 |
|
Feb 14th, 2018 at 16:16:01 - Firewatch (PS4) |
As 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.
add a comment  - read this GameLog  |
|
Feb 13th, 2018 at 20:37:51 - Firewatch (PS4) |
I 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.
add a comment - read this GameLog |
|
Jan 17th, 2018 at 21:51:39 - Yakuza 0 (PS4) |
I 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.
add a comment - read this GameLog |
|
Jan 17th, 2018 at 10:30:57 - Yakuza 0 (PS4) |
Yakuza’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 edited 1 time. It was last edited on Jan 17th, 2018 at 13:26:33.
add a comment - read this GameLog |
|
|
 |
| angelarvizucruz's GameLogs |
|
angelarvizucruz has been with GameLog for 6 years, 10 months, and 5 days |
view feed xml
|
| Entries written to date: 9 |
|
