Redwolf's Journal (continued)

It's a bit odd to run through such a range of thoughts and feelings toward a game in the space of a couple days... Friday, I got some time in running Warframe with Samantha and the guild she's in. This was a generally positive experience, though it did emphasize just how bad I am at small-talking during a game (as if that was in doubt). The question of why I hadn't joined the guild came up, which got me thinking some. I really did expect a little more push when that was first mentioned. There are a lot of in-game advantages to joining a bigger, more active, guild. The only thing I give up is some feeling of accomplishment/self-reliance. I had considered that previously, and I think the conclusion I reached was I would be willing to take the leap as long as I felt there was some acknowledgement/validation of the work I had done. But the discussion had been dropped, which was fine too. This time, there was a bit more pressure, and a new angle presented itself as I conside

If I'd been asked to consider or describe a game as "Soulsborne sans combat" a week or two ago, I would have simply been befuddled. Combat is a pretty integral part of that third-person romp through atmospheric lands. Now, however, that sticks in my mind as an accurate, boiled-down description of the gameplay in Ghost of a Tale. I've seen some reviews that focus on the stealth aspect, which is not entirely invalid, but that matters less after the first third (or so) of the game, when a disguise allows free movement through previously-guarded areas. There are some puzzles here and there, as well as things to find. That leaves the main thread of gameplay being the heavy emphasis on exploration of areas that interlock and curve back on themselves in ways that are fun to uncover. The atmosphere is definitely there, it not as bleak and lonely as a Souls game. A nice feature lets you get a pop-up with further details on lore terms as they come up in conversation (rather t

There was a time when a "season" of a show had a pretty clear meaning to me. For most, it seemed to be 26 episodes - one for a new weekly episode for half the year that could then be rerun the other half. There were some exceptions, but back then they were usually on the generous side, like a 52 episode season or some such. Now, seasons seem most commonly around 13 episodes, but sometimes there might be more, or less. Show seem to fluctuate so much that the term "season" is largely meaningless, especially when they might be released all at once or in blocks and be in reruns after a week or two. With shows released in online streaming media, you often get a "season" dropping all at once. Which brings me back to Voltron: TLD, which split up an intended third season into a 7-episode season three and a 6-episode season four. And now there's another 6-episode season five.  It doesn't feel like the show has really earned claim to five seasons yet. That

Grittiness often adds believability. Reality is rarely pristine. People will point to Blade Runner as an example, though the earlier Star Wars movies come to mind for me (even if many of the Imperial glimpses are sterile). Whether it's stuff lying around or curses slipping out in stressful situations, these things help make a fictional setting feel more real and relatable. Blackwing might overdo it a bit. It's a fantasy (I suppose with a "dark" or "noir" descriptor) story that seems to really delight in trudging through the filth of its established world. There's a complacent border against threatening near-gods and their peoples. There's a blasted zone between with semi-toxic dust and monsters, navigable only by use of moons and math. It's got corruption, slums and shady dealings within the capital city. Basically all the characters are scarred in ways both physical and mental. The book is competently written, but I think the focus on all th