Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=1957https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6673The game’s story continues to get more and more intense. It seems everything will be connected in one way or another. I appreciate games who manage to tie together multiple story threads together in a coherent manner. Gameplay continues to evolve and grow and I continue to be amazed by it. I said so before, the mechanic is simply just clicking and dragging, nothing else. It’s an amazing example of how a simple gameplay system can be expanded upon to have so mechanics. The ability to shakedown inmates is crazy, it sent my whole prison into a panic. At least, it seemed to be a panic by how everyone began to run around and my screen began to show me all the contraband that was being found. I was supposed to be finding drugs, but what came up were weapons, poisons, money, and alcohol, along with the drugs. It was crazy. Due to this, I was tasked with building rooms for therapy and counseling to take place in for those who were addicts. The only requirements were for them to be common areas and to have eight chairs. They’re simple requirements, but I was able to deck it out and make it look pretty nice. Then came the riot in the next chapter. Three chapters in and I was still learning new mechanics. This is where the game got very serious for me, as it showed you via polaroids the chaos happening inside. I panicked, trying to get the situation under control to no avail. I had to wait for riot guards to arrive and then use them to take back the prison. This was as far as I got, but if prison architect is a true job, they have guts of steel.Fri, 30 Mar 2018 17:01:45 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6673&iddiary=11827https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6673Continuing to play the game, I’m very involved in the mechanics presented. It’s a simple click and drag function but theres just so much you can do. It’s amazing to see how simplicity can open the door to so many options and choices left up to the player to do. I got a bit more free roam with what I wished to do with the prison, and I immediately did what I could to make the prisoners happy. The prison was a mess and I cleaned it up to the best of my abilities and provided what I could in the terms of comfort and entertainment for the prisoners. However, a line from the CEO stood out to me: I could either do my best to satisfy them, or ignore them and use force to keep them in line. As the architect, I don’t really have to care for how they feel, as long as they have basic needs. It’s not my job to care for them, simply to give them what is needed to survive. I wish to replay the game and be a dictator, and see how that would impact how my prisoners act. Also, turns out, there is indeed a connected story, and it’s quite intriguing. I can’t wait to see more.Thu, 29 Mar 2018 09:33:40 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6673&iddiary=11806https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6673It turns out, I had gotten my games mixed up! I had original thought the premise of Prisoon Architect was that of The Escapists. A few minutes into the game and I was quickly proven wrong. I was under the assumption that you built the best prison possible, then had to escape said prison due to plot reasons. It seems you only build the prison, but that’s far from it. The story elements make themselves clear from the get go, and things turn very dark and serious, very quickly. I can see why this game has been included to this course. Clearly, the delimas you will be faced with are whether or not you’re in the right to decide someones fate. All you do is build the prison, while the law decides which prisoners live or die. Along with that, there’s also a lot of visual representation from the simplistic sprites of the in game vs the detailed polaroids that serve as cutscenes, as well as having the ability to make the execution room holding cells more homely for prisoners spending their last hours on earth in their. The game sets up an odd tone and I’m excited to see where it goes.Wed, 28 Mar 2018 15:20:03 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6673&iddiary=11777https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6599As the game progresses, the subtlety's of the moral issues presented in the game are pretty nice and varied. From how to deal with shitty campers and how to interact with Delilah, ir’s cool to see how every choice can impact how the characters interact. However, this is also where moral dilemas come in. Should you be a dick? Should you be kind? Flirty? Defensive? All of these options are presented to you and it’s up to you to pick. It does leave you with a sick feeling, though. When asked if Henry has left anyone behind in Colorado, you have the option to lie abour Julia, claiming that you didn’t have anyone. Sure, she’s on the other side of the world, but the game likes to emphasize the ring you still wear on your finger. Every time you interact with supply caches and the story elements they have inside, you get a perfect view of your wedding ring. A constant reminder of Julia. The game also makes it clear that Delilah is supposed to be your possible “new” Julia, presented with her claiming she is drawing you, something Julia did all the time. It presents an even bigger question: what do you do when the love of your life is no longer the person you fell for? Due to Julia’s early-onset dementia, her personality is the complete opposite of what Henry fell in love with. Does this mean he has the go to leave her and pursue a new love, perhaps in the form of Delilah? Julia is safe in Australia with her family, and sadly, will get to the point where she won’t remembee Henry. Since Henry took the vow to be with her until death do them part, should he stick with her until the end? Or break it off now to avoid further heartache of watching her forget their life together? It’s a difficult situation with no clear answer. I’m becoming more empathetic towards Henry.Thu, 15 Feb 2018 10:44:56 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6599&iddiary=11675https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6599As I continue on with the game, I keep falling deeper for the overall aesthetic of it. The colors of the forest and the simplistic shaped with detailed, painterly textures are absolutely gorgeous. It’s definitely a plus, since the enviroment is what you will constantly be seeing, since it’s a walking simulator. The little interactions Henry had with Dahlila are interesting and give an insight into both of their characters. As I continue on in the game, I come to find that I... don’t like Henry. Our personalities are polar opposites. He’s very headstrong and bold, and doesn’t care about other’s feelings. He’s stern and wishes for everything to go his way. Where I can be described as a pushover, Henry is a brickwall that refuses to fall. Dahlila on the other hand, is funny. She easily bounces back from Henry’s remarks and the two play off each other well. However, this also shows where this is going to go: cheat on your wife, or stay loyal. It’s not clearly stated or presented, but you can tell from their interactions that this is where it’s heading. It’s a bit disappointing that you can see it coming from miles away, but oh well. I’m hoping we’ll see some more of Julia’s personality somehow—she didn’t get anything besides the intro.Wed, 14 Feb 2018 16:16:01 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6599&iddiary=11645https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6599I was under the impression that we were still playing our previous games, so I actually played quite a bit of Yakuza 0 before finding this out. I only managed to play the intro of the game along to spending the first night in the tower. Despite my short time with the game, it revealed a lot to me about the main character. It was interesting how the intro is kind of a “choose your own adventure” text deal, allowing you to shape his story to your liking. It also hits you where it hurts, and out of nowhere. The way it makes you take on the decisions for your wife is heartbreaking and it makes you empathetic for the main character. Although you feel empathetic for him, there are also little glimpses into his character that make it clear that he is also flawed in his own way. What really highlights this is when his wife gets a position at a prestigious university, but the main character doesn’t want to move. You are then presented with two options: convince her not to take the job so you don’t need to move, or have her take the job under the condition she travels every weekend to come see you. If memory serves right, it’s 300~ miles away. It shows that he’s actually... rather selfish. I waited for a third option, where you suck it up and move with your wife, or you’re the one traveling to see her. In the end, he seems to be kind of a dick. I’m interested to see how his character develops with this new job of his.Tue, 13 Feb 2018 20:37:51 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6599&iddiary=11620https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6542I started Chapter 2 today, which starts off Kiryu's new life as a non-yakuza, and the game finally opens up for the player to run around and do stupid things instead of solving the murder. Although the plot wants you to investigate the mysterious Tachibana Real Estate, who is also after the empty lot, I decided to wander off and in true Yakzua fashion, I got distracted by all the sidequests and mini-games available to me. I met Mr. Shakedown, the bane of my existence, became friends with a young store clerk and a street cop (eventually helping the cop overcome some past trauma), and I helped a young boy reunite with his father via the power of video games. Along with that, I've tried racing RC cars, even more karaoke, and some batting cages. I've been filled to the brim with pocket tissues and I keep getting beat to shit by Mr. Shakedown. And I helped a dominatrix gain her edge back by telling her how to talk down her customers and make them feel like shit. Despite the comedic turns the side quests take, there was a rather serious side quest that had darker undertones about it. It involved high school girls selling their undergarments for cash, and it results in one of the more... frequent customers to become possession of one of the girls. You step in before they have a chance to use a pocket knife on her to kidnap her, and you beat the shit outta them. The girl learns her lesson about the dangerous of such activities, and everything ends happily. However, it does give us the wonderful lines of "I think... you should just show your underwear to people you care about." "Oh. Okay." As for the main story, which I later returned to, I had to pay off some homeless guys with a variety booze in order to get more info on Tachibana Real Estate. At the moment, all I know is that the CEO is very acquainted with me, wears a single glove, and has absolutely zero fear when it comes to the Yakuza trying to bring him down--in the end, he always wins. Although he helped Kiryu when he was out in the rain after post-expulsion, he is very suspicious and I am very wary of him. He apparently hires homeless people to harass tenants of buildings he's bought out, because he cannot legally make them leave. They need a bit... of convincing. Once again, the issues of utilitarianism and Kant's theory of morality are presented. Due to the fact I was able to wander about and waste time, seeing Kiryu's interactions with the other people shows a more human side to him. Although I am aware of who he is as a person in later games, this installment is very interesting as it shows the beginning of that personality poking through the rough, grumpy "you can't tell me anything" young man facade. Although he's hot-headed and resolves everything via fighting, you can see him slowly start to think about his options and is becoming the level-headed, problem-solving Dragon everyone knows about. I'm slowing getting a hang of the controls. I've never been one for beat-em-ups, and I grew up on Nintendo and Xbox, so the controller is also a bit new to me. However, as I play I'm getting better at it. I've also recently gotten a PSP, so that's helping as well. I'm exciting to see what's up next, I just have to actually go find all that booze for the homeless men.Wed, 17 Jan 2018 21:51:39 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6542&iddiary=11508https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6542Yakuza’s weird contrast between character interactions, minigames, and the overall story is much more apparent in this installment then in the other ones. Picking up where I left off, Kiryu and his buddy went to get some ramen after karaoke, and the plot finally started up—the dude Kiryu beat up is dead. He’s called in by the heads of his “family”, as the yakuza groups are called. They tell him he really fucked up and needs to turn himself in, even though Kiryu knows he left him alive. This is supported by the fact the man died of a gunshot wound. The sudden shift in tone is again flipped on its head when Kiryu watches two men fight, one of them winning due to his rapid punches. He then exclaims, “That’s rad!”. Shortly after this, it’s back to the story where Kiryu confronts his contact for setting him up. The contact claims he was just doing what he was being told, and one of the family lieutenant arrives and intervenes. What is so odd about this scene is that Kiryu is upset and heartbroken over the fact his superiour has set him up for his own personal gain, and the deal he gives him to get out of this mess is to spy and bring information back to the lieutenant about Kiryu’s surrogate father, the head of a different family. The fact Kiryu is so angry about this is odd—Yakuza are nortorious for doing shady things and paying off police officers in order to keep doing what they’re doing. It seems that backstabbing and betraying is a common thing that should be happening among them—but it’s a shock to Kiryu. Now, Kiryu doesn’t seem like such a hot-headed punk. It becomes apparent that he appears to have his own set of (arguably skewed) morals, and they seemed to be based off Kant’s theory of morality, don’t use others for a means to an end. However, the lieutenant seems to be seeing through a utilitarian view, as he believes sacrficing Kiryu (or, the trust he has for his father) will allow him to be a new captain, and that is what the clan needs to thrive. Kiryu is told to find the deed of the land and turn it into Kuze. Kiryu, not wishing to turn against his father, declines and decides to leave the family is an attempt to protect himself and his father. This only results in many others coming after him for betrayal and believing he owns the deed. It’s an interesting look at how the Yakuza handle things like this, and to see that some still cut off the pinkies of those who have acted out of line, something that has been around since the time of the samurai. I’m anxious to see whar happens next, and how exactly Kiryu is going to survive in Kamurocho with mulitple families on his tail. It was also interesting in an overarching story sense, since it explains why the millenium tower of the other games has been such an important location since the beginning. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Wed, 17 Jan 2018 13:26:33.)Wed, 17 Jan 2018 10:30:57 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6542&iddiary=11489https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6542As an avid fan of the Yakuza series, I was really happy to find that the prequel to the series was something we were allowed to play. I was not as familiar with Yakuza 0 as with the other ones(Yakuza Kiwami and Yakuza 4), and I was eager to get in. Right off the bat, before even starting the game, the first thing that stands out is the title of the game--"Yakuza", which is a term to refer to the Japanese Mafia. From the get go you know that you're going to be playing a shady character. The opening cutscene also emphasizes this as it presents (a younger) Kazuma Kiryu beating a man to near death and stealing his money. He doesn't even wipe the blood off his face when he leaves him in some back alley! He is later approached by a loan shark, and it's revealed it was a job he took up to get back some "overdue fees". The game's tone shifts suddenly as it goes into an upbeat, rock-themed intro showing you how Kamurocho, Tokyo, is where the nightlife is. It was quite a 180 from the serious tones of the beginning. Due to the PlayStation belonging to my brother, I could only play for about an hour. However, if I was looking at this as someone who had no knowledge of Kiryu and his personality, it does a good job at presenting you with what he is like. It also gets you thinking about his morals, as it seems he has them pretty skewed, to an extent. He's fine with carrying out a job that requires him to beat a man, take his money, and leave him in a back alley. However, when he sees some hooligans threaten and shakedown a passerby, he immediately steps in and stops them--also beating them to a pulp, but this time to defend a stranger. Although Kiryu's character is pretty set from the get go in Kiwami, which is the next game in the series, it's interesting to see him be a bit more bold and brash, and see him more willing to do some more questionable things. Along with that, we also Nishikiyama, Kiryu's best friend/brother, and they interact just like brother's do, and it seems that the beating up random hooligans is a normal occurrence for them, like the equivalent of taking an extra cookie before dinner. For these two, that's nothing serious. For the average person playing, beating people up on the daily for no true reason besides getting some cash is a horrid thing to do. Why would you ever beat someone to near death for cash or for just looking at you funny? It's unthinkable. It lets the typical player, who isn't a thug, see what that life is like for people like the Yakuza, where beating people up for no reason is as common as seeing pigeons on the street. At one point, the pair come across a pair of drunks blocking the way, and Kiryu literally goes "I'll just sober them up... with my fists." Nishikiyama only shakes his head like "oh, Kiryu, you silly goose". When they're not beating people up, they're wandering around, getting junk food, and talking about cute girls. It makes me think about the first discussion in class where we were discussing what morality and ethics are, and it was brought up that it really varies from person to person. To me, beating people for no reason is against my morals, but to Kiryu, it's alright because they were in his way. Right after a day of beating up some dudes, Kiryu goes to some local bar and does some karaoke where he astral projects himself into a killer rock band with Nishiki. Like any other Yakuza. (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Tue, 16 Jan 2018 21:32:30.)Tue, 16 Jan 2018 21:21:20 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6542&iddiary=11467