Multiverse Desperado A Jumpchain Fiction Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Over The Hump

 

It was after my twenty-second shot at Jump's face that I finally stopped. It cost me a thermal clip and it didn't do anything to her body – tore the hell out of the bed, the pillow, and the wall behind her though – but man did it feel good. I did note that there wasn't even a notable effect on her; I fired the gun and she simply stared like I was popping a firecracker.

Sidequest Corner: The Kingdom Hearts 1-2 Interquels

Don't worry, Animation Deviation will come back eventually. There's only so much you can type about when you're dealing with heat, oncoming carpal tunnel and at least three different projects. Not to mention there are only so many hours in the day.

Multiverse Desperado: A JumpChain Fiction Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Demons

Despite how much this galaxy has advanced, every race has their own living nightmares, their own boogeymen. For the krogan, they have the towering monstrosities of their home world: the Thresher Maws. Humanity has the overzealous Earth First nutters of Terra Firma and Cerberus. The quarians; the geth. As for the asari, I was staring into the cold dead eyes of one of them as she began to slowly incinerate my nervous system.

An Ardat-Yakshi.

Retro Prose: My Thoughts on Microtransactions

In light of another E3 passing and the fact that I want something on this blog other than slowly paced Mass Effect fan fiction before the Fourth of July weekend, I decided to bring up a piece I wrote for OmniGamer last year. It was an opinion piece I had about microtransactions and how complacency in their application in modern gaming would lead to major problems.

The sad thing is how ubiquitous the practice has now become, this article feels like a snapshot of a slightly more innocent time when it was possible for enough outrage to cause studios to backpedal.

Retro Prose: My Review of Cibele

This week's retro prose is one of the few pieces I wrote that I legitimately still stay behind to this day. It was not just a review of an artsy narrative focused Steam game, but one by a creative mind that I still keep an eye on to this day for her focus on human interaction and earnest emotional momentum contextualized in game form.

In other words, I love that her games are more about the journey than a high score. My review of Nina Freeman's Cibele.

Also you should check out her other game, Kimmy on Steam if this sounds anything resembling your bag. She's also working on that sci-fi game Tacoma so... hinty hint hint.

Retro Prose: We Need More Cult Classics

The following installment of Retro Prose was a piece I wrote in July of 2016 during the consecutive releases of Gearbox Software's Battleborn and Blizzard Entertainment's Overwatch. Granted quite a bit of information in this piece is hilariously dated, and as much as I do stand behind enjoying Battleborn for what it is, sadly it didn't survive being around as long as Overwatch has.

However, I am giving it the spotlight again to also reinforce what I wrote extensively in last year's Sidequest Corner about how I feel the game's industry can learn to take some more risks and be a bit more flexible and pro-consumer with their standard models.

Also completely unrelated: I officially backed Deadly Premonition The Board Game on Kickstarter. Because I practice what I preach, yo.

Sidequest Corner: Sony, Shut Up.

This week's Sidequest Corner is going to have a slightly different focus. Instead of talking about game design or trends, I am going to focus on a disturbing trend by the game industry. Nothing sinister, but just mundane enough that can lead to some big problems down the line.

Retro Prose: My Review of Fatal Frame Maiden of Black Water

RIP Wii U, you had some interesting ideas, and this was one of the more underrated ones.

Multiverse Desperado: A JumpChain Fiction Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Digging and Racing

 

The Councilors stayed with Shepard as he spoke to the VI known as Vigil, asking the big questions about the Conduit and what had become of the Protheans in the thousands of stasis pods surrounding us. As for Tali and me, we were scanning those pods, looking for a needle in the world's largest haystack with a tiny magnet.

Sidequest Corner: Destiny Then and Now

Call this a bit of a cop-out for content but I find it prudent to show how even a critical mind can change and soften over time when observing an intellectual property. How criticism comes from a place of passion.

As such I am going to bring back two of my old reviews from old sites. The first was back during my more optimistic days at All Age Gaming with my review of Destiny in 2014 and the next is my review from OmniGamer of its Rise of Iron expansion from last year.

It goes to show how things can change for better and for worse and how critics and reviews are at their core, players just like the rest of us.

And this is coming from someone who can be called a fan of the franchise now.

That Random Podcast Show: Princess Celestia Helps Tom Servo Fight The Camera

Michael and I talk about Episode 5 of Samurai Jack, Yooka-Laylee, and the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Return.

Also I guess the season premiere of My Little Pony.

Sidequest Corner: How The Platform Affects The Experience

As I casually mentioned in my last post about how April Fools Day Rick-Rolled Me – no I am not apologizing for that pun – I got a review copy of Persona 5 by the lovely people over at ATLUS. While I am still working on my review of the game for The Game Fanatics, I even wrote a hot take on the game's opening, I actually found something unusual about my predicament with this installment.

It didn't...feel right.

Multiverse Desperado: A JumpChain Fiction Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Rising Consequences

A month passed with us chasing leads on Saren. Despite us knowing his fascination with the Nu Relay we still couldn't figure out the exact destination once on the other side. There were too many factors working against us, so chasing leads was the best option we had. It would be embarrassing for us to go through the Relay only to be vaporized by Geth warships or Sovereign himself, and I was seriously beginning to doubt how much my own knowledge was still reliable.

That isn't to say we weren't busy.

Sidequest Corner: The Wrinkles of Kingdom Hearts

If you have no idea why I'm doing this here instead of on Saturdays, you got some reading to do suspiciously new face here at the Cybertavern.

As for everyone else, welcome back to my semi-coherent essays about games and game design. And as the title implies I am here to talk about Kingdom Hearts, the surprisingly lucrative and enduring JRPG franchise brought to us by the biggest name in Japanese RPGs, Square Enix, and the all-consuming force of progressive family friendly values that is the Walt Disney Corporation.

That Random Podcast Show Season 2 Episode 3: Pug Fugly Fan Fiction

Michael and I discuss Mass Effect Andromeda, the merits of pen and paper RPGs, and even how RPG elements have assisted creative writing endeavors.

Multiverse Desperado: A JumpChain Fiction Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Team Trust Exercise Part 2

“Spear maneuver now!” Shepard bellowed over the hail of death raining from our would-be executioners, Jack and I snapping into position throwing up biotic barriers to protect the group.

That Random Podcast Show Season 2 Episode 2

We talk about the launch of the Nintendo Switch and gush about The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Saturday Sidequest: Is Breath of the Wild Too Large?

My Guest Spot on Wrong X Button Podcast

A bunch of old shoulders I used to rub with hit me up for a guest spot on their podcast. I humbly obliged!

Fair warning, the podcast has explicit and vulgar language and at least one major outburst by yours truly.

Multiverse Desperado: A JumpChain Fiction Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Hunches and Leaps

Jack began standard landing procedure at the Citadel's docking bay roughly a week after our escape from Purgatory Station.