Do you like video games? How about philosophy? · 1:30pm April 14th
I like one of those things for sure, but no one combines the two better than a Youtuber named InfernalRamblings, a former professional game developer who now creates hour and a half long video essays about the meanings of video games and how they relate to the world today. Here's a few highlights, since this is now basically my only platform for telling people about stuff I like anymore. :c
I didn't know much about Valkyrie Profile, and this video maybe exemplifies the 'ramblings' part of his name, but the deep analysis of its politics was fascinating.
I just finished this analysis of Final Fantasy 6 (aka Final Fantasy III), and it was fantastic. By the end, it echoes points he's made in his other videos that I think are only getting more and more important.
So I thought NieR was just an anime tiddy game series. Boy was I wrong! This video absolutely blew my mind, as much for the philosophy as for the game itself.
And if you want to inject some fun into your life, his most-watched video so far, also his longest, is the one that brought me to the channel, and it's a loving exploration of why trolling in Super Mario Maker is good, actually. :)
That's it. :B I'm a piece of shit losing her life to Balatro, but at least I can tell y'all about neato stuff sometimes.
Yea, that's one of the biggest misconceptions about Nier: Automata that's out there (not helped by "journalists" who've never played it focusing only on the superficial). Yoko Taro, the game's producer, kinda does that: he'll make something that on the surface looks very simple, but as you dig in, its very deep. The man's one of those creators that I know that when I play something of his, I'll be thinking pretty deeply about things by the end. I wouldn't put it past Taro that the whole "this is just an anime tiddy game" thing was intention, because it feeds into one of the philosophical arguments of N:A.
I think one of the most clever elements is during the credits scene, where you're playing the "hacking game" bullet hell. It starts off simple enough, but eventually, it becomes impossible. Then, you start getting messages from other players showing up to help you. Eventually, you win and reach the end of the credits. Then, you're asked if you want to sacrifice your save file to help someone else. If you say yes, it the game tells you that you'll never know who is getting your help. It could be someone you dislike, maybe even your worst enemy. And asks again, if you want to give up your save completely to help another player. And if you say yes, your save is gone, and someone down the line will see your Player ID pop up to help them when they finally beat the game.
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Yeah, learning about what happens during that part is what really blew my mind, and I now consider NieR: Automata as an example of video game art on the level of Undertale, which sounds like a sentence only a crazy person would say. :B
Being pretty much permanently out of touch with the zeitgeist I'd never actually heard of Balatro until I read this post, so I went and looked it up. And tbh after reading a run-down, what I most thought was, "They're going to wait until enough people are hooked, and then introduce microtransactions, aren't they?" Yeah, I know, call me cynical. :/
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Welcome to the madness place. We have rose and lavender icecream.
I do love me some video essays.
Sounds right up my alley. Bet.
I always felt the same about Nier. It almost lures you into a false sense of security with big anime titties and then bam depression.
That's perfect.
This YouTube channel requires more recognition, you're doing the right thing
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while I doubt that would actually happen, I absolutely cannot blame you for the cynicism!
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yes let me eat flowers! :D
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that's why I'm do it! :D
What makes Balatro fun? Would it be fun for people who don't play poker?
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it's a roguelike deckbuilder, if you're familiar with those terms
if not, it's easy to pick up (well, if you know how poker hands work), and addictive as hell because each run is randomized and completely different, so it never gets old
hence my problem D:
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I consider that part of Ending E to be the single most impactful moment in like 30 years of gaming. It just hit so. Perfectly.
Of course, for the choice it gives you, I said yes and then after my file was deleted, I restored it because I had a recent backup. Because while I love and respect the beauty in that moment, I am also a girl who will come back alive even if it kills me / wants to have my cake and eat it too~
Also Yoko Taro in general is a wonderful madlad - like how NieR Automata only exists because of Drakengard (Both literally in that thats the game that really kicked off Taro's status, and narratively because the events of Drakengard tie into Automata)
Anyhoo that essay was mucho good and when Ending E's music came on I got happysad tears because that moment is still. So. Powerful.