Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=1999https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6863Dear diary, I went to Paris! Not really. Agent 47 went to Paris to take out Viktor Novikov and Dalia Margolis They are the Sanguine’s CEOs who also double as the ringleaders of IAGO. Fun right? Mostly. First I had to get set up. See, before the mission truly starts you’re given the opportunity to choose your weapons, attire, starting location, and a few other things. Nothing really unethical about it, but it’s a fun mechanic for the game. Anyway, on to the game! I started out at the opening of a grand estate where a fashion event is being held. I apparently had an invite, likely forged, so I got in without having to sneak. Once in I was able to locate my targets easily enough, but then I had to find a way to get them isolated. Cue famous person! I guess there’s a famous bald model at the event who I get to subdue and impersonate. Yay me! Oh, and with that act we can add impersonation or identity theft to the list of unethical issues. So I find the guy, take him out, dump him in the lake, then go get my makeup done. Because yes, ever Hitman needs makeup before they kill people. Actually I needed it for the catwalk, but details details. Once I make my 15 second appearance and get my little achieve I’m off to go a murdering! Now for someone who explored the estate prior to all this, I was able to find an invitation for the secret IAGO trade happening on the second floor. I’m not sure if it was useful considering my disguise, but I was able to get to my target easily either way. Then with a quick snap of the neck I was off to deal with the other one. Now before I continue I feel I must remark on the numerous ways this game gives you to kill someone. You literally can use anything at your disposal, such as: scissors, wrench, gun, cord, your hands, and even a large set of lights. Gruesome right? In light of the fact that this game is a killing game, it isn’t terribly too surprising though. Normal hitman would use anything they could to get the job done, so this is just portraying authenticity. When considering ethics, however, one might say it’s a bit much. Nevertheless, dropping a very large set of lights on the second target is exactly how I managed to kill him. Was it over done? Yes. Did I get an achievement for it? Yes. Did I get caught? No. I was still wearing my previous disguise, so I didn’t have any issues actually getting back out of the estate. It was literally one and done. With the Paris mission complete and my previous two entries done, I’ve got to say that I’m a little disappointed in Hitman. The game itself is everything I’d heard it would be, but I thought there would be a bit more controversy regarding the gameplay. Sure it had blood, dirty deeds, and scandalous lies. It even had an assortment of choices for you’re murdering needs. Yet, despite all this, I feel like it’s missing something. A big bang or shocking turn of events. Maybe I just want 47 to be more evil than he already is. Who knows. What I do know is that ethically this game has issues. Not as many as I thought it would, but enough to give the public a reason to keep it out of the hands of children. We wouldn’t want the little tykes learning how to murder, after all, would we? Current missions complete, a dozen more to go, Kia (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Wed, 07 Nov 2018 19:50:51.)Wed, 07 Nov 2018 19:50:14 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6863&iddiary=12267https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6863Dear diary, I messed up. Not on my mission, mind you, but in playing this game in order. Apparently you can skip through the prologue and go straight to the final test if you want. Not that it changes the story too much, albeit you do lose a bit of context. I wonder if future missions will be the same. Will I be able to jump around or will the story force me to go from point A to point B? Guess we’ll see. For now I suppose I should report on my gameplay and new findings. Not that there are many. I officially finished the prologue and training. In total, that means I had to kill 3 times--with one person dying two different ways. The first time was what I wrote about earlier. The second was a rerun of the same area and the same guy. I just had to kill him differently. As a game this idea of thinking about different ways to kill someone is interesting, even fun. In real life, you’d be called a psychopath. This is doubly true for the final test. See, instead of outright killing this target, I had to trick him into killing himself. It was a lot of sneaking around and sabotaging a plane, but it worked. By the end of it the target, who somehow didn’t find me suspicious, pulled the active seat ejector and launched himself through the roof. I’m pretty sure if the glass he went through didn’t kill him, then the landing definitely did. In any case, I was able to sneak back out without being noticed and hit the button used to end the mission. Speaking about the button, I have to say that is such an odd way to end missions. There’s nothing ethically wrong with it, but I think the creators could have come up with something better to signal your departure. Anyway, outside of more trespassing, theft, and murder, I couldn’t find any ethical issues within the rest of the prologue/tests. I did notice that the Handler was all too pleased to use 47 as a weapon, however, despite her superiors reservations. I point this out not because of those reservations--for they were not of good intent--but because using someone else as such is wrong. It shouldn’t matter if they’ve killed before. They’re still human. Of course this particular human came to them, if I’m not mistaken, so there’s only so much I can complain about his misuse. If he endorses it, is it still wrong? I’m not sure. In theory it’s wrong no matter what, but so is taking someone’s choices away simply because your beliefs differ. So I’ll have to see how things pan out. If Agent 47 endorses being used and abused, then so be it. If, however, there is a line he is forced to cross or a time in which he no longer appreciates being seen as deadly, then it may be argued that his treatment is indeed unethical. “Three” missions down, a dozen more to go, KiaTue, 06 Nov 2018 17:15:25 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6863&iddiary=12225https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6863Dear diary, Today I killed someone. The voices told me to. They even gave me a gun. All I had to do was figure out how to get close to the person without getting caught, but it was easy. They died quickly. A single shot to the head. I used my silencer so no one would notice. It worked so well that I wasn’t even suspected. I’ll be honest, I was surprised at that. I thought for sure someone would have outed me when I first entered the ship, but no. Apparently knocking someone out, stealing their clothes, and using them to disguise myself is enough. The only threat I had were the crew leads and I avoided them without even breaking a sweat. Thus my first mission went off without a hitch. My superiors say I’m perfect at what I do. A trained killer without a moral compass. They think I’ve been in this line of work before. I don’t remember if I have or not. My past is a mystery to all. I don’t even know my own name. Support is trying to figure all that out for me, but so far they have nothing to go on. For now, it seems, all I have are the missions and the hope that maybe my past will come back to me. It is thus that Hitman begins. You start the game within the prologue as Agent 47 who must identify and assassinate a specific target without being seen. Your support helps guide you through, but you’re the one who must decide how things go down. It is a stunning game with beautiful mechanics. The characters are fleshed out, the story intriguing, and the execution flawless. At least, that’s my opinion so far. I have only finished the first mission. That said, I kind of wish Hitman’s ethical issues spread beyond trespassing, theft, and murder. It’s not that I want this game to be bloody, but I feel like it’d give the story more depth. It would definitely make it more unique and less on par with Assassin’s Creed. Then again, maybe that’s just me being particular. A killing game is good only so long as it is interesting. So here’s to hoping Hitman keeps me on my toes, else I’ll be very disappointed. One mission down, a dozen more to go, KiaSun, 04 Nov 2018 10:37:19 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6863&iddiary=12207https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6795A story of machine and humans, told in three parts. Part three: So good news and bad news. The good news is that not all the machines are heartless monsters out for death and destruction. Some of them are peaceful. The bad news is 2B is still emotionally deficient and hasn’t experienced another glitch in her matrix. This is demonstrated twice in my play time. Once when 9S invites 2B to call him Nines, like the rest of his friends do. Then again, later, when 2B has the opportunity to reassure her operator in a time of need. Both times she uses her brain to speak instead of her heart. Sad day. That’s not to say she will stay this way forever. I’ve decided the creators designed her this way so as to prolong the story and give her more depth. What would be so interesting about an android who immediately went against her protocol, after all? Nothing! At least not for me. As I’ve said previously, it really bothered me that she was so quick to worry about 9S in the first place. A gradual change of heart is so much better! It also gives the player time to explore and discover as the story unfolds. As for the machines, they’re not as evil as previously assumed. At least not all of them. Even before you enter the Amusement Park you face passive machines who’re just happy to wander harmlessly about. Only when you attack do they reciprocate. This begs the question, just how dangerous are they truly and why did they attack the humans in the first place? Could the androids understanding of them be completely skewed? I’m not sure, but I’m beginning to think so. In any case, the Amusement Park is where things truly start to get turned upside down. The machines are welcoming and even give you gifts. Many dance and sing, and throw confetti. They aren’t evil. They aren’t broken. To 2B and 9S, though, it’s all wrong. As they make their way through the ominous and creepy park, this unbalance in their understanding is amplified by everything they see and do. Clearly the creators wanted to put the player off their groove and make the protagonists question everything they’ve ever known about machines. Of course, a single area full of “weird acting” and “weird dressing” machines doesn’t immediately change the protagonist’s views. They still have their doubts. They also have conflicting emotions about machines and the possibility that these said machines have emotions. With every new interaction, you can tell 2B and 9S are getting uneasy. Why? Does having emotions suddenly make murder wrong? Is it because having emotions means you have a conscious or do the two protagonists simply hate the idea that they’re actually hurting someone? Ethically, this matters. To hurt another human being is wrong. To hurt an inanimate object, not so much. It is still frowned upon, because it is considered vandalism, but you’re not judged as harshly. Why? Is it so necessary for an object to have emotions or will anything with an essence be considered precious? I think perhaps, this here, is exactly what Nier is trying to teach. Murder, in any form and towards anything, is wrong. The fact that you as a player and the protagonists do so without all the information in the beginning, is even worse. Given this, what then could be said about killing your comrades? What if those comrades were trying to kill you against their will? Technically it's still wrong in my opinion. Your comrades cannot control what they are doing and would likely not kill you otherwise, thus you should not kill them. Despite this, that’s exactly what the game makes you do. I find this distasteful. It would have been better for the creators to allot you the chance to avoid their attacks and still go after the boss. Likewise, having the androids die in conjunction with the boss felt like an injustice to me. At least give 9S a chance to save them! But no. It’s better to give the player a lesson then to spare the innocent. This lesson just happened to be in correlation with the protagonists’ entire meaning in life. See, the androids hacked and held captive were only kept alive for one purpose: to kill their enemy. Sound familiar? If it does, then you’ve been paying attention. This ideal is exactly how the protagonists operate when it comes to YoRHa. They are made for YoRHa to be used by YoRHa for only one true purpose: kill their enemy. Thing is, what happens when there is no more enemies? My guess is that there will always be an enemy. Right now it’s the machines, but later I think it’ll be other androids or even humans themselves. I’m rooting for it to be the humans. If only because I do not trust that these particular humans are actually innocent. In fact, I think they are the whole reason for any and all misunderstanding that lie between the machines and the androids right now. We’ll only know for sure, however, the more 2B and 9S learn. I just hope that what they find is fully laid out for the player to see, because right now the one sided story crap is annoying. I want to know why the machines are here, why they feel and act like humans, and why they have any reason to hurt humans in the first place. But, as a wise machine once said, “the only way to understand someone is to get to know them.” So that’s exactly what I’m going to make my protagonists do. Here’s to a future of machines and androids. May they all get along! Kia (This entry has been edited1 time. It was last edited on Wed, 26 Sep 2018 18:09:22.)Sun, 23 Sep 2018 17:02:49 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6795&iddiary=12051https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6795A 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 edited1 time. It was last edited on Wed, 26 Sep 2018 18:09:39.)Sat, 22 Sep 2018 19:50:13 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6795&iddiary=12047https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6795A 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 edited1 time. It was last edited on Wed, 26 Sep 2018 18:09:51.)Fri, 21 Sep 2018 17:45:20 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6795&iddiary=12042https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6731Once 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 edited1 time. It was last edited on Thu, 30 Aug 2018 21:55:06.)Thu, 30 Aug 2018 21:09:05 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6731&iddiary=11995https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6731Once 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, KiaWed, 29 Aug 2018 13:06:50 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6731&iddiary=11938https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6731Once upon a time there was a little person in a bright yellow raincoat who wanted nothing more than to escape their nightmares. They couldn’t. The end! Okay, that was a lie. Probably. Given that this is my first time playing Little Nightmares, I cannot say for certain how it ends. I’ve only just learned how it begins. For those of you who are curious about this little person in a bright yellow raincoat, I’ll warn you now. This game is not suitable for children. From the moment you pick yourself up from that dreary little suitcase, doom and gloom hang in the air. In the case of the poor sucker you run under near the beginning, this is quite literal. Now as a general rule I don’t mind my video games with a side of morbidity. It makes things a little more realistic. With Little Nightmares, however, I have to admit it’s almost too much. Then again, that might just be my own nightmares talking. Being a little person in a big world is bad enough. Walking around, or sneaking in most cases, a prison full of blood trails and blind monsters ready to gobble you up makes it all the worse. It’s enough to make me want to not play. That’s not going to happen, of course. I just have to figure out what happens in the end! Does the little person escape? Do they conquer their nightmares? Probably not. Clad in horror, gore, and death, Tarsier Studios paints this particular video game as a statement to the ages—not a happily ever after fairytale. So I’m not going to hold my breath. Instead I’ll play, I’ll watch, and I’ll learn how not to die as I make my way through these six levels of demented nightmares. Maybe by the end of it all, something more than tension will present itself to me. Curious as ever, Kia.Mon, 27 Aug 2018 18:15:52 CDThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6731&iddiary=11900