Blog, Blog, Bloq

 This time around I had a couple of ideas floating in my head. And what I landed on was a journey. A journey to finally hunker down and complete not just one game, but two. Those games are Conker's Bad Fur Day, and its remake, Conker: Live & Reloaded. Two titles where I never made it past the first couple of hours in my previous attempts. Yet now I am stronger. A human with a better tolerance for general gaming bullshit. Because that's what Conker was for me. Games in the Rare catalogue that weren't necessarily bad, but they also weren't good.  This may sound harsh at the outset because, what's wrong with Conker? Each one functions as they should right? For the most part, yes. There wasn't really anything egregious that breaks the Conkers. BFD has some friction due to some old school jank, and Live & Reloaded fixes much of that. But that's just it. The games just do their jobs. Conker, and his world may be colorful, but playing the game was just too ...

 Recently, I got the itch to rewatch The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974). It had been a while and I was hankering for something a bit older. But, what I really wanted to do was reevaluate the film. I watched it when I really didn't understand what the movie was saying, and I felt like I hadn't given it a fair shake. So, to correct the course, I popped it on. And what I came away with was mostly the same, yet I noticed some details stood out more. And it made me appreciate Sally (Played by Marilyn Burns) more as a character. With this appreciation, I was also reminded of how bad the character had been utilized in Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2022). A movie that I had watched on release at like 2 in the morning. Like, I wasn't a fan of the character then, yet even I could tell that something was wrong. Sally was this mix of Jamie Lee Curtis's Laurie Strode from Halloween (2018) and Dennis Hopper's Lieutenant Lefty from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2. Two characters th...

 Today is Halloween, and I should make another Horror post. And so I will. With the topic this time being about the sounds. As much as I like my audio design in this genre, I did want to focus more on the composition side. Whether it's Movies, Television, or Games. Horror has pretty much always been on the ball with the creaks and crunches. But the one's that can nail the composition go much further for me than those that neglect or lack in this department.  This opinion very much comes from my viewer monkey brain, and not with actual music expertise. So, some scores that sound great and move people, may not do it for me. This is all just to preface my very good opinions that no one is going to care about. But that's enough messing around, let's just dive right in. What makes an exceptional Horror score for me? Well, it mostly comes down to the emotions of the scene, and the build-up in many ways. There's plenty of media in the Horror Space that feature very talente...

 Seeing as how the month is October, I wanted to cover something Horror. Or in this case, something Horror-adjacent. The first one that I landed on was Mortal Kombat. But not just any Mortal Kombat. I am going to cover the funniest entry, Mortal Kombat 4. A divisive entry for people as some can find the diamonds in the rough, while others simply can't stand it. For me, I love this game. I put it up there with SoulCalibur II as my favorite fighting games. Yet where SoulCalibur II succeeds on almost all of its fronts. From the presentation to the way that game feels and flows. It's why SoulCalibur II has always stood as a gold standard for me. This is especially true when you look at other iconic 3D Fighters.  But Mortal Kombat 4 is not any of that. The game on its surface doesn't appear to be much different from its 2D predecessors. The major difference really just involves the new 3D stylings. So, you could absolutely arrive at this conclusion if you've only spent a few...

 The time to write has come once again. And I was really unsure of what to tackle. With so many different interests and no real direction, I was kind of stumped. But then as I was looking at some music to listen to, I remembered Street Fighter III: Third Strike. Not in the sense of like an old friend, but because I had recently gotten to see some Third Strike, in-person, being played for money. It makes me happy each time. Even with my limited knowledge, I can enjoy the game for the technical skill and decision making that goes into each match. Like, the way people play each character, and how they approach each situation with them differs based on the player. You never see two Kens play the same way in a mirror match. No amount of sitting back and gaining meter through whiffed normals is gonna speed the game along, because at some point you have to make a decision. And that's where a lot of the excitement comes from. That quick reflexive nature makes each punish matter.  So, ...

 The Metal Gear brainworms, or nanomachines if you will, have persisted. This has all culminated from the fact that I have finished the main story for Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. A game that I never want to play again. The issues far outweigh any joy for me. It lacks that fun videogame feel that I loved in previous titles. The limited loadout in the most expansive title just didn't work for me. MGS: Peace Walker could get away with this because that's a PSP game at its core, and not an over-budget console title. Not to mention, the story beats just didn't work for me. Skull Face was a terrible villain, and then the game fell even flatter in his absence.  While I think the problem starts with MGS4, I find MGSV to be a big nothing burger of a game. None of the character conflicts really matter, and none of the new characters are of any worth. This was a prequel game, and the knowledge of the future just negated any hope for a future appearance from any newbies. But ...