#why are all the games i like so insanely large and graphics heavy

[qingxn]

head in hands

so apparently I need to choose between hsr update or wuwa bc they're both very Lorge

[xx-j4nu5-c4t5-xx]

WARNING: INCREDIBLY LONG POST AHEAD

The Sims 2 Fitness System: Proposing Reworks and Slowly Going Insane

I. Introduction

The Sims 2 was absolutely revolutionary, both for its time, and even into the modern day, as a life simulation game. The level of detail put into seemingly basic systems and interactions and the love that was poured into every part of the game make it stand out even among titles that released years later.

However, the passage of time halts for no man, and The Sims 2 is no exception. The graphics are often described as looking rough and rudimentary, some of the references haven't aged spectacularly, and it is very clearly a product of its time. Despite this, most aspects of the game translate perfectly fine to today's audiences, except for one system that I've noticed is less than spectacular: the part that dictates the shape of your sim's body.

The fitness slider is a pretty simple framework: work out, and your sim gains muscle, and their body changes to reflect it. Eat too much, and they'll put on some weight. Do neither, and they stay skinny.

Simple enough.

But why is being skinny the default? And why are muscle and fat treated as mutually exclusive, like a human being can't have both?

And why are they in that order? Why would you have to lose muscle to gain fat? Why is being skinny a step you have to go through at all, when someone could realistically transition from muscular to fat or vice versa without ever fully losing either?

Well, a large part of it, I'm sure, was the 2000's and the focus on skinniness, especially among teenagers and young adults (which seemed to be the target audience when TS2 released). Skinniness being treated as a default somewhat lines up with the culture of the time. But it shouldn't have to work like that, right? Especially not now? There's got to be a better way of going about it all.

II. The Proposal

A muscular frame and a heavy-set frame can both be considered extreme values on a scale, and a thinner one can be considered neither. Simply put, if you've got fat, you're chubby; if you've got muscle, you're beefy; and if you've got neither, you're skinny. But that doesn't mean that skinniness is a midpoint between the two other states like on a simple scale, number line style.

In reality, muscle and fat aren't positive or negative values of one variable. They're two entirely separate variables that can be toyed with to create an entire spectrum. Thinness is now no longer a midpoint, but a third state that the body can fall into.

You can be fat, and you can be muscular. You can be neither.

And now, you can now be both. Or a mix of all three states, go nuts.

With this setup, you've got less of a line and more of a triangle, with any point falling inside it corresponding to a different mix of variables. None of the points cancel out or directly oppose one another, and none is treated as the default value of the system.

So what's the default, then?

III. The Catch

The three extremes have to meet at one point in the center, right?

So what do we do if a sim is right in the middle? Does any fluctuation immediately send the poor thing careening into an entirely different body shape?

No. That's a bit much. What we need now is a middle ground between the extreme values. Something that doesn't lean too hard into being muscular, fat, or thin. A nice balance. A default or average body shape.

Would this require adding a fourth, entirely new body morph to the game? Would it even really solve the problem? Would it be worth any of the trouble of setting it up?

Yes, maybe, and probably not, if I'm honest.

But as long as we're dreaming the dream, let's imagine it.

The cool thing about equilateral triangles is that you can divide them into four equal triangles that are congruent with the original one. So, if we take a standard triangle and divide it into fourths, we get our little zones.

A sim, based on some outside stuff I'll get into later, will be assigned a point in the triangle that falls into one of these four zones, assigning them a different body shape. As the sim's point moves through the space, it may land in different zones and change their body accordingly.

But computers can't just look at a cute little diagram and understand it. We need a way to communicate to the program that hey! this does actually make sense and isn't just a bunch of nonsense. We gotta speak their language, and they speak the language... of math.

IV. The Math Jargon

Stick with me. I don't know what I'm talking about either, so I'll try to explain what I'm doing as well as I can.

The cool division thing about equilateral triangles also applies to right triangles as well, specifically the one we're using. Basically, what we need to do is make a graph all math class style so the computer can interpret it into usable data.

To do this, we need a series of steps.

Step 1: Make a graph. Let's say the Y axis is muscle and the X is fat. A Y-value of 1 is entirely muscular, an X-value of 1 is entirely fat, and the origin (0,0) is entirely skinny. Cool.

Step 2: Make the triangle. Let's add our X and Y values together so that, if the result is ever greater than 1, the point is invalid. This means that the point (0.25, 0.75) is valid, but (0.26, 0.75) is outside of the triangle and is therefore a nonsensical value. This makes it so that any point defined must land within the triangle to make any sense.

Step 3: Define the regions. Now we do the thing where we split it into fourths again, creating our zones (and making sure they match the variables we set). I've attempted to work out the math below but I'm a notoriously shit mathematician so don't take my word for it.

If x + y < 0.50, set the body type to Thin.

If .50 > (x + y) > 1, then check the variables.

If x > .50, set body type to Fat.

If y > .50, set body type to Fit.

If x and y are both < .50, set body type to Default.

(I've also tried my hand at writing something that could correct the values if they get out of the triangle.)

If x + y > 1,

If x = y, set both variables to .50.

If x and y are not equal, average both values with .50 over and over until the point is valid.

Step 4: Now, all we have to do is link up the zones with the different body shapes and, if all the math works right, we're good to go!

V. So what does this do actually

Having this system in place not only allows for more realistic and balanced weight and fitness changes, but also for more control over the changes themselves.

A sim's body type is no longer a single variable; it's a dynamic value that can be skewed in more specific directions based on their actions and lives.

For example:

A sim that gets pregnant could have their fat value increase slightly.

A sim that has recently been very ill or has died and been resurrected could lose points in both their muscle and fat values, making them skinnier.

A sim that successfully wins a fight could have their muscle value increase slightly.

A sim that stops working out regularly could gradually lose muscle points over time.

A sim that frequently eats things like takeout and pizza could have their fat value increase over time.

This system would allow for not only more variation in bodies among sims, but also for more realistic reactions to their habits and environments. Would it be tricky to implement? Yes. But maybe it could be worth the trouble.

[kim-miyeon]

Hell Above - Chapter Fifteen

PAIRINGS: Hwang Hyunjin X Female Reader

WARNINGS: Series contains mature content, read at your own discretion. Mafia!AU, explicit language, suggestive language, graphic scenes, weapons, mild abuse, angst, 18+.

WORD COUNT: 4.3K

Previous | Next

Everything’s Not Alright, and I Would Rather...

The day had come.

The roar of the vehicle drowned in your ears as you sat back and watched as the pedestrians walked by the hospital. You grew envious that you were unable to have such a normal life, one where you could walk so freely with common care and worry. The sun rays beamed on the car causing the temperature to surpass a well comfortable standard and you felt your anxiety churn in the pit of your stomach. He was coming for you and you were foolish to believe that a historial full of those suffering would allow him To pause in his conquest. You hung your head and sighed out, and felt a soft hand place itself on your thigh as you looked up worryingly to this man. 

It was almost unfair. How in a life full of torture, deceit and pain, that there was someone so honest, so loving. Hyunjin had and would always be the light at every end of each tunnel you found yourself in. He will always be that comforting voice in your mind. The softest touch a human could ever have. And it was unfair because you couldn’t live a life of peace and harmony. You two will never be able to sleep restfully in each other’s arms without the worry of captive or murder at your corner. To live the way you had, hidden behind masks placed for the both of you caused nothing but pain. And at what cost? You feared since the day your grandfather decided that he and the network would move forward and deem it necessary for you to be killed, that you would never truly see this man again. You looked at Hyunjin, studied all of his features. How his skin almost resembled silk in the way it looked soft to the touch and had no imperfections. His mole that was kissed under his eye, and the sharpness of the angles in the way he was carved by angels. His eyes felt like two of the most precious stars caught from the galaxy and placed into his orbs. They drew you in and made you feel like everything around you was still. His lips… his lips that took you to paradise, how everything he did, brought you bliss. He was your safety net, your rock, your protector. And you never thought love at first sight was real, you had grown up to hate this man, but the moment you looked at him with your own two eyes, you felt static electricity run through your spine. You two had as would always be two hearts as one, two souls cut from the same strand. He had always been your other half.

And that’s what scares you. The unknown. Of the hours ahead, the plan that had been set in place. You remembered the discussion you had with Changbin when he introduced the bullet to you. The technology and the thought behind its ability to stun you and weaken the heartbeat but not enough force to kill you. You knew Hyunjin didn’t see your point of view and grew nervous for the safety of your unborn child. 

“Here it is” 

“So tell me, when Minho shoots it-“ You started and Changbin cut you off. 

“It will break the skin, it will hurt, especially if he is rather close to you. I made this protection pad for you to wear..”  Changbin handed to the padding and you eyed it a bit before he continued.

“This should help stop the force of the bullet from completely killing you”

“YAH!” Hyunjin yelled more as a warning to be careful with the words people used. He was on edge with the whole situation.

“Hyunjin it ‘s fine. It won’t kill me. We just need it to put me out for a few, make grandfather believe I am dead.” You looked at him before turning to Changbin, “Thank you Changbin.” 

Hyunjin clenched his jaw and left the room as you tried to grab on to his arm as he jerked you off.

“Hyunjin—“

You followed after him and you two were in the hallway when you called out his name again and grabbed him as he  turned to you. 

“This is ridiculous Y/N putting yourself at danger! Putting everything on the line like this. If he thinks you're dead, what difference does it make!?”

“He hid me from the world. He made me non existent. Do you know that you could have been dead years ago!? That’s why.” You retorted and Hyunjin sighed out in frustration.

“I’m playing the same game as him, Hyunjin. Making myself non existent. For me, for you…” You grabbed his hand and placed it over your stomach, “for our family.”

Hyunjin pulled you into a hug and held you tightly, like he was going to lose you .“I just can’t bear to think of something happens, if you-“

“Nothing will happen, I promise. I trust Minho. I trust the plan.”

“I’m going in.” You unbuckle your seat belt and looked at Hyunjin. He slid his hand over your cheek and behind your head as he pulled you into a kiss, one that felt so passionate, full of love, fear, lust. Like it was the last time you two would ever feel each other. His lips molding into yours like he was studying every soft line you had and memorizing the way you taste. 

“Y/N” He whispered against your lips. It was so beautiful the way he said your name.

“I love you.” 

“I love you too.” You kissed him back before you made your way out of the car and to the hospital. 

You took slow steps walking across the cream colored colored floor, mind lost in the daze as your heels clacking against the concrete were the only thing that could be heard. The smell of medicine and cleanliness around you and the overwhelming silence of it all as you approached Jeongin’s hospital room made you feel insane. Your skin was itching for some kind of crazy to happen, and you received nothing of the sort. As you approached the corner of the room you heard a not so pleasant sound. The sound of a laugh you were not expecting to hear in the hospital, one full of danger and suspense. You began to think to yourself the harm Jeongin could be in and how bold of a man your Grandfather was to show himself here, and at the same time you were not surprised. You took one deep breath in and walked into the hospital room and saw a frozen in place Jeongin sitting up on his bed. Your grandfather sat across him with his legs crossed, his eyes dark and evil, smile curved just enough to scare away those around him. He had his men in the room holding their assault rifles in clear view. All attention focused on you when you came into sight. There was no turning back now.

“Today is the day Y/N. I trust that you know what lies ahead of you” you grandfather spoke, head slowly turning to you as you squinted at him and clenched your jaw.

“I suppose it was foolish of me to believe that you wouldn’t come here to find me.” You responded back and he smiled at you.

“You and Jeongin...two peas in a pod. It’s a shame one of you has to go.” You looked over at Jeongin who was in complete fear, fast ghostly white. You grew anxious.

“If you have come to harm-“

“I do not wish to harm Jeongin any more than I have.”

You paused and you stepped forward and your grandfather’s soldiers raised their weapons at you and your grandfather raised his hand to calm them.

“I will let you have a moment to speak, then we will take you.” You grandfather stood up and you saw the small sling around his arm where you had inflicted your gun shot to. He walked towards you and you moved over to allow him and his men to step out of the room before you ran over to Jeongin’s side and began touching his face.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” 

“Y/N.” 

You checked for any and all signs of cuts and bruises on Jeongin’s body as he kept repeating your name softly. Your mind was so caught up in him that you didn’t hear him raise his voice at you. It was when he gripped your wrists tightly to have you stop when you looked into his eyes.

“I’m okay.” 

You nodded softly and felt tears in your eyes and Jeongin shook his head to tell you not to cry.

“I’m scared Jeongin.” You whispered and he nodded.

“You’re going to be fine. Trust me.” You felt a single tear roll down your cheek and Jeongin pulled you into his arms for a hug, “I’ll see you on the other side.”

You pulled back from him and looked at Jeongin confused before you felt to large hands grip your arms tightly and began to pull you.

“No. LET GO OF ME.” You struggled to get free as you looked at Jeongin who smiled at you and waved sadly and you felt the pit of your stomach churn. “JEONGIN!”

Before you knew it you felt a padding of cloth come to your nose and you began to inhale. Your head grew light and your eyes got heavy as you felt all your weight drop and everything go black.

******************************************************************************************

“They took her.”  Hyunjin bursted into the office and Minho jolted up out of his seat as he turned to Felix who looked back at him.

“It’s time.” Minho said and Felix nodded and got up and grabbed his jacket.

“Let’s go fuck shit up.” Felix said and left the room, heading to go round up the other boys.

Hyunjin stood there across from Minho as Minho looked back at him. 

“So we are really doing this?” Hyunjin asked and Minho nodded his head.

“Better late than never.” Minho scoffed to himself and Hyunjin nodded as they both left the room.

*******************************************************************************************

You felt your eyes start to pry open and you hissed when you saw the light of the room attack your sight. You squinted hard and saw a man standing in the room guarding the door watching you. You sat yourself up slowly and realized you in a bedroom, one that felt painfully familiar in an odd way. You saw the man grab something at his hip and raise it to his lips.

“She’s awake.” 

You felt your blood run cold. The room was eerily old and filled with floating dust. You then noticed you were laying on a bed and you glanced around and took more in as the man kept speaking over his walkie.

“Bring her to the yard.” You over heard a voice say as you saw the man nod and you glanced over to the side table and noticed a photo of two people you knew.

Your parents.

Soon the man raised his weapon at you and you looked up at him sadly as he gripped your arm and you felt a slight pain on your wrists. You had been tied up with a plastic zip tie and it had rubbed against your skin so much you almost broke blood.

The man jerked you off the bed and placed his gun on your back and you made no sound, no sign of hesitation. You felt absolutely defeated and the war hadn’t even begun. You took a look at the room, your parents room. A place you hadn’t had the chance to truly embrace as home. This whole place you thought was supposed to be home. But it became grounds for evil. A place where the souls of your family are trapped forever.

“Let’s go.” The man pushed you towards the door and you compiled as you started to move.

The hallways were still covered in family portraits and decorations. The mansion had never been changed, had not been touched since the massacre. As you walked further and further you passed by the office, and you felt a piece of yourself grow light. Everything slowed down as you made your way past the room because you knew what had taken place. 

The scenes of the events that had occurred flashed before your eyes. You could see your mother, tied to a chair, being beaten and tortured while your father watched in agony, screaming and begging for the men to stop. Your mother…. bleeding out, being stripped of her garments and abused. Your father watched as they placed the gun to her head and fired the last shot. 

You saw your father cry. Losing hope and the love of his life, losing you. You felt his pain as you walked past. You felt everything like you never have before.

You walked down the stairs of the mansion and saw the dark beauty behind the way everything looked. It was a true shame, so much beauty and life sucked out of this home. 

Once you made your way to the from door you saw another soldier standing by and looked at you unpleasantly. The soldier behind you pushed you into the other as the next one grabbed you and headed out to the front of the house. You looked ahead and saw your grandfather standing in the middle of the yard, almost ritualistically surrounded by men you knew only through photos. The network. 

You were walked closer to your grandfather and then shoved to the ground as you tried to catch yourself with your hands tied. You felt the gravel of the ground damage your knees and scrape your hands and some of your face as you fell hard with a grunt. You heard your grandfather snicker to himself as he cleared his throat.

“I present to you all. The daughter of Lee Won Shik. LEE Y/N!”

You pushed yourself up off the ground and looked up at your grandfather as he spoke to the crowd. 

“Y/N original mission was to infiltrate the Hwang family through their son, Hwang Hyunjin. A tactic we have all created together and implemented.” 

You listened to this absurdity. Not only was your grandfather a monster but the whole network was behind him, that’s how his power never faded. There was so much corruption and evil around you that it made you afraid. 

“Unfortunately, it seems that our very own has fallen deep into her work. She is now unfit to rule this family and has committed treason to us.” 

You saw as the men who stood around you listened and you looked back up at your grandfather who smiled and continued.

“Lee Y/N is carrying the child of Hwang Hyunjin.” 

Shocked responses from around you as you flared up at your grandfather broke the airy night. Your breathing grew heavy and you never broke eye contact with the man who stood before you. You knew the network would never turn on this man and you knew you were being tried.

“Lee Y/N, how do you plead?” Your grandfather smiled knowing that this was his most enjoyable event. He loathed you so much that the thought of your head on a plate was what got him here. You clenched your jaw and smiled back at him and laughed. 

“Guilty.” 

Your grandfather almost frowned to your answer, but scoffed. “Guilty, you heard the woman.”

He began to walk around you and look at the men around, “the Lee family has held its crown for decades, and we have ruled over all families. We will not allow a child stained with Hwang blood to succeed the throne of this business.” 

You noticed lights ahead, lights belonging to a vehicle. Two then four then six… multiple cars approached and you felt okay knowing that Minho was close.. Hyunjin was close. The plan was about to be executed and the future was more clear for you.

The cars pulled up and you saw the reactions of everyone as they pulled their weapons up and aimed at the vehicles. The lights shining into your eyes cause you to look away and squinted as you heard the sound of the door opening and slamming shut.

“Stand down, everyone.” Your grandfather ordered and you heard the sound of weapons lowering.

“Lee Minho has come to complete his mission.” Your grandfather spoke and laughed, “He will execute the leader and take the crown as the new leader of the Lee Family.”

The lights of the car flashed off and you saw Minho in the dark, walking to you. His expression was full of rage and anger. You looked up at him as he looked down at you. In the back of his eyes you searched for a confirmation that the plan was in action and that his expressions were not drawn at you. But you found nothing, you couldn’t read him. His eyes were as black as the night sky and they held an incredible amount of hate. You felt yourself grow uneasy, you had trusted him. Surely he wasn’t going to pull the trigger on you, you trusted him to shoot you where it had been planned. You saw him inch towards you and he drew his weapon at you, aimed at your head. 

“Minho..” you whispered.

“Now is the time Minho!” Your grandfather’s voice brought you back to the reality of the situation. You tried to tell yourself that this wasn’t real, Minhop wouldn’t dare to shoot you. But as you looked up at him, his gun aimed at your head, you weren’t so sure. 

You thought back to the last conversation you had with Minho, and how in that moment you truly felt like this was a moment you weren’t supposed to question. 

You peeked behind the wall at him as he stood in the middle of the night, looking up at the sky and sighing heavily to himself. You could feel his distress, his fear, his anxiety...all of it. It surrounded him as he kept digging a larger hole in his mind and you wondered what was going on. You wanted to speak to him, and you  wanted to give him the space you knew he needed. But in the end it was ruined by you making a far too noticeable sound when you leaned against the door. Minho laughed a bit and turned his head softly as you grew embarrassed. 

“ So you’re spying on me now, Y/N” He said softly and you cleared your throat as you walked closer to him and smiled.

“The boys said that you were out here, I just wanted to check in on you.” You said and Minho gleaned over at you and nodded.

“You guys are all counting on me but, I  can’t do this Y/N '' Minho croaked out, almost chocking by tears and you looked at him in concern as he exhaled deeply. 

“I keep playing it in my head, over and over again and I just…” 

“Minho… don’t” You reached out your hand to touch his arm as he hung his head low. 

“The first time he laid his hands on you...you were only seven.” You felt the guilt rise in him, everything that he was feeling that he kept deep inside  was pouring out. 

“I remember that day too well, I watched him take you to his chamber and I was so mad because I thought that you were getting a reward. I was so jealous and angry and then..” 

You bit your lip at the memory, one that you try not to bring back to your mind, but Minho’s point of view made you realize that he had been struggling in a different way all these years. 

“When I saw the bruises on your arms and face...I…” He paused and you saw him choke on the tears that were coming out without fail. You shook your head not wanting him to continue but he did anyways as you tried to comfort him. 

“Y/N I didn’t want to get hurt the way you were, I thought if I ignored it, maybe one day it would go away. He would stop but..he didn’t.” 

“ I know..” 

“No, you don’t. I have failed to protect you for so long, and I have been against you for years. And now, I have to help you and I don’t know if I can. If I miss, if something happens, I’m responsible. What if you die?”

“I’m prepared to.” You spoke bluntly and Minho looked at you wide eyed, “I’m prepared to die, if it goes wrong.”

“But what about Hyunjin?” 

You sighed, and reached into your back pocket and pulled out a note that you had been saving to give to Minho. “If I die, you give this to him.”

“I trust you Minho… I trust that you’re going to come and pull that trigger and you and I are going to change the world. I know it. I know I looked at you for years as the bad guy in my life, but you’re just as fucked up as me. We can’t fix that but we can evolve from it.” You said and he nodded at you and you sighed. 

“I just don’t know what I would do if you got hurt, Y/N. I should of been there all these years-” 

“So be there now. Be here for me now. Pull the trigger and help me.” 

Minho glared at you and you felt tears starting to warm your eyes and your grandfather chuckled lowly. 

“My oh my, what do we have here?” 

“MINHO.” A loud yell came from behind and your eyes widened. What the fuck is he doing?” 

You saw Hyunjin storm his way past the cars and saw his men trail behind him. You noticed Changbin, Jisung, and Chan as well as Seungmin and Felix behind with their weapons as Hyunjin kept approaching. Your mind went numb. This wasn’t the plan. 

Minho never took his eyes off of you and he was incredibly still and locked on you. You felt your heartbeat quicken when you saw Hyunjin approach you two and then all weapons drew. 

Hyunjin looked at you and you looked back in complete fear and confusion.

“Minho put your gun down.” Hyunjin ordered and you watched as he held his weapon at Minho.

“No.” Minho looked at you and you looked up at him. You were trying so hard to make sense of the situation. This wasn’t what you had discussed and what you agreed on. This was different. Something different was happening and you were lost. Everything felt wrong. 

“Minho, what’s going on?” You whispered at him and you watched as he began to ease on the tension, somehow your words brought him back. 

“Minho.. I’m fucking warning you…” Hyunjin held his gun and you looked at Hyunjin.

“HYUNJIN PUT YOUR GUN DOWN!” You screamed. 

“NO Y/N, HE’S GOING TO KILL YOU.” 

The pounding of your heart was in your ears as you looked at Hyunjin. He stood in front of you, gun pointed at Minho. His eyes were dark, like he craved this. You felt hazy, nothing in that moment felt real. Your knees grew sore from being in the gravel. You looked up to the side of you and saw Minho. His eyes, sad and hurting. You thought he would cry. But how could he in this moment. But the gun in his hand at you didn’t feel staged anymore. Nothing felt right. You were beginning to question your sanity. Had all of this been a lie? Were you once again fooled? Your grandfather’s claps interrupted your thought process as you turned to him as he chuckled.

“All three of you. In one vicinity. How delightful it is to see sucha scene, and how pathetic it is to see the son of Hyun-woo sacrificing his life yet again for a woman.” Hyunjin clenched his jaw as he looked at you and you stared back. He was hard to read, something that never was difficult before. He looked busy in his mind, thinking about something deeply. You turned to Minho and he looked down at you as you tried to read him. Blank. You felt your heartbeat quicken and the pit of your stomach felt light. Where were they? Why were they not with you?

“Since I have you three here, I might as well use this to my advantage.” your grandfather stepped closer and looked at Minho.

“Shoot her.” 

“Don’t you dare.” Hyunjin growled.

“Shoot her Minho.” 

“Minho I swear to god, don’t you dare pull that trigger.” 

���No?” Your grandfather looked at Hyunjin and he smiled at him. “ Then you pull it Hyunjin. Pull yours.” 

You looked at the scene and felt tears brim your eyes. Nothing felt right and this was not the plan. You looked to Hyunjin and then Minho. Minho began to shake and you pleaded with your eyes. 

“I don’t care who pulls the trigger, it means nothing to me. One of you has to die anyways…” 

Those words sent chills down your spine. No matter the outcome, your grandfather felt no remorse if anyone were to die. It was painful, but not shocking. He ordered the death of your family and has no sense of guilt for what he has done. You bit your lip and almost felt like the plan would have caused nothing but more anger and pain. So maybe you would be okay if Minho pulled the trigger. Maybe this was the best thing for everyone. 

“You heard him Y/N.” Minho said softly and you looked at him in fear as he cocked his gun back and you saw the light escape his eyes, full blown rage. 

“One of us has to die.”

You closed your eyes, letting a tear run down your cheek as you prepared mentally for the pain, for the sorrow. It ends here, you thought. This was for the best.

The last thing you heard was the sound of the gun firing it’s bullet, leaving you stunned, cold, and quiet.

A/N: SO sorry this came out late, you are all so eager and I was trying to type and proof between shifts :( Being an ADULT is hard, but anyways. We have reached the end. Next week is the last chapter. I could actually cry. As always let me know your thoughts and I will see you on the other side loves:) 

Taglist:   @hyunfeji @zenzedana @datura-inoxia @ninjaleeknow @beethiin @hyunsxle @hwangful @huntressfrost25 @exonations @p0t4t0don14ll​ @beaann @minaamhh

[739337369137371082]

Hey so I found u thru the Halved Live Funnies and I gotta ask... whose Leon? What series these dudes from?

i got this ask and then forgot about it for like 2 days. anyways.

IVE ANSWERED THIS BEFORE BUT. GOD. LEON. ok so like....... long story short last year was when i first played resident evil........ bc we got a copy of re2remake in and.... jesus christ. i hyperfixated so fucking hard for the better part of a year going on into this year. and then i watched hl/vr and well. we know where that went. but now i am once again hyperfixated and now im back to where i was in like.... june of last year LMAO. but anyways i am once again going to ramble under the cut about them <3 (seriously. its very long and doesnt go much of anywhere. also spoilers)

tl/dr:

OK. SO. resident evil. the last time i answered this ask i either hadnt played some of them or just completely forgot the plot of others LOL but now upon beating/playing a large majority of them (besides 6 which i have not touched yet, and 7 is first person and im not rly interested in it rn)...... well others have said this as well but if you like cheesy b action movies you would love resident evil!!! 

the orig 1-2 are more survival horror which is what i like the most. 3 is where it starts branching into more actiony stuff but is still survival horror. but 4 and after is just like..... cheesy action stuff which is fine but not really like.... my thing. altho i do think that they are fun in a “this plot is hilariously bad” type way because i do enjoy horrible things. but people who like resident evil dont like it for the plot they like it for the characters. and for me i latched the fuck onto leon kennedy and tyrant t-00 aka mr fucking x

listen.......... you guys know me relatively well enough to know that i have a type......... and i would define leon as not really fitting under it usually because he is 1. under 6 foot 2. human and 3. very much not a villain. but something about (mostly remake) leon hits fucking different!!!!!! hes kind and means well, thinks about others constantly, looks like an actual fucking person in the in game graphics instead of being some manufactured perfect model, nice voice, etc....... i fucking care him so much. also gameplay wise i find his weapons to be more enjoyable than claires so i always end up playing his route/2nd route the most compared to hers. but i do also like claire :) shes nice and epic

i dont really like the newer leons (4 and afterwards) as much.... i mean a lot of it has to do with trauma and general “growing up” after what happened in re2 but hes just so constantly... snarky? jaded? constantly spouting lines to make him seem cool? when in my head hes very much like... a loser LMAO. i mean dont get me wrong hes a badass. he survives a fucking zombie outbreak and nearly gets murdered dozens of time. thats the definition of badass. but also you cannot change my mind that hes also a anxious loser twunk. there is literally nothing you can do to convince me he is “cool” like the games and movies want to think. this is probably heresy to re fans but this is my truth

https://youtu.be/aVZWuSfGStk?t=129

here is a vid of his cutscenes. obvious spoilers in there but you can skip around and see how cute he is. also yes in his first cutscene he is listening to butt rock. i switch between thinking hes just listening to it because nothing else is on the radio or his taste really is that terrible

also you literally CANNOT convince me that he is straight. the games try SOOOOO hard to get you to ship leon/ada or leon/claire but like...... i cannot see it. he has one of the gayest run animations i have ever seen in re2 remake and i mean... he just radiates gay trans man energy to me. also please look at this small scene from one of the animated movies where a licker jumps on top of him and he wraps his legs around its hips and lifts it off of him to not die. gay king

https://youtu.be/d-VNikxYBPw?t=9

but yes ive basically decided to ignore all characterization from re4 and onwards regarding leon at least. every leon after that is not my leon (except in special cases when im thinking about something like leon/jd from re damnation..... they did jd so dirty and they should have fucking kissed. or how cute he looked in vendetta sometimes)

ANYWAYS. MR X

so basically there are these enemies in resident evil called “tyrants” that are manufactured by the evil capitalist company umbrella that are near indestructible save for like.... rocket launchers or super heavy artillery that youre not buying at your local gun store. and in re2 one of them get sent to the police station where leon and claire are and is told to wipe out all witnesses. (i also do think that 2 or more were sent there... or at least in the area when this happened due to some very obvious plot hole stuff on each route no matter how you play, even tho the devs have come out and said that only 1 existed in the game and that each route is like “a parallel dimension” to each other. i wont go into it more than that but i choose to ignore that)

and well. when i first played it i knew of mr x but didnt like... know much about him other than that he was a monster and Tall (like 7 or 8 feet tall) and that he chased you around. that already sold me on him but then. well. you first encounter him because he lifts up an entire goddamn helicopter and then proceeds to chase you. and it was then that i knew i was in deep shit because he fucking stomped his way into my heart and never left.

mr x basically has serious Side Character Disorder where (even tho the remake made him very cool and epic and did him really well compared to nemesis in re3 remake which is an entire different can of worms) he has LITERALLY no personality or like. thoughts. or anything. hes only there to chase you around and be on screen for like 10 seconds for a couple of cutscenes and then not show up again until the very end of the game for you to fight on leons route. but god. he means so fucking much to me. 

you know how people latch onto random side characters that have no personality and essentially flesh them out more than the creators ever will? thats me with mr x. its gotten to the point where certain songs come on on my spotify and i actually get EMOTIONS or even TEARS because they remind me of him, but its not even really HIM, its the fucking ideas that ive come up with regarding him because all he ever does in game is chase you around and punch you and then die and is never brought up again

but anyways. mr x is a tall monster who chases leon and claire around in their routes but mr x is leons main monster in the game (claire has a different one). he chases leon around, literally never stops looking at him as he chases him, gets hit by an entire fucking car which then explodes BUT THEN chases him down into the sewers and into a secret underground lab just to get to him like a fucking bloodhound who, once he has the scent, will never stop chasing him

(you can see why this made me kind of insane)

just. AGHHH. the tyrants in this series get treated so dirty. i desperately want capcom to give us some sort of tyrant that can actually fucking like.... go against orders and brainwashing or whatever and actually have emotions and thoughts!!!!!!!!!! but capcom would never do anything with it cause its a rough and tough action series and people arent here to see tyrants have some sort of thought process beyond punching and killing and people only want to shoot guns at them instead of thinking about the possibilities of a tyrant that goes against its programming.

i so desperately want an au where mr x got the transmitter shot off of the side of his head (and while capcom never mentioned this ever many re2 fans have since decided that it is what feeds info/orders to him. i flip flop between thinking that it either is near controlling him and prevents free will and thought or that its just giving him orders and that hes just burying/hiding/not showing free will and thought in fear of being killed. either that or someone at umbrella is “piloting” him but also the whole point of tyrants is that theyre supposed to be smart enough to think for themselves somewhat so... eh). GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!

ive explained a bunch of this stuff in my other ask about it but just...... xleon means so much to me when it should not and will never be actually canon

anyways please play re2 remake at least, you dont have to know everything about re1 to like it, just go into it knowing that a few months ago in the mountains outside raccoon city claires brother chris and a few members on his team went to a mansion where they discovered umbrella doing shady zombie shit there. re2 remake was hyped up for years for a reason and it is really good, even if its short (altho i do appreciate short games in this day and age cause not every game needs to be like 60 plus hours long). 

maybe one day when its not late and i can actually think i will explain all this better but todays not that day <3

(EDIT: ALSO RE DAMNATION TYRANTS ARE 14 FEET TALL. AND CHASE AROUND LEON AND ACTUALLY FUCKING RUN. FUN FACT! anyways while i do think jd in that movie and leon should kiss i also want leon and a tyrant from that movie to kiss. bye)

[meetthetank]

Maled[I]ctum pt. 2

Rating: Explicit Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Category: F/M Fandom: NieR: Automata (Video Game) Relationship: 4S/A2 (NieR: Automata) Characters: A2 (NieR: Automata), 4S (NieR: Automata), Anemone (NieR: Automata), Original Machine Additional Tags: bloodborne references, Blood and Gore, Robogore, little bit of eldritch nonsense, Hallucinations, Nightmares, A2 has big guilt, Post-Ending E (NieR: Automata), the smut is in chapter 2 for those who are impatient, i understand horny priorities, Hurt/Comfort

Dismantling the machine wreckage proves to be a more complicated affair than previously thought. In addition to its immense size, a large portion of the scrap is contaminated by the strange organic matter, rendering it unusable. Most of the Resistance swarms the area shortly after recovering an unconscious 4S from the wreck, along with the bizarre machine creature’s body.

He’s lucky his injuries aren’t as bad as they feel. Without the Bunker and a steady supply of new bodies and parts, the repair process takes two days. The Resistance medics and 9S work together to open up 4S and set some of his displaced components. Nothing major needs to be replaced, much to his relief, but calibrating his fine motor functions comes with a few hiccups. Something must have been knocked loose during that fight.

The moment repairs are done, 4S tears around camp asking if anyone has seen A2. He expects the repeated negative answers, but that doesn’t quell the tension building in his gut. 9S offers to help him look, but he declines. Knowing A2, she’d only be more frightened if anyone else aside from a select few went looking for her.

It isn’t unusual for A2 to disappear for a day or two, and normally 4S is happy to let her be, but this time...the way she looked at him...It doesn’t sit right. She went through something far worse than being held captive by that monster. Once he asks practically everyone at the main Resistance camp he sets out on his own.

4S searches the area near the forest castle and A2’s usual haunts. The secluded places she frequents when she needs a quiet moment to herself show no trace of her being there for a long time. No tracks, no machine corpses. Nothing. Pod 035 picks up a faint sign of activity, but it’s old and far past the forest. He’s in no condition to be tearing through the denser woods looking for someone who doesn’t want to be found.

Two more days pass before 4S returns, despondent, to the Resistance camp. Just as he suspects A2 hadn’t stopped by at all, but the improbability of it all doesn’t stop the foolish hope he had as he entered the camp. He sits on a bench in the small rest area near the jukebox, listening to the twanging of some ancient human ballad.

He doesn’t notice 9S until he sits in the spot next to him. 4S jumps a little at 9S’ sudden presence but gives him a little nod shortly after.

“Still no sign of A2?” 9S asks.

4S shakes his head, “Nothing. No trail, no signals...I’m really worried about her.”

“What she lacks in everything else she makes up for in strength,” says 9S followed by a sigh and a shudder, “She’ll be okay.”

He manages to smile a bit, “I know but...she was really shaken up by...something. I want to help her but I don’t want her to feel smothered…”

“Yeah, I know the feeling…” 9S mutters, his gaze wandering to 2B as she lifts an absurdly heavy box with ease.

4S slumps in his seat and buries his head in his hands, “I get the feeling she’d never come back if I confronted her now, but…”

“You don’t want her to end up hurting herself.”

“Yeah...She’s,” 4S sighs again, then goes quiet for a long time, “...I don’t know if she’ll come back after this one…”

A lump forms in his throat as he says that, as if the words had a physical weight to them. He didn’t want to admit to himself the possibility, but it’s time for him to be honest with himself. In his head, he believed that she would be attached to him enough for that alone to bring her back his way, but...Their relationship is a bit complicated, or ambiguous to say the least.

9S puts his arm around 4S shoulders, “Of course she’ll come back. She was on the run for...Six years, was it? That can’t be a life she wants to return to.”

“I hope you’re right, Nines.”

“Here,” 9S says as he stands up, “Why don’t you help me out today? Anemone wants me to start looking at that machine creature today. Could help you take your mind off things for a while?”

4S hesitates for a moment. The memory of that...thing he and A2 fought sends chills down his spine. He has no great desire to come face to face with its malformed corpse any time soon, but 9S does have a point.

“Sure, I can lend a hand.”

It isn’t often that the medical equipment is repurposed, even temporarily, for a task away from the main Resistance camp. With materials being as limited as they are, and without the support of another group like YorHa, they need to use whatever they can. Considering this is a major discovery when it comes to machine evolution theories, Anemone allowed for a considerable amount of tools and personnel to be devoted to this.

Unfortunately, all those tools and personnel are under the command of Jackass, so 4S and 9S wait until she throws out everyone for being incompetent and then gets distracted by one of her insane personal projects.

The setup is reminiscent of a mad scientist’s lair in an old human story. Fitting, considering who was overseeing this. Various tools and recording equipment lie scattered without any care or reason, all surrounding a large table holding the machine’s corpse covered with a tarp.

4S and 9S spend a few minutes cleaning up and organizing their equipment while idly chatting about old times. They had rarely worked together in the field while YorHa was active, but the scanners were all fairly close friends in one way or another. Though, 4S had always been on the edge of that group, nowhere near the social butterfly that 9S was. He can’t help the twinge of sadness that creeps into his voice when he mentions his time in relative isolation while he was doing deep field reconnaissance.

“Right,” 9S begins, eager to switch gears for both their sakes, “Let’s get started.”

It takes their combined efforts to pull the tarp off of the body, sending the stench of rotting flesh billowing through the whole tent.

“Ugh!” 4S gags and covers his face, “Gods, it smells worse than it was alive.”

“I’ve never seen this kind of growth on a machine before,” 9S says as he covers his face with a clean towel and begins a preliminary scan of the corpse, “Aside from those two command units, Adam and Eve.”

“I thought those were one of a kind?”

9S shrugs, “It wouldn’t be out of the ordinary for the machines left on Earth to try and replicate past evolutionary paths. But this one is a lot different.”

As 4S begins to separate the growth on the creature’s arm from its body, he replays the encounter and the state he found A2 in his head, “I’ve never seen a machine do things like this one could. Have you seen the Pod records?”

9S shakes his head, “I haven’t had the time. Here, why don’t you start working on that piece while I go over your footage?”

With a quick wave of his hand, 4S commands Pod 035 to display a video feed for 9S.

At first, the growth appears to be just a simple mass of metal and tissue with the occasional piece of bone. Each piece of anything that isn’t soft tissue or connected to the central metal bone is carefully cut away and placed onto a tray nearby. It seems to be only random bits and pieces of machine scrap until 4S come across a strange shape underneath layers of warped muscular tissue.

Unlike the fractured and rough textures of its counterparts, this object is smooth and rounded. A few hairline splits zigzag across its surface, yet it stays together as 4S shifts it around to cut away the connective tissue surrounding it. Once most of the flesh is cut away, 4S pries the object out with a firm tug.

A smooth, diminutive skull sits in his hands, gazing at him with hauntingly vacant sockets. It bears some resemblance to a machine head. The bolts next to the optical sockets, serial numbers and machine script carved into its surface, and unique alloy betray its true nature. However, it’s eerily android in its appearance. Or rather, eerily human. A row of half formed teeth, some pointed and some blunt, deep nasal and optical cavities, and an oblong shape show more similarities to androids than any other machine.

But as 9S pointed out before, there were two machines that were vastly different from the rest not too long ago.

4S sets the skull down on the tray, next to the other tiny, misshapen bones he had extracted from the growth. A clavicle, two humeruses, six ribs, pelvis, and an assortment of vertebrae form a sickly small skeleton.

“Hey, 4S?”

A jolt runs down his spine as he snaps back to reality, “Yeah...yeah what’s up?”

9S glances at the grim display on the tray before continuing, “I finished going over your footage.”

“Oh. Well did you see anything odd? I mean, besides everything.”

9S pulls up a stool and takes a seat near the creature’s stomach, “At first,” he begins as he starts a scan of the machine’s body, “I thought that it was an attempted copy of the Adam and Eve units, and looking at the…what you’ve extracted so far, that theory is partially right.”

4S raises an eyebrow, “...But?”

“But…” he looks down and takes a deep breath, “But there’s more in line with another machine I’ve encountered.”

“What?”

“When I handed over that enemy data back when...back a while ago, there was one bit of data that I didn’t give you because it was just…” he takes a deep breath and shudders, “I didn’t want to think it was real.”

As much as 4S’ curiosity burns in his head, he doesn’t press 9S further. The discomfort is visible in the way his eyes dart around to anything, how his eyebrows knit together, and how he grips the edge of the table.

“Listen, 4S…” he begins after a bout of tense silence, “If-...When A2 comes back, if she seems...off, be careful. When 2B and I fought that thing in the sewers, something...happened to her, and when we got back to the Resistance camp she…” Again, 9S shudders and blushes, though that might have been 4S’ imagination, “Just be careful, okay?”

4S nods, “Of course. Don’t worry about me.”

“Good.” he sighs again, “...Let’s take apart the rest of this thing. I’ll give you the enemy data when we’re done.”

A2 knows she shouldn’t feel this deep shame as she lingers in the shadows of the forest zone. Just a year ago, the thought of returning somewhere she ran from was insane; now, she’s slinking back to the castle as if she’s done something wrong.

She hasn’t done anything wrong...right?

No, of course not. She just needed some time away from...everything.

…

Gods, she was such a coward.

It wasn’t just that, in the days since the fight on the beach, it’s felt like something was itching just inside her skull or under her skin. She’s lapsed into old self destructive habits as well, like picking at the dermal seams 4S spent so much time on.

4S…

Thinking about how worried he must be about her, what he might have gone through when looking for her, or what might happen when she comes back...It makes her stomach coil like a spring so tightly she starts shivering. A2 is no stranger to guilt, but it has been some time since the feeling caused a physical reaction in her.

As the crumbling facade of the castle comes into view A2 plays with the thought of turning back. Could she really face him after all this? Would things just...go back to normal? Did she even want that? She doesn’t know what she wants. Hell, she doesn’t even know if she wants to take another step forward. Her legs lock in place, and aside from a light shiver that runs through her body, she stands so still that a little boar comes up to her and sniffs at her foot. She shoos the boar away with a gentle kick, sending the little animal squealing back to the safety of the woods.

A2 takes a deep breath. No use delaying the inevitable any longer. She forces herself to walk. Just, one foot in front of the other, one step at a time. There isn’t any reason to be afraid. That doesn’t stop her from being terrified, though. She shuts her eyes and focuses on the sound of her footsteps on the crumbling stone pathway.

She expects 4S to come rushing down to her the moment she reaches the castle steps, but she only hears the soft songs of the birds that make their homes in the trees and tiny crevices in the walls. There isn’t even the echoes of him running errands, the groans of his jerry rigged terminals, or Pod 035’s made up language.

“Must be resting…” A2 mutters to herself.

Sure enough, there’s signs of activity through her home but 4S is nowhere to be found. The stray piles of supplies that she usually leaves lying around the entry hallway are all cleaned up and organized into bins and shelves nearby.

She meanders through the castle like a spectre, floating from room to room with no real goal in mind. Not looking for anything, not searching for a goal, just wandering. She flips through books in the library, accidentally knocks over some dusty suits of armor, and fiddles with anything she can to find to keep her mind from running a mile a minute.

It isn’t long, however, for those distractions to run out and eventually A2 finds herself at the threshold of her small bedroom. Like the rest of the castle, all of her stuff is rearranged and cleaned. Even her bed is made, but it isn’t the bed itself that disturbs her. Perhaps disturbed isn’t the right word, but the neatly folded set of clothes similar to the torn rags she wears now makes her feel...strange.

She rolls the cotton of the shirt in her fingers. Exactly the same as the one she wears now, albeit not torn and bloodied. It smells a bit musty, like it’s been sitting out for a few days. Her chest tightens a little, but she changes into the new clothes regardless. They stick to her grimy skin and torn seams. She mentally kicks herself for not washing first thing once she got home.

...Home…

The realization hits her like a punch from a goliath. She has a home. Something to come back to, a safe place to let her guard down and relax.  

Someone to…

She curls her hand into a fist, bunching up the fabric of her shirt. A weird tightness forms in her throat and chest it dawns on her that she’s being watched.

With wide, wary eyes, she turns back to the doorway to see 4S just...standing there. Watching her. He looks surprisingly calm, despite everything, but there’s a tension in his face that even someone as unobservant as A2 can pick up on.

A2 looks at the floor, suddenly far more interested in the brickwork than him.

“...Hey,” she says, the word catching in her throat.

His green eyes dart about, studying every detail about her that he could as quickly as possible. He lingers on the fresh wounds that begin to stain her new shirt, the way her shoulders slump with exhaustion, and the weariness in her own expression.

With great gentleness, he speaks, “...Are you hurting?”

“I’m fine-...” A2 stops herself short as a sharp pain shoots through her arm, “...I’ve been better.”

4S approaches her slowly, his dark eyebrows knitting together, “Here, let me help.”

The moment his hands touch her she flinches away, causing 4S to do the same. There’s hesitation in his grip as he lightly pulls her towards the bed and sits her down on it. A2 could swear she feels his hands shaking.

His fingers ghost over her injuries and torn skin seam as he takes stock of what ails her physically. He mutters his findings to himself while A2 stares at their feet, her head hanging low. She lets him move her arms and body as he cleans the dried blood that’s caked around her skin seams.

“Does…” 4S says, his touch lingering on her arms, “Does anything hurt internally? Any pain when you move?”

A2 shakes her head, “Just a bit sore.”

4S nods once, then allows a tense silence to fall between them. Neither one looks at the other, and neither one wants to think about why.

After moments where nothing but the stale breeze passes between them, A2 speaks up.

“I think...I’m just gonna lie down for a bit.”

“Alright. Call for me if you need anything...Okay?”

“Yeah...Of course.”

As she gets settled into bed, 4S allows himself a quick glance backwards before leaving her to her thoughts.

For a week they do this dance. With the exception of grafting new skin onto her wounds, 4S and A2 avoid each other. Sometimes, she sees him in the corner of her eye only for him to brush past with only a mumbled apology or for him to duck back out of her view. When she asks him about it during the hour or so they see each other, he waves if off as a coincidence or just making sure she’s okay. The cadence and waver in his voice tips her off to his real motive. He is checking on her, but he’s making sure she hasn’t run off again.

She can’t shake the guilt, something that seems like a constant for her. It starts eating away at her nerves and her resolve. How long would things continue like this? Would they stay this way until they both drift apart? How much longer would it be until she’s alone again. The visions and the fear from that machine creep back into her chest and constrict her lungs. It’s such a similar feeling to...before. When she watched Number 4 smile at her one last time.

Only this time she can control the outcome.

It’s much less dire, of course. 4S is in no danger of dying in a fiery explosion, but A2 feels as if she’s going to explode if things don’t go back to the comfortable and mundane. She knows 4S won’t come to her, he’s too cautious. He knows she’s skittish when it comes to...feelings, and for that she’s grateful. He’ll let her come to him when she’s ready to talk, and it might be the point of no return very soon. Whether she’s ready or not, she has to do this.

Around this time of day 4S is tinkering with one project or another in his room. Normally A2 leaves him to his work, but this is something akin to an emergency. Besides, he’s probably not working on something important or dangerous. He has a more level head on his shoulders than 9S.

A2 hesitates at the wooden door to his room, grinding her teeth as she fights with herself. It’s absurd, she already has her hand on the door and now she thinks about backing down? She’s fought with worse things than her own feelings and memories. This would be nothing. 4S is reasonable, he won’t freak out at her about any of this.

Her knock on the door echoes through the stone halls, and the few seconds before she hears 4S’ footsteps on the other side feel like an eternity. The door swings inward, revealing a grease-stained 4S staring at her with bewildered green eyes.

“A2? What’s wrong, is everything okay?” he asks, brushing his hair out of his eyes.

“I’m fine. I just…” she sighs and shuffles her way into his room, “Do you have a second to talk?”

His eyebrows shoot up, then return to normal a moment later, “Of course.”

4S gestures for her to sit on his bed (more of a cot in truth) while he pulls the chair from his workbench over and wipes his hands and face off with a rag. She pulls her knees close to her chest and curls up as tight as she can. Something to quell the shivers that emanate from her gut.

“I wanted to talk about the shit that happened with that weird machine…” she mumbles, avoiding eye contact, “I just...don’t know where to start.”

He watches her expressions shift from anger, to sadness, and back within the span of a split second, “Maybe...When I found you, you looked like you were in some kind of trance. What was that? What was happening to you?”

A2 winces at the memory, “The damn thing hijacked me. Made me see things...feel things that weren’t there. It made me…,” she shudders, “It must have messed with every sensor that still works.”

4S shuffles closer to her, “What did it make you see?”

“Its…,” she groans and buries her face in her hands, “It...It made me see Number 4. The whole squad. They…,”

He takes one of her hands in his, “It’s okay…” he mutters gently and rubs her hand.

“They tore me apart.” she says in a lifeless voice, her eyes glassy and unfocused, “The visions tore me apart piece by piece. They drowned me, beat me, blamed…” she can’t stop the tears from welling up, “They blamed their deaths on me...and they’re right.”

“A2…”

“They were right. If I wasn’t a coward, if I fought with them-”

“You’d be dead too, A2.” 4S says sternly, holding her hand just a bit tighter, “You’d be dead along with them.”

“But-”

“No. I won’t sit by and let you blame yourself anymore for what happened in the past. I don’t care what that machine made you see or made you think you saw, but none of that was your fault and none of them blame you for what happened!”

A2 opens her mouth and shuts it just as quickly as she tries to formulate some sort of counter. She tries to draw her hands close to her body but 4S’ grip remains strong and holds them in place. His green eyes hold her gaze even as she tries to look at anything but him. Anything to avoid showing weakness, anything to not break down.

She fails spectacularly.

Tears pool in her eyes and spill over within seconds. Her synthetic muscles give out all at once as she collapses in a heap in 4S’ arms. Brutal, silent sobs rip through her body with such intensity that she begins to shake and shudder. 4S holds onto her as tight as he can without hurting her. He rubs her shoulders and back with a soothing yet heavy hand, while his other hand combs through her short hair. Gentle refermations of her safety and soft whispers seem to calm her quaking body after a moment. She grips onto his shirt as if it’s the only thing keeping her afloat.

A2’s breathing starts to even out and at first 4S thinks that she’s beginning to wind down, but then her quiet sniffling turns to growls. Her nails dig into the skin of 4S’ chest, and 9S’ warning starts to play over and over in his head. Despite himself, fear begins to worm its way through his gut. A2 is strong. Far stronger than he is. If something went wrong, if something possessed her to, she could kill him by barely lifting a finger.

Yet he takes hold of her trembling hands and the low snarls in the back of her throat stop. Her hands tremble in his, and her wide, fearful eyes let him know that none of that was intentional. 4S leans forward and rests his forehead on hers with her hands still clasped tightly in his.

“Hey, look at me,” he whispers, “A2 look at me.”

She tries to look at anything but him to no avail. Everything in her body tells her to run away. Get away from these bad feelings and shitty memories and hide in the wilderness until she breaks down for good. But she doesn’t want that. She doesn’t want to leave him, she doesn’t want to be alone again. She can’t be alone again.

Slowly, her eyes meet his. In her head she prepares for the inevitable flashbacks those deep green eyes of his give her, but instead of seeing the eyes of Number 4, his face remains his own.

“You’re okay, A2,” he mutters to her, “I promise I’m not going to let anything hurt you.”

She snorts and rubs at her puffy red eyes, “Idiot, I should be protecting you.”

“There she is,” 4S breaks out in a smile, “There’s that brash moron.”

“Shut up.”

4S gets caught in their moment kisses A2 on the cheek, just beneath her eye. This isn’t the first time they’ve kissed, not by a long shot, but it is the first time that it’s felt so...natural? He supposes that’s the word for it. In the past it had been bouts of passion that broke free of restraints on both their sides, but it never went further than that. This time the simple gesture caused a comforting warmth to bloom in his chest. Judging by A2’s tired smile, she felt something similar.

“A2…” he begins, their closeness loosening his desire to hold back what’s on his mind, “I know that...I know I’m not Number 4 but-”

She pulls back from him, her brows knitting together, “Stop.”

“What?”

“Stop comparing yourself to her,” an icy determined glare warps her expression. For the first time in weeks, strength returns to her, “Number 4 is gone. You’re not her, you’re never going to be, and....I don’t want you to be. I want you to be you.”

4S tries to blink away the tears, “It only took a near death experience, huh?”

“Oh, shut up!” she shouts. She slugs him in the shoulder playfully and puffs out her cheeks after he catches her face in his hands again. “You’re an ass.”

“Hey, you’re not doing anything to stop me,” teases 4S. He kisses her cheek once again.

He immediately regrets saying that. In a show of speed and strength, A2 pulls him into a tight hug and flings them both onto the bed. 4S struggles, but he’s no match for the combat model’s strength. She holds him down as they laugh at themselves and the absurd turn their heavy conversation took. A2 digs her knuckles into his scalp to the sounds of his protesting as he flails his arms and legs in a wild attempt to break free.

Eventually she lets him go, the fatigue of an outburst of emotion catching up with her body. She fails to suppress a yawn and 4S chuckles at her sudden exhaustion. He rolls off of her and curls up against her side as she settles into bed.

“Tired?” he asks.

A2 nods, “Mhm...Haven’t been sleeping well.”

“Okay.” 4S starts to sit up, “I’ll let you rest.”

He’s about to stand up from the bed, when A2’s hand grabs onto his wrist and tugs him back down.

“Huh?”

“S…,” she seems to choke on her own words and looks uncharacteristically vulnerable, “Can you...stay?”

“...Of course,” he says with a warm smile.

Sleeping with A2 is...a full body experience. 4S had his expectations, sweetly snuggled up against her and curled in her arms. Or her in his, either way would work for him. Instead, he’s treated to erratic movements, constant tossing and turning, and nearly being shoved off of the bed multiple times. Yet despite this, they end up in a semi-comfortable position for both of them, although 4S believes it was entirely by accident. Sharing a bed was, in truth, something they would have to learn how to do.

4S is unsure how much time has actually passed by the time he starts to wake up, though it couldn’t have been more than a few hours judging by the fact that his Pod’s alarm hadn’t gone off yet. A2 remains asleep, wrapped around him with her chest pressing against his back. Her breathing is light and steady, and tickles at the back of his neck.

She’s so...warm. The way her hands mold to the shape of his chest and stomach…

A deep, tightening pain in his gut makes him flinch, and brings him to agonizing consciousness. Glancing down at the odd bulge in the sheets, just between his legs, reveals source of his discomfort.

What a useless feature… 4S muses to himself.

Carefully, 4S shuffles out of A2’s arms, doing all he can to avoid waking her and to avoid letting her hands drift further down. He winces with each movement, even the fabric of his shorts rubbing against his erection sends jolts up his spine.

The moment he’s free of A2’s hold, he rises from the bed centimeter by centimeter so as not to shift the ratty mattress too much. All he has to do is make it out of the room without waking her and make his way to somewhere secluded to take care of this issue. Of course he could always attempt to sleep it off, but with how awake he is at the moment he doesn’t think it’ll be possible.

It’s only when success is nearly in his grasp that it is snatched away from him.

“Hey...Where’r you going?” A2’s grumbles in a raspy voice heavy with sleep.

Synthetic blood rushes up to his face one moment and then back down the next, “Uh...J-just going to stretch my legs a bit.”

“...What’s wrong. You sound nervous.”

Oh , of all the times, why did it have to be now that she learns to be observant?

“I’m fine,” 4S tries to maintain an even level to his voice.

“Why are you standing all hunched over like that?”

Her questions are just as pointed and cutting as her swords. 4S sighs. He always underestimates her intelligence, seeing as she’s not only a prototype model but a combat model as well. They’re not exactly known for being as capable as scanners when it comes to...really anything that isn’t killing. Yet she’s pinpointed exactly what he’s trying to hide. The heavy, almost icy tone to her voice convinces him that she doesn’t need him to explain his current state, but instead beckons him to come forward about it.

“Come here.”

Her sudden confidence makes him shiver.

4S turns back to her and returns to the bed with slow, plodding steps. The way her icy blue eyes roam over his body make him feel exposed, naked, despite being fully clothed. There’s a shift in her expression as he approaches though. At first she looks at him like an old world predator eyes a slab of meat, but as he sits on the edge of the bed the confidence falls away piece by piece.

“A2…”

His breath is heavy in his throat as he reaches out to cup her face in one of his hands. Her warmth is infectious, her breath just as heavy as his. Despite the way her eyes hold his with an intensity he’s rarely seen outside of battle, he can feel the subtle way she shivers with each breath.

“Are you...sure?” he asks, hoping that he’s understanding what all of this means. In the past she’s been reluctant to even touch at moments, why is she suddenly doing this?

Was this what 9S meant by strange behavior?

A2 nods, “Yeah...But I um...How does...this...start?”

A wave of relief hits him. She’s not under some strange control or in a damaged frame of mind. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he took advantage of her like this.

4S smiles, “Just follow my lead, okay?”

Their kiss starts out tender, soft even. A2 recoils back, but leans into it only moments later. Her hands start to wander around their bodies as if she’s not sure what to do with them. Without breaking their admittedly awkward kiss, 4S takes her hands in his and places one on his neck, and the other in his hair. Her fingers immediately hook into his curly hair and pull him closer than he thought possible. Heat rises in his gut once more, spurring him to push things further faster.

4S leans back against the bed’s headboard and pulls A2 onto his lap. For a minute or so, things continue much in the same way as they had before. Position aside, their kissing is rather tame. Chaste even. Simply savoring each other’s warmth and the way their mouths move in tandem. But there’s a desperate edge to A2, in the way she moves and her labored breathing. She wants more, she needs more. She just doesn’t know how to take it.

So, 4S parts his lips and in turn hers. With his tongue he tests her bit by bit, prodding at her lips, her teeth, her tongue, whatever he can reach. Her hand tightens in his hair to the point of discomfort, yet it doesn’t bother 4S in the slightest. In fact it seems to intensify just how good everything feels right now. A tiny whimper escapes from the back of his throat as she tugs on his hair a second time.

A2 suppresses a grunt, or a moan, or something in her throat. She grinds against him so slowly that 4S isn’t sure if she realizes what she’s doing. Carefully, he returns her motions, raising his hips to meet hers beat for beat in a clumsy rhythm. Fingernails dig into the skin of his neck when his teeth scrape against her lips, so he breaks their kiss to gently bite her lower lip.

She gasps, her breath ghosting over his face for a moment before he leans in and nibbles at the underside of her jaw. Another gasp as he slides one hand beneath her thin shirt and traces the outline of her muscles and lines of carbon plates barely concealed by synthetic flesh. A2 doesn’t normally shake in situations outside of life threatening combat, but her body trembles beneath his touch.

There’s a strange shift in A2’s movements when 4S begins to leave small bite marks down her neck and to her shoulder. He can feel the thundering of her pulse quicken as he clumsily grabs at her breasts. Between the blood roaring in his ears and the amplified sound of their bodies, he doesn’t hear the low rumbling from A2’s chest until it’s too late.

Her mouth traps his suddenly, pushing him back until his head smacks against the headboard. His shirt and shorts are all but torn from his body by A2’s desperate hands. The cool air of the castle makes him shiver all over. A groan catches in his throat but is quickly silenced by A2 climbing on top of him further. She practically towers over him now, ravaging his mouth and hungrily grinding down on his now exposed cock.

Like the flip of a switch, A2 goes from unsure to ravenous. Both her hands tangle themselves in his hair, holding him down and kissing up and down his neck. He feels the scrape of her teeth against one of the taught tendons in his neck once, twice, and then they clamp down around it. An intense jolt runs through his whole body. His back arches, hips thrust up, and a sharp whimper escapes him. She bites him again, worrying the skin of his neck between her teeth and eliciting more moans and cries from him.

4S isn’t sure when the tears start to form in his eyes, but his body becomes so overwhelmed with the pain and pleasure that it's the only reflex he can manage. He gulps down lungfuls of air the moment A2 pulls back off of him just a bit, removing the pressure from his chest. There’s something in A2’s eyes, something that 4S can’t place. Her eyes are dark, pupils blown wide and lids half closed. He’s never seen this look from her before and it makes him feel...strange. There’s fear, that one is easy to identify, but there’s also...excitement. His gut coils as A2 shuffles out of her tank top and shorts.

This was really happening, wasn’t it…

4S always pictured this being more planned and careful, and without the fear for his life that nags in the back of mind. Of course he wants this, and he knows A2 wants this.

But did he want this to go so fast?

A2 tugs him up to her lips by his hair.

Oh god yes he wants this.

He moans against her mouth and ruts his hips into hers. There’s a brief but powerful sensation that shoots up his spine when his cock presses against the space between her legs. A2 must have felt something similar as she groans against his mouth. One of her hands rakes down his stomach and grips onto his cock far too tightly.

“Ah!!”

A2 recoils back, that dark look in her eyes fading instantly, “Shit! Are you okay?!”

“Yeah-...Yeah I’m okay…” he pants, “Just...gentle. Be gentle with...that.”

When that half-lidded look doesn’t come back immediately, 4S pulls her down for a quick kiss and takes her hand in his. He guides her hand back down to his cock and starts to move it up and down as slowly as possible at first. Once she gains her confidence back his hand falls away only to rise back up again to tangle in her hair.

Most scanners do this sort of thing by themselves, but oh god does it feel so much better when someone else does it to him. Especially someone he cares about. He does his best not to jerk his hips into her hand too fast, and the exertion of self control makes him pant and sweat. In response A2 strokes him longer, harsher, pushing him to the point of pain again. He throws his head back against the pillows and lets out a long, loud moan that he’s sure he heard A2 laugh quietly at.

There’s a spot that A2 ghosts her thumb over that makes him almost scream, and the tight coils in his stomach threaten to unwind right then and there. It’s only through gritting his teeth and focusing on anything but how fucking good it all feels that he’s able to not come.

“A2…,” he says in between heavy pants, “A2, please…”

“What.”

He shoots her a scowl, though it isn’t as intimidating as he’d like since he’s blushing and sweaty, “What do you mean what,” he growls.

She smirks at him, that heavy, dark-eyed look returns, and she sinks down onto his cock without warning.

“F-Fuck!” he shouts, “A2!”

She hisses through her teeth as she adjusts to having him inside her. 4S is about to ask her if she’s okay but the words catch in his throat when she shifts her hips. He isn’t sure if his visual processors are failing or if A2 managed to hack him somehow, but he swears that stars and sparks fly across his eyes. He throws his head back into the pillows again and lets out a moan that’s much louder than he intends it to be.

“Where-...” 4S tries to say as she raises herself off of him and slides back down, “Where did you- Haa….Learn-...”

“What,” responds A2 in between pants, “You think your-...ngh...Your stash of h-...human mating behaviors are...Haaa...Secret?”

“Well...I did until now.”

A2 laughs a breathy laugh that sends waves of strange pleasure through both of their bodies, “Next time, label that file as something boring.”

“Ugh, just shut up and fuck me.”

They find their rhythm, clumsily and slowly, but eventually they fall in sync with each other. Every time A2 raises herself off of his cock, he pulls himself back so that all but the very tip remains in, only to slam their hips back together. Each time, A2 crushes her body against his harder and harder until he’s afraid that she might break his pelvic chassis. Well, not for long anyway. Once the wet and the hot overtake his mind again, the soreness fades into the background.

4S meets her beat for beat, thrust for thrust. He tries new angles and methods to try and force her to cry out in pleasure, much like he does. It’s...strangely awkward to him, to be the only one making noise. A rigid spot on the front of her walls makes her groan and gasp so he aims for that again and again and again, but it all falls to the wayside once his pace reaches a feaverish, desperate peak.

His hands latch onto her hips, fingernails digging into the curve of her waist and giving him the leverage he needs to thrust his cock deeper and deeper into her. Her hands grip his wrists, her chest heaves with each labored breath. The way her walls constrict around his dick lets him know that they’re both within sight of the end. For now.

4S’ mind devolves into simple lines of code. Single words, simple actions, and blinding speed. Anything higher than repeating the actions that bring him and A2 this intense pleasure are tossed aside.

Hunger. Need.

More.

More

M o r e

M  o re moremoremoremoremoremoreMORe.

Suddenly, A2 gasps and grabs his shoulders so hard that he’s shaken from his stupor. Her whole body heaves with each breath she takes. 4S swears he can hear her teeth grinding against each other and the wanton moans she desperately tries to suppress. If he wasn’t consumed with primal repetition he might have tried to edge those sounds out of her, but it’s all he can do to keep himself from coming each time he thrusts into her.

4S slows to a crawl, letting himself linger inside of her. It takes all of his willpower to pull out once, twice, and on the third he can hold back no longer. All of the tension in his gut releases as A2 lets out this long breathy sound. She’s still holding the moans back, but he can’t contain the moan that echoes through their room. Something in the back of his mind tells him he should be embarrassed, but he could care less right now. He revels in the circuit-melting euphoria for as long as he can before he has to breathe and bring himself back to reality.

A2 looks down at him with dark, half-lidded eyes. Her face, flushed red, covered in sweat, is hidden by the white hair that clings to her skin.

He’s never seen anything more fascinating.

As she gracelessly flops onto the bed beside him, he can’t help but feel a twinge of disgust at the white, sticky mess that covers the bed and parts of their bodies. Maybe it’s a quirk with scanner models, but he hates being dirty.

He nudges A2 in the ribs with an elbow, and she cracks one eye open at him in a tired, half-hearted glare.

“We should clean up,” he says.

A2 just scoffs, and rolls over on her side, taking as many blankets as she can with her, “If you can carry me, go for it.”

4S sighs, and lays back against the sweat stained pillows.

He’s never been more infatuated with her.

[the-desolated-quill]

Heavy Rain - Video Game blog

(SPOILER WARNING: The following is an in-depth critical analysis. If you haven’t played this game yet, you may want to before reading this review)

Do you remember the amount of hype that was building around this game at the time? Heavy Rain had caught the attention of multiple mainstream news sites with the promise that this was going to be the next big thing in games. A totally immersive, grown up drama that would bridge the gap between video games and films. Was it? Well... no. Eight years later, David Cage’s ‘interactive drama’ has been largely forgotten and while narratives in games did start to become more sophisticated in the 2010s, I’d argue that Heavy Rain didn’t really play that big a part as David Cage would like to think.

Heavy Rain is a murder mystery/psychological thriller. The Origami Killer kidnaps kids, drowns them in rainwater and leaves an origami figure in their hands and an orchid on their chests. The latest kid to get kidnapped is Shaun Mars and it’s a race against time to for the four main protagonists to save him before he dies. Like with David Cage’s previous game Fahrenheit, there is a good solid premise behind Heavy Rain. And to Quantic Dream’s credit, they have taken great strides to improve the gameplay. Instead of the stupid Simon Says system we got in Fahrenheit, Heavy Rain uses traditional QTEs and it works a lot better. It doesn’t distract you from what’s happening on screen and there are times where the game threatens to live up to its promise of being ‘immersive.’ For example when Ethan is having a panic attack in the train station and you have to physically move the wireless controller up and down to get him to walk or when Madison is picking a lock and you hold the L1 and R1 buttons down and tilt the controller to open the door. That’s good game design and it marries up quite nicely with what’s happening on screen. One thing I’m less keen on however is holding R2 to move the character. It feels so clunky and awkward, like you’re driving a car rather than moving a person. Nope. Don’t like that at all. Totally immersion breaking.

One gameplay mechanic I think had potential and wish was better handled is the ability to listen to a character’s thoughts by pressing the L2 button. That I thought was a legitimately clever concept and could have helped give the player an insight into the characters during pivotal moments. Like someone showing bravado only to listen to their thoughts and realise they’re actually terrified and just putting on an act. That could have been great. Instead the thoughts are either utterly mundane or are just there to give you tips when you’re stuck on how to progress. It feels like such a waste of potential.

I suppose I should quickly talk about the graphics considering they were a huge selling point at the time. The most realistic human faces ever, motion capture, blah blah blah. Except Heavy Rain wasn’t really the first game to use motion capture. The Uncharted games had used it for cutscenes and stuff. And honestly, I didn’t think the graphics were all that impressive even at the time. It’s the uncanny valley effect. There’s a reason why Pixar and Dreamworks make their human characters cartoony looking. It’s because rendering realistic looking humans on a computer is incredibly fucking difficult and people can instantly tell when it’s off. The characters in Heavy Rain look more like plastic action figures to me rather than actual people. Their movements and facial expressions just felt incredibly stilted and wooden to me, particularly during kissing and sex scenes where everything becomes really awkward and uncomfortable.

But never mind all of that. What about the writing? How does it compare to the insane laugh-a-thon that was Fahrenheit? Well if you’re after Tommy Wiseau-esque unintentional hilarity, you’re going to be slightly disappointed. Yes the writing is bad, but it’s not so bad it’s good like Fahrenheit was. It’s cliched, lacklustre and extremely limiting. The game boasts branching storylines and that all your choices matter, but in reality the story changes very little regardless of what you do. Yes there are loads of different endings, but what ending you get depends more on what happens in the final level than the rest of the game. As for characters dying at any time, that’s partially true. It’s impossible for Ethan and Scott to die before the end and when a character does die, all the game does is fence off certain levels.

In order to properly criticise and analyse the writing, let’s explore this character by character.

Ethan Mars

Out of all the characters, Ethan’s story is probably the most consistent and most satisfying to play. He’s the father of Shaun, the Origami Killer’s latest victim, and has to go through several Saw style trials in order to find him. I have to say, while the opening is extremely slow and tedious, forcing you to do all these mundane tasks like cooking and brushing your teeth and all this shit, as the game goes on, Ethan’s story comes the closest to delivering on the emotional and immersive experience David Cage promised. Pascal Langdale gives a pretty good performance for the most part and there were times where I did feel genuinely sorry for Ethan and his predicament. I’m not talking about the big set piece moments like when Jason dies at the beginning of the game. It’s the smaller scenes like Shaun doing his homework and Ethan looking on sadly at him or him sitting alone in his dusty office and reminiscing over his previous life before things went so wrong. That’s where the game really comes into its own. The trials too I thought were well written and designed for the most part. There’s some genuine tension in driving down the wrong side of the motorway or having to hack one of your own fingers off and it’s one of the rare occasions where the writing, acting and direction really come together and work as a cohesive whole.

That being said, there are still a litany of problems with Ethan’s story. The most glaring of which is the execution. While there are some legitimately powerful moments in Ethan’s story, they’re often ruined by David Cage’s overegging of the pudding. For example when Ethan has his panic attack in the train station, the motion controls and Langdale’s performance would have been enough to convey the pain and anxiety of the character. But then Cage takes it one step further with a stupid hallucination sequence with his dead kid Jason running round the station and people flopping over like ragdolls. Like... we get it. Ethan is depressed about his kid and that’s what has caused his fear of crowds. Even some of the mundane activities at the beginning of the game like making sure Shaun eats his dinner and does his homework on time could have been impactful if Cage didn’t drag it on for fucking hours and bore us into a coma as a result. In visual media, less is more. But the problem is David Cage seems so insecure about his own writing ability that he ends up overcompensating and bludgeoning the player over the head with these gaudy and over the top moments instead of just letting the performances of the actors convey the emotions and allowing the scene to speak for itself.

And then there are the moments and plot points that are just plain weird. So after his first son Jason dies in a car accident, Ethan starts experiencing blackouts. Not a bad idea, but the way they’re implemented is beyond incompetent. For starters Ethan has only two blackouts in the whole game and then it’s never mentioned or brought up again. Not even at the end when Shaun is all safe and sound (assuming you made all the right choices). Are we meant to assume that Ethan is magically cured after all this? And what exactly does Ethan get up to during the blackouts? When he regains consciousness, he’s always near Carnaby Square holding an origami figure. The significance of Carnaby Square is explained later on, but not how or why Ethan goes there during his blackouts. The only reason this is here is to plant the red herring that Ethan is the killer, except that’s utter bollocks. If Ethan was the killer, why would he kidnap a bunch of kids before his own? Were they just practice? What would be his motive? How did he learn to do origami? Where would he get the resources to create all these trials? What about the trials that involve him doing something in front of the camera or taking a photo as proof? If he’s responsible for these trials, who the hell is verifying this stuff? It’s utterly nonsensical and thus a complete waste of time. Apparently Ethan was supposed to share a psychic connection with the killer in the original script, but this was cut for time. The blackouts and stuff should have been cut too because it just doesn’t make sense with the current plot.

While there are a lot of flaws, I honestly would have been okay with Heavy Rain if the focus was just on Ethan. It wouldn’t have been a great game by any means, but it would have been decent enough. Unfortunately we’ve got three other characters to contend with, starting with...

Madison Paige

Let us turn our attention from the best character to the worst. I was amazed by the number of critics and gamers praising Madison for her strong characterisation because she has got to be one of the worst examples of video game sexism I’ve ever seen. The way David Cage writes and presents her is frankly despicable. She exists solely to be exploited. Cage’s obsession with her body is utterly disturbing. All characters, male and female, get shower scenes, but Madison is the only one that appears fully nude and the cameras pans across her entire body so you can see every inch of it. It’s really pervy and uncomfortable to watch. Worse still, every threat against her life is always sexual in nature. It’s not enough to have a cliched mad doctor who butchers people. We’ve got to have a scene where he tries to stick a drill up her vagina. There’s even a scene where a nightclub owner forces her to perform a striptease at gunpoint. You have the option to knock him out with a lamp before you get too naked, but the game seems to actively encourage you to strip off. And no, the intention clearly wasn’t to disturb the audience. The way it’s shot and choreographed is similar to the shower scene, clearly intended for a male gaze. And even if the scene was intended to be disturbing, there are ways of creeping out the player without sexually objectifying or demeaning women. It’s absolutely revolting. If you want further proof that Madison is intended solely to be exploited, please note that she’s only character in the game who has a separate person doing the voice while another person, glamour model Jacqui Ainsley, provides the body and face because presumably Judi Beecher isn’t sexy enough for David Cage. I rest my case.

But it’s not just that. It’s the way she’s implemented into the story too. All the other characters have their plots and vices set up immediately. Madison never does. We find out she has insomnia, but it’s never followed up on. We don’t know what caused it or whether she recovers. In fact we never learn a single solitary thing about her character. Her main role (apart from being sexually exploited) is to prop up the male hero Ethan. Even when it doesn’t make sense to do so. She treats his injuries and even helps him escape from the police, becoming a fugitive, despite not knowing a single thing about Ethan’s predicament. Also I couldn’t help but get the strongest sense of deja vu when Madison suddenly started to try and snog Ethan’s face off. It’s exactly like the bullshit romance from Fahrenheit. It comes right the fuck out of nowhere and is handled with all the grace and subtlety of a glow in the dark rhino. At least Heavy Rain gives you the option to decline. I tell you I couldn’t slam the ‘Don’t Kiss’ button fast enough.

Madison really does feel like a pointless inclusion to the game. She brings nothing new to the story and is basically used as a get out of jail free card. If Ethan or Norman fail to find the location of Shaun, Madison can just phone either of them up and tell them, even though she never meets or interacts with Norman at any point in the game, thus rendering the progress in their stories completely pointless. They could have sat in the corner dribbling for the entire game and it would have led to the same conclusion providing Madison survives the fire. (and speaking of plot holes and bad writing, why did she act shocked when Ann Sheppard told her the killer’s name. She never interacts with Scott at any point in the game. How does she know who he is? Did nobody proof read this shit?).

Norman Jayden

Here’s an idea to make playing this game more fun. When you get to the levels where you play as Norman Jayden, pretend he’s an alien from outer space. It would explain the daft VR sunglasses and Leon Ockenden’s terrible performance. I swear I’ve heard some bad American accents in my time, but this takes the fucking cake. I’m particularly amused by how camp Norman suddenly turns whenever he says the word ‘bastard.’

So. Norman. An FBI agent with a crippling drug problem... I think. He carries a tube of blue powder called triptocaine and sniffs it occasionally whenever he gets the shakes, but there’s a chance that this is actually caused by the VR sunglasses. There are several moments where a butler warns you not to overindulge in ‘you know what’ due to how dangerous it is. At first you think he’s referring to the triptocaine, but later it becomes clear he means the VR. So... what’s the point of the triptocaine then? Is he addicted to it or not? What’s he suffering withdrawal from? It’s all very unclear and poorly defined. And what exactly is the problem with the VR sunglasses? Why are they dangerous? How are they affecting him? We later see blood come out of his eyes, but how does that work? Not that any of this matters because it never actually links into the plot in any meaningful way. You can choose to either take the triptocaine or abstain and, aside from one level, the story carries on as normal regardless of your choice.

The thing is Norman Jayden’s story could have benefitted the most from the ‘your choice matters’ model. Imagine if the game actually gave you the freedom to investigate at your own pace. Allowed you to choose which suspects you question, which lead you follow, and have whether you find the killer or not all rely on the player’s own investigative abilities. Let the player find the clues and put together the solution themselves. Instead the game just yanks you from one false lead to the next and hands you solutions on a plate. This is a recurring problem throughout this game. Your choices simply don’t matter for the most part. David Cage merely wants to give the illusion of choice whilst forcing you down the path he wants you to take. There’s no real freedom or player choice. Actions very rarely have consequences and it all feels incredibly disappointing.

But the most excruciating thing about Norman Jayden isn’t even Norman Jayden. It’s the psychotic twat he has to hang around with. Lieutenant Carter Blake, police detective and arsehole. Throughout the game, Blake constantly butts heads with Norman and there never seems to be a good reason for it other than he’s a prick. Not just that, he often misuses his power, violently beating suspects for confessions and not only does Norman never report this, there’s also never a strong narrative reason for it. At first I thought Blake was just desperate to find the killer, but as it goes on you realise that’s not the case at all. He just enjoys being a violent dick. Why? I don’t know. And then there’s this whole witch hunt against Ethan. Ex wife Grace comes into the precinct to tell Blake about how Ethan dreams of drowning bodies and from then on Blake goes on a personal vendetta against Ethan, convinced he’s the Origami Killer. Except it doesn’t make the slightest bit of sense. For one thing, Ethan has an alibi. He was in a coma when the killings first started. Plus Grace says this happened in the spring and it’s been established that the Origami Killer only drowns his victims in the fall. There’s no concrete evidence tying Ethan to the crime. Just a vague, contradictory story from his ex wife. And yet Blake blindly goes along with it. Worse still, Norman never calls him out on it. It’s monumentally stupid writing. Did you know David Cage won a BAFTA for this game? How? Fucking how?!

Scott Shelby

Finally we come to Scott Shelby, a private detective who has been hired by the families of the victims of the Origami Killer to investigate. I have mixed feelings about this story. The Scott levels are often very dull and repetitive with each level mostly playing out the same. Scott questions someone about the Origami Killer, they refuse to talk, Scott leaves, someone threatens the witness, Scott saves them, witness gives information. Wash, rinse, repeat. It gets very boring after a while, especially considering the information you learn is basically the same as what Norman learns. The whole thing just feels like a massive waste of time. 

Scott suspects someone called Gordi Kramer to be the killer and has to contend with Gordi’s father Charles, but from the moment you meet Gordi, you know he can’t possibly be the killer and yet the game constantly focuses on the Kramers. Another issue I have is his relationship with Lauren Winter, the mother of one of the killer’s victims who tags along. Not only does she contribute nothing to the narrative other than making sad eyes every five minutes, the two also randomly kiss each other near the end despite sharing no hint of romantic chemistry. (seriously has David Cage ever been on a date with a human being before?).

But despite all of this, I found myself quite liking Scott. Sam Douglas gives the strongest performance of the four leads and the character comes off as warm and affectionate. Despite the tedium of the levels he’s in, it’s often his charm and likability that gets you through. Which is what makes the reveal that he’s in fact the Origami Killer all the more shocking.

Now when I first played this in 2010, I honestly thought it was a good twist. Scott pretended to be a private detective in order to find and dispose of evidence connecting to him. His obsession with Gordi Kramer was because he was insulted that there was another person killing children without a ‘good’ reason. I even liked the little detail that it was seeing Ethan throw himself in front of a car in an attempt to save Jason that sparked off the idea of the Origami Killer. It falls into that classic trope of heroes creating their own villains and it’s fairly well executed. However there is a little bit of cheating going on here. The timing of certain scenes doesn’t quite add up and some of the thoughts Scott has just doesn’t make sense when you know he’s the killer. Also this revelation opens up a ton of plot holes. Where did he get the money to buy all this stuff? The cars. The abandoned factory. The warehouse. The phones. The secret room in his apartment where he grows the orchids. He used to be a cop. There’s no way he could have had that much money in his retirement fund for all of this. Why did he subscribe to an origami magazine? Isn’t that a bit of a giveaway? Why did he buy the warehouse where he drowns his victims using his own name when he used his dead brother’s name for all of his other transactions? And what happened to his asthma? David Cage puts a lot of emphasis on his asthma in the early levels, but there’s never any payoff in the later levels. In fact it’s largely forgotten about. Scott gets into fist fights and even an over the top gunfight through a mansion and yet never gets an asthma attack when before he seemed to get them at the drop of a hat.

But the biggest question I have is this. Why Ethan? The Origami Killer kidnaps kids in order to test the fathers. To see how far they’d go to save their sons. As I said before, it was Ethan’s selflessness that inspired Scott to start the killings, to find a father that could do what his couldn’t. So why does he pick Ethan? He already knows that Ethan is prepared to sacrifice himself for his son. Why put him through all these tests? It just seems pointless. It gets even weirder at the end when Scott tries to kill Ethan. Again, the whole point of these murders is to test the fathers. Ethan succeeded. Why does he need to die? It completely goes against his modus operandi. And why use a gun to kill him? The final trial involves Ethan drinking poison, but then it’s revealed that the poison isn’t real. If Scott intended to kill Ethan, why not just use real poison? David Cage clearly hasn’t thought this through very thoroughly and this is a problem that extends throughout the entire game.

I applaud David Cage for wanting to tell different kinds of stories using the video game medium, but the fact of the matter is he’s simply not good at it. Yes video games are going through something of a renaissance right now, but I’d argue that it’s in spite of Heavy Rain rather than because of it. We have seen some truly incredible games over the past decade. Games that have redefined what you can do with the medium and told really engaging stories. Telltale’s The Walking Dead, The Last Of Us, The Stanley Parable, BioShock, the Mass Effect trilogy, Horizon Zero Dawn, Life Is Strange and many more. These games have truly innovated and expanded the medium. Heavy Rain however does the opposite. David Cage talks about innovating games, but if you look at what inspires him as a writer and how Heavy Rain is designed and structured, you’d think that Cage was embarrassed by video games. He’s trying so hard to make Heavy Rain more cinematic, but it doesn’t work because it’s not a film. It’s a video game. In fact if this was a film, it would be laughed out of every film festival. It’s cliched, boring, insulting and just plain stupid. Yes it’s unique, but unique doesn’t necessarily equate to good.

Five years later, Supermassive Games would adopt this style of storytelling for the truly brilliant Until Dawn and it works so much better because there is effort to actually tell a compelling story with relatable characters and to give your choices actual meaning and impact. Heavy Rain however just gets bogged down in its own pretentiousness, pouring scorn over the medium being used to tell the story without offering anything of substance to replace it. There’s a reason why people don’t talk about Heavy Rain anymore and it’s not because it’s a BAFTA award winning ‘game changer’.

[wonderlandmind4]

Delicate Stages Chp 31

Pairings: Bucky Barnes x OFC Ana Rios

Warnings: Language. Blink and you’ll miss it angst. Tony Stark’s snark. Mentions of blood, non graphic minor injury. Mild fighting.

Words: 4.6k+ @justreadingfics​ @nerdyandproud9​ @buffy-morgendorffer-01​

Ana felt relieved she was able to laugh after talking to Bucky, although her stomach is rolling in sick waves. She leans against her door as she closes it, releasing a heavy sigh. Her heart is pounding in her chest and her stomach is clenching. She knows she just took one for her own team. Bucky’s healing process is more important than her own feelings and she will continue making him the number one priority no matter what. 

"Well, that's a self sacrificing look if I ever saw one." Someone speaks up.

She startles. "I swear to god, Tony. How do you even know this? Why do you keep showing up in my room?"

"I'm not sure what happened, but I'm very familiar with that look on your face. Putting someone else's well being before yours."

"Pepper you mean?" Ana can't help the slight warmth of fondness over that fact.

Tony hums, then stands from her computer chair. He comes too close for her liking as his dark brown eyes apprise her. Suddenly, he lifts her chin up, tilting her head side to side. He blinks, then releases her chin. Ana pouts, rubbing at her skin.

"Where'd that bruise come from?" He questions casually, beginning to walk around the room. He picks up books, scans them once, then replaces them.

"What bruise?"

"The faded ones on your neck in the shape of fingers."

Shit. "Got a bit kinky with a guy from a bar. Hot hookup and all." She answers flatly.

"I'd rather not know your kinks, Ana, thank you. Plus, you're lying, horribly." Tony pauses to face her. "Barnes told me."

Well, fuck. "What did he tell you exactly?"

"Simon Mills compromising the session. Barnes nearly crushing your neck. The lack of use of the bracelet."

Goddammit. "Did he really say crushing my neck? That's over dramatized." Ana says, finally walking forward and snatching her journal out of Tony's hands. "It's fine. I didn't even notice there was a bruise. He didn't hurt me, so I would really appreciate you not blowing his arm off, thanks."

"He did come to me with that intention." Tony pauses as his expression changes. "He cares for you. As do I, so next time, Ana. Use the damn bracelet. I gave it to you for a reason."

"Yes, sir." She snips mockingly. "You didn't tell Pepper did you?"

"And risk her marching her beautiful legs up here with those heels to kick his ass? No."

Ana plops down on her bed. "Thank you. I promise I'll use it next time."

"It's not just an accessory, kid. Use it, or I'll be present for every session afterwards."

"That is rather unnecessary."

Tony levels her with a look. "Fine. I wont hesitate to tell Pepper."

Ana shakes her head as he steps toward her door.

"It's your safety first, Ana. Oh, the mission got moved up. Change of plans on the testing of the weapons."

 "Are you guys ready?"

Tony opens the door. "Don't you mean, is he ready?"

"What do you think?" Ana inquires genuinely.

"I do...unless something pretty distracts him. Good thing you aren’t coming."

Then Tony is out the door, closing it before the pillow Ana threw can hit him.

***

This is turning out to be quite a day already. It's not until all the meetings has finished and the sun is beginning to set, that Ana marches up to Bucky.

"You told Tony!?" Ana accuses after finding Bucky on the roof again.

"Got to be more specific, darling." He answers, sitting up from the lounge chair.

"You told him about the compromised stage? Why would you do that? He's rather testy about it."

"I figured you would listen to him about taking precautionary measures."

"What?" 

Bucky sighs heavily. “You know, for someone really smart, you can be really stupid.”

“Excuse me?” She snips incredulously.

“You don’t active any of the defense mechanisms, Ana! The restraints, the bracelet. You don’t take the precautionary measures to protect yourself! You didn't even use that taser disk!" 

Bucky pauses. He looks her over for a moment. "As great as last night went, you still did something incredibly reckless. Anything could have happened! Don’t you know if something were to happen to you it would be my fault and I would never be able to live with myself”

Tension seeps from Ana’s shoulders. He looks so concerned, so worried, it makes her feel guilty. “Bucky-“

"It's one of the things that drives me fucking insane about you! As if you don't care for your own safety at all."

Something sour burns in her mouth. "Right, why would I when I have a big, bad Soldier to do it for me? Protecting me so much, he still holds back from me."

"Didn't hold back last night, did I?" Bucky counters, his voice dropping a few octaves. 

Oh, so they can stumble through an awkward conversation about it, but making snarky remarks is as easy as can be. Two can play that game. Ana steps closer to him until he has to look up at her. She tries not to get distracted by his eyes shining in the fading light of the sun, or the fierce look in them. The set of his mouth with how red his lips are, and how Ana remembers exactly how they felt on hers. Remembers exactly how he tastes.

"You protect me so much from yourself, that I bet you're too afraid to even kiss me again." Ana whispers in a challenge.

Bucky just stares into her eyes. He doesn't say anything. He doesn't react once, and a flash of hurt shoots through her chest because she knew it. Knew that him processing it meant it wasn't going to happen ever again. That it really was a one time thing he just did to shut her up, and not because he may have feelings for her too. Ana swallows the lump in her throat, then steps back, reminding herself. Bucky’s healing process is the number one priority; not whatever is happening between them.

"You leave for the mission tomorrow." She states quietly, yet keeping her tone professional. "I'd take the day to mentally prepare. Don't want anything to distract you and compromise the mission."

With that, she exists the roof.

***

Ana is preparing a late dinner the next night, chopping up vegetables on the cutting board, letting the sound of the rain splattering against the large windows fill the room. Everyone is gone for the mission, but she decided to make more than enough food in case anyone is hungry when they get back.

She didn't see Bucky all that much, though they did end up apologizing to each other. Mainly because it felt so weird to throw jabs and stay mad at each other for long. Plus, Bucky had been rather nervous, and pushing everything from the night before aside, Ana offered to help him. She went through breathing exercises, reminded him that their mission has nothing to do with Hydra. So the chance of running into someone is very, very low. He was still nervous though.

Before he left, Bucky had grabbed her hand, brought it up to his mouth and left Ana with a soft press of his lips against her knuckles. It felt loaded with another apology and gratefulness. His eyes had pinned her to the spot, until his lips finally pulled back. She breathlessly wished him luck, along with the rest of them and off they went.

Currently her phone is vibrating on the counter, but her hands are busy, carefully cutting into zucchini. The buzzing stops, then starts again causing Ana to huff, putting down the knife to grab her phone. It's Tony. Who is currently on the mission. Tony who just called her twice. Tony, who is calling her a third time. A surge of panic runs up her spine; the lights flicker around her.

"Tony!?" Ana answers worriedly. "What's going on?"

"Need you to come here, preferably now, please. That'd be great." He answers curtly. There's a lot of background noise, and his voice echoes a little. He's calling from the suit.

"Aren't you dealing with-"

"Yes, and there's a lot to do with energy that's being pulled from a source we can't see. Those weapons we thought were being made, well, they're made. This guy is planning on draining the power from the entire state of New York to source said weapons, so-"

"I can't, Tony! That's not my job. I wouldn't even know how to help. I don't do field work."

"You do now. Lets go, chop chop."

"And how do you expect me to get there so quickly? I don't even know where you are." Ana explains, running to her room and slipping on the first pair of shoes she sees. She hurriedly grabs a knife hidden behind her nightstand, clipping the sheathe to the side of her pants.

"If you stop stalling and get to the roof-"

"Did you send a suit?" She catches on, opening her window to climb the stairs. "I can't fly a suit!"

"You don't have to. Get in." The line disconnects.

Ana tucks her phone in her back pocket as she steps onto the roof. Waiting there is one of the many Iron Man suits Tony has created. The rain is falling harder, soaking her black tee shirt and jeans, as she runs towards it. She carefully steps inside, instantly the suit closes around her. Her vision changes to a screen with target circles and coordinates. Tony's voice is back, having reconnected and abruptly the suit takes off.

"I need you to read this guys energy."

Ana gasps, her stomach swooping. The sensation of flying like this is very new to her. "Talk to me, what's going on? How the hell do you fly in this?"

"Wanda is down. He pulled her power from her."

"What do you mean by that?"

"He's similar to you, at least with those advanced weapons. Figured you could help with that."

"Tony, I'm a non-combatant agent! How am I suppose to help?"

"You don't give yourself enough credit, Ana." He nearly snaps. "I know you hold back and this is a time where I really need you to not."

Ana winces as she flies too close to a power plant pillar. She grits her teeth. "She is okay?"

"Nat's got her, she's fine. Away from the fight." He informs.

"Any casualties?" She can see she's coming up on the fight. The radius of the power plant looks clear of civilians.

"None."

"Anyone hurt?"

Tony doesn't respond immediately. It concerns Ana as she finally lands, several yards away from the fight. Hawkeye shoots an arrow, but whoever the man they're fighting is, blocks it with what looks like three energy whips and a beam.

"Injures?" She questions again. 

She notes the guy isn't moving his feet, but no one seems to be getting close. It's then she realizes that Bucky is with them. She doesn't see him. Tony has yet to answer her.

"Stark!"

"None." Tony finally answers.

"That's a lie. Where is he?"

"Spark Plugs over there disabled the use of his metal arm." 

"Let me out." Ana demands.

The suit dissembles from her body, and she's instantly dripping in rain. She assesses the situation again, running closer to the others. The man still has his feet rooted to the ground, very close to a power outlet. That's where it's coming from, behind the building. Iron Man's suit is suddenly flying next to her, as is Sam.

"What is she doing here?" Sam asks, bringing in his wings and running beside her.

"Bringing us dinner." Tony quips. Ana can hear his eye roll. "She's the only one who can stop the energy he's collecting. He's draining the suit of power every time I get close."

"He's pulling it from the ground." Ana informs, coming to a stop behind a nearby tree.

She's close enough now to feel the heat of the white beams coming from the whips and the man's body. She sees Steve rebound a beam with his shield. Gun fire abruptly echoes through the night, and the bullet grazes the man’s thigh, just enough to sneak under the beams. He yelps and when he shifts, there's a break in the energy he's using. Ana can't see Bucky, but he's hiding in the shadows, doing his part despite his arm. Relief floods throughout her body, knowing that he's safe.

"There's a major power supply and he's standing over it. That's where he's pulling it from. Enhancing whatever he already has in his body." Ana relays.

"Can you stop it?" Sam questions.

"I have to get close enough." She tells him. "He's literally pulling all of the kinetic energy out of the air, how have you guys been fighting? The air feels so thin."

"Not very well." Tony answers, "Sluggish I’d say. Bad performance review. Probably a 32 percent on Rotten Tomato. Not all of us are equipped with energy sensing tingles.”

Ana rolls her eyes. "I need a distraction to get close. I think I can stop it, but I need to touch him to do so."

"We'll give you air support." Tony assures her. "Wilson."

"On it!" Sam opens his wings and takes off.

"I only brought a knife to an energy beam shooting fight, Tony. There's only one chance for this."

"He's got your back." He promises, then takes off.

It takes her a second to realize he's not taking about Sam. Ana runs on her toes, staying as quiet and stealthy as she can. The man abruptly turns though, and if it wasn't for another gun shot, pulling his attention back to the previous spot, he would have seen her. She knows exactly who has her back.

Ana slows, beginning to let her walls down, feeling the energy crackling through the air as she gets closer. If this guy is pulling everyone's kinetic energy, Ana pulls it from him. It's burning at her skin, sizzling in the air and she can see it. A faint blueish gray hovering very close to the man's back. There's gunfire from above as well as a beam from the suit. Steve throws his shield, and Clint fires another arrow. The shield is blocked, ricochets off a blast of energy and back into Cap's arm. The arrow lands by the mans feet a second before it explodes. It's small, but it's the perfect distraction, causing the his feet to finally move.

She can hear Tony banter with the guy, and the fighting has stopped for the moment. Ana doesn't pay any attention, instead she focuses on slowly pulling the electric air into her hands. She breathes in slowly, lifting her hands, inching closer. She shuffles her feet forward, over the spot where the man was previous standing and feels the power source beneath her, surging and amping up her own abilities. It's now or get blasted by a beam.

Ana exhales, placing her fingertips on the man's back as she pushes the energy forward. A bright blue light shoots from her hands, propelling the man forward into the air. It cuts all ties to his weapons, the electric whips dying out. The man scrambles to get up, blood falling from the corner of his eye. He spots Ana, a sneer on his lips. He flexes his hands, and suddenly the whips sizzle back to life. He slams them on the ground and a burst of power knocks Steve and Clint off their feet, and Tony and Sam of course in the sky. Ana steadies her footing, absorbing the current through the ground.

"Was wondering where they were hiding you. The Energy Alchemist." The man calls, advancing on Ana. "You know we're the same, you and I." The air crackles around them as he get closer.

"I doubt it." Ana scoffs. She feels his power radiating off his skin, and Ana needs to touch him once more. She steps closer. "But why don't you enlighten me by monologuing?"

"Clever girl." The man smirks. Louder he says, "If your friends get any closer, you'll meet the end of the whip, not sure you’d be able to survive how much power I give it."

The threat is enough to stop everyone in their tracks. Clint has an arrow poised at the ready, as does Tony with his palm up, beam ready to fire, Sam ready with Red Wing if needed. Steve seems to be debating taking a chance to protect her with the shield. It's defensive positions he can see. What he doesn't see, is Bucky hiding away somewhere high, between the trees. Another shot is fired, this time with intent to hit a target, which happens to be the man's shoulder, bullet lodged in the joint.

He jerks forward with a shout, dropping one of the whips, opening his stance. He barely glances over his shoulder, and Ana takes the opportunity, running straight at him. He turns just in time to see, but she drops down, sliding between his legs, and popping up behind him. She thrusts her hands onto his back and pulls at his energy, opening that part of her own ability. He gasps the same time Ana does. She digs her fingers into his body, holding on and draining his energy. It's too much to take in at once, but Ana holds on tightly, gritting her teeth.

The man is slowly sinking to the ground, his breaths getting shorter by the second. He releases both whips, hands relaxing, head dropping. Ana feels all extra power draining from his bones into her own body. He finally falls to the ground as Ana stumbles. She clenches her fists, slowly stepping away from he man, still breathing.

Her entire body is shaking, hot and buzzing with the pent up energy she stole, kinetic at that, and she has to release it. Release it somewhere that isn't near the plant and her friends. If they're caught in the blast, well. Ana's body is heating up, the whips on the ground suddenly fire up again. She sways, some of the power churning the air around her. It's too much to hold. Her blood is boiling, her skin prickling, and the air cracks around her, tinting blue and gold through the inky sky.

"Ana!" Someone calls from the distance.

Ana shakes her head, but the movement also shakes the foundation of the power plant. Iron Man is suddenly next to her, catching her as she falls sideways. He steadies her, and Ana places her hands on the suit. Everything she just took rushes out of her as she channels it into the arc reactor. Tony abruptly releases her, stumbling back. Ana regains her footing, staring at him as he opens his face mask.

"Did you just power my suit?" He questions, looking a mix of bewildered and impressed.

Ana nods. She's no longer trembling, now that half the energy is in the suit. 

"Needed to redirect it somewhere safe." She bends over to catch her breath, resting her hands on her knees.

"That was interesting." Clint states, placing a hand on her shoulder.

The rain is still coming down, having soaked every part of her. There are wet, running footsteps coming towards her, when she remembers that someone was injured. Ana picks her head up, wet strands of her hair falling over her eyes, to see Bucky standing in front of her.

There's a deep cut on his forehead, blood watery from the rain, dripping down his temple and off his beard. His left arm is hanging uselessly at his side. His wet hair sticks to the side of his face, and Ana really wants to push the strands aside, just to make sure he doesn't have any more cuts. Bucky drops the automatic riffle in his hand to the wet ground, reaching out for her.

"What the hell are you doing here!?" He demands angrily, gripping her elbow, fire burning in his eyes.

"Told you." Clint mutters to someone.

Ana ignores him, narrowing her eyes at Bucky. "No, I'm fine, all good, thanks." She snaps. "Just completely drained that dude of all energy and in return, directed his into Tony's suit. I'm all good."

"You didn't think that was dangerous?" Bucky counters, glaring at her.

"What about your arm there, Sergeant Snowflake?"

He levels her with an unimpressed look. "Still had your back, didn't I?"

Ana smiles softly at him. "Yeah."

"Jesus, you two are worse than love-struck teens." Clint inputs. He takes his hand off her shoulder. "She's fine." He informs everyone else, and walks away.

"I hate him sometimes." Ana mumbles. She straightens up, grabbing Bucky's forearm to steady herself. "Let me see."

“Think he fried some wires, threw off the calibration.” Bucky informs her.

She picks up his heavy left arm with both hands, and the grip on her elbow tightens, as to make sure she doesn't fall over. Ana examines the metal, the rain making tiny tinkering noises. Steve, after helping Sam tie up the still unconscious man, comes up next to her.

"How was he able to do that?" He inquires.

"Can we do this out of the rain?" Sam speaks up, sounding less than pleasant.

"Called Romanoff, should be here in two minutes." Tony says.

"Just give me a minute." Ana scolds them, bringing Bucky's arm closer to her face.

She closes her eyes. She gathers the very last of what she can feel still buzzing inside her, what she didn't give over to Tony's suit. They don't have to know that to fully restore the workings of the arm, Ana has to use some of her own energy as well. Whatever she took from the man had enough kinetic power to remain inside her body. Ana opens her eyes, squeezes her hands, and quite literally feels the electrical shock emitting from her fingers.

There's a flash of golden blue light around her hands and arms, and the sound of soft mechanical whirring comes to life. Ana continues to channel it into his arm, until the metal slates shift together, then releases his arm. Bucky wiggles his fingers, then swings his arm around in a circle, his range of motion coming back. He smiles proudly at her.

Ana's knees buckle. Both him and Steve are quick to catch her, holding her up. They're saying something to her, but she can't hear them. Either due to the sudden rushing of blood to her ears or the loud engine of the Quinjet coming to get them. Her eyelashes flutter against the raindrops, which are suddenly blocked by a pair of blue eyes starring at her in concern. Ana sees Buckys lips moving, a crease on his brow. She still can't make out what he's saying but she's suddenly out of the rain and laying on something solid.

With the last ounce of strengthen left, Ana lifts her hand. She weakly swipes her thumb over Bucky's face. The wound is still bleeding, but he seems to be fine. Ana's hand drops down, and her vision blackens.

***

When Ana wakes up, she's laying on a rather uneven surface, body weighed down with blankets. She stares up at a white ceiling, lights patterned in a way that isn't the same as the other rooms of the compound. Ana slowly sits up, and realizes it's because she's in the medical ward. Her skin feels itchy. She notices then that there's an IV in her hand, and little heart monitoring pad on her pulse points and chest. She makes to take them off.

"If you think about pulling those out, Barnes will come over here and pin you down. Although, I don't think you'd be opposed to that."

Ana glares to her left. "Tony."

Tony sits up in his chair. He looks tired, like he was up all night and Ana has no idea how long she's been out for. He pushes a cup of water on the bedside table closer to her. Grateful, she takes it, and drinks the entire cup down.

"Your heart rate dropped dangerously low on the carrier." He informs her casually, taking the empty cup back. "You had an extremely high fever as well. Everything is normal now, but you've been out for 24 hours."

Ana slumps back against the pillows. There's only one thing going through her mind right now. "It isn't because I fixed his arm." She states firmly. "He knows that right?"

"You think he believes that?"

A huff.

"I knew it would be too much for you." Tony admits. “Shouldn't have asked for help."

"Stop that. Don't do that. If I really didn’t want to help I wouldn’t have gone. I'm fine now. I was just overwhelmed. Too much too soon. I haven’t drained energy like that on that big a scale."

Tony leans over and fist pumps her knuckles. "Good job though, girly. Proud of you."

Ana smiles at him. Tony is mostly all snark and quips, but the fondness and worry in his eyes says so much more. He's seen Ana at her worst, close to death. Has seen her break down sobbing after her brother's funeral. Has seen her so incredibly angry that all the lights and glass shattered in her apartment. They have a special connection, the two of them. Ana knows Tony is more concerned, and probably relieved than anyone else. Or, almost everyone.

"How long do I have to stay here?" She ends up asking. She looks over at her vitals chart. Everything seems normal.

"Until Janice gives you the all clear." Tony answers. "They just want to make sure you remain stable. You absorbed too much energy into your body."

Ana nods. "How's Bucky? He was bleeding wasn't he?"

A smirk lifts the corner of Tony's mouth. He nods his head up. Ana follows his nod and on the opposite side of the room is Bucky. There's still blood on the left side of his face, but Ana can't tell if its fresh or dry. Which means, if she had been out for the past twenty- four hours, Bucky hadn’t let anyone tend to him.

***

"It's fine, Ana." Bucky assures her. “It’ll heal in no-”

"Hush and let me put this on." She scolds, carefully placing the butterfly band-aid over the cut. She had been cleared of normal vitals after her usual vitamin shot and made a beeline towards Bucky.

"You need to rest. Still not happy that he called for your help."

Ana rolls her eyes, tossing the wrapper away. "He wouldn't have done so if he didn't need it. I swear, you and him both are like overprotective mothers."

"But you're not..." He trails off.

"I'm not- I'm not what? Hmm? Say it. I dare you." She threatens. If he says what she thinks he is going to say, probably something about not being trained enough or an Avenger, she will lose it.

"I just don't want you getting hurt. Draining your energy is enough, don't you think?"

"You know I've literally been attacked in my own home before. If someone is going to hurt me, they'll get to me wherever I am."

"Like hell they will." Bucky responds with fire in his voice.

Ana steps back to stare at him. The blues of his eyes are shinning, but looks fierce, protective, and it's a look she is growing use to. She knows how he feels though, because she has the same feelings when it comes to him. They are very protective over each other, and she doesn't know exactly when that happened, but it did, and it's not going away any time soon.

"Bucky." Ana exhales. He closes his eyes, gently grabs her hips and pulls her close. He drops his head to her shoulder. Ana weaves her fingers through is damp hair.

"Don't you know by now, how much I care about you." Bucky admits, his breath fanning over her skin. "I know I shouldn't. I have no right to-"

"If you start with the self depreciating shit I will disable your arm again." She threatens softly.

He laughs against her shoulder. When he looks back up, air catches in her lungs. Her heart begins to pick up speed, and the fluttering of her stomach is back. Her mind is suddenly thrown back to a few days ago when he kissed her so fiercely on the roof. They haven't spoken about it since their talk in his room, but Ana can still taste him on her tongue, can still feel the burn of his beard, the grind of his hips. She desperately wants to taste him again. If he even wants to.

Ana brushes her fingers through his hair again, pushing back the strands that fell over the cut. Bucky's hands fall further down her hips, fingers slipping under her shirt. She tilts her head down, cupping his jaw, watching his lips part slightly. He turns his head just a fraction, pressing his lips to the palm of her hand. Maybe he does want it.

"Ana, Fury would like a word with you." Steve's voice interrupts the moment. Ana steps back as Bucky drops his hands. Steve just steps into the room, stopping when he see their expression. He raises an eyebrow but remains silent.

"I'll go see him." Ana states, trying to will down the flush of her cheeks.

She hurries out of the room, not glancing back at Bucky, and avoiding Steve's gaze.

************************************************************************************

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[meterhunter889]

Best Macbook Pro For Video Editing

Best Macbook Pro 16 For Video Editing

What Is The Best Macbook Pro For Video Editing

Best Video Editing Computer

May 11, 2018. Jul 22, 2019. Apr 07, 2020.

Final Cut Pro. First on our list of 12 best video editing software for Mac is Final Cut Pro. It is Apple’s. Best MacBook Pro for Video Editing. The comparison chart below enlists all the best macbook pro for video editing to help you choose the best. Top 8 Best MacBook Pro for Video Editing. We have covered some of the best available options in this list. So, spend some minutes in reading to find the best.

Apple didn’t get its reputation for performance and accuracy from nowhere.

Everything from phones to paper-thin notebooks are engineering to work efficiently, and this makes their MacBooks ideal for all levels of video editing.

AVG Free is an excellent product which does not slow my machine down (I have had it running in Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and now in Windows 10), it has never crashed, it is simple to update and possibly most importantly it seems to catch 990/0 of any viruses I come across on the fly (any it doesn't catch are found during a weekly. Monthly scan of my system). Best antivirus for windows 7. Mar 07, 2016.

Besides integrating extremely well with the Adobe Creative Cloud suite and many other third-party photo/video editing software, they offer a streamlined experience that will work well in any freelance or industry position.

In this guide, we’ll point out some key points for choosing the best MacBook Pro that will most effectively work for video editing at various levels, and showcase some of our own recommendations as well.

Quick Summary

For the casual creative, we recommend the 13-inch MacBook Pro with 256GB SSD, which offers quality performance without unnecessarily bulking up the specs. It doesn’t offer touch bar, but it is portable and sturdy.

If you certainly aren’t a hobbyist but not a pro either, 13-inch MacBook Pro with 512GB SSD is a better choice. The storage has been beefed up a bit, and the touch bar offers a new dimension of functionality.

Lastly, the professional creative looking to max out their performance power would be best served with a 15-inch MacBook Pro with i9 Processor and 512GB SSD. This model offers insane amounts of processing power, though you’ll likely still want an external monitor for the sake of screen space.

Is MacBook Pro Good for Video Editing?

In this case, it isn’t about whether or not a Mac will be effective for video editing, but a matter of how much power you really need.

If you just plan on doing minor work for youtube, you won’t be troubled by extensive renders or clamoring for screen restate, so it doesn’t make sense to pay for specs built for something ten times as processor-intensive.

However, if you plan on doing digital animation or working in 4K, it’s definitely time to look at higher-end machines that will be able to handle what you’re throwing at them.

If you’re not planning on editing videos in some way, you should not treat this article as a collection of the most powerful MacBooks overall.

Intensive computer work demands different specs depending on what you plan on doing, so you can’t assume the best for editing will be the best for say, gaming.

Best MacBook Pro for Video Editing: What to Consider in 2020?

Graphics

The key to a fast render is a high quality dedicated graphics card, and while lower-level work will likely be fine using an integrated card, you’ll want a dedicated one for anything beyond the casual home video or Youtube vlog. Dedicated graphics allow your computer to utilize RAM (Random Access Memory) specifically for the high-quality visuals you’ll be rendering as effectively as possible.

Processor

The processor is going to be handling every detail of your video as you build it, so you’re going to want to look towards the latest generations of the Intel i5 and i7 lines. Since video software can make use of multiple threads as well, these will benefit you while creating your project.

RAM

The final element that will make or break the performance of your MacBook while working on video editing is RAM. It’s used in every aspect of your computer’s execution of processes, and you’ll want a minimum of 8GB for amateur work, with a goal of 16GB if you’re editing professionally.

Best MacBook Pro for Video Editing in 2020: Our Picks

1. Casual Video Editing: 13-inch MacBook Pro (2.4GHz, Intel Core i5 processor, 256GB)

If you’re going to be editing home videos and content for Youtube, you probably won’t be doing intensive 3D renders or completely utilizing heavy programs even if they are installed. This version of the 13″ MacBook Pro comes with the processing power to reach your goal without unnecessarily overcompensating.

Pros:

The 13″ model is extremely portable, so you’ll have editing power at your fingertips wherever you go.

RAM is the perfect amount for this type of user and should last several years.

SSD drive means that renders and saves will be completed faster than with a physical HDD disk.

Cons:

SSD is pricey, which is why this model only comes with 256 GB in disk space. You’ll definitely want to purchase an external drive to compensate for this when storing your videos.

Additionally, this model uses an integrated graphics card which will be fine for this level of editing but doesn’t offer room for growth.

2. For Amateur Movie Making: 13-inch MacBook Pro (2.4GHz, Intel Core i5 processor, 512GB)

Whether college student or budding short-film director, you need power and a modern flair without the expense of a professional setup. This model of MacBook is a great compromise, offering Apple’s latest touch bar and touch ID technology packed into a 13″ body powered by an integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics 655.

Pros: Bluestacks mac os.

Offering both portability and power, this modern masterpiece has all the specs to get you where you want to go without any unnecessary bulk.

The brand-new touch bar is also included and known to have great integrations when working in Final Cut Pro or the Adobe Suite.

Cons:

While offering more space than the aforementioned 256GB model, it’s still a bit on the small side for storing large video files.

It also has an integrated graphics card, which is slightly less than ideal.

3. For Professional Creatives: 15-inch MacBook Pro (2.3GHz, Intel Core i9 processor, 512GB)

Truly a top of the line machine, this MacBook Pro model was built for precision and nothing less. The 8-core i9 processor can stand up to just about anything you throw at it, it has a powerful graphics card UHD Graphics 630. The 15″ screen offers some more real estate than the smaller 13″ models.

Pros:

It has nearly unbeatable power between the mix of RAM, dGPU, and processor.

The beautiful screen will produce accurate colors and the touch bar will allow you to work even more effectively in your favorite editing programs.

You have the option to choose more storage space if needed.

Cons:

When editing professionally, you need all the screen space you can get, and no size laptop is going to be able to offer that. If you don’t have an external monitor, check out our recommendations.

Useful Mac Video Editing Resources

Just getting started with editing your own videos? LifeWire offers a great tutorial on getting started, from which software will be the most useful to whether you’ll fare better with some peripherals. Also, check out this complete video editing tutorial for non-editors on Mac:

A fan of iMovie? MacWorld has made a fantastic list of best tips on how to get the most out of Apple’s video editing software for macOS.

Best Macbook Pro 16 For Video Editing

You could also check out this list of free and paid Mac video editing apps (TechRadar), which will let you experiment before deciding exactly what you need in a paid program.

Click Save to copy the download to your computer for installation at a later timeIT professional resourcesIT professional working in managed environments can find complete resources for deploying Office updates in an organization on the. Click Run to start the installation immediately. Microsoft office 2016 crack free download 64-bit. Command line instructions can be found in Knowledge Base article. .To start the download, click the Download button and then do one of the following, or select another language from Change Language and then click Change.

What Is The Best Macbook Pro For Video Editing

Final Words

Video editing is a prime example of technical work that eats RAM and CPU power like no other. Luckily, a MacBook Pro was made to stand up to these things and is sure to perform if you’ve picked an adequate model.

Best Video Editing Computer

What set up do you currently use to edit videos? Let us know and share which specs you think are most important for productive work.

[perfectirishgifts]

The Top 10 Gaming Photo Modes Revealed–With A Surprising Winner

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/the-top-10-gaming-photo-modes-revealed-with-a-surprising-winner/

The Top 10 Gaming Photo Modes Revealed–With A Surprising Winner

‘Forza Horizon 4’ is one of ten games making waves on Instagram right now.

Photo modes are becoming an integral part of gaming, and why shouldn’t they? Even before the likes of the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 landed, we’ve enjoyed utterly stunning games for years, which deserve to allow gamers to immortalize them in new and beautiful ways.

Ahead of the release of Cyberpunk 2077 tomorrow (November 10)–which is introducing its own top-of-the-line photo mode–research carried out by the photography community Shotkit has analyzed the popularity of gaming photography on Instagram, where trends like #ingamephotography and #virtualphotography are in their millions.

Thanks to the organization’s hashtag-heavy deep dive, we now have a definitive idea of which games dominate the image-happy social media site more than any other. And yet, despite the predictable appearances of games like Fortnite and Forza Horizon 4 on the top-10 list, a much more cinematic experience sits at number one, thanks to its deep and flexible photo mode.

‘Fortnite’ may have a player base of 350 million and rising, but it’s not number one on Instagram, … [] according to Shotkit.

10. The Sims 4 (4,800 posts)

Six years on, The Sims 4 is still going strong in the Instagram gaming community. It’s hardly surprising; after the year we’ve had, it’s understandable that people escape to a game that allows them to create a more attractive version of themselves (in my case, at least)–one who can live in a more trouble-free world, where the biggest danger is still the possibility of drowning in a fenced, ladderless swimming pool.

9. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (4,900)

While it might not have quite matched the generation-defining brilliance of its second outing–and the series’ original PS3 audience has largely matured to prefer Naughty Dog’s grittier The Last of Us–Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End is still one of the most beautiful and cinematic games on the PS4. The tenth Jeep-driving chapter, The Twelve Towers, must account for at least half of its 5,000 photos.

8. The Last of Us Part II (5,300)

While it might not let you take a Watch Dogs: Legion-style selfie with the Rat King, The Last of Us Part II is still one of the most incredibly beautiful games of its generation–and certainly one of its most visceral. Its world is the gaming equivalent of Talking Heads’ ‘Nothing But Flowers’: one gradually reclaimed by nature, where as things fell apart, nobody paid much attention. Then again, there was a deadly virus kicking about, so you can’t blame them. Let’s move on before we get even more depressed about 2020.

7. Ghost of Tsushima (16,900)

It’s not even five months old, but Ghost of Tsushima is an Instagram hottie. It’s entirely predictable, given its art direction–and the fact it’s so loved, it yesterday won The Game Awards’ Player’s Voice Award (something that has since been hit with allegations of impropriety). Pictures like this, from Jafree’s Perspective, only prove how magnificent it can look.

‘Ghost of Tsushima’ is the newest game in the top 10.

6. Forza Horizon 4 (33,100)

I’ve plowed about 150 hours into Forza Horizon 4: one quarter completing it, another quarter somehow getting three stars on all drift zones, and half of it on photography. Its effortless photo mode and a huge selection of endlessly customizable cars mean it’s too easy to get snapping; the fact Playground Games later added the “Picture Perfect” photography achievement, which also featured in its prequel, undoubtedly got more people taking shots.

5. Horizon Zero Dawn (40,500)

While The Last of Us Part II captures a more believable downfall of modern society, Horizon Zero Dawn presents its most beautiful: the aftermath of a technocratic dystopia, now governed by increasingly deranged Machines that threaten humanity a second time. Its brighter color palette, beautiful vistas, and ridiculous action make for some pretty incredible shots.

4. Skyrim (46,200)

Well, this isn’t a surprise: Skyrim is fourth, not least because it’s been released on nearly every console of note since its 2011 debut, as well as Alexa, Etch-a-Sketch and your fridge. But its deep modding community, which also made the leap to consoles, continues to make this classic even more beautiful and photogenic.

3. Fortnite (135,000)

The king of battle royale is relegated to duke status in the royal succession of Instagram photos, picking up third place despite a player base last registered at 350 million and growing. Maybe it’s because of youngsters’ embrace of different social media platforms, but it’s still a good showing–and its popularity may push it up the rankings as time goes on. I’m now hyper-aware of my own age by referring to Fortnite players as “youngsters”.

2. Grand Theft Auto V (146,500)

The PS2 gave us three GTA games, while three consoles have coughed up GTA V. And yet, the game’s initial technical achievement, and subsequent upgrades, have made it an “enduring mystery” in terms of never-ending sales. Photos unsurprisingly follow this trend–but interestingly, it’s a more recent Rockstar game that takes the crown.

‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ is the biggest hit on Instagram among virtual photographers.

1. Red Dead Redemption 2 (165,200)

Despite being just over two years old, Red Dead Redemption 2 tops the Instagram list for the most popular game on the photo front. Given it’s the closest we’ll ever get to immerse ourselves in a spaghetti western, it’s perfectly understandable. The largely untouched features of 1899 America provide some of the most jaw-dropping landscapes known to man. The filters, as evidenced above, only add to the game’s majesty.

Speaking to Shotkit, Leo Sang–an insanely talented Brazilian virtual photographer whose skills have led to sponsorship by NVIDIA, whose own photos are above–explained what makes the perfect photo mode. He said: “A familiar and easy-to-use photo mode is less intimidating if you’re getting used to virtual photography; the basic camera controls and settings should have easy access and be intuitive.

“The camera’s movement can’t be too restricted; the wider the movement range, the easier it is to compose your shot. The same applies to the other settings: field of view, roll angles, depth of focus, and so on… being able to fine-tune your shot helps you experiment and create a lot easier.”

However, high-quality graphics aren’t everything to Sang, who added: “An element of fun is always important, especially if you’re trying to do this professionally. If the game is fun, your motivation to find great shots increases as you want to do the character justice. It’s what explains why games like The Sims 4 and GTA 5 made it onto the list.”

The only disappointment in this list is that Control doesn’t feature, despite being what I think is the most uniquely gorgeous game of its generation. But who needs Instagram when you’ve got books, especially when we’re inevitably robbed of the internet with our own, HZD or TLoU-style apocalypse?

From Games in Perfectirishgifts

[miuplays]

Miu’s Games of the Decade

Hello all! Wishing you a Happy New Year wherever you are in the world! It’s already January 1st where I am, but I’m sure people are still counting down in other parts of the world. But anywho! I wanted to end the year with a celebration of some of my favorite games released this decade. The 2010’s have been an incredible year for video games, I think. With strides made in graphics, scale, and storytelling, I think this has been easily one of the most innovative eras on all fronts. I hope you enjoy this list of a few of my favorites, and hopefully some of your favorites are here as well! If not, make a list of your own and share it with me! I’d love to see some of your opinions.

But without further ado, on to the countdown…

2010 – FALLOUT: NEW VEGAS

This game, for me, set the standard for what every RPG game should be. From its worldbuilding, to character interactions and on-the-nose commentary, to the way it expands the Fallout universe both mechanically and through storytelling. Of all the Fallout games, this is the one that left the biggest impact on me, and it’s the one I still reflect on to this day.

Honorable Mentions – Bayonetta, Red Dead Redemption, Mass Effect 2, Bioshock 2

2011 – DRAGON AGE II

So I looooove Dragon Age. It’s, in my opinion, one of the best RPG franchises ever made, and this game in particular is easily my favorite in the series. The writing is at its best, and every character is so loveable that I found myself playing it multiple times just so I could romance everybody. Despite some structural issues in the overall story, I still consider it to be one of the most memorable in the franchise, and I don’t regret a single hour put into this campaign.

Honorable Mentions – Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Dark Souls, Portal 2, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

2012 – DISHONORED

As RPG-heavy as this list is, I do wanna give some love to immersive sims. Another favorite genre of mine, and Dishonored is by and large one of the best. I found myself entangled in a number of sticky situations that I had to sleuth and stealth my way out of one too many times. Yet they somehow managed to make that the best part of the game. Player freedom and creativity are practically the foundation of this game, and it’s something that made this game not only an enjoyable and unique experience the first time around, but its replay value is through the roof. I do think that later installments in the series, as well as other immersive sim games like Prey, definitely improved upon this one in a lot of areas. But regardless, I still really enjoyed Dishonored, and I’m holding out hope for the future of the series.

Honorable Mentions – Sleeping Dogs, Mass Effect 3, Borderlands 2, The Walking Dead

2013 – THE LAST OF US

I’m sure you’re all surprised, but yes. The Last of Us is my GOTY for 2013, and possibly my favorite game of all time. Before playing this, I’ve never had a game put me in such a state of emotional duress for an extended period of time. Not even MGS3’s ending did what this game did to me. And even as I’m typing this, I realize that the technical aspects of this game—the graphics, mechanics, level design, etc.—aren’t what makes it stand out in my opinion. My favorite part of this game has to be the journey. The connection between Ellie and Joel (two characters so brilliantly portrayed by Ashley Johnson and Troy Baker). My love for these characters and my desire to see them succeed despite all of the hardships and challenging decisions they were faced with. That’s why I love this game. It is, for me, the most incredible storytelling experience I’ve ever had.

Honorable Mentions – Grand Theft Auto V, Tomb Raider, The Wolf Among Us, Injustice: Gods Among Us

2014 – BAYONETTA 2

The Queen has made it onto this list, and I have nothing but praise for the greatest hack n’ slash game ever made. Character design? Stellar. Combat system? Robust, intricate, and absolutely flaw-fucking-free. Improves upon its predecessor in every way imaginable and still remains as stylish and fun as ever? 100%.

If you haven’t played this game yet, please stop reading this and go play this game. It is… phenomenal.

Honorable Mentions – Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dark Souls II, Alien: Isolation, Tales from the Borderlands

2015 – THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT

What can I say about this game that hasn’t already been said, like, 9 million times…?

It’s legendary. Simply put. A flawless and unforgettable RPG experience that simply cannot be replicated. Also, I would die for Yennefer. And Ciri of Cintra is the love of my life.

Honorable Mentions – Bloodborne, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Life is Strange, Mortal Kombat X

2016 – HYPER LIGHT DRIFTER

The only indie game on this list, but its spot is well deserved. What has always set video games apart from other storytelling mediums is interactivity. Despite this, I feel like most games still rely on heavy dialogue and cinematic cutscenes in order to spin its narrative. Which is why I’m so appreciative of games like this, where art and exploration are key to understanding the world and the happenings around you. Hyper Light Drifter is a gorgeous game, with challenging combat and beautiful, stylish music and design that will have you feeling both nostalgic and mesmerized. Even in its quieter moments the game remains so rich and thoughtful, and even now it’s hard to decipher my feelings afterwards. A mixture of melancholy, delight, and solace. It’s a journey I thoroughly enjoyed taking.

Honorable Mentions – DOOM, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, Titanfall 2, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided

2017 – HORIZON: ZERO DAWN

This year was a solid year for games, which made this decision insanely difficult… but after a lot of deliberating, I decided to go with my gut. Aloy stole my heart the moment she came on the screen. She’s an incredible leading lady who’s strong, determined, complicated, and layered in ways that both intrigued me and that I could relate to. But beyond just my crush on the game’s protagonist, the scope of this game is just… fantastic. The way they mixed post-apocalyptic tribalism with futuristic technology, the physics of every monster you encounter being so dynamic that every battle feels viscerally intense, even just the combat mechanics and how much effort was put into designing Aloy’s bow and her diversity of combat options, I’m just so!!!! In LOVE with this game!!!!!!!

Honorable Mentions –Tekken 7, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Butterfly Soup

2018 – GOD OF WAR

Yet another game that I’ve showered in so much praise that I don’t think there’s anything left for me to say about it anymore. This game is flawless for a number of reasons. Its meticulously crafted combat system, amazing graphics, beautiful character and game design, gorgeous score, and seamless transitions from action to story that make it feel like a film taken in one single camera shot are all key selling points. But what sold me on this game, and makes it my top pick for this year, was its compelling narrative. The story is one that’s very personal to me. I felt for them and their loss at the very start of the game. I resonated with Atreus and his struggles to connect with his father. And I understood Kratos’ inner battle with coming to terms with who he is and the things he’s done, and trying to be the father his son deserves. I related to these things, as they resembled all to closely the relationship I had with my own mom. God of War moved me in more ways than one, and I’m very thankful that this game exists. I felt like it was my own story being told on that screen as well.

Also… the boss fights are just so fucking fun.

Honorable Mentions – Spider-Man (PS4), Red Dead Redemption 2, Gris, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

2019 – RESIDENT EVIL 2: REMAKE

This may be a more controversial pick considering the amount of quality games that came out this year, and I know most of my viewers were probably expecting Control or The Outer Worlds to be here considering how much I hyped those games up. But in my defense, Resident Evil 2 was already one of my all-time favorite games, and this remake nothing short of a masterpiece. To me, it’s what every horror game should be. The atmosphere is dark yet engrossing. Every aspect of design, from sounds to levels to enemies, make this one of the scariest horror games I’ve ever played, all without relying on jumpscares, or grotesque imagery (although there’s plenty of that as well, it’s not what makes the experience so horrifying imo). It’s one of the most beautifully crafted survival horrors, while manages to improve upon the original while still remaining faithful to it. I consider it a masterclass in how to approach any remake. Capcom truly earned back my trust with this one.

Honorable Mentions – Control, Katana ZERO, The Outer Worlds, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

And so concludes the list! I hope you enjoyed reading, despite how lengthy it got. I wanted to get out as much praise as I could because every game listed here deserves it. I’m in love with every single one, including so many more that weren’t mentioned. It was truly an amazing decade for gamers and game developers alike, and I’m nothing but optimistic for the future.

See you all next year.

– ミウ。

[tech-battery]

MSI GE66 Raider Review: Good-Looking 300 Hz Powerhouse

If you’ve ever wondered, “Why aren’t gaming laptops flashier?” the MSI GE66 Raider is for you. With an RGB light bar and keyboard, aluminum build and trim design, it’s as beautiful as its price suggests -- $1,899 to start, $2,999 as tested.

Packing an RTX 2080 Super Max-Q graphics card and 10th Gen Intel Core i9 CPU, The GE66 Raider proved it’s ready to make ample use of its mind-blowing 300 Hz display, too.

MSI GE66 Raider Specs

CPU

Intel Core i9-10980HK

Graphics

Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q (8GB GDDR6)

RAM

32GB DDR4-3200

Storage

1TB PCIe NVMe SSD

Display

15.6 inches, 1920 x 1080 resolution @ 300 Hz, 3ms

Networking

Killer Ethernet E3100 LAN, Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 (2*2ax), Bluetooth 5.1

Ports

2x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (DisplayPort 1.4), HDMI 2.0, Mini DisplayPort 1.4, SD card reader, 3.5mm headphone/mic jack

Camera

1080p

Battery

99WHr

Power Adapter

280W

Operating System

Windows 10 Home

Dimensions(WxDxH)

14.1 x 10.5 x 0.9 inches (358.1 x 266.7 x 22.9mm)

Weight

5.3 pounds (2.4kg)

Price (as configured)

$2,999

Design of MSI GE66 Raider

How does a laptop manage to look more mature and more wild than your typical gaming clamshell? A cool and classy chassis underscored (quite literally) by a stunning RGB bar, that’s how. The GE66 Raider isn’t the only laptop to incorporate colorful LEDs on its deck. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 G732 has a light bar on three sides. However, I’d argue that the GE66 Raider does it best. The boldness of the light bar and its beveled glass encasement make for a crystalline vibe that goes galactic with the right color scheme. The default settings (a combination of fuchsia, blue and green) is enough of a show to cross the Aurora Borealis off my bucket list. (Okay, not quite). But with those same default settings on the keyboard, it’s one prismatic phenomenon that’s probably as showy as RGB can be without inducing nausea.

Speaking of the keyboard, this one is from SteelSeries and offers per-key programming via SteelSeries’ Engine 3 software, as is the RGB light bar. But only the default setting was cosmic enough for me to warrant this level of RGB spectacle.

The aluminum lid is a royal shade of gray, fitting for the dragon shield that tops it. The logo’s raised silver outlining is the sort of attention to detail that makes company logos more forgivable. Plus, a dragon emblem is way cooler than someone's last name in a circle (for example). Sadly, silver only lives on the lid; the rest of the laptop is black, which, perhaps, helps the RGB pop.

On the left side of the GE66 Raider’s black deck is a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 Type-C port (20 Gbps), a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A (10 Gbps) port, plus a 3.5mm headphone/mic jack. The right side has a pair of  USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports (5 Gbps) and, surprisingly, an SD card reader. There are more ports on the laptop's spine, namely HDMI 2.0, Mini DisplayPort 1.4, and RJ45 Ethernet port and a port for MSI’s proprietary charger. MSI really has all the bases covered here.

The underside of the laptop has what MSI calls “Dragon armor carving,” which is really a bunch of stretched out hexagons. Overall, this feels like a solid machine with only a small amount of flex in its thin, 15.6-inch screen. MSI says it increased the torque on the hinge by 14% over the last generation (the MSI GE65 Raider) and widened it 9%.

The sleek black deck is smooth with a very subtle hint of shimmer. Combined with the 5mm thin bezel around the display, 82% screen-to-body ratio and, again, the mesmerizing effect of the RGB keyboard and light bar, you’ve got a machine that seems premium where needed and fun where wanted.

The GE66 Raider stacks up averagely when it comes to 15-inch gaming clamshells. The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 GX550, for example, is 14.1 x 10.6 x 0.8 inches and 5.3 pounds, while our MSI review unit is 14.1 x 10.5 x 0.9 inches and the same weight. You can get sleeker though. The MSI GS66 Stealth, as its name subtly suggests, is slightly lighter at 4.6 pounds and trimmer at 14.2 x 9.7 x 0.7 inches.

MSI GE66 Raider Gaming Performance

With an RTX 2080 Super Max-Q graphics card, our review unit of the GE66 Raider easily hit 60 frames per second (fps) in most games. I enjoyed Battlefield V at ultra settings typically in the 80-90 frames per second (fps) range. During intense battles, it’d drop to roughly 73-76 fps, and when I crawled through some grass it climbed as high as 130 fps. After I added ray tracing into the mix, framerates stayed around the 70-80 fps range, hitting 99 fps during calm moments and the low 70s in heavy battle.

When it came to running the Shadow of the Tomb Raider benchmark (1920 x 1080, highest settings), the GE66 Raider averaged 75 fps. That’s 6 more fps than the Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 GX550 and greater than the MSI GS66 Stealth’s 66 fps average. Both laptops use the same GPU as our review unit. Meanwhile, the Alienware m17 R3 with a Nvidia Geforce RTX 2080 Super came close to matching the GE66 Raider at 74 fps.

Our review unit outperformed its sibling MSI machine and the ROG Zephyrus Duo when it came to Grand the Grand Theft Auto V benchmark (1920 x 1080, very high) as well. However, the Alienware bested the MSI by 7 fps.

The Far Cry New Dawn (1920 x 1080, ultra) benchmark ran at 99 fps on our GE66 Raider. That’s 10 more fps than the Asus and Alienware and 14 more fps than the GS66 Stealth averaged.

The GE66 Raider also comes out on top when looking at Red Dead Redemption 2 (1920 x 1080, medium). Our configuration ran the benchmark at 58 fps, which is slightly faster than both the Zephyrus Duo and m17 R3 and 9 fps quicker than the other MSI machine here.

To stress test our review unit, we ran the Metro Exodus 1080p RTX benchmark on a loop 15 times to simulate 30 minutes of gaming. During this time, the game ran at an average framerate of 51.9 fps. The RTX 2080 Super Max-Q ran at an average clock speed of 1,360.4 MHz and temperature of 64 degrees Celsius (147.2 degrees Fahrenheit). The CPU, meanwhile, was running at 4.4 GHz average clock speed and 76.5 degrees Celsius Average (169.7 degrees Fahrenheit).

MSI GE66 Raider Productivity Performance

The configuration of the GE66 we tested has an Intel Core i9-10980HK with eight CPU cores and 16 threads, working with 32GB (2x 16GB) of DDR4-3200 RAM and a 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD. That’s a lot of power, and the laptop proved more than sufficient for running 22 Google Chrome tabs, including one playing Netflix, as well as Slack. I was able to track through an episode on Netflix with a 1-3 second delay. And there were no obvious delays when navigating or scrolling through my numerous browser tabs.

On Geekbench 5.1, an overall productivity performance benchmark, our configuration of the GE66 Raider proved more effective than the other machines here. Its score of 8,347 on all cores outshined the ROG Zephyrus Duo. The Asus scored 8,134 with the same specs as our review unit but with two 1TB SSDs in RAID0. The Alienware also has the same CPU and RAM as our GE66 Raider and a 1TB drive in RAID0. It fell behind our review unit by 720 points. The GE66 Stealth got 6,261, with a lesser Intel Core i7-10750H CPU, 32GB of DDR-2666 RAM and a 512GB SSD.

It took our review laptop 36 seconds to copy 25GB of files, which equates to 745.8 MBps. That’s much slower than the ROG Zephyrus Duo’s 1,413 MBps and the Alienware’s 1,220.4 MBps. The GE66 Stealth, however, was at a comparative crawl.

The GE66 Raider shined in Handbrake. It took the laptop 6 minutes and 59 seconds to transcode a video from 4K resolution to 1080p. That’s quicker than all the other laptops here, especially the GS66 Stealth, which needed 2:56 longer.

MSI GE66 Raider Display

The screen on the GE66 Raider packs a wildly fast refresh rate of 300 Hz, coupled with a 3ms response time. This is part of a growing trend of gaming laptops sporting insanely high refresh rates, including the 300 Hz Razer Blade Pro 17 (2020) and Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 G732.

Even the best gaming monitors are still stuck at 240 Hz max (360 Hz desktop monitors are en route). But while the screen may update with new information 300 times a second, your graphics card may not be so fast, depending on the game you’re running. AAA titles are out of the question when it comes to hitting 300 fps. Instead, you’ll have to play an esports game, like Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Siege, FIFA, Rocket League or CS:GO to get past the 240 fps mark.

Overwatch is another contender for high framerates, so I dropped settings to the lowest on the GE66 Raider. I surpassed 240 fps quite frequently. Framerates were as high as 301 during a low-intensity training session, and during actual gameplay it usually was in the 250-260s, sometimes dropping as low as 194 fps and reaching as high as 281 fps.

In terms of image quality, the GE66 Raider’s screen packs a healthy amount of color for both gaming and movies. Overwatch looked as pleasant as ever on the laptop, with tanks featuring their gold tones instead of looking like a pale yellow. I could also see the nuanced shades of gray in Reinhart’s weapon, which can look more washed out and flat on other screens.

Mission: Impossible - Fallout also looked as colorful as I expected after watching it numerous times on a large TV. Green poplars in a garden stood out, as did the subtly olive tone of Ilsa’s jacket. The purple-pinkish haze that subtly covers a scene at an airport at dusk and is often lost on other displays was also visible.

The panel is IPS style, and side angle viewing lives up to expectations. When watching Mission: Impossible from a 90-degree angle there were reflections on the further half of the screen, but it was still watchable, especially for a movie this good. At a 45-degree angle, there were virtually no issues.

Our testing showed that this speedy panel averages a solid 300 nits max brightness. However, every other laptop here has a brighter screen, including the smaller second screen on the Zephyrus Duo. The other MSI and the ROG Zephyrus Duo offer a similar amount of coverage of the DCI-P3 color gamut as the GE66 Raider. However, the Alienware is incredibly colorful.

MSI GE66 Raider Keyboard and Touchpad

I love a trim gaming laptop, but in the GE66 Raider’s case, that comes at the price of a spacious keyboard. MSI said it enlarged the keycaps, especially the left Ctrl key, compared to the GE65 Raider. But there are also some (but not all) navigational keys squeezed into the right column, and the arrow keys that aren’t offset enough to be easily locatable. At the end of the day, you’re left with keys that are pretty close together and very flat, making it easy for the fingers to slide across to other keys accidentally. There are also some weird choices, like the abomination of the left FN and Ctrl keys crammed into one space.

When gaming, this resulted in mispressed keys and me having to look down more often than usual to reorient myself. The larger Ctrl key helped, but I still found it hard to find other keys when holding down Ctrl, like when I was trying to slide in Apex Legends. And when trying to input combos, I had to look down to figure out where I was in a sea of flat keys.

On the 10fastfigners.com typing I test I averaged 113.7 words per minute with a 96.6% accuracy rate. That’s pretty typical for me and only slightly below my 98% average accuracy, likely due to how snappy the keys are. But my fingers felt a little worn out afterward.

On the other hand, the keyboard’s quite functional. As mentioned, you get some navigational keys, like Home and Page Up. You can also use the function row to toggle the webcam off (handy for privacy), activate crosshairs for training, enter Game Mode, quickly turn the fans to max speed and toggle through the keyboard and light bar’s premade RGB effects simultaneously or control RGB brightness.

The GE66 Raider is also rocking a 4.1 x 2.5-inch touchpad, which I found to be a good size. It isn’t very slippery, instead offering a healthy amount of friction for control. I had no problem navigating Windows 10 with touchpad gestures.

MSI GE66 Raider Audio

The MSI GE66 Raider’s two 2W speakers live on either side of the deck, a more logical location than speakers that are under the laptop, which can result in muffled sound. They’re Dynaudio brand (if you forget, a logo on the deck will remind you), and MSI says they support up to a 192 KHz sampling rate and 24-bit Hi-res audio and go up to 122 dB.

In Overwatch, the overall sound was a little tinny. But I’ve heard worse, especially on other gaming laptops and thin ultraportables. The battlegrounds sounded like there were people banging on different types of metal trash cans as opposed to firing off different weapons. The audio didn’t sound as layered as usual, and even Reinherart’s voice was more metallic. When I switched to external speakers, I could hear more bass and a greater variance in weapon noises. The speakers’ volume, on the other hand, was ample, even with all my windows and balcony door open on a rainy day.

Music also sounded different than usual. When I played “Like Glue,” Sean Paul sounded like he was singing far away down a tunnel and higher pitched. Moving to speakers resulted in a warmer voice with more bass. The instruments in The Strokes’ “What Ever Happened?” didn’t sound as detailed on the GE66 Raider either.

MSI GE66 Raider Upgradeability

Once you remove 11 Philips head screws and apply some elbow grease, you can pry off the GE66 Raider’s cover for upgrading. You can replace the RAM to reach up to 64GB (mine had two 16GB sticks), and my unit also had an empty spot for adding another M.2 SSD by removing an additional Philips head screw. You can also unscrew the Wi-Fi card.

MSI GE66 Raider Battery Life

Like the GS66 Stealth, MSI gave the GE66 Raider a 99WHr battery, the largest size it’s legally allowed to implement into a laptop, a company rep told me. But while the GE66 Raider may offer a lot of performance in a more portable package, you’ll still want to bring the charger if you plan on using it all day.

The GE66 Raider lasted 4 hours and 57 minutes on our battery test, which surfs the web, streams video and runs browser-based OpenGL tests while connected to Wi-Fi and with the screen at 150 nits brightness. This isn’t bad for a gaming laptop, but the GS66 Stealth lasted 1:39 longer. You can also get over an 1:15 more playing time with the ROG Zephyrus Duo if you’re willing to turn its second screen off. Still, the GE66 Raider’s battery life seems like a lifetime compared to how long the Alienware m17 R3 lasted.

MSI GE66 Raider Heat

As with many gaming laptops, the GE66 Raider can get pretty warm. It was common for me to notice the keyboard heating up, even during light productivity tasks and with fans set to max performance. Despite its thin stature, the GE66 Raider’s fans can get as loud as your typical gaming laptop when blazing at max speed.

In my experience, the GE66 Raider got too hot to use on my lap for long periods, and the keyboard was usually noticeably warm with the space above it being shockingly hot at times, even when just surfing the web.

After 15 minutes of playing YouTube videos, the Raider’s touchpad was 84.5 degrees Fahrenheit (29.2 degrees Celsius), and the spot between the G and H keys was 107.5 degrees Fahrenheit (41.9 degrees Celsius). But that hottest point was on the underside in the center, where the temperature hit 125 degrees Fahrenheit (51.7 degrees Celsius).

MSI rejigged the cooling system compared to the GE66 Raider’s predecessor that helped keep it 0.9 inches thick compared to the GE65 raider’s 1.1 inches. The company’s Cooler Boost 5 cooling system here uses two fans with 53 blades, besting the latter’s 37 blades. Each blade is 0.25mm thick, which is 38% thinner than before and supposed to help drive more airflow. The six copper heatpipes are also supposed to be wider than that of the GE65 Raider.

MSI GE66 Raider Webcam

The webcam on the GE66 Raider is, thankfully, 1080p (at 30 frames per second), rather than the 720p that’s not uncommon in today’s laptop webcams. With video calls becoming a bigger part of the work day, the sharper resolution is more important than ever. And given Asus ditched the webcam altogether on many of its recent gaming laptops, we’re happy to see MSI step things up this way.

The webcam here proved decent. It was slightly, but not very noticeably, sharper than a 720p laptop webcam in a side-by-side comparison, with less fuzz and graininess. But my skin was still slightly grainy, and the color was slightly too cool.

MSI GE66 Raider Software and Warranty

Our MSI GE66 Raider came with several MSI-branded apps.

MSI Dragon Center primarily provides an overview of your PC’s components, namely CPU, GPU, disk, memory and SSD. You can get info like fan speeds, temperatures and amount of space remaining. This is also where you can toggle between Extreme Performance, Silent, Battery and more to control fan intensity. And if you have components or peripherals that support MSI’s Mystic Light RGB, you can sync effects.

MSI True Color offers different picture modes, like gamer, anti-blue and sRGB, with some offering sliders for further adjustments. It also includes a small number of tools, the most helpful of which is the crosshair. And MSI App Player would be handy if I had an Android phone and wanted to sync games between the two PCs.

You also get Killer Control Center, which is useful for focusing bandwidth on a particular app, such as when downloading a new game or streaming. MSI also threw in Nahimic Sound Sharing, which lets you tweak audio on connected speakers or headphones and play with the built-in mic.

Of course, you also get your typical Windows 10 bloatware, like Xbox Game Bar.

MSI backs the GE66 Raider with a 1-year warranty.

MSI GE66 Raider Configurations and Availability

At $2,999, our configuration of the GE66 Raider is as powerful as it gets. It comes with an Intel Core i9-10980HK CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q (8GB GDDR6) graphics, 32GB of DDR4-3200 RAM and a 1TB NVMe PCIe SSD. You can find it by the SKU number GE66 Raider 10SGS-057.

The cheapest version, the GE66 Raider 10SF-285, is $1,899. For that price, you get an i7-10875H, RTX 2070 graphics, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. The display also drops to a ‘mere’ 240 Hz, which is, of course, still plenty for most serious gamers. Alternatively, you can pay the same price for a 144 Hz screen; the benefits there are a bump to a 1TB SSD, but you also get a  i7-10750H CPU instead, which is a hexa-core processor compared to the i7-10875H’s octa-core chip.

There are three available SKUs in between. The GE66 Raider 10SGS-288 for $2,799 (i7-10875H / RTX 2080 Super Max-Q / 32GB / 1TB) is the only configuration besides our review unit that also offers a 300 Hz screen.

Bottom Line

The MSI GE66 Raider is a powerhouse of a gaming laptop with looks to match. With its high-end but slim shell, powerful GPU, 10th Gen Intel Core i9 CPU and a lot of storage, you won’t be left wanting or bogged down with bulk.

Our pricey configuration usually topped our comparison group more when it came togaming performance. And its 300 Hz screen won’t go to waste if you’re an esports player. We surpassed 240 fps regularly on Overwatch and even climbed past 300 fps during more idle gameplay time. Productivity performance was also comparable to rivals, and I had no issues multi-tasking.

However, if you want a very colorful or bright screen, the Alienware m17 is a much better choice. The Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 is also better in that regard, plus may be as lavish as the GE66 Raider, thanks to its second screen.

But if you can afford to make this investment in performance and prettiness, the GE66 Raider is pure premium gaming luxury.

[ciathyzareposts]

Game 314: Zerg (1989)

This version has no title screen; it just launches you right into it.

           Zerg

United States

Independently developed and published as freeware

Released in 1989 for Amiga; new version released in 1990; later published on Fish Disk 252 in 1996

Date Started: 31 December 2018

Date Ended: 31 December 2018

Total Hours: 3

Difficulty: Easy (2/5) 

Final Rating: (to come later)

Ranking at Time of Posting: (to come later)

Zerg is a minor, inconsequential freeware RPG, destined for a bottom-10% GIMLET score, and yet it must be said that it offered exactly what I needed at exactly the moment that I needed it. After a number of frustrating hours with The Seventh Link and Theldrow, I desperately needed something I could finish and write about in just a few hours. Zerg appeared like a New Year’s miracle.

             Some Ultima-esque dialogue as I enter the castle.

           The title is as bare-bones as you can get while still technically meeting my specifications as an RPG. This Ultima-inspired game has no backstory, no character creation, no dungeons, no real magic, and only the most basic inventory, character development, and combat systems. It’s primary virtue is brevity plus a certain wit. It is also a rare Ultima clone for the Amiga. (It displays a roughly-Ultima II technology level, minus the dungeons, with a quest system that goes back to Akalabeth.)

The game takes place in the land of Zerg, which is having problems with monsters. Each player controls the same character, named “Wanderer,” who starts out as a Level 1 fighter with 75 strength, 75 wisdom, 75 agility, and 50 hit points. The game begins next to a king’s castle, where the king is looking for a hero to slay monsters and bring back their cadavers. The king will use these trophies “to help investors feel more secure.” 

             The king offers the first quest. If you say “no,” he says, “away with thee!” and you can’t do anything else to progress.

            The kingdom consists of a single island roughly in the shape of a backwards “C,” with the castle at the top and the town of Garolin at the bottom. There are little islets offshore but there’s no way to reach them. In between the castle and the town, monsters appear randomly: kobolds, goblins, orcs, thieves, hobgoblins, fighters, ogres, trolls, giants, gargolyes, and demons. The king gives you individual quests to kill the monsters in that exact order. After you complete each kill, you return to the king for an experience reward and the next quest. A large part of the game involves wandering around, waiting for whatever monster you need next to spawn.

           I just killed a goblin. An orc awaits to my east.

           As you finish each quest, you gain experience and level up from 1 to 6. Each level-up confers an additional 10 maximum hit points and an additional 5 to each attribute (except for the last one, which gives you 4 points so that the total doesn’t exceed 99). 

             The king rewards me for the first quest.

            My character sheet about midway through the game.

            Combat is difficult because you have no tactics, just the (A)ttack command. At the outset, even that doesn’t work because you have no weapons and armor. You must reach Garlion without getting killed by a monster so that you can purchase a dagger and heavy furs. Over the course of the game, as you amass gold from your kills, you slowly upgrade weapons (e.g., mace, short sword, flail, battle axe) and armor (e.g., studded leather, scale mail, banded mail). The best weapon is a pike and the best armor is plate mail.

          Shopping for a weapon.

           Even with the best weapon and armor, combat is never truly easy, especially against some of the game’s higher foes. The only way to survive long-term is to adopt a strategy by which you stand near the castle or town and wait for enemies to spawn, attack them, and retreat indoors if your hit points fall too low. You then pass time while your hit points regenerate, go back outside, and resume the combat. This isn’t an exploit–it’s the only way to win the game. Even with it, the death screen is a constant companion, but reloading takes mere seconds.

          You see this screen a lot.

            I have a few compliments. The graphics are some of the best we’ve seen for Ultima clones (although the doors and objects in the castle and town have no substance; you just walk over them.) The game avoids the rubbish we see in most Ultima clones in which enemies can move on the diagonal but you can’t. This means you can generally outrun foes if you need to.

I also have no complaints about the interface, which uses the keypad for movement and sensible letters for common actions, like (A)ttack, (L)ook, and (S)tatus. Perhaps the most baffling of these commands is the “Z” key, which gives you a longitude and latitude. Anyone who could get lost on this completely linear 40 x 40 island should probably be playing another game.

            Essentially the only use for the (L)ook command in the entire game.

           There are NPCs in the town and castle, but only a couple have anything interesting to say, and for some of them, their lines are cut off. (I fiddled with some video settings towards the end and I think I fixed that.) The only important clues are for the final quest. Once and only once do you have to use the (O)ffer gold command to an NPC.

           I have no idea what this NPC was going on about.

          The (T)alk and (O)ffer systems come together towards the end. You learn from one NPC that only magic can kill a dragon. Another says you need to offer gold to get the dragon spell, and a third tells you that you have to offer it specifically to the Duke of Cora. There may be more letters there but the name got cut off. Anyway, the duke gives you the spell for 400 gold.

               I should tell the king that you’re forcing me to bribe you to save the kingdom.

           After you kill a demon, the king’s last quest is to kill a dragon. The dragon doesn’t appear until you get the quest, but after you get it, he’s right outside the castle. You simply have to cast the spell (the extra “magic points” you receive are for nothing) and the dragon dies.

The endgame scene, upon returning to the king, is a little funny. He’s promised you riches and titles, and this is what you get:

              “Well, to be quite honest with thee, I didst not think I wouldst see thee again. They feat be truly impressive, and the tongues of the Bards shall ne’er cease spewing thine glories.” The king shakes your hand. “Thou mayst leave now.”

              The likely-outraged player hits a key, and then:

            “Just kidding!” shrieks the king, noting your bloody weapon edging towards his quavering form. “I didst promise thee unbelievable riches, and thou shalt have them!” The king hands you a sack of gold coins. “The first of may, oh valiant one. And now, let the celebrations begin!”

            That’s more like it.

              This is more than I ever got from Lord British.

            Zerg was written by Michael Gordon Shapiro, who had previously messed around with Stuart Smith’s Adventure Construction Set (1984) and had programmed some (unpublished) text adventures on his Commodore 64. It was Shapiro’s only game as a designer, but he went on to a career as a composer for both game and film music. We won’t see any of his future work because none of the games are RPGs, but they include Empire Earth II (2005), Empire Earth III (2007), and Star Trek: Conquest (2007). Zerg 1.0, which I played, was released in 1989. A version 1.2 came out in 1990, and I’m not sure I see any difference. Fred Fish picked up the title for his Fish Disk freeware series, and the game appeared on issue 252 in 1996. (I am indebted to this interview with Shapiro on Amiga PD for this summary.)

The game earns an 18 on my GIMLET, doing best in the areas of “Economy” (3) and “Graphics, Sound, and Interface” (3, none of it for the sound, as there is none). It manages to just tick off 1 or 2 in everything else. One hesitates to heap too much criticism on independently-developed freeware games, but I feel that Shapiro had a decent interface that suffered from a lack of content. A larger, more interesting game could have been built atop these mechanics. Then again, for a game I wanted to wrap up on New Year’s Eve, it’s length was perfect.

***

I continue to get nowhere with The Seventh Link despite having put about 4 more hours into it. In a typical session, I start up, explore a bit, fight some creatures, but soon find that I haven’t made enough money to pay the food bill, and I thus have to quit without saving my limited progress. I haven’t leveled up or even figured out how to level up. I feel like I must be missing a dungeon somewhere–otherwise, the only thing to do next is somehow make enough gold for a ship, which seems impossible. If anyone has played the game and can offer me the necessary kick in the pants, I’d appreciate it.

Equally frustrating is a five-hour session I spent with Theldrow. (Posting about Theldrow was supposed to be my alternative to posting about The Seventh Link, but I couldn’t make any progress in that game, either. This is why I was so grateful for Zerg.) Theldrow is insanely difficult in its opening stages, but that’s not my problem. My problem is that I can’t figure out anywhere to go. I’ve found the town of Boden, the nearby cemetery with its small crypt, and the secret forest passage that leads to the hermit’s hut and the “Bizarre.” That’s all I can find. Despite ramming into every wall and searching every square, I have no idea how to get to the castle or any other area of the game. I welcome explicit hints for this one as well; otherwise, I may kick it back to 1988, which I think is its original year, and declare 1989 finished.

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/game-314-zerg-1989/

[toorumutsu]

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[pcwpolwrestling]

Part Two of Sneak Preview of Nankowitz McAvay Documentary

Featuring Chris Matthews, Howard Fineman, and your favorite Hollywood elitist…er…stars.

[ON SCREEN GRAPHIC: centered in the middle of the screen: “Saturday June 4th South of Joplin, Missouri”]

Ray McAvay is sitting on Rah’s bus that’s traveling down Interstate 44 towards St. Louis and talking to Andy Nankowitz- a recent graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in film-studies. Outside the window, the camera picks up traffic the bus passes as the scenery in the background rolls by.

Andy Nankowitz (voiceover): While sitting on Rah’s bus hurtling through the heartland of America, Ray seemed incredibly at peace with where he was heading into War Games. What Ray didn’t know is by Tuesday night, everything would change.

[ON SCREEN GRAPHIC: centered in the middle of the screen: “Tuesday June 7th MSNBC”]

[Chris Matthews appears on-screen as MSNBC’s Hardball show begins. Matthews, looking every bit of seventy years old with graying-blond hair and slightly heavy set in build, stared into the camera as if he was going to bore a hole through it with his eyes.]

Chris Matthews (talks loudly): TONIGHT, WE LOOK AT…(incredulously) THIS?

(Ray McAvay’s Speech- Wednesday June 1st) [Ray stands behind a podium with several American flags stationed in the background.]

Ray McAvay: …but you know what? After everything that’s happened. Here we are. We’re still standing. James Wingate couldn’t kill us. The owner of a certain New Orleans based wrestling company WISHES he could kill us. But unless someone puts an end to Brian Hollywood instilling his new world order on HOW, he may very well actually succeed where the others have failed…

Chris Matthews: WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? WHY ARE THEY ON C-SPAN? AND WHAT IS THEIR POSSIBLE EFFECT ON THE UPCOMING 2016 ELECTION! LET’S PLAY HARD-BALL! HERE TO DISCUSS THIS LATEST DEVELOPMENT IN 2016 PRESIDENTIAL RACE IS HOWARD FINEMAN FROM THE AOL HUFFINGTON POST MEDIA GROUP!

[The jowls on the side of Matthews’s face quiver like Jell-O when he speaks expressively- which contrasts to the intense stern look on his face.]

[The camera slightly moves over and brings Fineman into the shot. Fineman was in his late sixties with short clipped gray hair, a receding hairline, and glasses. Barely noticeable was the bottle of Tylenol that Fineman kept close near him on the desk.]

Howard Fineman: First off Chris, I don’t think Ray McAvay is running for-

Chris Matthews (interrupts): WHO THE HELL IS RAY McAVAY? AND WHY THE HELL IS HE GETTING LARGE CROWDS AS HE TRAVELS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ON A BUS? IS HE WAGING A WRITE-IN CAMPAIGN FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES? WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH THIS?

[Fineman flinches involuntarily with Matthews’s every word.]

Howard Fineman: Chris, the answers are: professional wrestler, I don’t know, no, and who the hell knows.

Chris Matthews: BUT HE HAS FLAGS, HOWARD. HE’S TALKING TO AN AUDIENCE IN FRONT OF A BUNCH OF FLAGS! HE’S GOT TO BE RUNNING FOR SOMETHING!

Howard Fineman: I get that Chris but-

Chris Matthews: IF HE’S NOT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, WHY THE HELL IS HE TALKING IN FRONT OF A BUNCH OF AMERICAN FLAGS LIKE A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WOULD?

Howard Fineman: I don’t know.

Chris Matthews: AND WHY THE HELL DID C-SPAN COVER HIS CAMPAIGN KICK OFF EVENT LAST WEEK!

Howard Fineman: I don’t know that either. That was kind of a mistake on their part, Chris.

Chris Matthews: THEN WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING?

Howard Fineman: Ray McAvay’s campaign is actually getting ready for what High Octane Wrestling calls their War Games pay per view show. I spoke with HOW’s communication’s guy Tyler Morris and what we do know is that Ray McAvay is a professional wrestler who has adapted the gimmick of the ‘man of the people’ and attracted a group of followers known as the Les Miserables.

Chris Matthews: LES MISERABLES? ARE WE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME LES MISERABLES IN THE CLASSIC MUSICAL LES MISERABLES?

Howard Fineman: Yes, Chris.

[Fineman wiped off some of the saliva that Matthews’ inadvertently sprayed on him as he spoke.]

Chris Matthews: WHAT ELSE DO YOU KNOW?

Howard Fineman: Chris, I spent a couple hours on the phone with Ray McAvay’s manager, ‘No Frills’ Chris Escondido and his wife Dawn McGill earlier today and I think it’s interesting what they are doing with the Les Miserables. Over the past six months, they have attracted a lot of people who are turned off of politics as usual and adopted on the McAvay ‘campaign’ as their own.

Chris Matthews: SO, THEY’RE NOT TRYING TO CONVERT THE TRUE BELIEVERS OF THE REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC PARTIES.

[Fineman again flinches as Matthews speak.]

Howard Fineman: Ah no, they’re not because he’s not running for president Chris. What they are doing is drumming up attention and promoting the High Octane Wrestling War Games show. They are making a concerted effort to talk to people at every stop. And it’s interesting that the bus they’re traveling all around the country is owned by a former pro wrestler named Rah- the Sunshine God– not to be confused with Ra.

Chris Matthews: WHO?

Howard Fineman: Ra- the ancient Egyptian sun god.

[Matthews’s head shook causing his jowls to flap incessantly.]

Chris Matthews: WH-WHO THE HELL IS RA?

Howard Fineman: Well Chris, during the Fifth Dynasty in the 25th and 24th centuries BC, Ra- the Egyptian sun god, was a major god in ancient Egyptian religion, identified primarily with the noon sun. However, in later Egyptian dynastic times, Ra merged with the god Horus, as Ra-Horakhty or otherwise known as “Ra, who is Horus of the Two Horizons”. He was believed to rule in all parts of the created world: the sky, the earth, the underworld and was associated with the falcon or hawk. Now, during the New Kingdom, the god Amun rose to prominence and then he was fused with Ra as Amun-Ra. During the Amarna Period, Akhenaten suppressed the cult of Ra in favor of another solar deity, the Aten, the deified solar disc, but after the death of Akhenaten the cult of Ra was restored.

[Matthews looks at Fineman as if he’s insane.]

Chris Matthews: WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT AND WHAT THE HELL DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH RAY McAVAY AND HIS WRITE-IN PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN?

[Fineman rubs his ear.]

Howard Fineman: Okay. Chris, Ray McAvay is NOT running for president. He’s a pro wrestler and teaming up with Scott Stevens, Ryan McKenna, and Darin Zion against three other teams at War-

Chris Matthews: WAIT A MINUTE, HOWARD. WHO THE HELL ARE THOSE GUYS?

Howard Fineman: Chris, they are McAvay’s War Games teammates.

Chris Matthews: THERE’S FOUR PEOPLE ON THE TICKET?

Howard Fineman: No, no. Not a political ticket. They’re on the same wrestling team, Chris. Scott Stevens is the captain.

Chris Matthews: WHAT? McAVAY’S NOT EVEN THE CANDIDATE?

Howard Fineman: He’s not running for-

Chris Matthews: WHAT IS HE- THE VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?

Howard Fineman: Chris, this is not a presidential campaign. It’s a promotional push for High Octane Wrestling’s War Games pay per view show.

Chris Matthews: A PRO WRESTLING SHOW? THAT’S A PRETTY ELABORATE SET UP FOR JUST A PRO WRESTLING SHOW.

Howard Fineman: What’s really interesting is McAvay is showing all of their events live over the internet at HOW’s web site. This means anyone anywhere in the United States, or the world for that matter, can log onto their web site and watch what Ray McAvay is doing, training, talking to the press, talking to the fans, which literally brings it right into your living room.”

Chris Matthews: BUT HE’S NOT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.

Howard Fineman: No. He’s not.

Chris Matthews: SCOTT STEVENS IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.

Howard Fineman: No, no! Scott Stevens is not running for-

Chris Matthews (ear-deafening voice thundering): RIGHT, OKAY NOW THIS OTHER GUY- CHRIS ESCONDIDO! HE’S-

Howard Fineman: Chris-

Chris Matthews: …THE CAMPAIGN MANAGER-

Howard Fineman: Chris-

Chris Matthews: …THE ONE RUNNING THE SHOW-

Howard Fineman (shouts over Matthews) CHRIS!

Chris Matthews: WHAT!

Howard Fineman: For God’s sake, turn it down a bit.   You’re giving me a headache.

[Fineman motions with his hands to the host to lower the volume and then pops a couple Tylenol into his mouth. He gulps it down with a glass of water.]

Chris Matthews: OH!..I mean oh, okay.

Howard Fineman: ‘No Frills’ Chris Escondido is former pro wrestler for Political Championship Wrestling…or PCW. He’s Ray McAvay’s wrestling manager. Not his campaign manager. Wrestling manager.

Chris Matthews: PCW? Isn’t that the wrestling company that mixed politics with pro wrestling?

Howard Fineman: Yes Chris. This is all about pro wrestling.

Chris Matthews: If it’s all about pro wrestling, WHY IS RAY McAVAY MAKING CAMPAIGN STOPS LIKE A VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE!

[Howard closes his eyes and flinches at Matthews’ ear-shattering pitch.]

Chris Matthews: AND IF RAY McAVAY ISN’T RUNNING FOR SOMETHING PRESIDENTIAL, WHY HAVE PROMINENT HOLLYWOOD ACTORS, ACTRESSES, AND SINGERS?

Howard Fineman: Again, Ray McAvay is NOT running for president, vice-president or-

Chris Matthews: IF RAY McAVAY WASN’T RUNNING FOR SOMETHING, THIS SONG WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN WRITTEN AND PROMINENT HOLLYWOOD ACTORS, ACTRESSES, AND SINGERS WOULDN’T BANDED TOGETHER TO SING THIS SONG ABOUT THEIR CAMPAIGN!

Howard Fineman: Wait a minute. What song-

[Cut to former Friend’s star Jennifer Aniston talking about the song.]

Jennifer Aniston: Oh, I suppose we could all could move to Canada if Donald Trump becomes president. Lord knows, we have more than enough money to live anywhere in the world we want to. But that’s not the point. Why don’t we get any sympathy? What about our needs? This video was created to bring awareness to their plight and the consequences of voting for a third party candidate on us. Your Hollywood stars you love to watch.

[Cut to a Hollywood sound stage where famous Hollywood movie stars and artists have all gathered on a riser to sing- a la ‘We Are the World.’ The music starts and everyone starts clapping their hands and sing:]

♫ You’d better watch out!♫ ‘cause now we’re really pissed.♫ Don’t vote for a third party candidate♫ Who doesn’t have a chance to win.♫ We said, watch out♫’cause we’re all really pissed ♫Don’t vote for a third party candidate♫ Who doesn’t have a chance to win.♫ Don’t vote for a third party candidate♫ Who doesn’t have a chance to win.

[John Legend steps forward from the main group with his smoking hot model wife Chrissy Teigen posing next him and sings the first verse.]

♫ We’ve all come together.♫ Come together for a good cause.♫ The fact that it exists♫ Just really pisses us off.

[Next, superstar pop diva, Mariah Carey, smartly dressed in a bikini top two sizes too small for her, steps up to the microphone to oversing…er…sing her part.]

♫ We’re all famous artists.♫ We’re giving some of our very important time.

[Carey then starts waving her hand around in the air ridiculously like singers do when they’re…over singing…and waving their hands around in the air.]

♫ And we come in our limos from our private suites…

[Carey’s arm smacks actor George Clooney and sends him flying back into the riser.]

♫ …and exclusive ‘fenced-in neighborhoods

[Carey’s arm clotheslines actress and activist Susan Sarandon.]

♫ …where you little people wouldn’t have a sniff of chance to ever in live in

[Carey’s hand then pokes actress Elizabeth Banks in the eye.]

♫ Just to be here tonight.

[And Carey backhands actor Tom Hanks for good measure.  While the downed actors and actresses get back on their feet, the rest of the group continues to clap and sway as the chorus comes around again.]

♫ You’d better watch out!♫ ‘cause now we’re really pissed.♫ Don’t vote for a third party candidate♫ Who doesn’t have a chance to win.♫ We said, watch out♫’cause we’re all really pissed♫ Don’t vote for a third party candidate♫ Who doesn’t have a chance to win.♫ Don’t vote for a third party candidate♫ Who doesn’t have a chance to win.

[Next, Bruce Springsteen and former Eagle Don Henley step up to the microphone.]

♫ We sing songs for the common man♫ At two hundred dollars a show♫ We never see them in the crowd♫ Because they can’t afford to go

[Rocker Axel Rose of Guns and Roses (and AC/DC) steps out next. Slithering to the mic, he screeches his way through the bridge:]

♫ Ayyy-yiii-yiieeeeeee yay♫ We’re all gonna die-eee-yayyy♫ If you don’t vote♫ The way we want you to♫ It’ll be the reason whyyyyyyyyyyyyy-ei-ei-yay-yiiii      

[Then, the big finish. The camera pans around to show each well-meaning caring celebrity, swaying back and forth, singing their heart out, and clapping their hands to the beat.]

♫ You’d better watch out!♫ ‘cause now we’re really pissed.♫ Don’t vote for a third party candidate♫ Who doesn’t have a chance to win.♫ We said, watch out♫’cause we’re all really pissed ♫Don’t vote for a third party candidate♫ Who doesn’t have a chance to win.♫ Don’t vote for a third party candidate♫ Who doesn’t have a chance to win.♫ Don’t vote for a third party candidate♫ Who doesn’t have a chance to win.♫ Don’t vote for a third party candidate♫ Who doesn’t have a chance to win.

Back on the bus, Ray has just watched the video with great interest along with Nankowitz.

Andy Nankowitz: What do you think of this?

McAvay shrugs.

Ray McAvay: They seem really pissed off, that’s what I think. And who says I’m running for president?

Andy Nankowitz: It’s a long story.

[mott-media-thoughts-blog]

Game Remasters: An Argument

Originally written as a script for a Video Essay

The industry is filled to the brim with remasters at any given part of the year. We seem them release in times of light drought as well as heavy down pouring. The Last of Us Remastered will drop in the middle of summer while collections like the upcoming Ezio Trilogy deem mid-November to be the perfect time to be sent into the market but is this really such a bad thing? Does remastering the last gen product hurt the title's legacy, or further, the sales of new releases? You probably have a basic idea regarding what you believe the answer to be and I’ll preface the rest of the video with this, I think Remastering older titles and releasing them on current gen is a practice that I believe in.

However, I think it is fair to say that for every three titles remastered, one is poorly done. For every Dishonored Definitive & Bioshock Collection, you have a Prototype or Silent Hill Remaster. I’d assume the industry has become aware of this over the past year or so as the quality of released content has exponentially grown as the market demanded it. For example, in 2014, November, The Master Chief collection was released only to be plagued with horrendous multiplayer issues. Regardless of how many hours you spent attempting to connect online with friends, it simply wasn’t happening. Want to go a few rounds in the campaign playlist with someone that lives in another city, let alone province? Good luck! With the glaring issues related to online play, near everyone forgot that the offline campaign worked as well as ever and simply let the game go. It may work now but the title's legacy has forever been tarnished. Which is a shame because from what I’ve managed to find, there was no way for the team to test the load on the level of strain the servers were put under upon launch and the ensuing weeks after release. Now, this was all prior to the announcement of backward compatibility, something that would make playing the “best titles of last gen” easier and cheaper for consumers that already owned products trapped on the Xbox 360. The Master Chief collections failure at launch is perhaps why Microsoft decided to have the Coalition to only remaster Gears of War 1, leaving the remaining titles to the backward compatibility feature. Their decision to rush their remaster to market to hit a date cost them not only the sales of that collection but also any other in the same vein. Following this, the Arkham remastered releases were delayed from the summer of 2016 to, once again, the middle of the busiest season of the year, in order to rehaul the engine after the enthusiast press largely scoffed at the “upgraded graphics” that somehow managed to make the titles look worse on modern architecture.

So why the hell do I think remasters are a good thing if so many seem to have a plethora of issues? The aforementioned 2 out of three that are fantastic. The Last of Us Definitive allowed for an entire sect of the console audience to experience one of the greatest games ever due to Microsoft's disastrous showing at their May 2013 console reveal, causing a mass migration of players from the Xbox to Sony’s PS4. For me personally, it allowed me a fairly valid excuse to re-immerse myself in the heart-wrenching tale of Joel and Ellie. The Bioshock Collection exists for consumers like myself, the nostalgic, as well as the new generation of people playing games, those that were either too young to play the original releases, or simply were not playing during that period for numerous reasons. Games, as much as they exist as art, age- and the original releases have done just that, aged. Going back to Bioshock in 2016 is as odd and archaic an experience as returning to System Shock 2 would have been in 2007. The option to do so allows for the easily marketable nostalgia to remain intact with these iterations on the original.

The most boisterous voices decrying the practice appear to be those that simply never cared about the original release, to begin with. Which, guess what? Not everything is for you! Which may sound insane in 2016, but hey, 2016, something for everyone. If you aren’t going to buy the Resident Evil remasters (like me) you simply don’t have to, it doesn’t require you to be okay with it. It helps Capcom’s bottom line (and God knows they need it) and allows for future content to be released based on the revenue gained off of, what is from my understanding, a fairly cheap process. To further counter the decrying voice, I know the majority of peoples would have little problem purchasing a Mass Effect Trilogy remaster upon the day of release.

Lastly, to further expand an earlier point, it allows for studios and publishers to gauge audience interest in sequels to IPs that have been long off the market and/or the public consciousness. As much as I loved Deus Ex Mankind Divided (buy it), Square and Eidos should have released a Deus Ex Human Revolution remaster somewhere around the beginning of 2016/summer of 2015 to refresh audiences on the property. Instead, you had a fantastic game release with lower than expected sales and then act like you didn’t expect as much to happen? These remastered titles don’t have to sell three million copies to be profitable and in the end, they exist as great marketing devices for upcoming titles. It simply baffles the mind to see cases such as this. Sony, I assume, is doing the proper thing, instead of deploying a brand new Crash Bandicoot reboot, they have a studio remastering the originals in order to, as I said, act as both a nostalgia crowd pleaser and monetary gauge in the interest of a newer entry.

As much as one may dislike the practice itself, they exist in such high quantities because they make money and they fulfill certain fan bases needs for relatively little cost. I hope to see more over the course of this generation. The more people playing great titles, the better.