Pashford Posits: True Wealth is Enjoyment

There’s a fine line between love and hate.


A tale as old as time

Ultimately, when I attempt to come up with an idea for ATE, the genesis of the interest is indeed genuine intent to entertain and inform, though I often find myself at odds with a struggle involving content, delivery, and presentation, though I’m always of the mind an authentically good idea or grandiose spirit imbued within a concept is worth sharing. I abhor fanboyism and fandom in general, even though I know what good can come of community, and that it will always be the individual that helps make up the bottom line at the end of the day.

I think the notion of blind fanaticism sickens me deeply, the same goes for shallow attempts at shilling product, which is why I got out of doing paid gigs in this line of work awhile ago. Puts me in a properly fucking weird place though, as most people don’t know how to make heads or tails of someone engaging in an activity if not for the sake of money in this day and age. There’s hobbyism, sure, though I’m tempted to posit the notion pure hobbyism has an inherently hedonistic bent, where one is indulging in their fancy of choice willy-nilly, even throwing caution to the wind and without a greater cause in mind for the sake of basic self-gratification. I don’t know if something like a publicly facing writing project (I.E a blog) or something of a similar variety can truly be classified in the same manner, with both the want to fulfill others curious moments with pleasure and wisdom likely not up for consideration as a truly selfish endeavor by definition, though the simple idea of gratifying others through sacrifice and devotion would qualify as one hell of a queer kink.


Though the competition is stiff in that regard

I think both the abstract nature of creation, play, imagination, and whimsy remain powerful agents of change for the everyday, and perhaps the greater the disparity between distinct lines drawn to fit an entire medium, or even art-form, if you’re feeling generous in the moment, is likely for the best, as everyone’s interpretation in regards to the perception of the matter helps to color the tapestry of possibility involved. As with most modern day conveniences, the erosion of quality is usually directly tied to the financial machinations of whomever is in charge, so my only plea of consideration is to prioritize the premise of quality of life first and foremost for the individual, and hopefully any profit there after is not just one of monetary consideration, but the truly virtuous benefit of enjoyment for the the majority whole at large.

Happy gaming.

~Pashford

Words of Wisdom: Limitations

We are often confronted by the idea of limitations.


Even in the face of the infinite, we may yet find a
satisfying conclusion

I think with that in mind, it is important for one to ponder on what their own limitations are, and what that means in their everyday. For while it is impossible to accomplish everything one wants within a day, with a little consideration, one will be able to find the capability to accomplish at the very least, a moment of secure satisfaction for themselves within the context they reside in. This may yet better ready themselves for another day in which to build off of their previous success in securing the means to a more satisfying future. Tomorrow will come soon enough, so make sure you do what you can today to see it through, and to be ready to continue to build off of your own success, which will act as tribute to your own capable abilities.

Take care of yourself, and others.
~Pashford

The Crossroads of Reality

Feeling like I’m siting on a helicopter after surviving a zombie apocalypse…or a failed dinosaur park experience.


Low key convinced any of the endings involving
Resident Evil games with peeps tiredly escaping in
helicopters were inspired by Jurassic Park.
Inspiration, uh…finds a way

Another week done and dusted, and one that has left me feeling tired…but the good kind of tired. Didn’t discuss a wide variety of topics on ATE this week, as I was mostly replaying and elaborating on my own thoughts related to the Resident Evil 3 remake, which had a delightfully surprising amount of philosophy that spawned from the games deconstruction, which is pretty much as good as it gets in my world. I kind of wanted doing even more run-throughs of the RE3 remake, as there were still a few final trophies for me to get, involving some of the harder difficulties, but I had already played through the title several times in as many days, and having already spent a week writing on the subject material, it felt as if I should put the matter to bed.


Not unlike some other recent adventures I have recently had

I’d posit the notion that this splendiferous slide into some savory surival horror insantiy has lit a fire under me, and will kickstart a campaign of interest to commence a death-march through any number of other Resident Evil titles much like I have in the old days, but I genuinely don’t know if that is the vibe currently bubbling under the surface. As mentioned, though I am the good kind of exhausted, I do think I must spend some time with my thoughts and ponder the way forward, whatever it may be. If I do end up leaving the topic of Resident Evil alone, now would likely be the last best time to mention bloodydisgusting got some of the actors together who starred in the live action opening of the original Resident Evil game, and needless to say it’s pretty awesome, so go give it a look.


Starring: ALBERT WESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSKER

I love how that mother fucker is just wearing sunglasses in a forest at night on a police murder investigation and everyone around him is like “yup, checks out.”. No wonder the S.T.A.R.S member all got took. Nice investigative deduction skills, dipshits, wonder if something is off about this guy?

T’would be there ruin, as fate would so rule.


Wesker even wears his sunglasses in his work photo, he’s a fucking
scientist my dudes.

Putting aside the perfectly over the top absurdism of 90’s villians, I do find that I suffer some bizarre version of what feels like the not-as serious equivalent of a postpartum depression of sorts when finishing a game, especially when it becomes more herculean of a project involving writing and trophy hunting. Even after I’ve reached my conclusive work on the topic at hand, this mood tends to set in where I reflect with melancholic repose on what has passed, the feelings and thoughts I may take away, and the fleeting nature of impermanence, in all of it’s bastardly abstract formats. I’m reminded of Schopenhauer’s thoughts on people who read, and how some may be too voracious in their habits, in not taking the time to digest, comprehend, and self-reflect on what they’ve just consumed, but mindlessly filling the void without any meaning or understanding attached to the experiences. I would tend to concur that people don’t give themselves enough time to appreciate and sit in their own thoughts on any given matter before moving on, so I think what I’m feeling is for the best, however somber in nature it may be.


Contrast is key in illustrating both the human condition and
good storytelling, though both concepts may be codependent
on each other

I think in the spirit of taking a moment for one’s self, I’ll leave it short and sweet for today. Remember to always give yourself some time to ponder and process, so you may have a chance of moving forward an enriched individual. Till next time.

~Pashford

The Mercenaries: Operation Greener Grass

The bill comes do…always.


The reaction to the relative value being exchanged depends
on which end of the transaction one finds oneself

My opening statement can be applied to a great number of ways one “pays” of course, as the currency at hand is not always cold hard cash that one ends up paying with, so to speak. With that in mind, and following up on my thoughts from yesterday about contrasting value on the heels of my Resident Evil 3 remake, I finish up ending in a tonally appropriate way, as I look at a final, key element that the RE3 remake lacked, in showcasing a relative value of something lost, per my utilization of the A.R.T methodology, in deconstructing what did and didn’t work in Capcom’s approach to remaking Resident Evil 3. That of course, brings us to the topic at hand, and one that Conker (see above) has already posited for us.


The absolute mad lads they are

My final moments in celebrating Resident Evil 3 involve the original (not the remake), as we have one last great example of what could be used analogously as “absent rain” in my assessment of the remake. Within that regard, what an experience or moment lacks does help make up it’s very essence, as has been observed in the idea of something like a vase, in that the internal void that helps to create the “-ishness” of what is a vase, is indeed part of what isn’t there. In my original conjuration of my theory of what helps to frame value, it was relative to the lack thereof that helps us form our perspective on what remains, though in this instance, I think what isn’t there creates a painful reminder of what was lost in translation.


Fitting phrasing: imagine a remake of this film lacking Murray

Perhaps I’m being unnecessarily heady right now in complicating what is essentially “just” missing post-game content in the form of a minigame, but “The Mercenaries” felt like an extraordinarily vital part of what made the Resident Evil 3 formula work so well. Within the realm of the tradition of RE unlockables, There was a battle minigame involved as a reward for beating the original Resident Evil, but it was a mode that was exclusive to the Sega Saturn, so not many people even got to enjoy it. With that in mind, many were first treated to this style of post-game RE awesomeness in the form of “The 4th Survivor”, after one fulfilled some in-game reqs involving beating RE2, which had the player controlling an Umbrella operative named HUNK as he escaped the RPD on the eve of Raccoon City’s destruction.


Hard enough to unlock, some considered the mode
a degenerate spawned from hearsay and rumor back in the day

There was also the much harder to unlock other secret character named Tofu, who was, appropriately, a walking bean curd .


Rare you see a zombie game offer up a vegan
alternative

However, and as briefly just mentioned, both characters were quite difficult to unlock normally, so while more people were exposed to the idea of the post-game mode in the Resident Evil series with 2, it really wasn’t until 3 that people likely got their first taste of true greatness, as Mercenaries was unlocked for simply beating RE3, even just on easy, and obviously, being available on the PS1 version, there was a good chance if one at least had the constitution to simply beat the main game, you probably got down on what ended up being one of the best unlocks in a video game I’ve ever seen.


*We’ve ever seen, comrades

That’s what ended up being *just so* fascinating about Mercenaries as an entity: such a simple concept, with such basic execution providing excellency through simplicity alone. For those not in the know, you essentially just controlled one of the three main mercs involved with Umbrella’s paramilitary group from the main game of RE3, the UBCS, in the form of either Carlos, Nikolai, or Mikhail, as you fought your way through the streets of Raccoon City. No real story, no focus on dialogue or cutscenes, just the meat and potatoes of the Resident Evil experience wrapped up in a fast paced arcade experience, full tilt. What was fantastic about Mercenaries was that it had more of a compellingly relentless feel of engagement, with the player fighting against time itself to finish the scenario before the clock reached zero. The different characters all had differing loadouts of weaponry, creating some variety in how you wanted to approach the scenario, and one could score more time, depending on how many enemies one killed, or civilians saved. You could always just “zombie maze” your way right past any encounter, helping to flesh out the strategy involved. Best of all, your final score could accumulate into unlockables for the main game involving super powerful weapons, further adding to the replayability for both the minigame and the main one at the same time


Carlos, learning a grammar lesson the hard way; the
pluralization of Nemesis is Nemeses

Fairly ingenious, albeit so simple, Mercenaries added such a tremendous value to the entire package, and even Capcom knew this, as they would go on to reuse similarly structured modes for other Resident Evil games in the future, and eventually just straight up bringing back Mercenaries mode for RE4, 5, and beyond.


Guess who’s back? Back again.

Capcom ended up seeing enough value in the concept to make it into it’s very own game, The Mercenaries 3D for the 3DS. While the game did meet with some controversy over what was seen as a shady business tactic by Capcom to curb the used game market by not being able to delete the save file on the cartridge, and many others decried the game for being overpriced for what was being offered, it was still a damn good time.


Raccoon City Reunion Right Here (and Krauser)

Aside from some small blemishes in Mercenaries history, it is largely celebrated as the piece de resistance in Resident Evil fame, and with good reason. Why Capcom thought it was at all a wise decision to not include it with the remake is beyond me, as Mercenaries seems like a vital part of the DNA that makes up not just the core fundamentals of what made RE3 so groovy, but it an integral part of the value of the RE series as a whole. I would posit the notion that after Capcom justified making Mercenaries into a full game experience, they would use that reasoning as a citation enough for the exclusion of the mode in the RE3 remake, but the RE4 remake eventually saw an update including Mercenaries as well, so that notion doesn’t hold water. Were it not for that fact, you could look at the absence of Mercenaries from the RE3 remake much like Nintendo omitting the old school NES games, like Balloon Fight, Donkey Kong, Excitebike, available for play in future Animal Crossing games after the Gamecube version, operating under the assumption the company isn’t going to just give games away for free as unlocks in one of their titles, when they could easily charge you for a digital copy or the full price of a title. But again, the RE4 remake, with Mercenaries included exists, so any logic there after is whatever broken handwaving they wish to utilize.


The RE3 remake did come with a multiplayer
component, but it’s about as meh as meh gets

So yeah, that represents my celebration of what wasn’t, however queer of a notion that may be . As mentioned when I started, and as previously stated in my summation of my finalized thoughts involving the RE3 remake, what we ended up getting was a “respectable salute to the end of Raccoon City”, but a Mercenaries sized hole is left apparent in the heart of the entire experience. It’s true what they say. The grass is always greener, and you don’t really know what you had, until it’s gone. Gone.


Gone.

~Pashford

Encyclopedia Muranica: The Absent Rain Theorem

Sometimes, you’ve got to look at the absence of what’s not there for the deepest, relative value you care about, and the lack observed thereafter will help put into perspective what matters most.


For example, not pictured: Fry

After a nearly week long romp of raging through Raccoon City, I’m more or less at ease with my adventures through the abhorrently infested zone of nightmarishly ghoulish proportions. As predicted, I took a second to size my unofficial review of the game up, and I think I more or less hit all of the notes of importance I wanted to. “Back in my day”…so to speak, when I was writing reviews in a more official capacity, they use to be far more long winded, maybe even taking a fine toothed comb of the entire process to a certain detrimental nature of sorts. I gladly leave that structural approach behind, as it feels a bit too outdated at this point, and perhaps leaned too heavily on magnifying the nitty gritty details almost obsessively, to the point of being OCD about the most frivolous of nonsense.


Much in the vein of: 0MFG! NEMESIS DOES TENTACLE THINGS TO
MONSTERS IN THE REMAKE! HE NEVER DID TENTACLE THINGS TO
MONSTERS IN THE ORIGINAL!!!11!

One important takeaway I feel of my overall thoughts involving the RE3 remake, was in regards to a notion I mentioned awhile back…which is ironic, cause I don’t even remember what it was initially in reference too, but the idea was sound I think I initially used a different name for the happening as well, but I’m reutilizing it again with the new dubbing “The Absent Rain Theorem”, as it deals with the concept of seeing value relative to what isn’t present. I initially posited it in terms of focusing on how much it isn’t raining when I ride my bike, as opposed to how much it is raining, to help frame my own perspective on the moment itself, and I ended up reusing the very same idea for my review on the RE3 remake, in all of the excessive absences that make up it’s quality.


Another good example: this wall has now enhanced in quality,
because of the massive fucking hole Jill just blew through it. It’s the
absence of material that makes it so god damn metal. The theorem
works in many ways of detailing quality.

To wit; the A.R.T (Absent Rain Theorem) I ended up utilizing was extraordinarily helpful in focusing my perspective involving the RE3 remake by what wasn’t present, more so than what was, and then parsing through whether or not that was good or bad….or just, different, relatively speaking. That doesn’t necessarily mean it drove me down a mad path of delusion involving said quality, or kept me in denial about the inherent “-ishness” (that’s right, I used that idea a little while back, too) of the game, as it in fact lacked too much in most regards, failing it’s own “-ishness”, both in what was absent, and what was present, but I think my approach with A.R.T in mind was a useful philosophical approach that has now worked in a couple of different applications, and I think will get a lot of use out of me moving forward.


Pictured: Nemesis, trying to get (a) value (meal) out of a
Jill (Sandwich)

With all of that said, and the post mortem on the event more or less done and dusted, I figured I would mirror the game a bit in it’s machinations…or at least, the original release of Resident Evil 3, by having my last focus on the game be about what comes after the escape from Raccoon City, and ironically, fits in with my mention and usage of A.R.T, in distilling the nature of what the RE3 remake fundamentally lacks, and one of the core absences that degrade the entire process after the fact.

And that’s the Mercenaries.


Absence makes the heart grow fonder

To be concluded…

~Pashford

The Abstract Limitations of Wisdom

Pushing through to the realm of the radical is often thwarted by the constrictive boundaries of realistic limitations.


Sometimes it’s just a freaking tornado

A lot of what happens on ATE acts within a grander consideration to gaming as a whole, my relation to it, etc. I’m always thinking about what that means, how to convey a message, entertain and or inform. A lot of me is always ponderous on just what constitutes value in that regard. In relation to my opening sentiment, it does bring into question how to cover everyday events in gaming, whether it be represented by a news story, a critique of the industry, or something like a preview of sorts. Maybe the delivery mechanism only matters to a certain point, and maybe the voice delivering it only matters in the same vein, dependent on time and place? Perhaps it’s a standard, this weirdly inherent quality that makes a video game a video game, and a write up of a video game just as much so if it possesses those kind of unspoken values that are part and parcel what make up the entity in question.


Insert obvious Ship of Theseus reference

This is all relative to the task at hand on a couple of levels, speaking to an approach of writing, to the kind of game Echoes of Wisdom is, to the idea of previews in relation to a recent look back at my article involving The Plucky Squire. It’s possible this all could be just me grappling with the very depths of morbid curiosity, or the wild throws of existential dread involving taking for granted the reality of knowledge acquired vs the mode of transfer and the transitive properties there after, or feeling just in general restless at the idea of writing a preview, inspite of liking the new Zelda game.


It is Zelda afterall…well within possession of that very “-ishness”
it should to claim such an inference

To wit; I did write a preview for The Plucky Squire, and it seemed to come out as one would expect for a video game preview. The article explains the mechanics, showcases visuals to get the vibe of the game in focus, provides some humor and insight to relay what could be considered obscured points of interest on some level. Though, it does beg the question: was there value inherent there? Did it serve a greater purpose than selfishness in it’s creation? Can a single preview move the needle that much based on it’s merits alone? The old adage “every drop fills the bucket” springs to mind, which bears relevancy, but in the horrifying regard of realizing that no single drop matters, but the volume of the container wouldn’t be the same without all of them, so there is some sense of deconstructionism involved with the value and purpose intertwined with individuality vs the majority.


How many Zeldas (or Links for that matter) are required to
make the composite idea of what that character represents?

There’s of course Echoes of Wisdom itself. It’s a traditional 2D Zelda game in most regards. Yes, you play as Zelda, and yes you utilize magic to duplicate objects and manipulate the terrain around you, which is out of the ordinary for traditional Zelda games which are mostly predicated on simplistic battling with the occasional puzzle thrown in, but could Echoes of Wisdom really buck the trend of the Zelda formula too much before it became unrecognizable? Very much like the “-ishness” I refer to when understanding the inherent qualities of what makes up a game preview, could Echoes of Wisdom truly be so derivative before being accused of not being Zelda at all? Where would be the line? How non-Zelda like could it be before it started to really lose fans, and how many Zelda fans would read a preview of the game without mostly having their minds made up on the issue of whether or not they were going to play it?


The divining line that marks the “-ishness” of Zelda
enough

Then of course there is the approach to writing. just how *much* information does the regular reader derive from a single article anymore, and how many read beyond the first three seconds of any given piece before making up their minds in general? Have the lot mostly moved on to content consumption equivalent to binging junk ala memes, shorter video based content, or just social media in general? If my preview of Echoes of Wisdom was a Tik Tok video of me making loud noises to some warped version of the Zelda theme while showing jarring footage of the game, would that somehow be more or less culturally relevant in my coverage then this article? Or if I made this whole thing a single line and said “Play Zelda” and gave it 10 sexy elves out of 10, would that generate more hype than any number of countless words that follow? Do we conflate informative shares with entertainment to the point of the idea that what’s boring isn’t relevant? In the court of public opinion, it’s usually a race to the bottom of the hole of irrationality, and the last one there is an unpopular rotten egg.


…or more like a “dubious food”, just to keep the metaphors
inline with the whole idea of maintaining Zelda “-ishness”

Much like I pointed out The Plucky Squire would be a rarity in being a preview for a video game on launch day on ATE, I suppose this is kind of the counter-point to the very idea of previews for Echoes of Wisdom, as I am left curious as to how radically different a Zelda game could be within those limitations. If a new Zelda game is out, how much do you really need to know about it to make up your mind? How much of a preview is genuine information for a title that is such a known known, and how much of a boundary breaker can a preview be in it’s own approach before it’s too befuddled with abstraction that it ceases being relevant?

I’m not quite sure.

~Pashford

…carry the 42

…and the history books will act as soulless obituaries for a million broken hearts.


Not to step on a cool line of poetry, but unfortunately I started
cracking up immediately after thinking about Donald Duck delivering
a euology

You ever have one of those days where so many small things are going wrong, you start to wonder if you didn’t piss off some wandering old magically imbued witch who now just has your number and is out to get you? These moments are the worst, especially when one remains fearful of this possibility inspite of not being superstitious, but are now furiously looking both ways 6 times before crossing the road, lest their final act within the world was one impatient second short of intuitive judgment.


Happens more than you think

That’s the vibe, in any case, not necessarily the reality of the situation, mind you, but it makes for some more compelling narrative for one’s day to day. Speaking of which, I stumbled upon this interesting think piece from over on Destructoid, which was a decent little write up involving storytelling in gaming, which is a much broader topic than I’m sure I even have time for today before I have to get ready for work, but some minor speculation will be of some much needed enjoyment. The piece does go into detail about how in your face story has to be to justify itself, or more so, the inherently positive nature of more obscure lore servicing games in a more effectively interesting manner, as it allows for players and developers to have their narrative cake and eat it too.


Not literally, in most cases

Which is kind of the point; diversity of options I mean, as not everyone playing is going to have the exact same investment in the finer details of why you happen to be blowing the shit out of some aliens on a random planet somewhere, or the intricate detail that involves a war thousands of years ago as you’re getting your ass ever lovingly stomped on by some mean looking dragon in some broke dick swamp somewhere. It’s cool if it’s there, as it does suggest there was an awful lot of thought put into the world building, and gives one more to chew on after subsequent playthroughs, but a strong narrative for a video game isn’t necessarily walls of texts, ridiculous voice acting, or an hour long cutscene info dumping on the player.


Never go full Kojima

The author brings up Marathon in passing, which is great, because it is such an under discussed classic 90’s shooter from Bungie, and he brings it up with good reason. There is a whole lot of story you really never have to mess with as you make your way through the game, but there is kind of a ton of info surrounding the ethos and atmosphere of the world you are navigating, which again, is great when you realize the fun one could have in piecing the mystery together step by step. I think on some level, it kind of has to be that way, as when you really think about it, there would be no way that wouldn’t feel forced in gathering the hidden lore about Marathon in any easily accessible fashion, as a random crewman talking about a horrifying encounter is not going to help give you a full account of the entire history of the universe as he struggles to draw his last breath writing out a will and testament.


Most dying men usually leaving a lot to be desired
in the details department when storytelling

Maybe one of the more compelling arguments brought forth was Elden Ring’s mention as well, especially when one considers From Software collaborated with George RR Martin to help pen some backstory for the title. The lore is palpable when you are traveling in the Lands Between, everything from statues, to item descriptions, to random encounters with spirits from the past mourning about what has been lost, it’s all there, and seems like an interesting time. Having said that, and in reference to points I’ve made in the past, I am really just here to tear shit up, why everyone is having a pissing competition about some hotly contested jewelry is shit someone else can fucking worry about.


I usually just have more hotly pressing matters to attend to

The author also brings up No Man’s Sky, which I’ve only briefly played, but considering the game is literally about roaming the entire universe, I would be genuinely impressed if some kind of narrative didn’t unfold amidst the vast swaths of reality one would have to contend with. Having said that, it sounds like the game is predicated on ideas related to simulation theory, and within the context of the greater philosophical musings of the cosmos within a virtual reality space, that all checks out. The mind tends to wander when confronting the vast endlessness of space, and one rarely avoids bouts of existential dread when spending any length of time pondering among the stars.


BEWARE THE SPACE MADNESS

Honestly, this is a really great topic which I hope I am able to do some kind of follow up on, as it feels as if my mind is low-key reeling with ideas involving the subject, but neither time nor mood is on my side this day. Oh well, at least it leaves the door open for a new day of even greater questions to look forward to.

C’est la vie.

~Pashford

Random Gaming News Round Up

Trying not to sound like a broken record I think makes me sound like a broken record, I think.


I think, therefore I game?

Putting philosophy only slightly to the side as we focus on a sampler platter of news items to confront today, I’m not quite sure how much Gamescom contributed to my current levels of exhaustion, but this week has felt like a mighty one. I reported recently on just the tip of the iceberg in terms of gaming news from the show, including Borderlands, Indiana Jones, Wukong, and Masters of Albion in some detail, and there’s yet more I will likely discuss in the following week relating to the show with the ridiculous breadth of content that the gaming world was a party to in the past week or so. The news marches on of course, even outside of Gamescom, as there is always something popping off in our little gaming world.


Or not, as the problems seems to be

Sony’s new team based hero shooter Concord is getting dragged through the mud for low player count following launch, with reports saying under a thousand concurrent users were enjoying the new FPS during launch, not numbers I’m sure Sony is thrilled about. On the one hand, the game did just launch, and sometimes you need to let players really dig into the experience for update improvements and word of mouth to roll out. On the other hand, hype for this kind of game really should start building early on in betas and the like, much like Valve’s shooter Deadlock, which albeit is a slightly different beast in terms of design, but to my point, a badly kept secret until very recently, where people were just dying to talk about the title, inspite of the company trying to keep it low key to the point of seemingly ignoring it’s existence entirely.


A visual representation of Valve’s marketing strategy with Deadlock

I’m always torn in moments like these, as I don’t want to see a developer fail with what could be considered a less than stellar product, especially with layoffs continuing to be a problem left and right for the industry, but on the other hand, how many team based FPS games (and the like) in general can even coexist on the market before the entire field feels flooded with choices? At some point, you will reach a saturation point, and with gamers sinking countless hours into a title and unlocking both skins and racking up stats in more prominent shooters or a title they have at least put a bunch of time into with a friend group that is already all about it, the prospect of just up and moving to another game is a hard sell.


Sometimes, even acclaimed titles are sales flops

There are a lot of realities to this business that I don’t necessarily have all of the info at the ready on to make a totally sound judgement call as well, so it’s hard to say whether something like Concord needed to launch with gangbuster numbers in order to justify it’s existence immediately or whether or not people are overreacting and the game just needs to play the long game to be deemed a moderate success. I guess in a fast moving market, if a title at launch is already struggling to maintain excitement levels and is already falling off fairly quickly in terms of player base, at least on Steam, it’s hard not to assume the worst for the longevity of the title.


Just one of many examples that spring to familiar mind

Publishers may have lofty expectations for developers in terms of recouping losses and making a general profit, if the recent news involving the cancellation of the development of Crash 5 is any reminder. The title was planned on being a crossover with the Spyro series, as a proper 3d platformer where you could play as either titular hero, but Activision scrapped the idea due to low sales numbers from Crash 4. A damn shame as I think many can agree, as that kind of collab sounds very much like a chocolate and peanut butter scenario most people would have jumped at.


Activision: The consumate cockblocker strikes again

In slightly less depressing news, the King of Fighters series celebrates it’s 30th anniversary today, with KoF 94′ having launched on this very day in a much different era, helping to usher in a glorious ongoing rivalry with Capcom for dominance in the 2d fighting space for years to come. SNK promised a slew of announcements in celebration of the event, and has continued to remind people of the awesomeness that is KoF with Terry Bogard and Mai Shiranui appearing as guest fighters in SF 6, as well as a rerelease of Snk vs Capcom: SVC Chaos, and an upcoming title Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves launching mid 2025. Trailer below.

Not all is bad in the world of gaming, and at the very least, we all have the fortunate problem of being haunted by choices, which comes as much of a relief as it carries a horrifying reality to it. Even in moments when I’m totally zonked out due to tiredness on top of not even having had much time to play much in the past couple of days, I remind myself that this is all suppose to be in the name of fun, and return down back to Earth before I let myself get overwhelmed with choices. We may live in anguish in the face of freedom, but we remain capable of finding comfort in our random moments of zen amidst the chaos.

~Pashford

Ruminating on Reminiscence

Last time, on Active Time Event Z!(?)


Guys, my post about hell related activities was two posts ago…

My intent in breaking down a flashback/retrospective into multiple parts mid-story was not entirely hellish in motivation, but is exactly the kind of nonsense anime would in fact pull. I want to say Naruto did it so infamously, I seem to recall them referencing the very same episode they were still in *with a fucking flashback*.


Anyone want to break the news to him?

Having a healthy sense of self-awareness is key in the creative process I find, and I didn’t mind splitting my reflections between two different posts. Firstly, because I was already happy with the amount of content I got out of part one, but secondly, I did in fact wait too long between writing the piece, and editing and formatting it yesterday, finding me essentially running out of time to get the post up before midnight. The whole thing worked out in the end, but let it never be said that sometimes, no amount of crunch is going to help you finish the fight in time.


*Sets alarm to go off for three years later*

So I push on into part two of reflecting on further extrapolation involving recent gaming fumblings and writing endeavors abound.

Next up on the list was a piece entitled “Rhythm and Flow“, and like many articles I’ve “keyed”, the final product in no way, shape, or form resembled what I had set out to do. My introduction and very title of the article itself was suppose to be a ramp up and direct reference to my time with Necrodancer, which I will be getting to here shortly. While I did touch upon Multiversus again (I’ll spare you the indignities of smut related Scooby Doo photos this time around), I more or less just discussed writing about games…in my writing about games, the article not really focusing on anything but itself and the process. Kind of a self-referential nothingness that made up the core backbone of the concept at hand.


That something of nothingness, as it were

Which is fine enough, as I love talking shop and the behind the scenes involving the process…and beyond the very ideas of the games themselves. I guess my only surprise is the articles I have written this year, which have kind of more or less detailed the process of writing about games, and the personalization of the matter through a more active voice in the process, have ended up being more popular, which comes as a pleasant surprise. I think even outside the insanely twisted world of narcissistic intent or the demented trappings that may drive an egoist, one still remains keen on hearing their work is of worthwhile pursuit, or at the very least of some relevantly entertaining quality.


Which doesn’t always turn out to be the case, I hear

Which finally does bring me to my thoughts on Necrodancer, which definitely were amongst some of my more complex imaginations involving my recent gaming musings. I haven’t played a game in a grand while which kind of had me rethinking the very essence of my being, in a sense, which is downright mad in some ways, as the game isn’t really intended to be a thinking man’s gaming. Not to say it’s a dumb experience at all, I gave the title props overall for it’s sense of solid decency in paying tribute to the gaming giants of yore that had inspired it. Necrodancer is just a very gamey game, in a sense. You really have to feel it instead of think it, the title possessing a strong sense of what I refer to as “finger feel”. If you’re familiar with the idea of “mouth feel” and how that relates to one’s personal experience, you get a sense of what I’m alluding to.


Though I understand why the phrasing may evoke more illicit
connotations for some

All of that and more is why I felt utterly compelled to discuss the game at greater length, as I was just so baffled at how a game, which I accredit as possessing what I feel has an objective kind of quality about it, ends up being one I am seemingly not particularly fond of, but then felt the need to play for over a hundred hours across the last five months. So many mixed messages, and to what point and purpose am I so perplexedly wrapped up in this paradoxical web Necrodancer has so superbly crafted with which to ensnare me?


Tootsie pop levels of existentialist dread is what we are
confronted with here

I’m still not entirely sure how to distill the essence of my issues involving Necrodancer down to their finer elements, but I was lucky enough to happen upon a passage from Being and Nothingness that helped in assisting me make sense of it all. The tome in question details many thoughts relating to existentialism from philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, and the example he gives that relates to Necrodancer and I is essentially a process of becoming: the self continually having the freedom in how it will define itself, and that is through the essence of moments and projects one could even consider a mission of sorts. Nearly a compartmentalization involving a process akin to self-actualizing, which I quite like. Cause whether it be a concept like Necrodancer, or a sentient entity like a me, we aren’t ever all good or bad at any given moment, but we are always becoming more of the what-we-end-up-being, which is indeed a continued intensification of the greyest variety.

Though, such an abstract take away likely wouldn’t fly for what would be in consideration as a “legitimate” game review, let alone a fetching splash quote you emblazon on the metaphysical back of the box with.


“The ideal experience for any gamer who wasn’t sure whether
or not they were.” ~Pashford Murano

I realized I’m speaking about a couple of different articles here interchangeably, so apologies for the confusion. My series of articles entitled “Fire in the Disco“, “Existential Elegy“, and “Radical Hyrule Rhythm” all kind of represent distinct structural attempts in terms of writing approach, in making up some faux trilogy of Necrodancer inspired thoughts. “Disco” being my usual ranty off the cuff Op-Ed where the goal is improvisationally charged, gonzo fueled deconstructionist madness, “Elegy” being a more straight faced dressing down of analytical nature, and “Radical” being the most basically structured piece of traditional gaming journalism. I realize “Radical” is indeed detailing Cadence of Hyrule and not Necrodancer itself, but you can see the relation as to why something with so much rizz was included in the grand scheme of things.

That screenshot is not even from the right Zelda game!
Who’s editing this?

I did also write a buffer segway entitled “Legend of Being Tired“, which was a result of me genuinely not knowing if I wanted to publish “Elegy” without any jokes or attempts of humor imbued in the piece what so ever, as I really had never done so before (intentionally) with any of my other writing. I therefore had to write a quickie in order to meet my currently working quota of a write up a day, without spoiling the idea of finalizing an article without the need to crutch on jokes, and see if the piece stood by itself sans punchlines or visual gags. The final pieces all help to flesh out some great ideas in a fashionably multi-dimensional kind of way, so I remain happy at the execution there after.


A surprisingly common happening when the Legend of Zelda
is involved

While I am not done discussing the complex inner turmoil Necrodancer has spawned within me, we will put the matter to bed for the present time and forge on to other recent reminiscences. Some of my last write ups were of a briefer nature; my quickie on The First Descendant underscored just how blatantly uninspired GaaS experiences can be, with the barest of bones bog standard looter shooter title that wants you to cough up dough on it’s fugly design and mind-numbing tedium without giving you absolutely any motivation to do so. I was wondering if I would even summon the energy to force myself into justifying another moment of energy wasted on the ill-conceived monstrosity, but considering I basically struggled to make it through even the first hour of gameplay upon my initial test drive, I think this flop is as good as parked.


Pictured: Somehow related

I did originally report on a new trailer for a Doom 1+2 bundle that was showcased at Quakecon recently as having a load of new features being available, including a new chapter: Legacy of Rust. I was operating under the impression all of this was going to be retroactively patched into other versions of Doom 1 and 2 ports already available, but I may have been incorrect about that assessment, as my digital copies of both remain unaltered. I will happily purchase the bundle if need be, as there are few delights in gaming life that match the splendor and smell of fresh hell to liven up the morning.


These guys know what I’m talking about

Wrapping up, I did indeed provide another update on my thoughts involving Multiversus, but I feel as if we’ve covered the topic as extensively as need be and or as much as anyone would want…outside of the sickened machinations and indignities involved with the perversity of the Scooby Doo fandom.


Scooby, Don’t

Leaving us with my last article I wrote that we can reflect on, entitled Reflecting on Reflection…


(Kidding)

~Pashford

Existential Elegy

I ended one of my last posts on a somewhat dubious note, as by the end of my experience spent with the bulk of the content involving Crypt of the Necrodancer (over a hundred hours mind you), I still wasn’t even sure if I ended up being deeply satisfied with the entire affair when all was said and done.



I did however posit the notion that Necrodancer was a solid effort, carrying the torch of those that had lit the fire that came before it, but I was still stuck in this weird purgatory of emotions involving the entire title. It’s worth mentioning that one can recognize what one may consider an objective “goodness” in relation to quality about the piece, while overall possessing a personal subjectivity that differs in terms of tonality and or preference when regarding it at large. One random but notable example of this comes in the form of Minecraft, a game which I can appreciate for its significant impact to both gaming and the culture at large, but will always remain a game I will be touch and go with for likely the remainder of it’s existence.


Though some of you may understand where I may be speaking from in this regard, a not too small minority share of you may yet question either the sanity or wisdom of an individual who would invest over a hundred hours into a single game and still be on the fence about whether or not they enjoyed it, and to you I would say fair enough. I do think people should be a bit more thoughtful and less dogmatic about their media consumption, gaming obviously not withstanding a lesser scrutiny. Too often, people expect no less than an industry defining experience or one of the best games of all time to greet them when they boot up a new title, with anything less not being worthy of their time.



In some regard, I understand the defensiveness and or impatience when a game which one has waited so long for, ends up being less than. If we consider what very little precious time we all have to spare, wasting it on what we might consider an inferior product does feel like a huge slap in the face. For that very reason, I do not know if in good conscious I could consider recommending Necrodancer to anyone outside of the most stubborn hardcore gamers for it’s ridiculous difficulty curve. I would most certainly laugh at anyone who told me to stick with an experience for at least a hundred hours until it got good, and all of the farce that is implied there after.



It reminds me of when I use to do paid reviews, and ended up giving Super Meat Boy a 9/10, which for anyone who knows me would likely be shocked I would rate the title with anything less than the highest marks. And while I do love the game so, I really did feel as if Super Meat Boy had a glaring accessibility issue, and that no gamer with any level of impatience, anger issues, or was generally difficulty adverse would want anything to do with the title, and that is no small number of people to consider.



Which makes Super Meat Boy stand out as the inverse of Minecraft in my prior example, as I think the objective “goodness” in relation to quality of the title is superseded by my own subjective sense of preferential treatment, as the title might represent what I believe to be one of the most engaging indie titles of all time, though I can see why that much wouldn’t be true for so many. Meat Boy also helps to underline another relativity, and that is the inherent difficulty there in. Having grown up in the 8-bit era and when the arcade scene was alive and well, I spent many of my formative years cutting my teeth on some of the harder experiences gaming has ever seen, so I tend to enjoy the challenge of it all, which does end up clouding the idea of what enjoyment is for me exactly, which is where my sense of curiosity comes in in terms of where Necrodancer stands when all is said and done.



I was actually going to spend the majority of this post discussing my ability to finally pull the trigger on playing Cadence of Hyrule after such a ridiculous delay, but now realize there was enough of an incomplete thought involving my unresolved feelings towards Necrodancer to discuss it at some length. To that point, I’ve been imbuing more philosophy in my writing about gaming, to hopefully increase the value of the discussion in general, to prompt internal dialogues about our relations to the media we consume, and to promote the sanctity of the self-reflection process by and large as a key component of personal growth. With all of that said, I felt reassured that my mind was in a healthy place of consideration when not having a final, conclusive judgement on reducing Necrodancer down to a singular point of qualitative reference, cause ultimately, it was not ever about whether or not Necrodancer was all the way good or bad, or that I was enjoying or not enjoying the experience decisively at any given moment…it was the sheer notion that we both were existing through each other, as a signification of the very essence of proof of both of our existences. I had this thought after reading this excerpt from “Being and Nothingness” by Sartre:

“But it is also possible (and this is the case with my companion), that by means of the body and by compliance to the body, the for-itself seeks to recover the totality of the non-conscious-that is, the whole universe as the ensemble of material things. In this case the desired synthesis of the in-itself with the for-itself will be the quasi-pantheistic synthesis of the totality of the in-itself with the for-itself which recovers it. Here the body is the instrument of the synthesis; it loses itself in fatigue, for example, in order that this in-itself may exist to the fullest. And since it is the body which the for-itself exists as its own, this passion of the body coincides for the for-itself with the project of “making the in-itself exist”. The ensemble of this attitude-which is that of one of a kind of mission: he is going on this expedition because the mountain which he is going to climb and the forests which he is going to cross exist; his mission is to be the one by whom their meaning will be made manifest. Therefore he attempts to be the one who founds them in their very existence.”



I think there remains a profound value in the wisdom Sartre puts forth when extrapolating on the very essence of existence, in proposing this idea of the process of transformation first being, and then doing becoming the essence of the entity, defining the essentially that creates core values of the fibers of being that end up making reality the rich tapestry of existence as it both becomes and then transcends it’s own being in the process. In essence, Necrodancer and I went through the process of becoming, which ended up being the most relevant qualitative value of our existences realized.

~Pashford