Blog, Blog, Bloq

 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 ...