#editorials
#editorials
by Omar (@neo_graphyte)
Bullet Dive is a series deconstructing the craft of the scrolling shoot-em-up genre. They were originally published on medium.com and have been edited for the clarity and format. You can find the originals and keep up to date here.
There’s a method I’ve noticed in the SHMUP genre that’s been bothering me. I’ve dubbed it “creating a lane”.
Simply put, creating lanes in shoot-em-ups means having enemies fire bullets with timing that forces you into an area for a period of time, limiting your maneuverability. It’s a kind of nebulous concept, something that you know when you see but is difficult to define.
by Omar (@neo_graphyte)
This Time It’s Persona is a series of essays on Persona 3 originally published on ashensiegarettes.
In my final days I lost the will to climb Tartarus. I knew I was strong enough to take on what was to come. Instead, I spent my days spending time with friends I hadn’t had the time to fully develop my relationships with.
I slurped ramen with Nozomi, helped work things out with Mamoru, and grew close to Yuko and Yukari. At night I spend time drinking with Mutatsu and watching a bummed out Vincent mope around.
Some nights I would work at the Chagall Cafe, hoping to work up the courage to stomach Fuuka’s cooking.
As I grew closer to some, I knew that I was at the peak of our relationship. I’d never spend another moment with them that would be new or unique. Yuko and Yukari would love me no matter what, and Mamoru disappeared with his family, looking for a way to support them.
By Omar (@neo_graphyte)
This Time It’s Persona is a series of essays on Persona 3 originally published on ashensiegarettes.
Persona 3 is complete.
This month I wrapped up the final chapter of Persona 3 Portable. In the time I’ve been playing it I’ve gone through at least three different PSP units (including one PSVita) and multiple copies, both UMD and digital. It’s taken over 54 hours.
It doesn’t feel like an accomplishment. Towards the end it became a slog through endless battles and tired trials. I wanted it to be over 10 hours ago.
By: RJ (@rga_02)
Final Fantasy VI was my first Final Fantasy. I first played it when I was about 3 to 4 years old. Of course at an age that young I didn’t get far. But those moments as a wee little kid seeing Terra, Biggs & Wedge ride the magitek through the snow in the opening scene set a momentum for my life. Ever since then the series has been a part of my life thanks to VI, but it wasn’t until 2007 that my 9 year journey with the game finally saw the end. I’ve always wanted to talk about this game, so here it is.
By: RJ (@rga_02)
The plot is akin to a Saturday morning cartoon. You are a teenage girl trying to save your teacher’s workshop from closing. The evil government is trying to thwart your progress but fails constantly. It’s nothing great or horrid. The plot isn’t the reason why I adore this game. It’s the quirkiness displayed by the protagonist Rorona and the vibrant cheerful mood of the Atelier Rorona Plus captured my post-ironic heart.
By Omar (@siegarettes)
Resident Evil Revelations 2 is a mess. Not an interesting mess born of risk taking and failed execution, but one that feels as if it was created backwards. As if it took ideas and worked in reverse to justify them within the framework, instead of building a framework around them.
This is a game that cribs both from the series’ history and outside games without understanding anything about what made those elements work. I’m going to run them down, but let’s start with the big ones: co-op and episodic structure:
By John (@Crono_Maniac)
The Games We Played is a year end round up of thoughts about games we spent time with.
When you put it into the context of the series as a whole, the original Legend of Zelda was something of an anomaly. From A Link to the Past onwards, the games were all interested in telling rich stories, full of intrigue, characters, mysteries, and climactic battles. The Hyrule in the first game feels almost barren in comparison. There aren’t really other characters or even a plot. It’s nothing but you, the monsters, and the mystery of the open wilderness.
The Games We Played is a year end round up of thoughts about games we spent time with.
By Omar (@siegarettes)
When Harmonix makes something, I pay attention. Their contributions to the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises creates a veneer of commercialization, especially after the former franchise over saturated the market, but look closely and you’ll find a constantly refined craft and passion for both music and games. (A bit perfect for our focus here at clickbliss). These are the people who brought both a new Dance Central title and the beat influenced shoot-em-up A City Sleeps to us this year.
In that context, who else would be better to bring us a 2014 update to Disney's Fantasia? Despite my reservations about how successful a Kinect based Disney game could be, I found it worth at least worth paying attention to with Harmonix at the helm. Besides, I needed something to justify my Kinect purchase aside from Child of Eden and yelling at my squadmates in Mass Effect.
Of course, what really drew me in was the tracklist. Leading with pop hits like Lady Gaga’s “Applause” and Lorde’s “Royals”, moving to well known classical pieces from the Fantasia movies, it then spin offs to Queen, Depeche Mode, Kimbra, and…Jimi Hendrix?