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Sep 22nd, 2018 at 19:50:13 - Nier Automata (PS4) |
A story of machine and humans, told in three parts. Part two:
It’s day two of Nier Automata and there’s no improvement in sight. Tragic. I was hoping that the more I played, the better it would get. Albeit the storyline got more intriguing and the machines more 3-dimensional, 2B and 9S left me disappointed. They continue to persist towards being used instead of being their own people, going so far as to carry out “chores” for the rebellion simply because it’s what’s best for YoRHa. It’s a little dull as is. That said, I’m not without hope. 2B hasn’t displayed another glitch in her emotional aptitude, but she has shown concern for the way the other machines are behaving and dressing. If further anomalies like this persist, it’s only a matter of time before something dramatic happens.
Not to say something dramatic hasn’t already happened, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. What I’m referring to is a point within the sand ruins when the two protagonists pursue a scared machine into a nest of machines. Now before I go into much detail with the dramatic and disturbing occurrences here, I want to back pedal a bit and focus on said scared machine. Yes, I said scared. It isn’t a typo or a glitch in the game. As the characters progress into the sand ruins they run across deviant machines that get them questioning the machines nature. First the machines start talking. Mostly the words are broken and very few can make a full sentence, but they are making words that have a meaning. Particularly, they are saying things like “enemy, scary, help me, and destroy”. Now why would a mean-old machine, bent on destroying everything, say that? In 9S’s opinion, their words are randomly emitted. I personally believe that not everything is as it seems, especially the means. For what extent did the humans cause their own suffering? Could they perhaps be the whole reason for these machines? And why do the machines hate the androids so much? Find out next time on Drago- err, Nier Automata.
Jokes aside, the fact that the creators make the machines lean towards emulating humans brings up a bunch of questions. None of which I can answer right now. You’ll just have to wait and see if I ever play enough of it to figure it out myself. In the meantime, let’s get back to the big bad dramatic moment within the nest of machines. So the two protagonists rush headlong into a dome full of machines. Thing is, none of the machines are attacking anyone. They aren’t even exhibiting violent tendencies, unless you count bouncing on one other. Yeah, not sure if they were trying to mimic sex or what they were doing. All I know is some of them were wandering around minding their own business, some of them were being physical, and at least one of them was rocking a cradle. Cute? No. Weird. Someone should really tell machines they cannot make babies. Better yet, tell the creators that machines cannot babies, because obviously they didn’t get the memo. It’s one thing to walk in on a nest full of strange-acting, oddly-clothed, machines. It is quite another to see them all ball up and pop out a very naked, very android looking, machine. You may now cue the dramatic and disturbing music.
So up until this point, I kind of enjoyed the game. The characters were decent, the art beautiful, the music extraordinary, the storyline interesting, and the camera view questionably frustrating. What I do not enjoy is seeing a bare ass naked man, android or not, sauntering around my screen with no dick. I’ll admit. I’m a stickler for technicalities and accuracy. The creators should have gone all the way if they were going to showcase a naked man in the first place. It’s called having balls! Literally in this case. At the same time, if they were too chicken to go all the way, then they shouldn’t have implied the gender. When it comes down to rating the game M or R, less is more. As is, the game is rated M for partial nudity and thus at least protects the kids from seeing a naked white ass. Not that I mind either way. Nudity is a part of life, but some people might argue otherwise. I just wish he wasn’t so half-baked. Oh, and I wish the creators had chosen a different way of spawning the second “android-not-android”. There is no plausible way for any machine to pop out of a machine of the same size. Thus it begs the question, is this thing a machine at all or is it born of the machines wishes and desires? I’m gonna go with magical fairy.
It’ll be interesting indeed to see how the story progresses from here. Already I’ve seen a handful of ethical issues and questionable moralities. I’ve also seen some bad writing and a very white ass that’ll forever be burned into my mind, but I digress. This game is definitely taking me on a wild adventure--one of which I wouldn’t have even been close to predicting when I first started playing it. Now here’s to hoping it continues to go up from here! I’d hate to hit the end and see androids fall to the human’s demands. Give me a bit of mutiny dammit!
Hesitantly hopeful,
Kia
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Sep 26th, 2018 at 18:09:39.
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Sep 21st, 2018 at 17:45:20 - Nier Automata (PS4) |
A story of machine and humans, told in three parts. Part one:
For a game that was developed by Platinum Games and published by Square Enix, I've got to say I'm not disappointed. This machine versus machine game feels very much like the Final Fantasy games I'm used to playing. It has got great graphics, beautiful music, and a solid story-line. The characters are interesting and the game intriguing. At least, for now. Given I've only played a few hours of this action role-playing game, anything is susceptible to change. As of right now, however, I have very few qualms.
The game itself is set in the year 11945, during the 14th Machine War, and follows two androids: 2B and 9S. Both are badass machines designed to fight the war humans couldn't. I did mention that earth has been invaded by alien machines who ran humanity to the moon, right? No? Okay, well that's pretty much the prologue of NieR. Humans couldn't combat against machines, so they built their own to try and win the war. Hence 2B and 9S, and all the other androids who reside under the group called YoRHa. It's a smart enough idea, given the humans were losing, but it's one that I personally have to question. To what extent should we ever let anyone, or anything, fight our wars for us?
This brings me to my first problem with the game so far. Machine versus machine is fine. Building a machine to fight other machines is less fine. Some might argue that there is no harm, it's just a bunch of nuts and bolts. Except, that's not true. In NieR the androids have been programmed with human emotions and feelings. They can feel, hurt, and love just as much as we can. What's so good about that? Nothing! This action is pretty much like chicken fighting, or making prisoners fight your wars. In this case, the androids are the expendable ones and humans are standing on the sidelines, safe. If that’s not bad enough, even if the androids do win, it's the humans that'll reap the rewards. They’ll be able to go back to Earth and the androids will cease to be useful. It’s all a load of shit in my opinion. If you're going to have a machine war pitting machine against machine, at least build it with some decorum.
Giving the androids emotions makes me wonder what the creators were trying to say. Maybe they built the game with the intention that the androids eventually rise up against the humans and tell them to stuff it. Or maybe they just wanted to make interesting characters. I know in 2B's case it gives her more of a reason to worry about 9S, despite the fact that it's part of her protocol to not feel emotional. What? You mean they gave the androids emotions and then told them they couldn't feel emotional?! Yep. In spite of this, 2B betrays herself within the first 30-90 minutes of gameplay simply because 9S nearly kills himself. Which is fine for character growth, so long as this isn't the first time she does this. As of right now, though, I can't say I approve of 2B's sudden concern for her comrade. It feels like it comes out of nowhere. It also feels wrong for a soldier to ignore a basic command, and thus makes 2B feel weak in design.
Of course, if I'm going to nitpick about the emotions, I should also point out my final issue with Nier: the wardrobe. Have you ever heard of a soldier going to war in a dress? Me neither. So why would anyone put an android in a tight little black dress that looks more suitable for a bdsm doll then a fighter? Two words: sex appeal. I hate to admit that this design isn't new or unusual for Square Enix. They're very comfortable with throwing their female characters into unreasonable attire just for the appeal. I distaste it. Not only does it give the character a cheap look, but it's honestly unpractical! In a real life situation that dress would hinder more than it would help, android or not. Not to mention those shoes! It's one thing to walk in high-heels. It's another thing to flip around and fight in them. Not that she has to worry about twisting an ankle, given she is an android, but that doesn't take away from the fact that that entire get up is the farthest thing from a warriors outfit. Besides, the heel could break and then where would our adorable 2B be? I can't imagine they have android strip-malls on the moon, but who knows. Not my game! Just my blatant opinion on the over beaten horse called sex appeal.
My issues aside, I do really enjoy this game. Not as much as other games I've played by Square Enix, but it does have a soothing feel about it. Maybe it's just the music. I'm a sucker for good music. In any case, I hope to learn more about the story and see if 2B really is capable of emotion or if that glitch was a one-time thing. Maybe I'll even see a change of heart and a shift in the tide of war! Yes? No? Fine, I'll find out myself. Here's to hoping I won't be disappointed!
Until next time,
Kia
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Sep 26th, 2018 at 18:09:51.
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Aug 30th, 2018 at 21:09:05 - Little Nightmares (PS4) |
Once upon a time she was innocent. Then she was born. Through the same world that created her, she became corrupt. Not all at once, mind you, but little by little. With each struggle came a poison that sank into her bones. It enveloped her mind and blackened her soul. Once upon a time, she was innocent. Now, she is no longer.
If you’ve ever played Little Nightmares, then you know what I'm talking about. As the character Six, you start out ignorant and scared. You’re in a world you know little about with an agenda that’s even more obscure. The only thing you know for certain is that you must escape, alive. If only it were so easy.
Warning: spoilers ahead!
On the first day of playing Little Nightmares I was awash with several emotions, all strung together and manipulated by the story of Six--a tiny girl in a bright yellow raincoat who’s just as lost as you are. You wake up in suitcase bigger than yourself and totter into a desolate world full of grim horrors known as the Maw. The setting is dark, the music ominous but ambient, and the characters strikingly grotesque. With only a lighter and your wits about you, you must traverse the darkness, avoid the monsters, and escape the clutches of death that seem to loom at you from every corner. Sounds like a dream come true, for you horror fans.
In all honesty, I do believe I’m underwhelming Little Nightmares. It isn’t just horror and evil. It’s mystery, intrigue, and lots of tension. It’s insanely beautiful and frighteningly good. If you can stomach a little blood and a lot of death, this just might be the game for you. Just don’t let your kid play it. Seriously. This game is not for anyone under the age of mature! Anyway, back to the doom and gloom.
So you start at the beginning of Little Nightmares. It’s dark and dreary and you have no idea what you really should be doing. You walk. Then you run, sneak, and run some more. The first level is pretty basic, albeit no less eerie. From the second you’re on your feet you’re surrounded by music that’ll pull at your heart and make you jump out of your seat. You’re haunted by ever present darkness, cut through only by the occasional dim light or bright eye. And wherever you go, no matter how hard or fast you run, you’re always surrounded by death. Blood streaks walls and floors, and bodies hang from above. Occasionally you’ll even notice shoes in odd places--a symbolism of death in their own right. It’s as pleasant as it sounds, but it is easy to complete. With only one enemy, Leeches who’ll suck you bone dry the second they have the chance, you’re pretty much guaranteed to die only a handful of times.
The next level, The Lair, isn’t such a walk in the park. In the Lair, you meander through studies, bedrooms, bathrooms, and the like. It’s all cozy, with a side of creepy. The eyes you saw all throughout the first level reside here as well, in the walls and in the doors. It’s as if the game itself it watching you. Waiting. In contrast, the Lair’s monster is a little less...visual. Designed with no eyes and long arms, the Janitor is the first true monster you’ll come upon. In my opinion, he’s also the freakiest. He can’t see you, but he can hear and smell you. Don’t underestimate him. It might just be the last thing you do. That said, you’re going to have to defeat him to finish this level out. So get your running shoes on and get ready to scramble some eggs, or in this case cut off some arms. Don’t worry, it’s all questionably ethical.
Taking down the Janitor is like finishing that big test. It’s exhilarating and will leave you sick in the stomach from all the stress. In terms of moving on with the game, it is well worth the blood and gore. As a human being with feelings, however, you’re free to take a break and reassess your sanity. It’s alright, we understand. Not everyone is born a murderer.
Once you get back to the game get ready to hug some Nome’s and toss some Lady statues around! In the past two levels you should have noticed little gray creatures running around. These are Nome’s. You can hug them for brownie points and an overall achievement. Likewise, picking up the Lady statues and throwing them, so they break, also gives you an achievement. What? I should have stated this sooner? Well, that sounds like something a reasonably sane person would do. Sorry, not sorry. I’m here for the entertainment and adrenaline. If you want reasonable, maybe you should try Limbo instead. Oh, and before I forget, Lanterns are also important. Not only do they give you an achievement if you light them all, but they work as checkpoints. Which means your dead ass doesn’t have to resurrect so far back, so long as you don’t skip over lighting them. This is really good to know, because in this new level, the Kitchen, you’re likely to die more times then you’re willing to admit. No? Okay, maybe that’s just me.
The Kitchen is exactly what it sounds like, plus some blood and insinuated dead bodies. The monsters you’ll find lurking here are the Twin Chefs who are far too happy about throwing you in the oven or shoving you into a fish the second they catch you. I don’t know if this is too soon to mention this, but there’s a lovely little reoccurring theme with Little Nightmares that centers around death. What? You noticed that? Oh. Well, it’s not just any death. Little Nightmares centers specifically on the death of children, particularly eating children. That’s why from here on out you’re more likely to be “devoured” than just straight up murdered. Don’t worry though. It’s all insinuated. You don’t actually see anyone stuffing Six down their throat. At least, as far as I’m aware of.
Anyway, back to the Kitchen and the Twin Chefs. The Kitchen, like all the other levels previous and after it, is gory and horrific. You’ve got a pile of dead bodies and the death of a rat to start with. No, the Twin Chefs do not kill the rat for their own purposes. You do. At least, Six does. As noticed in the previous levels, Six tends to get hungry at one point or another. As a human she does have to eat to survive and so she eats whatever’s in reach. In past times this has been bread or meat. This time, it happens to be a live rat. Yummy! Not. At this point I assumed the creators were just having fun shocking the player. They hint at the rats death before it happens, but it’s still disturbing when it does. The truth of what this escalating “hunger” is, however, is far more than I could have imagined. It’s only in the last two levels that everything becomes clear. I digress. Before I spoil it too much, let's get back into the Kitchen...for a second time.
So the Kitchen. Yeah, I hate the Kitchen. It’s one of the worst levels. It’s not particularly hard, but it’s not easy either. As a puzzle game, you of course have to figure out how to get from point A to point B. Given that you have few hiding spots and are almost constantly chased by an overweight, wheezing, slime-ball doesn’t make this easy. In fact, I had to put my remote down more than once just to breath! Talk about stressful. Perhaps the only fun thing about this level is the fact that you can throw bottles at their head at one point, optional of course, and that you’re able to walk high above them on the rafters like some god. Ha! Take that you wrinkles of blubber. Okay. Maybe that was uncalled for, but in my defense they threw me in the oven. The least they could have done was butter me up first. My rants aside, I still have to admire the design of these Chefs. They are as grotesque as they are supposed to be, with layers of wrinkles, drooping faces, and black beady eyes. That, combined with music that picks up every time your spotted, is enough to put any sane person on edge. Thankfully it is in the Kitchen you deal with them and in the Kitchen they stay. Good puppy.
It isn’t in the Kitchen that the obesity stays, however. The mass of the Guests is directly equivalent with the weight of the meaning. In other words, these new enemies aren’t just enemies. They’re victims to and they deserve our pity! At the very least someone should tell them they’re about to meet their maker. These very round, wrinkled, and masked monsters aren’t just here for sightseeing. They're lured to the Maw for one reason: to be killed. See, told you death was a recurring theme. It isn’t just Six who needs to watch her back. These poor suckers are walking--err rolling--to death's door just as quickly. The only difference is they’re after Six just as much as any other monster found in the Maw. The best way to get through this level is to run! Run for your life! If you can conquer that, you can conquer anything. Even a Nome!
What? Nome!? Weren’t they your friends? Yes. Nome’s are friends, not food. Apparently, however, there is this thing that’s called character development where Six needs to change in order for the story to be more interesting. On one hand the creators did a marvelous job with this. On the other hand, they can all go to hell. Those Nome’s didn’t do anything to deserve to be Six’s next meal. Horrible. Truly horrible. It is at times like this that I question the morality of the game. But as disturbing as that one scene is, it wasn’t bad enough to stop me from playing. If only to see how it ends, I persevered and took Six to the final level: The Lady’s Quarters.
Remember the Lady statues you’re supposed to be smashing? Yeah, fun fact: they represent the final boss and the true evil of the Maw. The Lady is a tall, oppressive, figure that commands the Maw and sends the people to their death. She, in particular, wants you dead. This could be because you’re trying to escape or because you’re disrupting the order of the Maw. Heck, maybe she just loves that bright little raincoat of yours that stands out against the Maw’s otherwise gloomy nature. Whatever the case, you have to kill her to finally end things. To do this the creators came up with a very clever little battle scene. You as a player do not have to do much. Just hold a mirror and point it towards the masked Lady. Faced with her image, the Lady will slowly weaken until, in the end, she can no longer hold herself up. Dramatic much? Yeah, but I honestly thoroughly enjoyed this fight. It was the first time Six was able to stand up for herself and actively do something! She wasn’t forced to just run, hide, or in the case of the Janitor, improvise. Six stood her ground and with the force of the mirror, destroyed her nightmares!
Or did she? See, the best part about this whole video game wasn’t the horror. It wasn’t the monsters. It wasn’t even the music, although I’m completely in love with the soundtrack. The best part of Little Nightmares was the end, because it wasn’t happy. It was just as dark and twisted as the rest of it. Instead of conquering her fears by destroying the Lady, Six devours them. Literally. At battles end the hunger hits, and with no one but the Lady in the room Six goes right for her. Six of course kills her, but more than that, she also takes the powers of the Maw. Thus a new evil is born. With a hunger for death more prevalent than ever, and a power beyond her darkest nightmares, Six ventures out of the Maw--killing everyone in her way as she goes. It's assumed from there that Six will take her hunger and ravage the world. She is evil now, after all. But maybe you have a different opinion. Maybe you think that Six only killed those people because they meant her harm. If that was the case, why hurt the Nome then?
See, in my opinion, the creators didn’t make Little Nightmares for the sake of darkness. They wanted to show that even the most innocent creatures will eventually succumb to evil if subjected to it long enough. It sings true to nature and true to reality. The dark themes might have been pushing some moral issues with you, but for me I think they are necessary. You can’t paint a harsh reality with rainbows and butterflies and still get the same message across. It just won’t be taken as seriously. Whereas, if you drop a little girl in a bright raincoat into the middle of death, everyone’s head will turn. Take that same little girl and make her evil, the same evil she was running from, and everyone will talk. It’s just a fact of life. The most controversial ideas are the ones that make a bold impression. In Little Nightmares case, it’s carved its way into my heart and set up residence. I’m not about to forget about this game anytime soon or the cute little girl in a bright raincoat--no matter how deadly she became in the end.
Forever in love with Little Nightmares,
Kia
This entry has been edited 1 time. It was last edited on Aug 30th, 2018 at 21:55:06.
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Aug 29th, 2018 at 13:06:50 - Little Nightmares (PS4) |
Once upon a time, we were all children. We were small and the world was big. We had nightmares. Thus the story of Little Nightmares begins. Six, the main character, wakes up in a world full of nightmares called the Maw. It’s a desolate place with no happiness and no hope. Despite all the horror, however, this little person in a bright yellow raincoat preservers. At least, they do so long as you keep them out of the fat hands of the gluttons. Otherwise you learn very quickly that there’s a dozen different and gruesome ways to die in this bloody little game.
Remember when I said this video game isn’t meant for children? Yeah, that opinion still applies. Riddled so with such horrific imagery and ideas, Little Nightmares is barely meant for adults. It is by every definition, ethically questionable. I’m not saying the game is bad. Don’t get me wrong! I’ve quiet enjoyed my adventure so far, but it certainly isn’t Mr. Sunshine and rainbows. Let me explain further.
Little Nightmares centers on the idea of eating, perhaps even hunger. Hence all the fat people and Six’s occasional hunger pains. Although showcasing gluttony isn’t a sin, some might argue that eating other people is. Six in particular is victim to several attempts at cannibalism, which you experience upon getting caught. There is even a particular instance in the Kitchen that the Chef physically shoves you into the oven. Tasty, right?
That’s not the only issue this game presents. Look past the fat bellies and you’ll see a field full of dead bodies or the remnants thereof. Wherever Six goes you have blood trails, severed feet, bodies swaddled in cloth, and in the early parts of the game actual children turned to stone. Now on any other violent game, this isn’t terribly unusual. At least the dead body’s part. Add in the children factor, however, and you get yourself a video game full of questionable child abuse. It is at the least an ethical issue, given that we treasured children above most in society. It’s not exactly good to put them in such positions or even suggest killing them.
Does this mean that this game needs to be banned or boycotted? No! As I said, I’ve enjoyed myself. It doesn’t make me a bad person and the imagery shown isn’t going to scar me. It just means that certain age groups shouldn’t be checking Little Nightmares out any time soon—unless they want nightmares of their own.
Play at your own risk,
Kia
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