Blogging the experience of gameplayhttp://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6858It's played (AFAIK) entirely with the DS held sideways (which is a bit trickier with my XL 3DS...) and uses the touchscreen all over the place. I'm quite enjoying it with one exception - the levels are all timed and also require some tricky (for me) stylus-action. These two things don't play nicely with each other.jpFri, 12 Oct 2018 19:17:56 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6858&iddiary=12196http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6853I picked this up in Europe because I was insanely curious as to what this game would be about in terms of its gameplay. Was it a team management game? Would I race a bike? So far, it seems like its mostly about racing BUT you're also managing your team in the big picture sense. I think. I've only done the tutorials and started a race. The tutorials explain all the core systems - pedaling, braking but also managing your energy, drafting behind other cyclists and so on. There was a bunch of stuff I didn't really understand but I figured that I'd get it in an actual race. So, I started a race...and it's a LONG race! None of this done in 15 minutes crap. Wow. I then realized that I have no idea how to really play this game (should I try to stay in the lead all the time? when do I leave the peloton? If I stay with the peloton, is this really helping?) It was weird to feel so completely helpless and out of my element. I must have raced for 20 minutes and still had another 150km left to go in the race. So, here's a game that lets you save mid-race because...the races are all really long!jpMon, 08 Oct 2018 18:58:25 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6853&iddiary=12195http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6709The art style betrays this game in the sense that it is much more complex and sophisticated in terms of its gameplay that it would appear based on the cartoonish art (that implies it's a simple kids game). I remember when the DS came out and everyone was excited about the potential of the touchscreen/stylus combination for cool new gameplay opportunities. This game fits into what I'd call the "draw runes for in-game effects" sub-genre of touch screen games. It's not a real sub-genre, but I remember hearing so many student pitches/ideas in which you would sketch a rune and a spell would happen! (this got "worse" with mobile games and ipads, where stylus became finger). Anyways, Doodle Hex is perhaps the game I've played that best pulls of that idea - here it is literal spells and mages. As you play the game you unlock new spells with different effects and timing and you must simultaneously protect yourself from an opponent who is also casting spells. Where I found it got really interesting (here's the sophistication) is that when you cast a spell it doesn't happen immediately, rather a rune appears that slowly makes its way (around a circle in the middle of the touch screen) towards your opponent. Only then will it trigger (assuming your opponent isn't shielded). The trick is that different spells move at different speeds around the circle (your opponent is doing the exact same thing, so their spells are travelling around the other side of the circle towards you) AND there's a combo system where you want spells to trigger in a certain order AND their effects mean that (because there are shields), you might want some to hit first (to lower a shield) such that the later one hits harder ('cause no shield, or because it does damage but is useless on a shield) AND you can't draw/cast infinitely, because there's a mana reserve (indicated by liquid inside the circle whose level goes up or down as its restored and depleted) AND different spells cost different amounts of mana. So, it's a game of careful timing and synchronization - you might cast a spell and then have to wait until it reaches a certain point on the circle before casting the next. Say its a faster spell but you want to time it so that it hits first followed almost immediately by the spell you just cast. Then, there's a pet you can use to store a cast spell such that you can cast it whenever you want in the future AND you need to keep your shield up to protect yourself from enemy spells (you can't cast while you hold your shield up and your mana won't replenish either). So, there's LOTS of tricky timing and coordination things to consider in this game that seems super simple. There were a few matches I lost until I sat down and re-considered what I was doing and realized that I needed to have a strategy of both spells I wanted to cast but also the timing of these - and hopefully execute without taking too much damage. Really enjoyable and interesting game! Of course there are lots of different mages with different base attributes and runes and such, but I didn't explore them all that much.jpMon, 08 Oct 2018 18:53:56 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6709&iddiary=12194http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6836On the third time playing this game, I found it interesting that the creators made a choice-based game of of the Iranian revolution. I wished that as a player, you would have more control over the game, but the game was made to show the revolution from one man's perspective and for it to play out similarly for all players. In the 10th chapter of the game, you go to the movie theater were many people were killed but is now the headquarters for the protesters. You are then suspected for being a spy and attacking the protest leader and have to accuse someone else which is a tough ethical decision. Without clear knowledge of any of the character you have to accuse someone of murder to try to keep yourself safe. This man is killed and you are interrogated for it and if you don't do as they say, your brother is electrocuted. This game focuses heavily on sacrifice for freedom and others.ShaninSpanglerSun, 30 Sep 2018 18:06:43 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6836&iddiary=12193http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6852I haven't played too much...BUT I'm really enjoying: a. The feeling of speed, acceleration, and motion when you swing from building to building. It feels the way Spider-Man is described/drawn in the comics and, I would say, BETTER than in the movies (where it often seems too unrealistic) b. I like how layered everything is - things seem to unlock/become available at a rate that I can control as a player by pursuing/not pursuing story missions. c. I think I like the combat system - but I'm still learning it, so we'll see how that goes.jpFri, 28 Sep 2018 19:17:27 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6852&iddiary=12192http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6833For my third time picking up the controller and playing "Little Nightmares", I decided to restart the game so I can apply the new perspective I have gained explained in the previous entry. What I found was more examples of this child's real life is one of poverty and ill-guided parenting or caretaking, but also the protagonist's unconscious desires spilling through into the gameplay. There are two figures introduced early on the game, one in the opening scene and the other a few moments after while moving through the environment. The first, I believe, is the child's Mother and she is presented in the game as an eery figure who turns their back on you as their first gesture as well as small statues you can break for an unnamed reward. The parallels are obvious in this one. The mother's unethical behavior in the real world as well as distance from her child shows up blatantly her. The second figure is the child's father, who is found dead hanging from the ceiling. This could be the starting point of how the child's life started to spiral downward. Was it ethical for his father to kill himself and leave his son behind? A very tough question. Now as for the child's unconscious playing into the gameplay, if this is a dream, he/she has given themselves the ability to jump high, climb fast, slide through narrow passages like a secret agent and be brave through all the frightening situations. The child manifests his/herself as a hero, but the world around him as the villain.u1201698Fri, 28 Sep 2018 09:39:32 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6833&iddiary=12191http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6838As I continue in the game, the question of what makes a human human and whether or not a machine can meet those criteria is become explored more and more. In fact, I was just about punched in the face with that debate when I completed a quest by handing some extra parts off to a trader with a leg problem. Earlier he had mentioned he'd love to fix his leg and dance again. Now I ask him if he'll fix his leg and he says no. While this is a blatant contradiction and a bit rude because I was largely helping him because of an injury that he could repair but won't, he explains that it's the only human part of him left and he doesn't know what will happen when he loses it. This brings up more questions, too - If the people here are so scared of machines, then why are they integrating machine parts into their own bodies so much? If the man traded his last human limb for a machine, would he be more similar to a machine or a human? If a human could become a machine that easily, could a machine become human? I think back to my earlier experience with the little ones roaming around the forest. Are they more similar to machines or people? After finding their city in the sand, it's easier to answer this question. The machines have speech. They have culture indicated by clothing and makeup. They talk about emotions such as fear and their word use indicates probable sentience. They declare repeatedly that they don't want to fight, that they want to run, and that they feel compelled to attack only because otherwise we will kill them. It seems they might be protecting their city from me - It looks as if a small group of them has just attempted a kamikaze type attack on my group. This has gone from the poignant fate of the endangered creatures in Shadow of the Colossus to genocide, from somewhat subtle to beating me over the head with guilt and compassion towards these creatures that seem to check every box of what it means to be human except for the biological one. "You... Not... Human..." One of them tells me, and they're not wrong. Humanity is often defined by compassionate actions, and slaughtering a species without cause doesn't qualify for this definition of humanity.NotMeganFri, 28 Sep 2018 00:51:20 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6838&iddiary=12190http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6841Decided to run around and explore and found actual humans! No significant interaction here but it is ironic when 2b is called by a fellow android to check up she starts acting like an android again with the things she says. It's like an internal struggle for here. And it's interesting to see the other androids interact like the one that called her was very giddy and bubbly, very much human like and curious about the weather. So was 9s, when he asked about how if the boars grew as big and out abnormal as the plants. The world around is very interesting. I found the "pray" feature when interacting with the dead bodies of other player androids also ironic for androids can't/wont/ don't even understand the idea of praying.AnnesNotOkayFri, 28 Sep 2018 00:50:57 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6841&iddiary=12189http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6825Played Hitman again for the third and last gamelog. Although I heavily enjoyed the game and will keep playing it, i'm not seeing any sort of outward themes of morality presented so far. It exists, but I feel like it only exists in the premise of the story and the game's narrative doesn't make it a focus. I will say that I believe i'm speaking too early as I haven't completed episode 1 of the game yet. I've mostly spent time replaying missions to try out new methods of taking out the target rather than explore the story. With that said, I did notice something peculiar that might be of note for the upcoming essay assignment. My dad watched me play a bit of the game and it was interesting to see his reaction to the game compared to me. My dad doesn't play a whole lot of video games that aren't sports related so he seemed surprised that a game existed where you play as an emotionless assassin killing people and the game encourages this by giving lots of openness to the player to perform it. I don't think much of it since i've grown up with games like Grand Theft Auto so I thought it was a fun thing of note.TheBirdmanOfUtahFri, 28 Sep 2018 00:36:55 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6825&iddiary=12188http://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6832Nier:Automata, through its many features (music, combat, world building in general) does a tremendous job in creating a new (and yet, familiar) world to explore through the eyes of strangers (the androids, 2B and 9S). While, at times, there were moments where the game's systems didn't always seem to blend perfectly together, I can overlook these slights due to all the positives I experienced in my short time playing. My final play session through this game did not really unearth any new or groundbreaking, but it still gives me plenty to think about in the meantime. At the beginning you see the machine life-forms as nothing more than monstrosities that you must destroy. As you move forward through, you realize that these machines are more than just animated hunks of metal. They have thoughts of a sort, they react to your presence, some are frightened of you for what you are, some hate you for what you are. Certain machines have a sense of loyalty to some monarch, some just want to live in peace. Given how inhuman they can be, particularly in appearance, there is a lot of humanity within them.RexFri, 28 Sep 2018 00:36:25 UTChttp://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=6832&iddiary=12187