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WP#73: My Journey with Destiny 2

by Robert Hyma June 13, 2024

written by Robert Hyma

BANDWAGON GUARDIAN

To start with: I wasn’t there at the beginning. My journey with Destiny 2 has been entirely sidecar to the diehard fans of the 10-year spanning franchise. What I can offer, however, is perspective about what it feels like to invest in something I wasn’t anticipating falling so madly in love with.

However, just because one knows a lot doesn’t mean one feels qualified to spew information. What’s strange about my relationship with Destiny 2 is how orbital it has been. By that, I mean I’ve delved into the game at a relatively late cycle in the game’s history, played in a way that is slightly more than casual, and have witnessed the finale to the 10-year storyline that concluded this past week with the launch of The Final Shape expansion.

Having completed the newest campaign, I couldn’t help but notice the existential crisis present within the dialogue and themes of The Final Shape. Blame it on writerly intuition, but seldom is a story so separate from the journey of its creators. As David Mamet once said, “The journey of the hero is the journey of the writer.”

It’s beyond contestation that Bungie hit a home-run with The Final Shape expansion. Reviewers and players alike have heralded it as Bungie at their best. Yet, what fascinates me about the conclusion to one of the most storied franchises in video game history was how it was all possible. The obstacles that our heroes within the game endured ran in parallel with the trials and foibles of the game developer, Bungie. Somehow, the collective efforts of all those involved persevered to deliver a game that asks a very simple question when confronted with a possible imminent end:

What was all of this for?

***

A WORD ABOUT VIDEO GAMES

It’s worth noting why video games differ from novels, movies, and television shows. Stories that are presented to be absorbed and observed primarily draw upon an emotional relationship to the characters and world. Why we love shows like “The Office” or “Game of Thrones” is a matter of intimacy: We know those characters and laugh/cry/love/rage at their failures and triumphs as though they were our own children. We cannot predict the outcomes of what happens, but we stand by and support the thing we’ve fallen madly in love with—logically or not.

Video games, if narratively compelling, abide by the same sort of intimacy, but I argue that the dynamic is more involved, and therefore, interactive. WE get a say in the story because we’re the ones who drive the plot forward. Completion isn’t a matter of watching the cutscenes because there is an aspect of participation in video games that is absent in every other art form.

With video games, the players are not patrons hoping to one day be rewarded for all their investment—they are the progenitors of the game’s fate.

Put simply: Gamers are more like the athletes a sport requires to exist.

In the realm of story, this has a fascinating psychological outcome: The story matters as much as our role in it. All video game stories are fantasy in that we assume the role of the hero. Perhaps that is why there is a relationship that exists beyond the emotional benefits of a fulfilling storyline: We build up the world through farming, crafting, stat-building, and finding community through the rules that govern each gaming world.

In other words, why Destiny 2 has continued beyond the excellence of its deep and lore-driven tale is because of participation by the players.

There was always more on the line than knowing the ending of the story–the journey was worth more than the destination from the start.

***

A BARE BONES EXPLANATION OF THE FINAL SHAPE

“The Final Shape” Cover Art | Image courtesy of Playstation Blog

I’m unsure what the general knowledge base is for Destiny 2 with my readers, so I’ll briefly summarize what the events of this final expansion were:

The big bad guy is a collective of an entire civilization fused into one super being with extraordinary power and armies at its command called “The Witness”.

“The Witness” | image courtesy of The Loadout

The plot follows the big baddie harnessing the power of a silent and godlike planetoid structure called “The Traveler”.

It’s a complicated origin story, but essentially The Traveler has settled on different worlds, for thousands of years, offering gifts of superpowers, terraforming planets into hospitable worlds, and advancing technology to create progress at rapid speed for any civilization it blesses.

In the story of Destiny, humanity encountered The Traveler in 2014 when a trio of astronauts landed on Mars to investigate the alien sphere hovering above the planet’s surface. This was the beginning of our own golden age (See video above).

“The Traveler” above Earth | Image courtesy of Reddit

Of course, the collective known as “The Witness” was one of the originally blessed alien races of The Traveler. However, and surprisingly, the planetoid abandoned this precursor alien civilization for reasons unknown, and set off across the stars in search of others to bless. The evil “Witness” has been chasing after The Traveler ever since to enact revenge.

“Revenge”, it turns out, is using the powers of The Traveler to selfishly create what it thinks is the perfect universe—a plan called The Final Shape.

Our heroes, having fought against this big baddie for hundreds of years, finally figure out how to defeat It, and conclude a 10-year-long storyline to defeat evil and save the solar system for good.

The entire tale is much more nuanced than this, of course, but basically good guys must defeat bad guys. The Final Shape expansion was the finality of winning the day at last.

But this was only one side of the story.

The rest requires a brief summary of the past year with Bungie, the developer of the game.

***

A PERPENDICULAR DIRECTION

Bungie Studios Logo | Image courtesy of Bungie

The problems mostly stemmed from the previous expansion. Lightfall was a failure on many fronts: The story was lackluster, quality of life changes were minuscule and additive, and this underwhelming expansion came at an inopportune time when a surge of returning players excitedly played Destiny 2 in anticipation of the final clash with “The Witness”.

Promotional cover art of Destiny 2's Lightfall expansion — Destiny 2 “Lightfall” Cover Art | Image courtesy of Reddit

The reviews for Lightfall were dismal and disappointing.

Then, in November of 2023, even more tragedy struck as Bungie laid of approximately 8% of its studio employees across the board. The layoffs came over a weekend and seemingly without notice. The culprit will largely remain unknown, but the recent acquisition by Sony Interactive reviewing the developer’s nosedive numbers from Lightfall was significant in justifying layoffs.

The outcry from the community was dire. Unlike many game developers, Bungie has a hybrid relationship with its player base—whereas many studios silently watch how players react via social media and meta critic reviews, Bungie recognizes that the lifeblood of the franchise rests on acknowledging and empowering its players. Player feedback via message boards and comment sections, as well as close observance and interaction with the content creation space on YouTube and Twitch.tv play a huge role in informing how the game is received amongst players. When several noteworthy and publicly known employees and community managers were fired in the restructure, morale cascaded downward throughout the entire Destiny community. Like a dark ripple, it felt like the foundations of a beloved franchise were buckling at the finish line. Many abandoned the developer as player population fell to new lows.

By late November, Bungie announced The Final Shape expansion would be delayed until June 2024, leaving the developer five months to recalibrate and earn back the loyalty of its players.

And with so much uncertainty about where the franchise would go—or if it would even continue after The Final Shape—the future appeared bleak.

***

PRISMATIC SOLUTIONS

Is it any wonder that the story of The Final Shape centers on one of the most beloved characters in the franchise, then?

A casual pose of Cayde-6 from Destiny 2, featuring the character learning back against rubble and stretching a revolver in his extended reach. — Cayde-6 | Image courtesy of cbr.com

The cherished and widely missed exo Hunter, Cayde-6, voiced by Nathan Fillion, returned as a miracle to guide our journey to the end. The cavalier character was a fan favorite for its bravado and humor, offering a lightness so often lacking in the bleak universe of Destiny. In many ways, with Cayde-6’s death, the soul of the franchise also perished.

In parallel with the story itself, Bungie inadvertently chose the perfect catalyst character to imbibe a solution to an otherwise prismatic problem:

Can we revive the past to triumphantly guide us forward, just for a while?

A triumphant photo of Destiny 2's Commander Zavala standing in front of a blurry planet backdrop. — Commander Zavala | Image courtesy of shaniverse.fandom.com

This theme of faith being rewarded haunts our fearless military leader in the story as well. Commander Zavala contemplates his devotion to a silent god, one that has refused to help despite all the other miracles afforded by the silent planetoid. In his darkest moments, Zavala flirts with sacrificing himself for the greater good–or at least to end his torment of never resolving a life spent expecting reward for his faith.

It’s a sentiment that I can’t help but wonder if those fired by Bungie’s layoffs felt.

And yet, it is Cayde-6 who reminds us of our brief time in this world. As a character dead and gone for so long, and now revived, Cayde-6 navigates an existential crisis haunting both players and developers: what does one do with second chances?

Or, perhaps, what will you do with one last chance?

Bungie, its writers and leaders, were no doubt pondering the same things in the face of restructure. But in that struggle came an answer. Despite the nosedive, and the bad press, there was still a sliver of choice when faced with the inevitable. In the end, there is only timed agency, a choice, to do with power as our godlike heroes would in the time that is given to them.

The meaning comes from our own making—such is the privilege and curse of being the consciousness of the cosmos for such a limited time.

Through the darkness, The Final Shape expansion offered a profound meditation, I felt, about purpose at the end of all things.

***

NEW FRONTIERS

I believe in the finality of stories. Stories that press on for season after season often die in the same way that old sitcoms used to: Audiences scatter, novelty is lost, and attention drifts to different types of entertainment that enter the spotlight. This is how things are meant to be. It’s a Darwinian principle of entertainment: “Survival of the Fittest”. Often, this means appreciating what newness was borne from the old.

The story of Destiny 2 will not go on forever. It isn’t meant to.

But that isn’t the point.

A new vidoc (video documentary) posted by Bungie this week indicates that the story will go on past The Final Shape, which is a relief to many. So much of the past week appeared to indicate the end of the franchise, what with so many somber moments included within the story. New stories are bound to unfold, which will captivate for the coming year or more.

“The Journey Ahead” ViDoc

There is much to be said about the future of the beloved franchise, but all in its time.

For now, despite the forces of “The Witness” and the trials and tribulations from Bungie over the past year, it’s time to celebrate with our heroes—for a brief moment, anyway.

Until the next frontier.

Four heroes sit on a ledge over The Last City in Destiny 2, watching a celebration of floating lanterns drift skywards. — Final Celebration | Image courtesy of TechRaptor

***

A banner with a title: Spotify Weekly Finds.

During the writing of this Weekly Post-Ed, I listened to so many great Destiny 2 tracks. The music in the game is stellar and worth a comprehensive listen. I’ve included four my favorite songs below. Enjoy the score and emotional pull of one of the truly great spanning music sagas in history.

***

Wishing everyone as well as you can be. You’re not alone out there,

June 13, 2024 0 comments

| Weekly Post-Eds |

Weekly Post-Ed #33

by Robert Hyma May 5, 2022

written by Robert Hyma

ALWAYS NEW DEPTHS

DISCLAIMER: I’ve hesitated to post this Weekly Post-Ed because I felt I didn’t have anything remarkable to say about Bloc Party beyond, “This band means a lot to me,” and so I’ve been struggling to come up with a better message. Since it is Thursday and the week is nearly through, I’ve decided that sharing how I feel on a personal website is totally fine.

In short: I’m a huge fan of the band. Here’s why:

I used to stay up late on weeknights to watch Late Night with Conan O’Brien in high school. If not for much needed laughs at the time, then for the musical guests that were featured in the mid 2000s. Unlike the Tonight Show, Conan’s musical guests were indie/alternative starlets making a big impact on the music scene. Many were European, a fair few coming from the UK and for good reason—the indie-punk revival was in full bloom over there when I was 15.

And on one fateful night, Conan introduced the musical guest, “Ladies and gentlemen, Bloc Party!”

The frantic back-and-forth guitar duet of the song “Banquet” jammed out through my old bedroom 14’’ CRT lightbulb television speakers.

And I was changed forever.

“Banquet” is the hit song from Bloc Party’s first EP, Silent Alarm. If you haven’t listened to that album, it’s one of the greatest and complete 54-minutes of music ever made. Every song hits because every song WAS a hit.

Bloc Party was only the beginning. It felt like week after week I was being introduced to the likes of Interpol, Kaiser Chiefs, Foals, Shout Out Louds, Arcade Fire, The Hives, The Bravery, and all the other seminal bands of my teenage years who appeared on Conan O’Brien one after the other. But there has never been a band like Bloc Party for me. They were the first band where I appreciated just about every song they’ve ever made.

Chris Rock once said, “The music you listen to when you’re a teenager is the music you will listen to the rest of your life.” The thing is I had heard The Beatles by this time. I’ve listened to countless hours of many of the 70’s bands my dad often listened to like Elton John, Chicago, or ABBA. I appreciated what I heard, but it never moved me. Bloc Party was different. Their music resonated on what I can only assume was a spiritual level for me. The licks of Russell Lissack’s guitar, the beats of Matt Tong on drums, Gordon Moakes on bass with an amazing rhythm section, and Kele Okereke’s piercing lyrics and guitar riffs combined to make music full of angst and energy that felt like the proper soundtrack of my life at the time.

And, as it turned out, for most of my adult life, too.

Original Bloc Party (Left to Right): Matt Tong, Gordon Moakes, Kele Okereke, Russell Lissack

I didn’t know it at the time but the single greatest thing the band showed me throughout the years was the fearlessness of their musical direction—every new album offered something different, an evolution of character and music that spoke of a band growing up into fame and new influences in their lives. They wrote about deep personal issues in their music (about drugs, shallow love, true intimacy, and so much more) and in ways that only Bloc Party ever could. They embraced change, never repeating the same tricks twice, and this made each new album 3-dimensional and with a sense of purpose. When you listened to a new Bloc Party song, it was a hit on many different levels: lyrically, rhythmically, emotionally.

This was the band that taught me (like another one of their hits) that there are Always New Depths. And even if I wasn’t aware of how influencial these ideas were while cranking up music to ten on my first CD player at the time, it’s something I’m cognizant of now as I make my own stuff.

Bloc Party, “Always New Depths”

I’ll listen to everything they put out, if for no other reason than be fascinated by what’s new and different in the world.

***

THOUGHTS ON ALPHA GAMES

Ok, so I’m no music critic. Very rarely do I listen to the lyrics of a song and understand the subtextual meaning, or how the composition of instruments and riffs adds to a theme of a song. Sorry, I’m very basic in my consumption of music: if I like it, I’ll listen to the song more.

That being said, my first full listen of Bloc Party’s Alpha Games was underwhelming. Here, I was expecting the old Bloc Party, the high-tempo post-punk modern sound that burgeoned onto the music scene with their first EP Silent Alarm (and even subsequent albums A Weekend in the City, Intimacy, and Four). I was expecting a better sophomore approach from a rebuilt band that saw the likes of founding bassist Gordon Moakes and drummer Matt Tong depart in 2015.

But after listening to the album several more times and gaining a better appreciation for what was attempted by this new Bloc Party, I think the biggest issue with the music was in my assumption of what the band ought to be for me.

Bloc Party is still a big deal—one of those tentpole influences of my teenage years and, as it turns out, my adult life. Of course I associate a certain feeling with that brand of music and want more. I want that old connection, the one where I felt younger and fluid and full of energy. I’m sure Bloc Party, the band, felt the same way about their original sound, but that was 17-years-ago. Things have changed, not only in the makeup of the band (which now includes incredible newcomers in bassist Justin Harris and drummer Louise Bartle). To assume the band would reproduce an old signature sound isn’t fair; not only for an evolving band, but for the creative process, too.

Modern Bloc Party (Left to Right): Justin Harris, Kele Okereke, Louise Bartle, Russell Lissack

And what Alpha Games turned out to be is like everything I’ve ever appreciated about Bloc Party: it’s another deep exploration into something new and the brave attempt to follow that instinct.

It’s true that an album is like a relationship: the more time spent with an album, the more of a connection we feel with it. After my first listen, I wasn’t sure what I was hearing with the lyrics, and so looked them up. Apple Music has a neat feature with newer albums that includes interviews with the band. Kele Okereke, the lead singer, broke down each song with the intention behind the lyrics and the choice in sound and mood. After reading about the album, I liked it so much more and could better appreciate it.

After all, who doesn’t better appreciate Shakespeare or Byron after learning a bit more about the work they made? That’s what makes literature so alluring, that it can mean so many things.

And I think Alpha Games is very much in this same literary vein.

It’s one of the more unique Bloc Party albums to date, one I find myself listening to more and more, finding new reasons to listen to tracks I didn’t find musically interesting on the first playthrough.

I hope there is more to come, more momentum to be gained with a proper infusion of new band members and new musical voices in the group. It’s not the Bloc Party that represented the energy and angst of my teenage years any longer

And that’s perfectly ok.

Instead, Bloc Party’s music has grown u. Alpha Games is a matured and wisened album, one that comes from experiences of losing and finding love, and if it means anything in the end.

In many ways, this is probably what Bloc party – the band – probably felt about themselves while making it: do they still mean something?

For me, the answer is emphatically YES.

I think they’ve still got it, and I can’t wait to hear more.

***

Obviously I recommend the entire album of Alpha Games, but I do have a few favorite tracks that have been on repeat in the car. I’ll list them below:

***

Wishing everyone as well as you can be. You’re not alone out there,

May 5, 2022 0 comments

| Weekly Post-Eds |

Weekly Post-Ed #25

by Robert Hyma March 8, 2022

written by Robert Hyma

TO (NOT) REVIEW

Firstly, I don’t write reviews. To my mind, there are two types of reviews, one of which is pointless: Socially Aware and Critical reviews

Critical reviews are the most interesting to read/watch/overhear friends talk about because at least the subject matter lies with the piece of art in question.

Did the plot make sense?
Did the ending lag?
Were there any loose ends that didn’t make sense?
Was there more fluff to the movie than there needed to be?

These are all potent questions and worth discussing so long as the criticism applies to the work as a function of art (the craft it pertains to).

Socially Aware reviews are entirely useless. These reviews seek to explore the public impact of said movie/book/thing. Their aim to act as the barometer for the times that something arrives into the world.

Does the world need something this dark/stupid/emotional right now?
Should your children watch something like this? How about the elderly or emotionally disturbed?
What does it say about the writer/director/producer/actor that they participated in making something like this?

These questions are based on intrigue, upon a feeling, and has nothing to do with the piece of art in question. Also, it’s nearly impossible to gauge how something fairs in the immediate time of release (remember the Roger and Ebert reviews of The Graduate that said Simon and Garfunkel’s original songs for the movie would never hold up?—yeah, stuff like that). These reviews act as a type of social policing for how art ought to be perceived, which defeats the purpose of art in the first place:

Art is meant to be experienced.

In fact, I believe Critical reviews can be just as dangerous to an audience that seeks guidance before experiencing something. There’s something to be said about a culture that has a review/hot-take of some publication or YouTube channel flooding social media feeds right before/during release. We’re willing to put aside curiosity for the sake of certainty, which is so tempting when those that are “experts” have so much to say, and immediately, about something before anyone else might experience it.

I’m not interested in having an opinion before seeing something.

That’s why I don’t write reviews; it isn’t meaningful for me.

***

ANYWAY, SO ABOUT THE BATMAN…

I loved this movie! The tone was immediately darker and more grimy than previous film iterations, and I liked the serial killer/noir atmosphere of the movie. I’ve always been a big fan of the Christopher Nolan trilogy, and I couldn’t wait to see how Matt Reeve’s would do things differently. The Riddler was an intriguing foil/mirror to Batman’s mission, and the twists throughout made the film enjoyable even with a 3-hour runtime.

This movie has flaws, but what story doesn’t? What makes The Batman so gripping is that it committed to a darker Gotham City, a place where oppression and corruption has bled onto its citizens as well as the villains and heroes. It’s a visceral world on screen and should not be missed. Even in terms of the protagonist, I can’t speak enough to the achievement of capturing the darkness and the light of a Batman/Bruce Wayne as he sorts through a life spent in pursuit of righting the wrongs of his past and that of the city.

That’s why Batman will always be one of the most enticing heroes: he is the mortal in all of us donning the cape and cowl, attempting to become something bigger than what he could ever be in his own skin. This is a movie about retribution, about inflicting the pains of a scarred life upon those that wish to do the same, but it is also a movie about hope. It’s about stepping into the light and recognizing that we can become more than the shadows, that in spite it all, we can become a beacon.

I didn’t expect such a dark movie to be so hopeful towards the end, especially to see a portrayal of Batman have a true character pivot. A new choice was made, a new Batman exists from this point forward in Matt Reeve’s interpretation.

And I’m excited to see where all of this leads next. Kudos on a great film Matt Reeves and all the filmmakers.

***

RAID DAY: “VOW OF THE DISCIPLE” AND THE JOY OF PUZZLE SOLVING

There’s an event in the gaming world unlike any other. After each expansion in Destiny 2, there comes a special mission that requires the teamwork of six people joining up as a fireteam called a Raid. Each Raid has its own rules, a new set of puzzles and mechanics to discover, none of it hinted at or explained to the player. To participate means to use puzzle solving in order to complete each encounter, something that is not easy to do and is, from the past few Raids I’ve watched, an exciting exhibition in teamwork and perseverance.

I haven’t participated in a Contest-Mode Raid (Raid Launch Day) because I’m not a serious player of Destiny 2. I’m a casual player who enjoys Strikes and each Expansion’s Campaign (by the way, The Witch Queen is one of the best campaigns in the game’s history). So, when it comes to Raid Day, I snuggle up to my computer monitor, turn on a few Twitch streams, and watch as each team attempts to complete the Raid.

Teams must use a variety of skills and past knowledge to complete each encounter. Putting together the logic behind symbols, defeating a set order of enemies, and how it all links together in a cohesive story mission is a fascinating process. It often requires a process of elimination, figuring out what works and what doesn’t in order to put aside a current theory or idea that isn’t progressing the encounter.

Watching this really reminds me of the creative process, honestly. Without an idea of what the rules are, you set about to discover them as if in a fog, without knowing anything except that the farther you get, the closer you must be to solving the puzzles within. Novelists often work blind, having an idea of where a story ought to go, but since the length is so massive, it’s nearly impossible to account for each detail before beginning. Eventually, the writer gets lost, and has to improvise or make a series of decisions that, hopefully, progress the plot forward in a way that keeps the intention of the story intact.

“Vow of the Disciple” used a myriad of symbols that needed to be memorized and communicated amongst fireteams, none of which was explained or defined. Allowing the swarming Hive to damage an obelisk, or to act too slowly when searching for a specific Fallen enemy to kill, made the first encounter Wipe. The order of operations is always paramount in a Raid, and to watch teams figure out what progresses encounters and what does not speaks to the creative process in a way that most video games never allow players to access.

It feels like the architect of each Destiny 2 Raid is asking players to discover how to defeat enemies just as he/she figured out how to craft said Raid.

Raids take a long time to decipher, often lasting 7 to 8 hours before the first team completes one to become the coveted World’s First. It’s a frantic race and is also some of the most fun watching gamers play the game they love.

The reception to “Vow of the Disciple” has been unanimously positive. Along with the success of The Witch Queen expansion, Bungie (the developer) is making something truly remarkable in the gaming space.

I’m looking forward to whatever they make next, which, as several job postings have hinted at, means an entirely unknown game in the future. But that’s after the story of Destiny is complete.

One step at a time, Guardian.

Well done, Bungie!

***

This week’s new music is the entire The Batman original soundtrack by Michael Giacchino. It’s a masterpiece score and worth relistening to. However, I’ll post some of the more notable tracks below:

***

Wishing everyone as well as you can be. You’re not alone out there,

March 8, 2022 0 comments

| Weekly Post-Eds |

Weekly Post-Ed #11

by Robert Hyma May 17, 2021

written by Robert Hyma

That Guilty Look

I’ve been a big supporter of Guilty Gear Strive since it was announced last year by Arc System Works. With the additions of Rollback Netcode, some killer graphics, and a fast-paced fight system, I’ve dug the game so much that I decided to design my website around it.

I should also point out that I’m not actively playing Guilty Gear Strive since the Betas have been exclusive to PS5 (the elusive console). When the game launches on PC, I’ll be right there to write up what this game really feels like. It’s a departure from Xrd, but man is this game pretty.

Hope the gameplay holds up.

Like this art I made for the website. Check it out below:

***

The Camel (Guilty Gear Strive Beta #2)

I’ve watched a ton of the second Beta over the past weekend and have come away with mixed feelings. The first Beta was fast-paced with the cheap stuff kept in the game. Really, the only universal complaint (except for some characters’ limitations) was the God-awful online lobby system, something seemingly inspired by a Terrance and Phillip short from South Park.

After the first Beta, the lobby system was terrible enough for Arc System Works to push back the release of the game until June from April, and most of us expected some major fixes.

TL;DR: nah, not really.

The addition of pixelated fight cabinets in the lobby is a fun idea, but it doesn’t fix the functionality of the lobby system and menus. It is still too difficult to find matches, and if a player is clamoring to fight someone specifically in their lobby, the game tends to crash or cease matchmaking entirely. So, with lobbies still functioning at an abysmal level, what has ArcSys been working on the past month?

Seemingly, nerfs to characters. Again, I’m a hypocrite here because I haven’t played the Betas because of a lack of PS5, but universally it seems like some of the fun stuff from the previous Beta was siphoned out. To me, this is the flaw with player feedback.

Relatedly, I was listening to Ricky Gervais on the Smartless podcast give this anecdote about test audience feedback. One note that was given after the initial test screenings of Rain Man was this, “I liked the movie, but I wish the little guy would have snapped out of it in the end.”

This misunderstanding of the heart of the project is the problem when reviewing feedback. I don’t know to what extent Arc System Works makes gameplay changes based on feedback, but it seems the changes made in Beta #2 were made specifically from vocal complaints on social media.

Ever hear the maxim: a camel is a just a horse built by committee?

That seems to the case with the current state of Guilty Gear Strive; it is now a camel.

I hope Arc System Works will hold onto their original ideas instead of trying to please character specialists or the most vocal on Twitter because the game, before, was originally frantic and fun to play.

But perhaps this is just the way of developing a modern fighting game. Street Fighter V went through something similar. It needed a few years of struggle to figure out what it was, and then it could be brave and try new, exciting things.

Maybe after a few seasons, GG Strive will be just as enticing.

I just wish we could speed up the process and become braver sooner.

***

The Uselessness of Chair Reviews

I bought a new desk chair over the weekend (the Herman Miller Embody). When I buy things, I research the hell out of them. Inevitably, this brings me down the rabbit hole of YouTube review videos. Find a thumbnail of the item of your choice, along with the derpy face of a content creator pasted beside it, and click on the inevitable video title “My Review”.

What follows is an endless stream of nothing-much-said.

Why?

Because YouTube reviews are mostly useless.

Aside from sponsored review videos (which are, really, paid advertising for the content creator and the product), the bulk of review videos are mostly descriptive, as was the case when researching the chair I bought.

“This chair has a seat. As you can see here, with me sitting in it, it also has a back. And these things down here? These are levers and knobs that adjust the chair. Self-explanatory? Cool, because I didn’t point out the wheels yet.”

“This chair has WHEELS mother$#$%!”

This will be 90% of your video.

The last 10% is what you came for: the verdict. Usually, it goes something like this, “It’s a great chair, but it all depends on what you’re looking for.”

If you find your eyes burning like hot coals, your fingers sprouting claws that stab into the keyboard, a tuft of gargoylish hair encroaching over the nape of your neck, with two pointy horns suddenly on either side of your skull, and the unholy, damning fires of hell consuming your laptop from rage…

Don’t worry, this is normal.

You’ve just felt the effects of having your time wasted.

How is, “depends on what you’re looking for,” a useful verdict in a review video?

By nature, YouTube review videos are dependent upon if you, the viewer, think you are similar to the reviewer. Therefore, if they like the product, so will you. If a reviewer shrugs and says, “It all depends on what you want,” I’m just as indecisive. You’ve just told me to go to another review to make up my mind (which, on a conspiratorial level, might be the point—YouTube videos exists for views and clicks, not as guides to personal decisions).

And that’s what I did: I watched review after review after review…None of them authoritative, none of them useful.

Until I did the only review that counts when buying a chair: sitting down in the damn thing.

That’s when I knew I wanted it. That’s when I understood the con of watching review videos.

And I’m still reeling from my choice to watch so many of them; my YouTube home page is flooded with related/unrelated chair review videos, all thanks to a naïve assumption that they would be helpful.

I didn’t even like the people making them. To me, a derpy face in a YouTube thumbnail implies a derpy personality. But I suppose content creators who make reviews are just practicing their true trade without calling it as such:

The art of making silly faces.

For that, to their credit, many of these content creators are well paid.

But I love the chair. I’m glad I went with it. And that’s all I have to say, except for my official verdict:

Go sit in one yourself, then you’ll know.

***

Also, there’s a pretty great piano version of “Pink Pony Club” that I’ll post below:

***

Dirty Dishes Out Now!

And here’s a new story after a long sabbatical. It’s the longest one I’ve posted on here, but I think it works well.

Disclaimer: there’s explicit language in this story.

Enjoy and I’d love to read your comments!

***

Hoping everyone is as well as they can be. You’re not alone out there,

May 17, 2021 0 comments

| Weekly Post-Eds |

Weekly Post-Ed #8

by Robert Hyma April 28, 2021

written by Robert Hyma

Another New Look

This one is short notice, but the latest look of the website is based on New Pokémon Snap, which is out this Friday. The Nintendo 64 game was addictively fun when it launched in 1999, and I was just as a surprised as anyone that it took 22 years to get a proper sequel. Not that the Pokémon Company was clamoring for that audience with the success of literally everything they produce (mobile games, main series entries, a hearth of collectibles and memorabilia, Build-a-Bear collaborations, etc), but there was always something special about Pokémon Snap that other games didn’t have. It truly felt like a safari with the creatures you’ve come to know and love.

I can’t wait to play New Pokémon Snap this weekend.

Oh, and please check out the art I made for the website below:

***

Mortal Kombat 2021 and Its Criticisms.

First, a brief summary of how I felt about the film.

Over the past week, the new Mortal Kombat simul-released in theaters and HBO Max. I watched it this morning, feeling trepidation about how the movie would work apart from the techo-frenzied fight sequences of the original films. Indeed, witnessing all the violent fatalities that were promised didn’t deter from the fun of the film, and I was pleasantly surprised by the end.

By far, the best addition of the movie was Kano, a character I never thought I’d like. Kano was the humor and heart of the movie, honestly. Every other character felt shallow or played the stereotypical “tough guy” part in a fighting movie. Kano was funny, sociopathic, opportunistic, and hilarious. I wish every character had the depth and charm that he had. When he gets killed (spoiler), the movie deflates a little, which says more about the strength of the story. Outside of a tragedy, if a character dies and so does the energy of the film, it’s not a good sign.

At least the tease for Johnny Cage at the end might mean a more satisfying sequel. Certainly, if Johnny’s character is as fun as Kano’s, we’re in for another good time. Plus, the new Sonya was perfect, and seeing the love-tension between those two forces could be very fun. I’m very happy with the new Mortal Kombat; it wasn’t a remarkable movie, but for its genre and tone, and for everything it was, the movie went well beyond what everyone was expecting.

The world needs more movies like this.

Criticisms

The most peculiar part about the aftermath of the movie was listening to some of its criticisms. I’ll write more about how I feel about critics and criticism in depth in another piece, but in short, I don’t see the benefit of the critic. Not only does widely spread criticism warp the expectations and openness of someone who hasn’t seen/read/heard something, but over the years there has been a shift in motive for criticism.

And criticism for Mortal Kombat 2021 is a prime example.

Most criticism I heard and read was polarizing, which may be by design (I don’t know, I don’t write criticism nor think like a critic). Either the critic liked the film and thought it worked for its audience or lambasted it as a colossal failure as a film or for blowing its potential. Upon hearing what this film was “supposed to be”, I was left disoriented and, honestly, confused by how these critics think movies are made.

Criticism often morphed into long dialogues of, “What they should have done was this…” and then a lengthy reworking of the script was discussed and, by committee (because these criticisms are often discussion), there was an agreement about how the movie would be better if X, Y, and Z plot points were inserted instead.

I stopped listening at this point. The fundamental error in this kind of criticism is a misunderstanding of what it takes to make something. Any change introduced in the story has a ripple effect for everything else. When a critic loftily says, “They should have done this instead; it would have solved ALL their problems,” what they are really saying is, “Here’s a completely different movie that we DID NOT watch.”

These critics are pitching their own movies, which are similar but NOT the thing they are reviewing. This “better” movie is just another deformity and becomes derivative of the original. And like most derivative things, it won’t work either.

Again, I can go on at length with my views of what criticism is used for, but here’s the TL;DR of it:

Mortal Kombat doesn’t have to be the things you wanted it to be. It exists, it did its thing, it was a good try, and it can be better. But goddam, it shouldn’t be the thing someone without a hand in making it suggests.

If you want to make a Mortal Kombat, then go off and make one. Show us how it’s done. Then, you can say what it should have been.

***

The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

The other great piece of cinema I watched was the finale of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. It was a series exploring what it would mean for Sam Wilson (The Falcon) to become the new, black Captain America. I loved how the show depicted black America and the terrible differences between those with power in a room and those who are left to be experimented on or taken advantage of. In the context of the Marvel universe and the repopulation of the planet from the reversal of Thanos’s snap, those issues – which ranged from what to do with immigration to how those with resources look at other races and their actions, militant or not – was a message that needed to be heard. For me, it was another example of how making something can make a difference.

I’ve always been torn about the purpose of art. Should it try to impact the world in a specific, message-oriented fashion? Does there need to be a moral to the story? My deepest held belief is no, not in the slightest. It isn’t the primary function of art to tell the world how to behave itself. Done in the worst ways, this kind of art deforms into propaganda and is the opposite of the creative spirit—it then becomes a tailored message of a machine (political, corporate) and thereby loses its soul. The purpose of this art is, then, to manipulate, not illuminate.

Put simply:

Propaganda tells you what to do/believe/say.
Art gives you the freedom to discover what it all means to you.

In The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, I don’t think its message was propaganda. The final episode has a great deal to say about current issues of immigration and the role of governments to help those in need instead of relegating them to undesirable groups such as terrorists, immigrants, thugs, etc. It was a message aimed at a world that further wishes to partition itself into the haves and have-nots, and it was the right time to say it. In fact, there isn’t a wrong time to relay this message.

Why this message is not propaganda is because it exists in a world that has foregone human decency and community in favor of greedily snatching up everything for themselves–or at least the idea that these people ought to have things over others. I think this message was particularly powerful because of the way Marvel shepherded it along. The combination of the characters, the villains and their motives, and the interweaving of both heroes and their counterparts, how each could play the role of villain or hero, is what made this show special.

In other words, just as with this show’s message and the audience, a hero can become a villain, a villain can play a hero, and it is up to us to choose for ourselves.

I can’t wait to see what Marvel is planning next.

Well done, Malcom Spellman and company.

***

Hoping everyone is as well as they can be. You’re not alone out there,

April 28, 2021 0 comments