone, Stardew Valley is undoubtedly a technical feat for that little fact alone. If you’ve ever played a Harvest Moon game, you’re already very well known the premise of Stardew Valley – you may merely not know it yet. Stardew Valley is an addictive farming simulator, which assures you interact with townees to the point where you can literally marry them.

Stardew Valley isn’t just farming, though – it’s a whole bunch of interesting thing at the same time. You can go fishing, you can cook, you can craft stuff. You can even run explore procedurally-generated caves to mine for items and even fight slime-monster-things. However, you should keep in mind that your health and energy are finite, so you& apos; ll want to keep your character rested and fed to avoid suffering from exhaustion. Pass out and you’ll lose a considerable amount of money and items you’ve worked hard to attain. Stardew Valley will have you playing for hours on end, for better or worse.( Definitely better .)

From Canadian game developer Alec Holowka, inventor of the award-winning Aquaria( also featured on this list ), and independent artist/ animator Scott Benson, Night in the Woods is an unconventional side-scrolling adventure game centering around a 20 -year-old protagonist named Mae who drops out of college to move back in with her parents.

Featuring a tale largely based around dialog choices and mini games that set a spin on mundane tasks, like carry boxes up the stairs and eating perogies, Night in the Timbers is a timeless coming-of-age tale. Not only will you experience middle class America through the eyes of a personified cat, but virtually every interaction in-game will have you laughing aloud. And now that it’s available on the Nintendo Switch, you’ll be able to take it wherever you go.

If you’re a fan of the recent wave of games inspired by Dark Souls, you’ll perfectly love Hollow Knight. You take control of the Hollow Knight, and result them through the deceptively adorable scenery to take on boss and other difficult challenges. Much like Dark Souls, it’s not immediately clear what you’re actually supposed to be doing as the narrative is intentionally obtuse.

The Dark Souls inspirations don’t end there, however. It also embraces Dark Souls’s’ tough but fair’ philosophy, where the game is only as hard as you make it – you can overcome anything as long as you have patience and learn from your blunders. Hollow Knight takes these lessons from Dark Souls and injects them into a MetroidVania, with all the side-scrolling and upgrades you could possibly want. You can even play it on the Nintendo Switch now.

If you’re looking for a game that’s as unforgiving as it is fun, seem no further than Dead Cells. It takes gameplay inspiration from so many places- from roguelikes to MetroidVania. There’s even a clue of Dark Souls in there, to create a unique action game that will test your restrictions.

Each time you play this game, it will be different. And, while you’ll lose some progress each time you die- and you’ll die a lot- the game will become more and more rewarding as the complex and fluid combat becomes second nature. In the final release of video games, you get access to over 90 weapons, skills and abilities that’ll let you tailor your gameplay however you want.

Whatever you do, don’t get discouraged when you fail. Get up and try again, and Dead Cells will merely reward you in the end, which is why it has our vote for one of the best indie games in 2019.

Introversions was one of the earliest& apos; indie& apos; companies, releasing games like Uplink, Defcon and Darwinia whilst Vlambeer was still in short pants. After years of struggling, they& apos; ve eventually hit a huge success with Prison Architect, a game where you construct, faculty, attire and manage a maximum security prison, of all places.

With smart captives who are willing to do anything to escape, you& apos; ll struggle to keep them all inside – or keep them from rioting – and turn a profit. It& apos; s eminently playable, even more so in the near future as Paradox has acquired it and plans to make it available on all platforms.

These days, it’s hard to find an RPG that will really push you to your restrictions. Outward, with its focus on survival and tough combat, is one of these RPGs. There isn’t much in the way of narrative, but you’re placed in the middle of the world of Aurai, where you’ll have to struggle to survive. You’re not a hero, however, just the everyman trying to survive in a harsh world.

In many styles, Outward is like The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind. There’s a heavy emphasis on exploration, but you aren’t dedicated quest arrows or any kind of waypoint. You have to rely on your own ability to use a map, along with any directions that are given to you by quest NPCs. If you’re looking for a challenging RPG, this might be one of the best indie games for you.

Dwarf Fortress is its own genre, its own industry. This is a game that, before you& apos; ve even set foot in it, has to generate the entire geography, myth and history of its massive world. Then it tracks every single one of the dwarfs you& apos; re managing down to the hairs on their legs, and the particular horrible elephant murder that they’ve witnessed and are now carving on an ornamental chair.

Your undertaking is to keep the dwarves alive as they carve out their subterranean kingdom – given that insanity, monsters and starvation beset them at every stage, that& apos; s not easy. And dwarves, always, always mine too deep.

Run. Jump. Die. Repeat. That’s essentially the gameplay loop of Super Meat Boy, a fiendishly addictive 2D platformer that’s also bloody hard, with an emphasis on bloody. Gallons of blood is spilled as the game’s eponymous meaty hero leaps over deadly fells, spinning finds and strolling chainsaws in a bid to rescue his girlfriend, Bandage Girl, from the evil Dr Foetus. Obviously.

Boasting solid controls, lots of humor and vibrant graphics, Super Meat Boy leapt onto the PS4, Vita, and Nintendo Switch in style.

It might not be Playdead’s most recent game, but Limbo is timeless. Even five years after its release, the game’s haunting storyline still affects us. You play the Boy, a child with glowing eyes who is cast into Limbo to find his sister. Making your style through a bleak and dangerous world full of hostile silhouettes, giant spiders and deadly gravitational fields, you’ll need to think quickly and perfectly day your motions if you’re going to survive.

Limbo is much more than a simple platformer: it& apos; s an experience, and one that will have you pondering the very essence of life by the time you finish. Deep, profound and absorbing, it& apos; s one indie game everybody should take time out to play.

If you& apos; re yearn for a retro-inspired multiplayer archery combat game( aren& apos; t we all ?), TowerFall: Ascension is the pick of the plenty. Fast, frenetic and teeth-gnashingly hard in hardcore mode, the game& apos; s mechanics are simple: fire arrows at your foes or jump on their heads to stay alive until the round ends.

Arrows that don& apos; t hit are embedded in walls, making for tense scenarios when you have to traverse the map while dodging foes to retrieve them. As such, practicing until you achieve Robin Hood-esque levels of accuracy is recommended. Ascension is best experienced with friends in local multiplayer mode, which remembers Super Smash Bros& apos; most manic moments.

It’s not often that a platformer manages to balance challenging and engaging gameplay with an emotional and thought-provoking narrative, but Celeste pulls it off. From the developers of Towerfall, Celeste follows the story of Madeline, a young girl who decides to face her mental health issues by climbing to the top of the mysterious Celeste Mountain. In doing so, she learns more not only about the mountain, but about herself as well throughout the process.

An inevitable classic, Celeste integrates the obvious jumping, air-dash and climbing controls into a brutal series of platforming challenges in upwards of 700 unique screens. And, if that’s too easy, you’ll unlock B-side chapters along the way, designed for only the bravest of hardcore players. Better yet, you don’t have to worry about waiting an eternity between each respawn. Instead, Celeste brings you back from the tomb in an instant, a welcome deviation from the typically extensive loading screens.

Have you ever wanted to land on an foreigner planet, and build a factory? We admit that it’s an odd premise, but we promise that it works in Satisfactory. You’ll land on one of three planets of varying difficulty, where you’ll be tasked with building and automating a factory to exploit the world around you.

The premise audios bland, but being able to explore these beautiful worlds in first person, while scavenging materials and fighting off hostile wildlife builds it all that more exciting. Plus, is there something better than sitting back and admiring something you worked hard on?

Satisfactory is in early access right now, and exclusive to the Epic Games Store, but if you can get past all that, you’re sure to get hours of wholesome simulation out of it.

After the fury success that was the original Nidhogg, it’s a shame to see the superior sequel get thrown under the bus. Nevertheless, in spite of its controversial art style, Nidhogg 2 packs a refined, stunning appear that the first version, a cult-classic, couldn’t even think to compete with.

In still frames, we can see how this could get misconstrued, but fortunately, it’s the fun and addictive local multiplayer gameplay that makes Nidhogg, well, Nidhogg. And it’s all there in Nidhogg 2. Additionally, every time you respawn, you get one of four unique weapons that only bolster the challenge.

Esteemed indie designer Jon Blow& apos; s follow up to Braid may look like an entirely different adventure, being 3D and all. However, the two are more thematically alike than you might think. The Witness, at its core, is another puzzle game that tells an interesting story through said puzzles.

This puzzler takes place in an almost equally impressionist- albeit heavily Myst-inspired- world, but it& apos; s story is far more nuanced and mysterious than Blow& apos; s previous. At almost every corner of this island that you& apos; ve simply woken up on( or beneath ), there is a clue as to how you got onto this island and why you& apos; re here.

Don’t get us incorrect, we liked Bastion, but we won’t deny that Transistor was SuperGiant Games’ best work to date. Much of that has to do with the blending of action-based and turn-based RPG parts contained within its cyberpunk futurescape. Likewise, in classic SuperGiant fashion, those mechanics are complemented with a stunning art style and a music rating so unforgettable it’ll induce you want to buy the soundtrack.

Leaving key gameplay beats up to the player, the narrative isn’t so variable. Transistor’s main character, Red, is a renowned singer in the city of Cloudbank. However, she’s been attacked by a group of vicious robots who call themselves the Process, operated by another group called the Camerata. In her journey, she detects the Transistor, a mysterious sword with the voice of a man. Soon enough, she’ll learn more about him and how he will shake up her world.

It’s weird to think that Oxenfree came out before the first season of Stranger Things, and yet, the two coincidentally have a lot in common. The 80 s-inspired heavy synth music composed by scntfc, for one, accentuates some genuinely gripping sci-fi horror focusing around – you guessed it- groupings of teens stuck on an island.

The story involves a handful of uniquely written characters, namely the main character Alex, along with her stoner friend Ren, her newfound stepbrother Jonas, her dead brother Michael’s ex-girlfriend Clarissa and her best friend Nona( who Ren happens to be in love with ).

The plot is explained through branching speech dialogues, similar to Life is Strange or modern-day Telltale games, and it features five different endings depending on your choices.

Exploring a surreal wilderness seems like quite the trend these days in gaming, and developer Campo Santo& apos; s debut only serves to keep it going strong. Set in the wilderness of 1989 Wyoming, you& apos; re playing Henry, a fire lookout that& apos; s all alone in the woods after exploring something strange in the distance.

That is, save for your partner on the other line of a walkie-talkie: Delilah. She& apos; s your only phase of contact as you explore the wilderness. Will you make it back alive? Will the decisions you stimulate help or harm the relationship with your only lifeline to the outside world, your boss? Don& apos; t worry about those questions just yet- admire those forestscapes first!

Rust is one of the more successful indie titles of recent times. By the end of 2015, it had sold more than 3 million transcripts, which isn& apos; t too shabby considering it wasn’t even finished — the game has been on Steam& apos; s Early Access scheme since launching in December 2013.

It seems people can& apos; t get enough of the Day Z-inspired survival sim. It ensure you use your wits and bearings to survive its harsh open world, starting off with nothing but a boulder. After assembling resources needed to build a house and weapons to fend off attackers( other online players, in other words ), Rust gradually becomes more intense as you defend your growing base — or attempt to breach others& apos ;.

Fans of the original Overcooked will not be disappointed by its second installment in the chaotic couch co-op series from British indie game developer Team1 7.

This time around, your undertaking is to defeat the& apos; Un-Bread& apos;( zombie baked goods) that have taken over the Onion Kingdom, by battling through brand new recipes including sushi, pizza and burgers in increasingly chaotic kitchens with up to three other people.

To add to the frantic fun, you must battle obstacles including random flames, collapsing floors and interfering passers by, all while get your orders out to the pass in time.

Things get complicated incredibly quickly, and relationships, friendships and family bonds will be tested as you work together to complete your recipes on time, inducing it a fun and challenging sofa co-op game that will construct you truly understand the meaning of “too many cooks spoil the broth.”

The natural progression of survival games, SCUM takes what predecessors like Rust and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds both succeeded at and iterate in impressive ways. And, while it’s still in early access, it offers a unique twist- combining the frenetic gameplay of battle royale games with the slow, thoughtful gameplay of a survival sim.

SCUM, unlike other similar games, is extremely heavy on the simulation side of things, however. You shouldn’t expect to run in firearms blazing, as you’re going to get tired promptly( just as you would if you tried running outside in person with a ton of stuff in your knapsack ). But, if heavy statistic systems is something your into, there’s a lot to love here. It’s like spreadsheets with a physic engine.

Just don’t go in expecting a polished experience , not for now. However, developer Croteam promises to add more features over hour, and as they’re backed by Devolver, you can trust that video games is going to shape up into something great.

Every so often, there’s a game that perfectly mixes and balances aesthetic, gameplay and narrative- where everything feels like it only, well, fits. The best indie games always excel at this, and Return of the Obra Dinn is proof. A mystery taking place on a derelict ship, you’re tasked with figuring out how the crew of this lost ship died, disappeared or worse.

The entire game has this old-school visual styling that, combined with the simple controls and gameplay technique make it keep feeling a nostalgic sort of adventure. Right from the sets menu, you’ll get to choose what kind of monitor you’d like to emulate- we picked an old school Macintosh option- that should give you an idea of the type of retro revivalism on offer here.

Return of the Obra Dinn is a game that will require critical thinking, exploration and a ton of reading. If that all sounds appealing to you, and you’re all good with retro aesthetics, you will love this game. In fact, it’s one of the best indie games in a season marked with AAA decadence.

If you’re anything like us, you’ve probably spent hundreds of hours playing Roller Coaster Tycoon during your childhood. And, while there have been plenty of amusement park simulators over the last few years, they’ve never quite hit that place.

Until now.

Parkitect is the closest we’ve ever gotten to those early aughts park simulators, and we’re absolutely in love. From the cartoonish art style to the realistic simulation and Steam Workshop integration, Parkitect is one of the best indie games 2019 has to offer.

For years, thatgamecompany has been behind some of the best indie games on the market, merely most of them had been exclusive to PlayStation. One such game was Flower. Serving as a kind of a precursor to the beloved Journey, Flower puts you in command of a bloom petal, surfing through the wind.

You’ll activate different colours of flower beds to affect the environment, which will also get you different colored petals, until you have an entire trail of colour surfing high winds. It’s an incredibly relaxing and artful experience, and it might just be hiding a message about the industrial world we all find ourselves living in. Trust us, give it a shot as it’s one of the best- not to mention, most legendary- indie games ever.

Read more: techradar.com

[netunleashed-blog]

The 30 best indie games on PC and consoles

http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=31380 The 30 best indie games on PC and consoles - http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=31380 Year after year, gaming continues to evolve, and our standards for the best indie games with it. One of the most exciting things about the best indie games these days is that unlike major game publishers, who feel the need to subsidize their releases with all kinds of shady monetization schemes – the best indie games are inexpensive and free of malevolent tactics. Free of corporate influence, the best indie games will give you a glimpse into the pure artistic vision of the developers, especially if you have one of the best gaming PCs.However, that’s not to say the best indie games can’t trade blows with the newest Assassin’s Creed or Call of Duty. In fact, the best indie games regularly surpass the latest AAA games in both quality and scope, thanks to their less repetitive nature – they don’t need to rely on tired cliches and tropes to sell through millions of units.With this list, we culled through the hundreds (maybe even thousands) of indie games we’ve played and ranked the 30 best indie games you can play today – only the best of the best have made it. We mixed in classics like Braid and Dwarf Fortress, with modern indie darlings like Hollow Knight and Night in the Woods. To discover all the best indie games that made our list, read on! Linux, Windows or Mac - which one is best for you? Watch our guide video below: Joe Osborne, Kane Fulton and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this article Described as a sort of combination of Pokémon, Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing, we couldn’t help but recommend that you keep your eye on Ooblets until it releases at some point in 2018. This indie game is being developed by first-time studio Glumberland with the backing of the beloved Double Fine studios. The art style here curiously reminds us of Adventure Time. However, the game itself revolves around collecting creatures called ooblets in a town called, well, Oob. Upon doing so, you’ll be able to train and battle your ooblets against other ooblet trainers. At the same time, you’ll have to balance your ooblet training with the real-world responsibilities of being a farmer. That’s right, drawing influence from the likes of Stardew Valley, you can cultivate produce and decorate your house with various trimmings as well. You’ll also be able to join an Ooblet Club comprised of friends (NPCs) you’ll meet along the way. If you don’t know what to do in Ooblets, simply walk around and discover new shops and buildings that suit your interest. While you’re at it, you can open up your own shop and sell produce that you’ve grown on the farm in addition to items you’ve scavenged from throughout the world. Otherwise, you can feed the leftover crops to your ooblets to watch them level up and learn new techniques to be used in the turn-based RPG-style battles.Expected: 2018 Jonathan Blow's masterpiece first appears to be a simple pastiche of Super Mario Bros, with a middle-aged curmudgeon replacing the titular plumber but still seeking to rescue a princess.But, the longer you spend in the game, the more that’s revealed to you, moving from a series of time-bending puzzles to quiet reflective texts – which doesn’t stop it from being the smartest puzzle game until SpaceChem. Blow himself has subtly hinted that the ultimate story may revolve around the atomic bomb. First released as PC freeware by Japanese designer Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya back in 2004 after five years of 100% solo development, Cave Story predates the recent indie renaissance by a few years. Because of when and how it was first released, it's often forgotten in discussions of indie gaming.But this classic deserves to be on every best-of list for its loving homage to the classic action platforming games of the Super Nintendo era, its incredible music and its incredibly vibrant world. Oh, and don't forget the hugely intuitive controls, gobs of secrets and weapons that are entirely too fun to use. If you've yet to enjoy this one, just put it on your backlog already. From family-owned and operated Studio MDHR, Cuphead has connected with millions of people around the world, many of whom normally wouldn’t touch a run-and-gun platformer with a ten-foot pole. Although its gameplay was inspired by classic games like Mega Man and Contra, most gamers would likely compare it to a Fleischer Studios cartoon, like Betty Boop. Because Cpuhead utilizes a hand-drawn art style likened to a 1930s animation, it’s been universally praised for its gorgeous visuals.Its beauty is more than skin deep, though, Cuphead is a challenging and engaging series of 19 boss fights, with actual levels taking place between them. And, if that’s not enough, Studio MDHR has announced the Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course DLC, with a new isle to explore, new bosses to conquer and, most importantly, a new playable character.  Many AAA games serve as escapist power fantasies, where the player is ultimately able to dominate the game’s universe – right up until the game ends. However, many indie games serve as the opposite – like the IGF award winner and misery simulator Cart Life.Papers Please is similar to Cart Life – it's also an IGF winner with elements of misery about it - but it's better, being a smart, weird sim about the compromised life of a border guard under a totalitarian regime. It's ugly and desperate, but also innovative, uproariously funny and terribly smart. Among the hardcore gamers of my acquaintance, Spelunky is the go-to drug. Even today, several years after its release, some of them still play it every day, despite having completed it many times over. That's because Spelunky, an ostensibly rogue-like platformer with a definite end, is tough, varied and highly randomized.It also has more dark secrets than a presidential candidate, meaning there are many, many ways to finish it, and its daily challenges are a sure-fire way to public humiliation. Unfortunately, humor is often missing among games, mostly being restricted to slapstick comedy or crude one-liners. The Stanley Parable, however, is hilarious without being dumbed down. Players follow (or don’t) a very British narrator who changes the world around you, depending on your decisions.No decision is punished, every play-through throws up new humor and weirdness. Being trapped in the closet in the Stanley Parable is more moving and funny than 9/10 of other games. Further reading: Retro-me-do! Digitiser's Mr Biffo on his top PC games of all time It took more than nine years to make, but Owlboy was definitely worth the wait. Originally contrived for PCs and released in late 20166, the clever masterpiece of an indie game is now available to experience on Mac and Linux as well – and there’s even a Nintendo Switch version! Owlboy centers around a race of owl-human hybrid characters called, well, Owls. Of them, you control Otis, an Owl who is censured by his mentor for his inept flying skills.The story sees Otis’ village dismantled by pirates who clearly have conflict with the Owls. As a result, Otis has to work with an assortment of villagers in-game to take out enemies. Of course, when boss battles arise, you’ll need to manage allies accordingly, as each character comes with their own set of unique skill sets to use in conjunction with one another. If you’ve ever played and enjoyed a Kid Icarus game, this is one for the books. Otherwise, play it anyway. Similar to The Stanley Parable, Gone Home falls into the unofficially labeled ‘walking simulator’ genre. Where it diverts from the clever and philosophical Stanley Parable, however is its focus on life’s difficult realities, instead of light humor.After getting home from a stay overseas, you play as 21-year-old Kaitlin Greenbriar who is greeted by a vacant residency. While gameplay in Gone Home is mainly limited to scavenging through notes to find out where the protagonist's family has ventured off to, the gripping story exhibits a rollercoaster of emotions, if you keep an open mind. Only SpaceChem has mingled education with entertainment as successfully as The Kerbal Space Program. The game is simple - design and build spacecraft to take the cutesy Kerbals to the Mun and beyond.Yet its focused use of real physics means that you'll find yourself following NASA in building multi-stage rockets, space stations and exploring the Kerbal's strange universe on EVAs, before bringing your discoveries back to research on the Kerbal planet - that's if you can get off the ground at all. It's a huge, complex, challenging and fun game, that's smart without being preachy. The exact opposite of the Kerbal Space Program, The Binding of Isaac is an action roguelike par excellence. Matched only by the equally visceral Nuclear Throne for replayability, you play as a young boy attempting to kill his damned siblings, his Mom, and possibly the Devil, using only his tears. Which he shoots from his eyes, of course.With hundreds of weird modifiers to discover, endlessly touch procedurally-generated levels, and secrets galore, Isaac is a very dark take on the exploratory model established by Spelunky. Though you might get put off by the pixel art graphics, Undertale isn’t a game that would have fit on the Super Nintendo. That’s because, in Undertale, you decisions make a huge difference in how the game ends and, more importantly, how it continues in New Game Plus.While you play Undertale, one of the first things you’ll start to realize is the sheer freedom the game affords you. Despite its genius boss matches, you can make it through the entire nine or so hours of Undertale without killing a soul. Plus, when you go through the game a second time, you’ll bear the weight of the consequences from your previous run. Plus, now that Undertale is coming to the Nintendo Switch later this year, you’ll be able to take this genius piece of game design wherever you go. From developer Playdead, Inside is comparable to its predecessor, Limbo, in some ways but with an added layer of depth that inspires frequent wonder. This is mostly a result of the unspoken narrative, which revolves around yet another nameless boy. In Inside, however, the boy in the story is running away from a group of men who – if you fail to stay out of their sights – will try to mercilessly kill you.Though it isn't quite clear why the boy is running from these men or why you should even care since you don't know who he is, Inside will leave you begging for answers. The bleak, lifeless setting of Inside is more than worth the price of admission. Its minimalist art style alone is avant-garde enough to feel right at home in a museum. Add in a game that's both fun to play and dripping with curiosity, though, and Inside is one of the best indie games money can buy. Developed single-handedly by Eric Barone, Stardew Valley is undoubtedly a technical feat for that little facet alone. If you’ve ever played a Harvest Moon game, you’re already familiar with the premise of Stardew Valley – you may just not know it yet. Stardew Valley is an addictive farming simulator which sees you interact with townees to the point where you can literally marry them.Stardew Valley isn’t just farming, though – it’s a whole bunch of things at the same time. You can go fishing, you can cook, you can craft stuff – you can even go explore procedurally-generated caves to mine for items and even attack slime-monster-things. However, you should keep in mind that your health and energy are finite, so you'll want to keep your character rested and fed to avoid suffering from exhaustion. Pass out and you’ll lose a considerable amount of money and items you’ve worked hard to attain. Stardew Valley will have you addicted for hours on end, for better or worse. (Definitely better.) From Canadian game developer Alec Holowka, the creator of the award-winning Aquaria (also featured on this list) and independent artist/animator Scott Benson, Night in the Woods is an unconventional side-scrolling adventure game centering around a 20-year-old protagonist named Mae who drops out of college to move back in with her parents.Featuring a story largely based around dialog choices and mini games that put a spin on mundane tasks, like carrying boxes up the stairs and eating perogies, Night in the Woods is a timeless coming-of-age tale. Not only will you experience middle class America through the eyes of a personified cat, but virtually every interaction in-game will have you laughing aloud. And now that it’s coming to the Nintendo Switch on February 1, you’ll be able to take it wherever you go. If you’re a fan of the recent wave of games inspired by Dark Souls, you’ll absolutely love Hollow Knight. You take control of the Hollow Knight, and lead them through the deceptively adorable landscape to take on bosses and other difficult challenges. Much like Dark Souls, it’s not immediately clear what you’re actually supposed to be doing as the narrative is intentionally obtuse. The Dark Souls inspirations don’t end there, however. It also adopts Dark Souls’ ‘tough but fair’ philosophy, where the game is only as hard as you make it – you can overcome anything as long as you have patience and learn from your mistakes. Hollow Knight takes these lessons from Dark Souls and injects them into a MetroidVania, with all the side-scrolling and upgrades you could possibly want. You can even play it on the Nintendo Switch now. Though newcomers may be offput by its clearly retro-inspired, twin-stick shoot ‘em up design, Nex Machina is a gem for fans of the classics. Featuring a play-style that’s heavily influenced by arcade cabinets Robotron (1982) and Smash TV (1990), Nex Machina will feel familiar to anyone versed in the products of games industry veteran Eugene Jarvis.That’s because Jarvis served as a creative consultant on this project, whose creation was helmed primarily by Super Stardust and Resogun developer Housemarque. Similar to Jarvis’ previous works, Nex Machina is played from a top-down perspective, with players taking out waves of enemies in order to protect human allies.  Introversions was one of the earliest 'indie' companies, releasing games like Uplink, Defcon and Darwinia whilst Vlambeer were still in short pants. After years of struggling, they've finally hit a huge success with Prison Architect, a game where you build, staff, outfit and manage a maximum security prison.With smart prisoners who are willing to do anything to escape, you'll struggle to keep them all inside - or keep them from rioting - and turn a profit. It's still in alpha, but it's eminently playable right now.. While The Kerbal Space Program might actually take you (or at least those poor doomed Kerbals) to the moon, To The Moon is a game about wish fulfillment, and thrives on narrative. In terms of movies, Kerbal is Gravity and Isaac is Saw, To The Moon is Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.You control two doctors who are exploring a dying man's memories to implant a false memory so he can die in peace. Which is all depicted in a classic 16-bit Zelda style. It's a rare, brave, adult game. Dwarf Fortress is its own genre, its own industry. This is a game that, before you've even set foot in it, has to generate the entire geography, mythology and history of its massive world. Then it tracks every single one of the dwarfs you're managing down to the hairs on their legs and the particular horrible elephant murder that they witnessed and they're now carving on an ornamental chair.Your task is to keep the dwarves alive as they carve out their subterranean kingdom - given that insanity, monsters, and starvation plague are thrown at them at every stage that's not easy. And dwarves, always, always mine too deep. Run. Jump. Die. Repeat. That's the basic premise of Super Meat Boy, a fiendishly addictive 2D platformer that's also bloody hard, with an emphasis on bloody. Pints of the red stuff is spilled as the game's eponymous meaty hero leap over deadly drops, spinning blades and walking chainsaws in a bid to rescue his girlfriend, Bandage Girl, from the evil Dr Foetus. Obviously. Boasting tight controls, plenty of humor and color graphics, Super Meat Boy leapt onto the PS4 and Vita this year in style. It might not be Playdead’s most recent game, but Limbo is timeless. Even five years after its release, the game’s haunting storyline still affects us. You play the Boy, a child with glowing eyes who’s cast into Limbo to find his sister. Making your way through a bleak and dangerous world full of hostile silhouettes, giant spiders and deadly gravitational fields, you’ll need to think quickly and perfectly time your movements if you’re going to survive.But Limbo is much more than a simple platformer: it's an experience, and one that has you pondering the very essence of life by the time it's over. Deep, profound and absorbing, it's one indie game everybody should take time out to play. If you're yearning for a retro-styled multiplayer archery combat game (aren't we all?), TowerFall: Ascension is the pick of the lot. Fast, frenetic and teeth-gnashingly hard in hardcore mode, the game's mechanics are simple: fire arrows at enemies or jump on their heads to stay alive until the round ends.Arrows that don't hit are embedded in walls, making for tense scenarios when you have to traverse the map while dodging enemies to retrieve them. As such, practicing until you achieve Robin Hood-esque levels of accuracy is recommended. Ascension is best experienced with friends in local multiplayer mode, which recalls Super Smash Bros' most manic moments. It’s not often that a platformer manages to balance challenging and engaging gameplay with an emotional and thought-provoking narrative, but Celeste pulls it off. From the developers of Towerfall, Celeste follows the story of Madeline, a young girl who decides to face her mental health issues by climbing to the top of the mysterious Celeste Mountain. Ind doing so, she learns more not only about the mountain, but about herself amid the heartwarming process. An inevitable classic, Celeste integrates the obvious jump, air-dash and climb controls into a brutal series of platforming challenges in upwards of 700 unique screens. And, if that’s too easy, you’ll unlock B-side chapters along the way, designed for only the bravest of hardcore players. Better yet, you don’t have to worry about waiting an eternity between each respawn. Instead, Celeste brings you back from the grave instantaneously, a welcome departure from the typically extensive load screens. Admittedly, exclusive indie games always wind up with the short end of the stick. That continues to ring true for Golf Story, an homage to Mario Golf on the Game Boy Color developed by Sidebar Games. As it’s a debut title for the Nintendo Switch, you might have overlooked Golf Story considering it came out on the same day as Stardew Valley, but here’s what you need to know.You don’t have to obsess over the PGA Tour to get into Golf Story, as you’re likely better off appreciating it for its RPG elements. Substituting combat for an athletic sport, you begin your adventure as a kid who is mentored by his dad before realizing he isn’t very good at golfing, something you’ll have to overcome as you pursue professional golf. After the raging success that was the original Nidhogg, it’s a shame to see the superior sequel get thrown under the bus. Nevertheless, in spite of its controversial art style, Nidhogg 2 packs a refined, gorgeous look that the first version, a cult-classic, couldn’t even think to compete with. In still frames, we can see how this could get misconstrued, but fortunately, it’s the fun and addictive local multiplayer gameplay that makes Nidhogg, well, Nidhogg. And it’s all there in Nidhogg 2. Plus, every time you respawn, you get one of four unique weapons that only bolster the challenge. Esteemed indie designer Jon Blow's follow up to Braid may look like an entirely different adventure, being 3D and all, but the two are more thematically alike than you might think. The Witness, at its core, is another puzzle game that tells an interesting story through said puzzles.This puzzler takes place in an almost equally impressionist – albeit heavily Myst-inspired – world, but it's story is far more nuanced and mysterious than Blow's previous. At almost every corner of this island that you've simply woken up on (or beneath), there is a clue as to how you got onto this island and why you're here. Don’t get us wrong, we liked Bastion, but we won’t deny that Transistor was SuperGiant Games’ best work to date. Much of that has to do with the convergence of action-based and turn-based RPG elements contained within its cyberpunk futurescape. Likewise, in classic SuperGiant fashion, those mechanics are complemented by a gorgeous art style and a music score so unforgettable it’ll make you want to buy the soundtrack.Leaving key gameplay beats up to the player, the story isn’t so variable. Transistor’s main character, Red, is a renowned singer in the city of Cloudbank. However, she’s been attacked by a group of vicious robots who call themselves the Process, operated by another group called the Camerata. In her journey, she finds the Transistor, a mysterious sword with the voice of a man. Soon enough, she’ll learn more about him and how he will shake up her world. It’s weird to think that Oxenfree came out before the first season of Stranger Things, and yet, the two properties coincidentally have a lot in common. The 80s-inspired heavy synth music composed by scntfc, for one, accentuates some truly gripping sci-fi horror centering around – you guessed it – a group of teenagers stuck on an island.The story involves a handful of uniquely written characters, namely the main character Alex, along with her stoner friend Ren, her newfound stepbrother Jonas, her dead brother Michael’s ex-girlfriend Clarissa and her best friend Nona (who Ren happens to be in love with).The plot is explained through branching speech dialogue, similar to Life is Strange or modern-day Telltale games, and features five different endings depending on your choices. Exploring a surreal wilderness seems like quite the trend these days in gaming, and developer Campo Santo's debut only serves to keep it going strong. Set in the wilderness of 1989 Wyoming, you're Henry, a fire lookout that's all alone in the woods after exploring something strange in the distance.That is, save for your partner on the other line of a walkie-talkie: Delilah. She's your only point of contact as you explore the wilderness. Will you make it back alive? Will the decisions you make help or harm the relationship with your only lifeline to the outside world, your boss? Don't worry about those questions just yet – just look at those forestscapes! Rust is one of the more successful indie titles of recent times. By the end of 2015 it had sold more than 3 million copies, which isn't too shabby considering it isn't even finished — the game has been on Steam's Early Access scheme since launching in December 2013.Still, it seems people can't get enough of the Day Z-inspired survival sim. It sees you use your wits and bearings to survive its harsh open world, starting off with nothing but a rock. After gathering resources needed to build a house and weapons to fend off attackers (other online players, in other words), Rust gradually becomes more intense as you defend your growing base — or attempt to breach others'. Source link

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How Roger Corman Finally Restored His Uncensored Vision for The Masque of the Red Death

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The Masque of the Red Death, Roger Corman’s masterful 1964 adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, has been fully restored and can now be seen in all its diabolical splendor. The seventh of eight “Poe Cycle” films Corman made in the 1960s, Masque is arguably the best. Before its release, Poe had already delivered Corman from the low budget black and white films he shot in 10 days in the 1950s to the relative luxury of three-week shoots and psychedelic underworlds. 

The new DVD/Blu-Ray is the first fully uncut, extended version of the film to be available. Besides restoring cinematographer Nicolas Roeg’s sumptuous camerawork, we get extra scenes which were cut by censors. The package also includes a 20-page booklet with a new essay from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ film preservationist Tessa Idlewine.

The original “The Masque of the Red Death” short story was published in 1842, and it is only 15 paragraphs long, shorter than a Cracked article. To fill out the horror feature, screenwriters Charles Beaumont, who wrote episodes of The Twilight Zone as well as The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao, and science fiction author R. Wright Campbell incorporated Poe’s short story “Hop Frog” as a subplot, and added elements of the short story “Torture by Hope” by Auguste Villiers de l’Isle-Adam.

While Corman’s The Masque of the Red Death has discovered new life as a comforting modern parable during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it was released in 1964, many took the film to be a comment on the nuclear nightmares of the Cold War era. It did open the same year as Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove. And atomic bomb fallout resulted in its own “Red Death,” leading to an entire generation to be assured the living would envy the dead. The film was filmed during the Profumo Scandal of 1963, and British tabloids were filled with stories of “Man In The Mask Parties” in Hyde Park Gate.

“I have Tasted the Beauties of Terror”

As an Anglo-American horror movie, The Masque of the Red Death continues European genre progressions set by the Italian Gothic film, Beatrice Cenci, directed by Riccardo Freda in 1956, and Mario Bava’s 1963 film La frusta e il corpo (The Whip and the Body). Corman’s influences went beyond genre, however, incorporating the post-apocalyptic imagery of Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal. In Masque, Death’s messengers report survival rates to their Master, who calculates only “a dwarf jester and five other people remain alive in the world.”

In an interview about the film’s restoration with Den of Geek, Corman admits he “should watch more genre films to keep up with it. But I’m more inclined towards somewhat more serious films, and particularly foreign films.”

The Masque of the Red Death also appears to owe a great debt to American experimental independent filmmaker Kenneth Anger’s Inauguration of The Pleasure Dome (1954), and recalls Michael Curtiz’s 1933 horror film, Mystery of the Wax Museum, which was shot in the pink-and-green two-color Technicolor process.

After years of black and white exploitation pictures for American International Pictures (AIP), Corman’s Poe cycle began his move to color, and the exciting new challenges of shooting beyond monochrome. The adaptation of The Masque of the Red Death set a new level of excellence in Corman’s use of set dressing, lighting, and costume design. They are given a fuller palette.

Says Corman, “I always thought that Poe represented the unconscious mind, and I shot according to that. It was one of my themes.”

In Poe’s story, the pride of Prince Prospero’s palace is seven rooms. Each is decorated and illuminated in a specific color: blue, purple, green, orange, white, and violet. The last room is black and bathed in light which shines a deep color of blood. All of the furniture is black, including a clock, which chimes each hour. At the chime of the clock, the revelers at the masquerade freeze. The musicians stop playing. The dancers strike a pose, and all conversations stop. Revelry resumes when the chiming stops. The rooms represent the human mind, the blood and time infuses corporeality. Corman’s direction manages to let that seep into every frame. The tone is both mischievous and chilling.  

The Masque of the Red Death is atmospheric. The dialogue is more important than the action, but the settings and framing are paramount. “I felt the unconscious mind doesn’t really see the world,” Corman explains. “The conscious mind sees the world with eyes, ears, and so forth, and simply transmits information. So, I made a point on all of the Poe films of never going outside unless I absolutely had to. I wanted to have full control, to shoot within the studio. Whether it came through to the audience, I don’t know. But at least in my own mind, I was able to deal with special effects with a number of things, with the concept of the unconscious mind.”

The cinematography was done by Nicholas Roeg. While Corman hadn’t yet become acquainted with Mario Bava, Roeg’s camera allows the Italian horror director’s psychedelic influence to surge through the camera. The Masque of the Red Death “was the first I had done in England,” Corman tells us. “And they showed me a work of a number of English cameramen, and I thought Nic was the best of the group. And the collaboration went very well. I thought he did really, a brilliant job [with the] camera work.”

Roeg would go on to direct classic independent cinema with films like Don’t Look Now, Performance starring Mick Jagger, and the David Bowie cinematic encapsulation, The Man Who Fell to Earth. “I never knew, did I inspire him to be a director, or did he feel ‘if Roger can do it, anybody can do it?’” Corman wonders.

While Corman had a bigger budget and more time to make the film, cost- and labor-cutting alternatives occasionally provided fortunate outcomes. “Danny Heller, my art director, and I, always went to what was called a scene dock in studios where we’re going to work,” Corman says. “The scene dock contained flats from previous pictures, just individual flats. When we did Masque of the Red Death, we found these magnificent flats from Becket.”

The Price of Evil

Vincent Price has the most delicious delivery in this film. His devil worshipping Prince Prospero is the cruel sovereign of a village plagued with an all-consuming Red Death, and Price’s inflections are infectious. His voice is seductive, and his cruelty brims with good humor.

“He had the character pretty much set in mind when he came into it,” Corman remembers. “Vincent always did a great deal of preparation. We would discuss the characters, just Vincent and me, before the rehearsals. He and I were in agreement on the character, and then he would bring that character to the rehearsals. We did not do a great deal of rehearsing because of the Screen Actors Guild rules. They charge you as if you are shooting when you rehearse.”

Price played Roderick Usher in Corman’s first Poe adaptation, The Fall of the House of Usher. For The Masque of The Red Death, the director only gave one note. “As I remember, I said, ‘The really key to Prospero’s character is that he believes God is dead,’” Corman says. “And everything stems from that belief. That with the absence of God, he was free to do anything he wanted.” 

Ultimate power breeds ultimate corruption. The film is set in a country decimated by an epidemic. While the prince of this unnamed land offers refuge for his courtiers, he derives perverse satisfaction in condemning his subjects to death by their exclusion. While Prospero is making his annual deign-to-see-the-peasants day, one of the townspeople dies of Red Death. 

The prince intended to offer peasants some crumbs in appreciation of their labor, but young Gino (David Weston) mocks him. To make matters worse, the ungrateful worker’s lover Francesca (Jane Asher) defends the man, prompting Prospero to label both of them insurrectionists. He burns the village to the ground, throws Gino and Francesca’s father into one of the most foreboding castle dungeons in horror history, and puts Francesca up at his palace. Tempted by the idealism and faith of the village’s “resistance,” Prospero corrupts and sacrifices for sheer joy.  

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Meanwhile the prince promises his aristocratic guests that they will be immune to the scourge, unless they displease him. He throws a masked ball and forbids anyone to wear red, as it would be in bad taste. He is actually preparing a mass sacrifice in exchange for Satan’s favor. Asher’s Francesca is an incorruptible innocent who seems to have perfect faith. The Satanic prince will not tolerate any Christian worship on his estate, so he delights in tempting the faithful into the “velvet darkness” of evil. Prospero hopes to turn her into a Satanist or drive her mad.

For the Uninvited, There is Much to Fear

The film was hit with heavy censorship. In the U.S, the Catholic Legion of Decency sent a list of changes, and in the UK, the British Board of Film Censors required a separate set of cuts. The Legion of Decency bemoaned the “Satanism and erotic costuming” on the screen, according to the booklet which comes with the DVD/Blu-Ray package. Father Sal Miraliotta, a separate reviewer from the Legion of Decency, first approved the film and then changed his grade to a B, which meant morally objectionable. He ultimately downgraded it to a full Condemned rating, blasting the Satanic worship and its malignancy of the soul, and mocking the screenwriters’ “strung-together gibberish” and “mumbo-jumbo Latin.”

Hazel Court’s Juliana is captivating and as conniving as Prince Prospero. She’s also more subtly insidious. Juliana dedicates herself to the service of Satan and receives the ultimate payoff. While most of Juliana’s satanic invocation was left in, censors wanted the word “Alleluia” removed. The U.S. version also censored the film’s climax. When the Man in Red is talking with Prince Prospero, the dialogue was changed from “Each man creates his own God for himself. His own Heaven – his own Hell” to “Each man creates his own Heaven – his own Hell.” This takes out the idea that God could be created by man, something Ian Anderson would explore on Jethro Tull’s classic 1971 album, Aqualung.  

When asked whether all this divine intervention made Corman think he just might be going to hell, he says, “No, that never occurred to me. I’m sort of a lapsed Catholic, and I don’t believe there is a hell.”

Some of the cuts had nothing to do with blasphemous ideology. The tiny dancer Esmeralda is played on camera by young actor Verina Greenlaw, but her dialogue was dubbed over by an adult woman. Skip Martin’s clever Hop Toad character plots vengeance over her royal mistreatment at the hands of Alfredo, campily played by veteran actor Patrick Magee. One unsettling scene was removed from the U.S. version because it seemed Esmerelda’s relationship with Hop Toad was more than friendship.

Corman also cut nine frames from the scene where Francesca is stripped down and thrown into a bathtub because it gave the illusion of nudity. The removed frames ensured Asher’s breasts would not appear on screen.

“I’ve Already Had That Doubtful Pleasure“

The irony, upon seeing the restored scenes, is how they actually feed into the surprisingly righteous conclusion of the film. The Masque of the Red Death is rife with blasted, unholy incantations, but the prince’s callous sacrifices and lifelong debauchery mean nothing to a master who answers to no one. Talk about moral relativity! The hero of The Masque of Red Death is Death, and Death worships no gods and no devils. The depths of Prospero’s belief turn out to be mere demonic delusions.

Corman shot the low-budget Poe pictures through bulky Mitchell cameras on 35mm film and the restoration breathes a new life to each underfunded frame. Composer David Lee’s soundtrack of tambourines, fifes, and brass evokes the medieval period, as do the elegant costumes by Laura Nightingale. The restoration highlights the lushness of both, as they mix to underscore the “velvet darkness” with subliminal subtext of renewal and hope. At the same time, the restored cut actually makes the darkness darker.

The Masque of Red Death ends with the words “Sic transit gloria mundi,” Latin for “thus goes the glory of the world.” Corman’s take on Poe’s apocalyptic parable is a truly inglorious achievement. The film is proof that no budgetary restrictions hold back artistic vision when lunatics get the run of the asylum. They can create and destroy a whole crazy world.

The Masque of the Red Death is available on Blu-Ray, DVD, and Digital now.

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