Lucien’s First Take: Detroit: Become Human – Teaser

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Lucien

For those who have never heard of it, there is a little gaming company called Quantic Dream. They make some of the most depressing and visually-stunning games that have ever been. The first time I heard of them was with a game called Heavy Rain. That is one of the most miserable games I’ve ever played, solving a mystery of a serial killer. It had a TON of endings, and no ability to fail. Your fail status was when you got the shitty endings. There was more than one. But it was still a great game, aside from some of the control problems. No joke, that game was a complete mess to control. Though, at times, that made it even more impressive. Something about controlling the limbs of a man who is cutting off his own finger to keep his son alive is just so horrible. Makes you feel connected to the action.

Next there was a game called Beyond: Two Souls. Starring the adorable Ellen Page and the cryptic Willem Dafoe, it was a great game as well. While it didn’t have the vast amount of different endings as its predecessor, it did have a much better control scheme, and gave you a nice way to interact with what was also a very grim story. But the visual style was a cut above the rest. It showed off what the PS3 was capable of, and was one of my favorite games on the platform, second only to the absolute perfection that was The Last of Us.

However, we now have a new console, and it seems that this company is looking to show off what this is capable of. They have released a trailer for a new game that is both cryptic and a concept we’ve seen before. Rather than talk too much about it right now, I’ll show you the trailer. Then we’ll discuss it. The game is called Detroit: Become Human.

They say at the end that this trailer was done using an in-game engine. Holy shit! This game looks fucking gorgeous! I get that the idea is to show off the very best that this game has to offer, but man, I am impressed. Since this is a teaser, we haven’t learned much about how the game is going to play.

From what I can tell, the story revolves around a girl who looks an awful lot like Jennifer Lawrence, but isn’t. I looked it up. Hell of a likeness, though. Maybe it’s that pixie cut. Not the biggest fan, but there is enough here to sink my teeth into. Like the fact that this game is about a near future, where mechanical androids exist and seem to function as slaves in society. This game follows someone who was somehow able to get away from that. She lives a free life. How? What is she going to do? It’s all very in the dark, but this trailer was about setting up the world that the game inhabits. Getting us all ready to see how much further we can dive in. Not to mention being something of a tech demo for Quantic Dream’s engine. Them getting their jollies off to their own power.

But, as I said with Beyond: Two Souls, the thing that worries me is going to be the control scheme. It wasn’t perfect in that game, either. There were points, a lot of points, where the game was awkward as shit to control. Calling it tank controls is being nice. The controls for Aiden were great, but Jodie was a pain in the ass to move around. This game looks to be embracing a cyberpunk vibe. Since it’s Quantic Dream, I am assuming that it’s going to be WAY more Blade Runner than Appleseed (a terrible film, but I needed an example of something in the cyberpunk genre that is fast paced. If you have a better example, let me know). But any good cyberpunk story is going to have some points where there has to be action. Especially if the idea is that this girl is going to become a leader in some sort of revolution. They are hinting at that, but I am hoping that it doesn’t go that route. She wants to be human, so maybe there will be more to it than that. I’m a story-seeker, remember. That’s the thing that appeals to me first.

For a game from a company that has visual fidelity locked down, but clumsy controls, I am going to be a little careful when it comes to my Initial Verdict. This game looks amazing. As tech demos go, I’m impressed. Now we’ll wait to see if this company is able to deliver on the controls and the great story angle, once gameplay trailers are released. Since there is no established date on when this is coming out, that could be a while. Until then…

Initial Verdict
7 out of 10

Peace out,

Maverick

Critical Examination: Facial Expression in Video Games

Posted on October 28, 2015 by Lucien

Perhaps I haven’t talked enough about how much I like Life is Strange. Now that I’ve gotten past my rage point about the ending to the series, I can’t honestly hate it. It’s like my favorite book – The Amber Spyglass. That book has one of the most miserably-depressing endings that I’ve ever read. Sad endings don’t bother me. At least, not on their own. Where the Red Fern Grows is the saddest book I’ve ever read. But I don’t hate the ending. Okay, that bit right at the end is cheesy as fuck. I mean, the tie in to the title is the ferns growing on the dogs’ graves? Weak! But everything leading up to that felt right. It was sad. So sad, that when my teacher was reading this to the class during lunch in 5th Grade, she couldn’t finish. No joke, that was the first time I ever got to do public speaking. It was when I went up and finished that story. It was so hard not to cry in front of the class. Felt very cool, too. I was the one she picked. That was special.

Sad endings, however, have to still make sense within the context of their universe. Which was my problem with The Amber Spyglass. That ending comes out of nowhere, is unfathomably depressing, and there’s no reason for it! In fact, it is so bad that I actually listed it in a post of the top 10 plotholes in things I like. That bad. The ending to Life is Strange is much the same. It is pointlessly depressing, for no reason. Not to mention all the unanswered questions. For a game that went so far out of its way to build up the quest for the truth, there were too many things that felt unanswered. Which leaves me suspecting that there is a sequel coming out. That bothers me, because I honestly can’t see it improving.

But enough of all that. The reason that I am bringing up this game, for hopefully the last time, is because I want to talk about a really big flaw in this game, that unfortunately there is no way to fix. If they wanted to, they could redo the ending. But they won’t. However, the flaw that I am going to talk about now can’t be fixed, due to the limitations of the game’s engine. That flaw is the facial expressions.

When I was a little kid, facial expression in gaming didn’t mean much, to me. After all, gaming was too young for stuff like that. Character thoughts and feelings had to be expressed with exposition. I didn’t blame the games for that. It was the tools they had to work with. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is a great game, but the fact is that it is simply the story of the hero’s journey. It makes some point about how hard it is to grow up and how leaving childhood behind is never easy (something that observing Tumblr has taught me oh so well, as it is filled with people kicking and screaming to stay in their childhoods), but the fact is that this wasn’t an especially complicated narrative. Wonder if I’ll get any Nintendo fanboys (or girls) who will come and try and make a dissertation to me that I’m wrong. Anyway, the fact is that due to the limitations of what they had, old games couldn’t tell stories about characters that involved too much emotion, because everything had to be conveyed through text or dialogue. And early games were known for how atrocious their dialogue was. I mean, have you heard some of the stuff from games like the first Silent Hill?

Yeah, that’s pretty bad. But that’s just how things were, early on. Gaming was a young medium, so it could only get so deep. Let’s have another brief digression to talk about something else – facial expression in other visual mediums. For those who know, one of the hallmarks of the series Cowboy Bebop was the fact that characters could say one thing, but through both dialogue and facial expression, say two or more things and once. Anime has had some truly amazing pieces of facial expression. Since it is a medium that is overly-expressive, emotions tend to be shown big. Really, really big. It’s like a neat amount of melodrama, that can be combined with subtlety as well. Like in the original Fullmetal Alchemist series. Unlike its successor, the original series was a very subtle story about two brothers and their journey to reclaim their bodies. Over the course of the series, the two learn the true meaning of sacrifice, and were it not for the STUPID ending that is a complete deus ex machina (for real, memories as equivalent exchange for someone’s life? Give me a break…), it would have been one of the greatest tragic tales ever told. With Alphonse having given everything, and Edward realizing that while he could never get back when he lost, all he could do is move forward. Cathartic? In a way. The series was about sacrifice and loss. Alphonse would make that final sacrifice, to give everything about to the brother he loved so much.

Film, however, uses facial expression in a much bigger way. Watch the film The Bad Sleep Well, and you will see what I mean. Akira Kurosawa was a master of using subtle acting to tell great stories. It helps that he was working with Toshiro Mifune, one of the greatest actors to ever live. There is a great scene in the film where it is just three people in a room. You have Mifune’s character, who is undercover. A man that he is framing, to keep himself out of the line of fire. And the person in charge, who could destroy him if he is caught. Just through the use of expression, you can see the story get told. It is a scene where you have a man go from being nearly in trouble, to being alone again, planning his next move. There is almost no dialogue. It’s all done through expression. That’s amazing! Film is the medium to capture this the best.

The first time that I genuinely saw what facial expression could be like in video games was in a little game called Final Fantasy X. In that game, we have the story of a man who is thrown out of his world and forced to fight to defend another. It’s a very emotional story, focusing on the young man’s inner hatred of his father, his feeling of helplessness at being trapped where he is, and the fact that he wants to go home, but can’t. It’s a very hardcore game. It also has some incredible use of just voice acting and facial expression to sell moments. Like the following scene…

This scene runs the emotional gamut! You have Yuna facing down the fact that she has lost her faith and feels lost and alone. You have Tidus offering her a way out, appealing to the fact that he wants to go home, and giving her a way to leave all of her pain behind. You have Yuna hating the fact that she can’t take him up on it. Then, you have both of them sharing a romantic moment together, letting their love shine through. Out of context, that is not the easiest thing to really see, but it’s there all the same. Not only is that scene emotionally intense, but you can feel their emotions through the use of facial expression. It was the first time that I saw that video games can tell emotional stories without a ton of exposition. Or at least exposition alone.

In recent years more than any other, video games are capitalizing on it. Without the incredible facial animation, would the scene at the end of The Last of Us be anywhere near as good? Would you be able to sell the emotional gamut that that scene has? Where Ellie is confronting Joel about his obvious lie, then choosing to accept the lie? Without that amazing facial animation, how else could it be done? Modern gaming has done incredible things with facial animation, partly through the use of motion capture cameras. This technology was first pioneered in games like Heavy Rain, but didn’t really become the amazing force that it was until a game called L.A. Noire. That game used facial expression to help you solve crimes. If the game hadn’t felt the need to embrace the Grand Theft Auto side of Rockstar’s repertoire, then maybe it could have gone further with it. But you take the good with the bad.

Video games have come a LONG way from where they started. Games that would otherwise be rather unremarkable are made remarkable because of the fact that they focus on narrative-driven stories. Games like Bioshock Infinite. I think that’s a great game, but the reality is that without the truly wonderful characters and really insane plot, that game’s mechanics aren’t especially remarkable. This is the thing that makes modern gaming truly special. Which leads me back, finally, to Life is Strange.

The biggest thing hold this game back, in my opinion, was the facial animation. The world of that game has some amazing depth and detail. And the voice acting was at the top of its class. While the dialogue could be utterly-ridiculous at times, it is the sheer emotional dedication from every character that sells it. You feel for these people. But I think you would feel for them more if the facial animation was better. Let me give you an example.

This is my absolute favorite scene in the entire series. Hands-down, this is where the peak of the emotion in this game comes in. I had been wanting there to be a scene where Max tells Chloe the truth about what happened in the alternate timeline, along with how she feels about what she has done to Chloe in so many timelines, and nowhere was it more on display than right here.

But there is one major problem – you can HEAR the pain in Max’s voice. You can hear her getting torn up and on the verge of breaking down. But you can’t see it. This scene could have been SO much better with better facial animation. For one, why isn’t Max crying? It sounds like she is. Everything in that delivery says that Max is crying when she tells Chloe the truth about William and what she did to her in the alternate timeline. Hearing the hurt is great, but this isn’t an audio medium. It’s a visual one. I wanted to see Max’s pain. I wanted to see Chloe’s uncertainty and sudden diffusion of her anger as she is watching a girl that she may or may not be falling for sobbing in front of her. Not only would it have made that scene a real tear-jerker, but it would have made so many other scenes that much better. At times, the facial animation works. But there are too many places where it works against the game, like these people are marionettes on strings.

Great facial animation means something, in gaming. Now more than ever, games can have great narratives that make you feel for the characters in them. It’s why I went from hate to love when getting to know the characters in Until Dawn. It’s why Joel and Ellie are two of my favorite characters in anything! Great voice acting is a great thing, but it can only go so far. We need gaming to deliver something more. Without characters to deliver on that, it is impossible to really take in how much great narratives can do in this medium.

But let me know what you all think. Am I totally off-base on this issue? Are you able to get all the emotional depth you need out of just voice acting? Or does all of this seem pretentiously stupid? I wouldn’t blame you if you thought that way. I do overanalyze everything, from what I hate to what I love. Let me know in the Comments.

Until next time, a quote,

“No! Not this way! Chloe, I can’t keep fixing everything if all I’m going to do is just break it, over and over again!” -Max Caulfield, Life is Strange

Peace out,

Maverick

RAB: Dildo Pipes and Halloween Insensitivity

Posted on October 27, 2015 by Lucien

You ever notice how pathetic the modern world of growth is? By that I mean the fact that humanity has been able to travel into space and do amazing things with that technology, yet here we are, still stuck on this tiny orb that orbits the Sun. Just this tiny orb. Just one. Am I the only person who feels that this is so much bullshit?! I can’t be. Someone else out there has to be as annoyed as I am that the limits of our species productivity is to be stuck on one measly little planet. But hey, we have 3D printers that can make railguns now! Wow! Isn’t that so amazing?! We also have 3D printers that can make candy! Well slap some syrup on me and call it pancakes! There are also these phones, where we can download apps that drown us in stupid bullshit for hours on end. We even have made an app to give ratings to other people! Yeah, because that’s a great idea.

Here’s another great example of how humanity is living up to its potential. I read a story today about a pipe that you can smoke your weed in, that also doubles as a dildo. Did you hear that, ladies? There’s a pipe that exists that you can literally fuck yourself with! Because who doesn’t want to put their lips on a pipe covered in vag juice? Ladies, that sit well with you? Sticking something in your pussy that has had pot smoke flowing through it? Part of me is genuinely curious. Another part is so utterly annoyed and embarrassed by how pathetic our species is.

But wait, it gets better! In addition to a weed pipe that you can shove in your pussy, here’s somethings else! There’s a product that is known as cannabis lube. That’s right, you can rub weed all over your pussy before sex. I honestly cannot describe how much I find that fact utterly repugnant. There’s only one way that I can adequately describe my reaction to this.

It never ceases to amaze me how little humanity is doing with its potential. Why do we not have a colony on the Moon? Why are there no space colonies? Why have we not wrangled an asteroid or two and are mining the living shit out of them? Why do we not have any colonies on Mars? It is utterly beyond me that we don’t even try and do amazing things anymore. Not in ‘Murica, that is. Other countries. I am hearing other countries talking about colonies on Mars by 2020. That’s impressive! You know who should be heading that? How about this country? How about America taken some of the absolutely worthless military industrial complex and invest it in giving humanity a future? Groj-dammit, we are coming out with a new shitty phone every few months. Why can’t we be coming out with a new spacecraft that quickly? If we were actually trying to invest in humanity’s future, this country would have production plants where we would be revolutionizing and building spacecraft. America would be at the head of a mining effort that is absolutely sustainable and could take some of the heat off this world. There is NO reason why we can’t invest in asteroid mining. Or space travel in general. We invested over $1 trillion in the F-35. It doesn’t even work! It will never see combat, and we sunk that kind of money into it! Fuck me!

But maybe humanity isn’t supposed to last in the long term anyway. After all, it’s another year that Halloween is rolling around, and the social justice crowd is in full swing talking about how awful and degrading and racist and every buzzword under the sun this holiday is. I swear, BuzzFeed should just change its name to – Fck White People! Especially White Men! At least then, I could admire their honesty. If the social justice crowd actually knew how to have fun, what a wonderful world it would be, am I right? If they were able to take their minds off the ableist, sexist, transphobic, whatever bullshit sensors that run their lives, and instead make them actually decide to enjoy this time that they are given, who knows how things would get better.

There was a great video by The Vivian Project where she tells the story of a former roommate of hers that went full into the social justice mindset. It sounds like it was so miserable. To live your life constantly feeling oppressed and choosing to take every little thing as some horrible slight against you. I honestly felt a little sorry for the girl in her story. A pity that it ended the way it did. But I recommend finding that video. It will really change your perspective on these people. How miserable a life must one lead where you are constantly having to point out how bad things are? These people couldn’t like a video game that should have appealed to them because there were no women writers. They hate on a video game that is based on Celtic lore, because there are no black people. Wrap your head around that one. They had to make a huge issue about a character that had NEVER been indicated to be trans, and make it a button issue because, “stop oppressing us!”

Life is short, SJWs. There is no shame in realizing that things are what they are and trying to enjoy what time you have, the best way you know how. To step out of the echo chamber for a while and just enjoy something because it makes you feel good. I know, that probably doesn’t make a lot of sense to you. To just take something in and enjoy it because it’s a quality product. I do it every day. Granted, there are still things that annoy me. But I don’t let that annoyance consume my life. I get annoyed, feel the feel, then move on. It’s a good way to do things. Because if I didn’t, then this annoyance would become my entire life. Just like it does theirs. They see Halloween costumes and are angry at them. Costumes. A fucking costume is upsetting these people. I can already hear the people who are going to come in here…

But Lucien, this is their culture! How would you like it if people made fun of your culture!

How do you know it’s making fun of it? No joke, how do you know that? Are you in their heads? If, a couple years ago, someone dressed up as PSY and did that stupid dance, does that make fun of South Korean pop culture? If someone puts on white face paint and goes as some gothic emo kid, does that make fun of goth culture? What if someone just wants to have fun, and likes that look? How is that making fun of another person’s culture? I legitimately want a fucking answer to this, because it’s so dumb.

In other words – it’s a fucking holiday about kids and candy! Have fun with the kids and the fucking candy! Or go get schnockered with some people. Actually live a little. You might just like what you find.

Until next time, a quote,

“I don’t want to live on this planet anymore.” -Professor Farnsworth, Futurama

Peace out,

Maverick

Lucien’s Review: Carmen (Anchorage Opera)

Posted on October 26, 2015 by Lucien

Every so often, I actually am able to get out and take in some real culture. Believe it or not, I really like that. I like to go to places where I am woefully underdressed – in my ratty trench coat, cargo pants and plain tee shirt – and see what life would be like if I were some poncy rich person. But that wasn’t why I was at this show. I was at this one because my cousin’s husband was in this opera. He’s a talented guy, and I am glad that he’s putting his talent to use. One of my button issues is when I see talent not being used. It’s like a muscle. Don’t use it and it atrophies. Can’t have that. So, he got me a ticket for the show, and I was stoked because without that, I wouldn’t have gone at all. With that in mind, let’s talk about the opera by Bizet.

The plot tells the story of a young temptress named Carmen, and her seduction of a young soldier named Don Jose. As is typical in any great opera, it is a story of love, loss, and tragic death. I’d say spoiler alert, but come on. You all know what this was. Anyone who knows opera knows that it’s either comedic, tragic, or the germanic operas that Lord of the Rings took a lot of inspiration. In other words, it’s either tragic or comedic. This is the former. The plot really isn’t why people come to see these things anyway, so let’s talk about the nitty-gritty.

For starters, I like the minimalist sets that they had. It makes sense, considering this opera takes place in four acts, and each act is in a profoundly different place. Plus, there was some expert use of lighting. Good lighting can make all the difference, and this time they had a clever use of lighting behind the sets to help set the mood even more. Not bad, my good sirs and madams.

Next ups, there were the costumes. Props to the people they had working on this! No joke, this was really something! Of course, the thing that people pay the most attention to are the dresses. Carmen was definitely looking her best through this entire performance. But I liked some of the other attire. Such as the soldiers uniforms. Who knew that yellow could make for a good uniform color? I certainly didn’t. But it was set in Spain, so that’s how it goes. Though the music is all in French. Weird, huh? My French is rusty as fuck, but so much of the verbiage was in French that I couldn’t help but taken notice, even if I didn’t know all the words all the time. Lastly, there was the matador and his attire. This guy looked great! I get that all bullfighters were basically performers, but I got why he would catch people’s eyes. All this, however, is totally beside the point. It’s an opera. The thing that everyone wants to hear about is the performances. It’s where all operas get all their strength or detraction. So, what’s there to be said about that? Quite a bit, actually.

I feel kind of bad for the guy who sang the part of Don Jose. He was REALLY putting his all into this, and it definitely told. I gotta give this guy props, even if I am now about to say something that is detracting. As hard as this guy tried to throw every bit of heart and soul that he could, he was simply overshadowed, by the two characters who absolutely stole this show.

The first was Carmen, performed by Audrey Babcock. Holy shit! Not only did this woman have AMAZING presence, but her performance was a cut above the rest. I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. The aforementioned cousin’s husband told me that she’s done this role roughly 30 times! Well, props to Anchorage Opera, they’ve got an eye for talent. This woman owned this role so thoroughly, and created a character that is both seductive and foul at the same time. You love her, you hate her, and everything in-between. This role was the one that made this entire show work. Makes sense, given that her character’s name is in the title, but hot damn! You could have had the cast not be there and it wouldn’t have mattered.

Next, there was the gentleman who played Escamillo (the matador), Guido LeBron. If there is one thing about this performance, it is that I really felt like this is a guy that I would like. There was something about this character that was so enjoyable to listen to. It’s like some dude who you would LOVE to have a beer with. He’s boisterous, a braggart, and totally in love with himself. But he isn’t a total dick about it. He can play to the crowd, have fun, and takes little personally. There is a scene where he even admits that he wants to be with Carmen for the pure purpose of distraction. But he plays it off so casually so as to tell her – this isn’t permanent, sugar, so don’t go getting too attached. No wonder she found his company so enjoyable. They were both looking for something from one-another, and both of them found it.

If there is one thing that I can say didn’t work about this opera, it’s the climax. At the end, you have the ruined and lost Don Jose having tracked Carmen down and meaning to confront her for the last time. It starts off very well. However, maybe it was the stuff going on in the background, or the fact that the background stuff and the music felt kind of distracting, but the tragic side of the story seemed to get very lost in how quickly Don Jose stabbed her and she was dead. Like, you could blink and you’d miss it. That was a little bit odd, and left me feeling – did it end? That was quick. However, that is just me being a total nit-picky douche. To my credit, it’s what I do. Part of why I’m sure you all enjoy what I put out there.

This was an excellent performance, and everyone involved should be proud of their work. Ironic moment – there was the scene where the audience gets to meet Carmen for the first time, but I couldn’t help but be transfixed by this stunningly pale blonde. Carmen is beautiful, but my tastes will always get in the way. Perhaps I just couldn’t be beguiled by her charms. In any case, great show, and everyone involved should be proud. It’s too late to see it now, but here is my review all the same. Take it for what you will.

Final Verdict
8 out of 10

Peace out,

Maverick

My Relative Perspective on Review (A response to Total Biscuit)

Posted on October 23, 2015 by Lucien

A response where I’m not angry at the person talking? Yeah, doesn’t that feel weird. Normally I respond to people who I take umbrage with. That’s not to say that I agree with all the people I watch all the time. I really don’t. Sometimes I very much disagree. I did a response to Super Bunnyhop’s video about E3 2015 and hype for games. I think that he sounds burned out of big budget games. The games he praises these days are the smaller games. That’s not to say that I think all big budget games are great. Far from it. This year has been an example of a game that had a huge budget, came from a great company, and absolutely sucked. I am, of course, talking about Batman: Arkham Knight. Between the repetitive vehicle combat and the story that shoots itself in the foot so hard that it legitimately pissed me off, this is a game that I am never going to be able to love, because it is just a let-down.

For those who don’t know, I’m a fan of a British game reviewer called Total Biscuit. When I found out that his cancer has come back, and it is inoperable, it hurts. This is a good guy, who is still going out of his way to bring reviews and thoughts about games to gamers, even facing adversity. He has said that he is going to fight this cancer right to the very end, and I think that he is great for that. I wish him all the best, and if his fight fails, and he leaves this world, he will have another person who is going to be saddened by his passing. I’ve never talked to the guy, but that’s how I feel. Best of luck, TB.

Anyway, he made a video talking about this idea of relativism in game reviews. It is hard to be objective, after all. If I were 100% objective, then my reviews of both Arkham Knight and the final episode of Life is Strange would have been very good. Neither game had a problem, from a mechanical aspect. However, when I couldn’t get away from the fact that I took MAJOR problems with both games. With both of them, my chief problem is the story. But I’ll get to that in a few. TB put out a video some time ago, talking about how there is this idea that if a game reviewer doesn’t like the games that one likes, then their opinion isn’t worth taking. I’ll let you watch the video, then I’ll talk about it.

This video got me to thinking about something. TB says that when you look at a person’s review of a game, then you should really get to know a lot about what that reviewers stickler points are and use that to judge whether or not you take their reviews or thoughts on games seriously. I happen to agree with him. TB said that for him, the things he likes in games are things like mechanics and gameplay. It’s why he despises games like Dear Esther and would most likely despise a game that I very much enjoyed – Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture. That’s fine. He is totally within his rights to enjoy games for his own reasons. But as he said, it’s good to know where your game reviewer stands. With that in mind, I thought that I would tell you, my faithful audience, where I stand on games.

I am a story seeker. It’s always been the reason that I game. It’s why I watch movies, read books, am very picky about my TV shows. I like a good story. Not only that, but I like stories that are more character-driven than plot-driven. It’s why I love Game of Thrones so much. There is a plot, in that series, but it is very second-fiddle to the characters. At least in most seasons. This latest one is definitely my least favorite, but I get why it went down the way it did. They are setting things up for the end game. There are three seasons left of this series. The show-runners said that they will pay whatever it takes to get an eighth season. I think that’s good. Gives them time to take more time for character development, instead of the plot stuff. Don’t get me wrong, I like some of the plot stuff. I could watch that battle of Hardhome over and over again for hours. That was fucking awesome! That scene where Jon Snow is fighting a White Walker was so incredible! I am one of the people who believes that he’ll be back. He’s been seen on set too much for that not to be the case. He’s gonna be back, but I am thinking that he’ll have some baggage along the way.

But I game for stories. Am I forgiving of bad mechanics? Hell no! If a game is unplayable, I won’t tough it out for a good story. But if a game’s mechanics are simplistic, I can deal with that if the narrative keeps me going. It is why my favorite game of 2015, up until now, had been Life is Strange. A character-driven story about a girl who can alter time. That was great. If it hadn’t of ended on such a sour note, then it would be among my favorite games of all time. The plot of a game is the thing that calls to me, and that is something that you need to know. Not only that, but the characters as well. If I can’t believe a game’s characters, then the game is very dead to me. I can already hear some of my detractors…

But Lucien, you were all over DmC: Devil May Cry! That game’s story was ridiculous and the characters were cardboard cutouts!

I’m working on a review right now for a movie I just got done watching. It was made in the 90’s, and it has every single 90’s cliche, but god-dammit, it is has fun with them! It is able to enjoy being dumb. It is a movie we’ve seen a thousand times, but if you can embrace the silliness and not take it too seriously, then it is a lot of fun. That’s how I am about DmC. It’s a silly game, where you get to cut up demons. I also just reviewed Wolfenstein: The New Order. That is a game where they give you guns, ammo, and Nazis to kill. It’s awesome! But the games that I love, the ones that stick with me the most, are the ones with stories and characters that I can feel for. Those are the ones that leave a lasting impression. It’s why I am still sour about both Mass Effect 3 and the last episode to Life is Strange. Both games had some INCREDIBLE build-up! No joke, right up to the very end, I was in love with those games! The former especially. I was wrapping up plots three games in the making. I was making peace between warring factions. I was bringing life-long enemies like the geth and quarians together. If it hadn’t of been for the lackluster final act, that entire series would be my favorite games of all time. If it hadn’t been for that stupid, contrived ending, the same would be true of Life is Strange.

I do try and look at the various aspects of a game. Really, I do. If a game lacks in some area, I’ll point it out. While I really like Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture, I didn’t give it a 9 or a 10 because it isn’t a spectacular or perfect game. But I won’t lie, the story is the thing I pay attention to first. Hopefully those of you who actually read my reviews (they don’t get the views you’d think) and like what you see understand that.

So yeah, that’s my thoughts. TB’s video is good, and while I don’t agree with him on everything, I can still enjoy his content. Good luck in your own battle, you poncy British bastard.

Until next time, a quote,

“You and I have found out that being normal sucks, because we’re freaks. The advantage of being a freak is that it makes you stronger. Now, how strong do you want her to have to be?” -Gregory House, House, M.D.

Peace out,

Maverick

Lucien’s Gaming Clips: Life is Strange (Max and Chloe, Parts Twelve and Thirteen)

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Lucien

This feels more like an obligation than anything else. I don’t like leaving things unfinished, so I decided to finish up my series showing the growth of the relationship between Max and Chloe, in this final episode of a game that started out with so much potential, but then died on the vine. I’ve written a post about how the ending could have been done better (linked here), so you can check that out. However, for those who want to see it, here are the final bits with Max and Chloe. A head’s-up, the ending here to the episode, depending on which choice you made, will be spoiled. I say that you aren’t missing much, but that’s just me. If you really want to get there on your own, then I guess go play it, then get back to me. Enjoy.

And that’s it. The end of this game. Hopefully. They can only make it worse from here. Maybe you all found something to like in here that I didn’t. Let me know what you think down in the comments.

Until next time, a quote,

“Chloe, I can’t keep fixing everything if all I’m gonna do is keep breaking it, over and over and over again!” -Max Caulfield, Life is Strange

Peace out,

Maverick

You’re Going to Take Down My Videos Now?! (A response to YouTube)

Posted on October 22, 2015 by Lucien

YouTube has decided to unveil a new ad-free, subscription-based service called YouTube Red. With it, you pay a subscription fee, and watch all videos without any ads. I think this is stupid, because most ads can be skipped anyway, but YouTube has decided to add a darker side to this. A side that worries me, personally, because I am finally working to expand my channel, now that I have discovered the Share feature on my PS4. According to an article in Tech Raptor (linked here), it seems that YouTube is trying to coerce people who monetize their videos to sign up for this service, otherwise their videos will be unable to be viewed by the public.

As Tech Raptor points out, the fact that YouTube is working so hard to coerce content creators into this service is strange. It feels shady, and there are more people than one who feel the same way.

Now, I don’t make any money with what I do. Partly because my channel has shit subscribers (and shit videos, I’ll admit. At least, until I have started my new deal. Check out my channel by going to my About page and clicking on it), but I am trying to expand things with my gaming clips. It’s fun, allows me to use new tech, and I can even enjoy putting up videos that showcase my gaming skills. Will likely be uploading footage from games like Bloodborne, such as boss fights and the like. Even more stoked for when I get my hands on Final Fantasy XV, and can upload some boss fights from there! It will be very fun. But YouTube is, unquestionably, coercing content creators under threat of having their videos pulled from view, to sign up for this service. That is bullshit! I doubt that YouTube will notice a channel like mine, but this isn’t just about me. Sure, I don’t want to lose what little potential my channel has right now, but this is also going to hurt others who don’t want to be brow-beaten by greedy-ass Google.

Something you should know about me – I don’t watch videos with adblock on. I actually want to support the creators I view. I don’t have the money to support them on Patreon, so instead I support them by suffering through ads (unless I can skip them, I admit), which gives something to those who are trying to use this to help supplement their income. We are a culture that is so averse to being made to wait for anything, and it is really showing in how content creators are doing whatever they can to bring the money in. For the days when the Internet was a place where those who wanted to dream or create could find a way to make money. Well, if they can do video. I write things, and I don’t make squat from this site. Oh well. That’s how I goes, I guess.

In any case, there is all very shady, and YouTube’s lackluster defense of what they are doing even moreso. I don’t want to see my content get taken down, on the off-chance that they notice a channel as small as mine, trying to make its way in the world.

Until next time, a quote,

“America isn’t a community. It’s a business. Now fucking pay me!” – Jackie Cogan, Killing Them Softly

Peace out,

Maverick

How I Would Have Ended ‘Life is Strange’

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Lucien

I make no secret of the fact that I cannot stand the end of this series. Both of the “choices” for this ending make no damn sense. For starters, there is the “good” ending, where you let Chloe die. Did the writers not see that Max is jumping back in time again to do this? Shouldn’t that make what happened worse? I genuinely don’t get it. I guess the idea is that if she stops that, then all the other time stuff is stopped, but it still feels like bullshit, to me. Then there is the “bad” ending, where you let Arcadia Bay be destroyed. Which does go down that way. Won’t argue, it does. The entire place is destroyed. But how does that work? I thought the tornado was signifying the end of the world? Is absolutely everyone dead? Since there is no epilogue in that ending, you never know. So yeah, also bullshit. Not to mention the fact that you never learn the story behind Max’s powers, or why they chose her.

Bear with me, because this is gonna get a bit dense. Here is how I would have ended the series. For starters, I would have backed the ending up to when Max was heading to Warren to get the picture, to save Chloe. If what you learn in the time null zone is true, then that tornado is just a symptom of the timelines smashing together. Still proud of myself that I called it. However, why then, do we not see any of those timelines? If the whole deal here is that space and time are falling apart, why are none of those timelines in there? If it were me, I would have had that be the case.

As Max gets down toward the Two Whales Diner, the closer she gets, the more she sees things that shouldn’t be there. Things like Victoria, with the paint all over her. Or Kate, as she was on the roof. This would have been especially intense if you failed to save her. If you chose to let Chloe die in the alternate timeline, William would be after you, since he wanted to know what happened. Ooo, have him run into Joyce at Two Whales! That would be a mind-fuck! If you didn’t help her, then Chloe would find you and be trapped in a building. Or maybe have her at the diner. Let’s fuck with Joyce in a big way! Have a past version of Mr. Jefferson, which would be crazy if you let David kill him. The closer you get, the more timelines are just all over the place. Then, right as you are about to reach the diner, it all falls apart. Time and space collapse in front of you.

The rest plays out like the null time zone that Max had been in before, but when you get to the lighthouse, everything collapses again. Here’s how I see the next part playing out –

Max opened her eyes. She wasn’t at the lighthouse anymore. It was the strangest thing! She was back home! Not Blackwell, but Seattle! How was this possible?! Had she been changing time for this long? Walking through her house was so surreal. Her parents were nowhere to be found. Looking out the window, she saw the view down the street. What was going on here.
She heard a cup clink down behind her. In a flash, she turned. What she saw left her speechless. Sitting on the couch was Rachel Amber.
“What is this…” she asked.
Rachel just smiled and shook her head. “Don’t recognize your own home?”
Shaking her head, she stared dumb-founded. “No, not that. I mean, what am I doing here? Why are you here? What’s going on? Am I….?”
“No, Max. You’re not dead. I brought you here. I wanted to see what Max Caulfield’s house looked like. I also wanted to meet the girl that Chloe would never shut up about.”
A little smile on her face. “Chloe talked about me?”
“All the time! She would tell me of your adventures, wondering what you were doing now. She assumed that you were taking over Seattle, like the little pirate she remembered. Of course, there were also the conversations about how mad she was that you never wrote or called.”
Max frowned. “I know. Believe me, I have been killing myself for that all week. However long this week has actually been. Feels like I have been in this week for an eternity. But I have been wanting to make it up to Chloe for every single day of this week. I keep hurting her. Keep…killing her.”
Shaking her head. “No, Max. You saved Chloe. Again and again. I can’t imagine someone who would care about her more. And she cared about you too. If you hadn’t of left, I have to wonder what would have become of you. Maybe it would have been you and her, instead of her and I.”
That got Max’s attention. “Who was Chloe, to you?”
“I loved her, Max. With all my heart, I did. But…she wanted something more from me than I could offer. The days we spent together, the nights we would be up talking, I wanted to be the angel she saw and wanted me to be. But then there was Frank.”
Unable to resist her curiosity, “How did you and Frank end up together?”
“At first, I just bought drugs from him. But as Chloe and I hung out with him, I realized that there was more to him than just drugs. He was a sensitive man, who was so mistreated by so many people. More and more, I felt closeness with him, eventually culminating in us being together. I loved Frank, with all my heart. Sure, he had some bad days. Some days when he went a little crazy. But deep down, I could always tell that he was trying to do the right thing, and be good to me. We had plans, to leave Arcadia Bay. Chloe borrowed money from him for the two of us to go, but I was going to convince her to come with us. The three of us, leaving and never coming back. I would become a model, and we could actually live, not having to just survive. No more drama. No more problems. Just living. Would it be so bad if that was all it was?”
This took some time, to process. “But then Mr. Jefferson got to you?”
She looked ashamed. “Yes. I admit, I flirted with him. It was when I was crazy rebellious with Chloe. I thought it would be fun. Making the teacher want what he couldn’t have. Would have made for a hell of a story for Chloe, if not for how things ended up.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, there was the stuff with Nathan. He got crazy about it. The fact that I was flirty with Jefferson pissed him off to no end. I never got why, until the night where I was drugged and taken to their ‘dark room.'”
Shuddering. “I know how that goes.”
“I know. I’m so sorry, Max. I wish you could have avoided that. Alas, things never work out as we intend, right? I was so furious. That sick bastard and his little sick partner. They used me and then murdered me. When I died, I was so filled with anger and hate, that something happened. Something I didn’t expect.”
“How so?”
“I felt my anger transcending space and time. Mrs. Grant always said that there was power in Arcadia Bay. That the ancient Natives could feel energies. At least, she said that people believed that. She never bought into it all, but liked to talk about the community. Somehow, what happened to me, I tapped into the power with in this place. I needed to get revenge against Jefferson and Nathan. But how? Then I saw you return to Blackwell! Max Caulfield! If there was anyone who could help, it would be you!”
In a flash, it hit her. “The power, it came from you? You gave it to me?”
“That’s right! I wanted you to be able to put a stop to Nathan and Jefferson. To get revenge for me. It was just that simple. But when I saw how you used the powers, and how broad the consequences, I realized that I had gone WAY too far.” Rachel got very quiet, all of the sudden. “I’m so sorry, Max. I was so focused on getting revenge, that I failed to see how bad this would get for Arcadia Bay. Now people who did NOT deserve to suffer are. Including Chloe. In more timelines than one. You have no idea how guilty I feel right now, Max. I put that poor girl through hell, all because I wanted Jefferson and Nathan to pay for what they’ve done. Now I’ve gotten her killed, countless times. This has to end.”
Slowly, Rachel stood up. “That’s why you’re here, Max. I can’t go back and do this myself. Only you can. So, I’m giving you a choice.” From her pocket, she produced two pictures. “I am giving you the chance to go back, one last time. This is going to be the last time jump, Max. After this, there won’t be anymore. Hopefully you get it right, when you go back.” Setting the pictures on the coffee table in front of her. “Time and space have no meaning here, Max. So you have two options.” She pointed to a selfie Max took, back in Seattle. “Objects stay with you through the course of your changes in time. So you will still have David’s number. Text him and tell him the truth about Jefferson. I’ll be saved. But, here’s the kicker – if you do this, you’ll lose Chloe. She’ll leave Arcadia Bay with me, and I doubt that you’ll ever hear from her again, wherever we end up. Since you won’t be returning to Arcadia Bay and Blackwell, you’ll just have to rest easy knowing that I am alive and so is Chloe. Like I said, that will be it. You might also be able to save Nathan. Once Jefferson is in jail, maybe he’ll finally get the help he needs. I hate him, but looking back on how Jefferson used him, perhaps there is hope for him yet. Especially after that message he left you.”
Pointing the second picture. The one Warren took.
“The second option is to go back and save Chloe. Find a way to diffuse her anger and walk away. Again, get David. You have his hotel number, right? Have him get the cops. You might even be able to save Victoria, as well. While I was never a fan of her, and vice-versa, I don’t want her to suffer the same fate as me.”
Looking up at her, Max had a very somber face. “You’re okay, with me letting you die?”
“Max, after what I’ve done, and all the lives that I’ve hurt in all of this, I have no right to judge you for wanting to be with Chloe. I gave this power to you so you could get revenge for me. If you can send Jefferson to the prison hell that he so perfectly belongs, then I can rest in peace. Plus, I know that Chloe will be happy. Max, I feel terrible for lying to her. It hurt more than you know. But I knew that she wouldn’t understand Frank and I. Not right away. It would take some time. I really want her to be happy. If she’s with you, then I know that she’s okay.”
Leaning back, she looked Max right in the eye.
“There you go, Max. The choice is yours. Remember, after this, time will be as it was meant to be.”
That got Max to thinking.
“But what about the tornado?!”
“The tornado is caused by all the timelines that you created, smashing together. Each time you changed time, you went back, but time kept going. At first, it wasn’t much. Just a couple of strange things. But it all changed when you created a completely alternate reality. That put everything in overdrive. Time started to fall apart. That’s on me. I didn’t realize what would happen when I gave this gift to you. But there is a way to set things right. The tornado was able to bring you here, because here is a place where space and time has no meaning. A realm outside time. I gave you this gift, and I can set things back. It’s all connected to the existence of the power, Max. If it goes away, then the effect goes away. With this last jump through time, the ability will be gone, and the effect on time and space that you have will vanish along with it. All the timelines will be put right, and the ability is laid to rest. The tornado will be gone.”
Nodding, Max looked down at the photos.
“Time to choose, Max. What will it be…?”

Save Rachel
Save Chloe

(Note that the above conversation is just one of what would be several possible options, but with the same ending)

If you pick the former, then Max will be in Seattle. You grab your phone, and send the text to David, telling him everything about Jefferson and the Dark Room. When you reemerge in your own timelines, you’ll be at a school in Seattle, with some unfamiliar faces talking to you, and a report on the news about the trail of Mark Jefferson. The epilogue will show Rachel and Frank in LA, with Chloe working as a tattoo artist. Max will be looking at the picture of the butterfly that she took, and then finds that she does have one memento of her time with Chloe – the necklace that she found in the Dark Room. The last shot has Max in school, wearing the necklace, with a streak of blue in her hair.

If you pick the latter, then you will be back at the party. This is a little more involved. You’ll have to convince Chloe to walk away. It plays out almost identically to the way it did in the actual game during that segment, except you tell her that you were sent back by Rachel. Here’s the tricky part – if you tell her that you had had the option to save her, then Chloe will walk away, and you’ll fail. The bad ending, as it were. However, if you convince her to go to David, then you will reemerge in your timeline at the lighthouse, like you had when you first started the game. Only now, instead of it being a storm, it’s a quiet and peaceful day. If you ended things on good terms with Frank, then you would see him and Chloe at the lighthouse, talking. She was telling him about what happened with Rachel. As you come up, he leaves, thanking Max for figuring out the truth. You see Chloe again and hug her, which she remarks that the “real Max” is back. From there, you watch as Jefferson goes to prison. Victoria is alive, but forever hates Max for what happened to Jefferson. Now, depending on whether or not you cultivated a relationship with Chloe or Warren, the epilogue will play out a bit differently. If you chose to get close to Warren, you see the two of them making out at the Planet of the Apes marathon. If you chose to get close to Chloe, then you’ll have the two of them finally admitting how they feel for one-another. The episode would end with the semester ending and Max going back to Seattle, with either Chloe or Warren with her.

So yeah, that’s how I would have ended things. Instead of the contrived and ridiculously-dumb endings we got.

Until next time, a quote,

“You have NO idea what hell I went through to get here!” -Max Caulfield, Life is Strange

Peace out,

Maverick

Lucien’s Review: Wolfenstein: The New Order

Posted on October 21, 2015 by Lucien

Just one thing – retro-futuristic robo-Nazis. Just that alone and you have what makes this game so utterly awesome. It’s not a game that is going to bring you into a deeper understanding with humanity. Nor is it the kind that will give you some insight into the human condition. What will give you, however, is big guns that you can use to murder-death-kill as many Nazis are is humanly possible! This game is so much fun. Violent, grotesque, ridiculously-stupid fun. Given my love of games that are filled with complex narratives, this might seem an odd thing to like, but sometimes, you just need to unwind and blow some Nazis to bits. Let’s talk about it.

The game follows the exploits of BJ Blazkowicz. The American badass who once brought down Hitler single-handedly. Though, this game doesn’t acknowledge that one, so I guess it may not be a direct sequel. Whatever. In any case, Blazkowicz ends up getting trapped by a German supervillain named Deathshead. I love the names in this game, by the way. He blasts them out of a window, which ends with our hero with shrapnel in his head and being in a mental institution for 16 years. When he gets out, he finds that the war is over, and Nazis rule the world! (of course!) But that doesn’t stop our now-aging friend from realizing that the only good Nazis are dead ones, so he decides to begin the fight anew, and blow them to bits in every conceivable way. Doesn’t this sound enjoyable?

Something to know about this game – it has a very strange way about it. Parts of this game encourage you to tank through damage and go all rage-mode with dual-wielding weapons. No joke, you can dual-wield the biggest guns in this game. It’s nuts! But also kind of cool. Then you have parts that want you to be all stealthy, and the juxtaposition between these two elements can be a little strange. But really, we all know the best way to play – blowing shit up with big guns! Yeah, it’s how you’re gonna play anyway, and thankfully, this game knows that. Bullets are plentiful. As is health and armor. Everything about this game is made for you to let all your inner rage out and kill everything in sight. Cathartic carnage, perhaps?

But that’s not to say that this game is all death and blowing shit up. No joke, this game has a lot of really good quiet time, where you actually do get to take time to get to know your fellow bandits. There are real relationships that change over the course of the narrative. And you can do little side-activities in your hideout which can change them even more. It’s actually kind of nice. Like when you help the brain-damaged muscle of the group, named Max, find his lost toys. If you are the kind of person who likes that sort of thing, the quiet time has some real value. Plus, there are some great comedic moments with the characters. Though, some of the moments are not so great. Like when you save your former CO, and he resents you for it. But that’s just the world this game takes place in, and it feels good to be a part of. There is also a relationship in this game that is strangely believable, due to how strange the world they put it in. That and they actually treat it like there is something there to fight for. Kind of sweet, in a weird sort of way.

Also, despite the fact that you are blasting Nazis with big guns, nowhere in this game do they shy away from the fact that living under Nazi rule sucks, and the villains are all REALLY despicable people. There is something kind of post-apocalyptic about the world of this game, and it works. It helps that all the voice acting here is done considerably better than it has any right to be. For example, instead of all the Germans speaking English, most of them speak German almost all the time. Subtitles are a must to be able to enjoy this game’s dedication to world-building. They also have people who speak Polish, and genuine British people for British roles. It’s very nice.

This game is VERY early PS4, so the visuals are not the greatest. Up close, some of the textures look pretty bad. But the visuals can be quite something, from time to time. Like the character designs. There’s one villain who gets horribly mutilated, and comes after you. The look of her messed-up face when she’s talking to you is scary as shit. But it does the part, and when the action wants to look slick, it really does.

There’s not much more to say, honestly. This is a dark and gritty game, yet gives you the tools to go as nuts as you like, and kill the shit out of Nazis. Honestly, what more could you ask for? There is an engaging story here as well, and a campaign that goes on a good deal longer than most games in this genre. Take that for what it’s worth. Is it a masterpiece? No. But for those who can turn their brains off for five minutes, there’s a lot to like here. Such as killing Nazis.

Final Verdict
8 out of 10

Peace out,

Maverick

Lucien Maverick's Den

The ramblings of a creative intellectual

Monthly Archives: October 2015

Top 10 Evil Video Game Characters

Lucien’s First Take: Detroit: Become Human – Teaser

Critical Examination: Facial Expression in Video Games

RAB: Dildo Pipes and Halloween Insensitivity

Lucien’s Review: Carmen (Anchorage Opera)

My Relative Perspective on Review (A response to Total Biscuit)

Lucien’s Gaming Clips: Life is Strange (Max and Chloe, Parts Twelve and Thirteen)

You’re Going to Take Down My Videos Now?! (A response to YouTube)

How I Would Have Ended ‘Life is Strange’

Lucien’s Review: Wolfenstein: The New Order