Atton and Kreia

As a writer, you can't help but think certain branches are less load bearing than others and some are straight bad. Perfection is the enemy of creation and so few games absolutely nail branching narrative I'm inclined to agree it's a mistake.

In an argument about Dark Souls, I tried to find an example of a non-linear game. It proved difficult because you can always expose the "rails" games put you on, if you look hard enough. It's not a bad thing, but very much a thing. I think it's fine until there's too many branches.

This finally got me. I've been seeing your "advertainment" for several days, and I knew I'd fold eventually. But I straight didn't know it was a life sim. Comparing it to my favorite part of Persona was the nail in the coffin.

To me, the existence of an elevator that is entirely unused to get to Malenia is proof "Miyazaki" (shorthand for some hardworking dev) wanted there to be a runback for it and was overruled. In fairness, it would have been quite cruel. But also? "Hurt me more" -Cyborg Ninja

Oh I beat that too. I liked some of it. The mannequins were more surprising in 1, but serviceable in 2 I guess.

I love Elden Ring, but hate when people feel afraid to express their opinions. Let that flag fly.

my friend just shared this with me

This guy looks like a real "winner." I do think the topic is worth discussion, because for such a big taboo porn and TV are certainly obsessed with it, but it's a weird hill to die on.

For the record, I loved that run you and Larroca did. I also think droid vampires are a fun concept. Even if questioning the concept of Droids in Star Wars feels as doomed as bringing logic to Cars or Toy Story, I think it's fun to play with.

Yet, another part of me thinks maybe those suits are right. Maybe for your game to sell BIG you can't make risky statements like "maybe don't do war crimes?" Maybe the general public is weaker than I want to give them credit. I want to see the best in people, but "gaming discourse" is dispiriting.

And if it was a corporate decision, I want to think they were wrong not to trust the public to poke at deep moral questions in warfare. I mean, it's pretty far removed from our time so I don't think the let's say "misguided" 'games shouldn't be political' crowd would actually take issue with it.

Part of me thinks that it was a corporate decision that having players question them doing sneaky stuff and war crimes would hurt sales. Another part of me thinks it's similar to the concept that there can't really be an anti-war war movie.

The other side of the argument, not-Daddy's point of view, needs to have validity. And the elements are there to make it have one. After compromising so much of yourself are you really better than the enemy? How much of your culture are you giving up to survive?

You never have to sit with the true guilt of committing war crimes, which makes the whole theme of the game ring hollow as it definitely leans hard on assassination and war crimes being necessary to keep your people alive. Given how the game ends, I am not sure that's how they wanted you to feel.

Then they have a big old thread to explore that they just entirely fumble. The enemy learns of your poison and begins to use it against you. That should be a big frickin' deal, but it's just treated as a casual new mechanic. Your uncle doesn't really use it as an argument against your war crimes.

Here's where the game comes closest to saying something but ultimately just feels toothless. Basically, the war will be lost unless you poison the enemy, dooming them to horrific deaths. I mean, you have to do it. The game makes you. Can you live with it so your uncle doesn't have to?

Your father-figure but not your actual daddy thinks you should only fight wars with honor and that belief will lead to his people's extinction. The first half of the game definitely goes hard in the "you do what you have to in war" direction. But, then there's war crimes.

Can there be honor in war? Games are a unique way to explore the concept. Sure, it can seem trite to critique violence in your violent game but that's not exactly what's happening here. It's about whether all is really fair in war (but not really love).