A Return and a Retrospective: 2011 In Gaming

One of the many GOOD games that came out last year.

 

Note: I’m posting this a few days later than I intended, and I was going to wait until this coming Monday to post it, but I’m saying fuck it. We haven’t had a post here since last November, let’s do this.

Hello everyone. I’m finally making a return to this and, since the new year has come, I figured we might as well take a look at some of the gaming events of this past year…and what a hell of a year it’s been. We’ve had great games, and we had god damn crap storms. I can’t BEGIN to tell you how much good, and how much even more HORRIBLE stuff we’ve had this year. But you know, when the good is really good, the bad tends to be really bad.

Essays on Iji Introduction (Spoilers)

When I started this blog I was determined to accomplish one goal, to find depth within this at times controversial medium that I am so familiar with. Though I have touched upon how this particular medium can convey art, character complexity, and narrative, I have yet to single out a particular note that shows brilliantly in all aspects of how to accomplish this cohesively to reach levels in other mediums. The kind of thing that acquires the sought after title of “thought-provoking”, the kind of feeling that stays with you after you see the end.

Today I bring you the introduction of many future topics I will do on a game I believe to have accomplished such things, the game called Iji.

Character Analysis: Heather

It’s been a good month so let’s end it off by analyzing one of the strongest female characters in the medium, Heather from Silent Hill 3. Oh, and as per the usual, there will be huge spoilers for the first and third game in the series.

Yes, despite being a teenager from a Japanese game, Heather is a fully developed character. Courageous, wise, and with a smart mouth Heather is an epitome of youth.

Character Analysis: James Sunderland

So let’s dive right in and examine just how the Silent Hill world emphasizes character depth. Again, I will be discussing the plot in detail so yes, those wishing to not have the ending spoiled be warned. While usually I would be going through the character themselves to examine them, we’re going to be looking at the monsters that manifested from our protagonist’s psyche instead.

For your pleasure, listen to this while you read for maximum enjoyment.

On Silent Hill

With October practically upon us it means Halloween shall soon be upon us. And with Halloween comes our obsession with horror. So, what better way to celebrate it than to dedicate the month to one of the most beloved series in the genre?

Silent Hill.

Yes, the next three entries will deal with spoilers.

The Stop and Swoop of Horror Games. This phrase means nothing.

I hate you Tetsuya Nomura: Sora (KH2)

Sad to say it’s a somewhat slow week for me. No big ideas this week, so have a somewhat filler article this week. It’s not like I’ve been somewhat focused on other things this week, no sir. This week let’s pick apart easily one of the worst people in this industry, Tetsuo Nomura. Another week another new series, welcome to my collective rants on Nomura’s terrible character designs.

Analyzing Video Game Music Part 4: Impact on the Player

I think this is probably the most important part of video game music to be analyzed, and probably the last part of this particular series: the effect that music has on the player of the game itself. Just take a moment, and think of your favorite game, right off the top of your head. Now think about the general feel and environment of that game. Think about gameplay, story, everything about it BUT the music, if you can. Now think SOLELY about the music of that game. Does it remind you of the feel of the game? The setting, thinking back to playing it, everything about it?

Ghost Trick vs. 9 Persons 9 Hours 9 Doors

Quite recently several members of The Otaku ensued in a bit of a debate; namely, the supposed quality between two standout, and very different titles that were released for the DS relatively recently. The quirky puzzler that brought a breath of fresh gameplay, Ghost Trick, and the story heavy 9 Hours 9 Persons 9 Doors being the ones in question. Thus, I have taken it upon myself to identify their objective pros and cons and see which comes out on top. This may become a new series of mine.

Character Analysis: Naoto Shirogane

Have some androgeny!

Last time we covered Kanji Tatsumi, a character from Persona 4 notable for his homosexuality or bisexuality. This week, we’re going to touch upon Naoto Shirogane, also from Persona 4 who is notable for the struggles with gender identity the character goes through.

Character Analysis: Kanji Tatsumi

Kanji Tatsumi, a fantastic example of well done writing to create a character that is likable, entertaining, complex, and relatable. He is also one of the few examples of a homosexual character that is written in a way that is neither pandering to stereotypes nor ironic.