Video Game Reviews

Dark Souls: What the Bonfire Says about Humanity

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Dark Souls sounds pretty dark, so dark that my non-gaming friend asked me why I play such a satanic game. Her question made me probe about my obsession with it. So, I googled Dark Souls content on the internet. What was the result that stood out to me the most? The word masochist. In fact, I didn’t know that word exist. Dark Souls players are masochists. According to Google dictionary, a masochist is

a person who derives sexual gratification from their own pain or humiliation.” the roles of masochist and mistress (in general use) are a person who enjoys an activity that appears to be painful or tedious.”

Feeling self-conscious about myself, I begin to ponder my true nature as a human being. So, I start to reflect on what Dark Souls really mean.

From Dark Souls prologue, we know that fire gives life, but “from the dark they came and found the souls within the flame.” Whatever this darkness is, it causes something to ignite within the life form–which drives living things to action and eventually to madness. So to prevent going Hollow (cold), players have to reach the bonfire. The game design is very addictive. So, addictive that I couldn’t play any other games for a long while. I was possessed by the satanic game!

If you look at the bonfire closely, it is not just a mere bonfire. A sword thrusts into the flames of the human ash. This implies the continuous cycle of life and death. A place for the souls to resurrect. Once a player dies, they come back alive at the bonfire. Think bonfire as a home–where you rest and prepare yourself for tomorrow’s battle.

All undeads, including you as the player, are naturally attracted to the flames because that is where you came to exist. Going without flame for too long, you will die and eventually lose your humanity. The result is Hollow. I like to think of Hollows as corrupted politicians. I think every politician started out with good intentions, but the more power he/she has, the more abuse he/she can do without having remorse.

So time, again and again, you’d hear the phrase: “May the Flames Guide Thee” in the game. It is a reminder to the undead to cling to the warmth within them. By doing so, the bonfires are not just checkpoints to meet the final destination. The bonfires play a significant role in the story because they are “corporeal manifestation” of each Fire keepers’ soul, the protector of life. She attends to the bonfire, protecting the flame from dying so that the player does not “gradually loses his humanity until his wits degrade completely (Lucatiel’s quote from Dark Souls II).”

So this brought me to the question: Am I a masochist for liking Dark Souls? The answer is no, but I can be corruptible–in fact, everyone can. The Souls series is like a video game bible. It preaches its story through gaming mechanics. That’s why players eventually turn into ugly skeletons. I remember when I created my character, I want it to look beautiful, but then I quit caring about my appearance when I kept turning ugly! I then turn all of my attention to reaching the next bonfire at all costs. I was literally in fact, on my way to turning Hollow (mad).

You might think it’s all dark, but the ability to grasp that one can lose sight of what it truly means to live means that there is also a lot of warmth in this game. It wants to teach us how to think. That’s why I enjoyed this game a lot.

DARK SOULS™ II: Scholar of the First Sin

Civilizations rise then fall and fire begins it all. We are built with an understanding and respect for the needs of every human beings. That is humanity. I think this is the reason why the Greek god Zeus, protector of guests, favors hosts that provide good hospitality. To be human is to offer warmth. Without warmth, the flame, we are dead both physically and mentally.  And according to an item description in Dark Souls, “the soul is the source of life and whether Undead or even Hollow, one continues to seek them.” What are we without the soul? We cease to exit. So yes, the game is about dark souls. We kill others for their humanity until there is no point of return. We kill others to survive. No wonder my friend called it a satanic game.

Red Bow Review: A Nice Bittersweet Treat

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I heard in Japan there is a vending machine for everything. Is there a vending machine for fast games? A quick game that will give you a mental boost?  Yes, this game is very short. Depending where you purchase the game (I bought mine on Steam for around $2), it wasn’t a huge loss. I spent a few hours total with the game. Not because it was difficult, it was because I had to restart the game several times when I got stuck. But if you follow a guide, you can beat it in an hour. So game design is quite questionable.

The game, in my opinion, is designed for those who love trophy hunting, and who appreciate short sweet stories. These days, you are considered badass if you play indie games while at the same time accumulating trophies so you can show off to your gaming friends.  But if you are not one of those who care for that–no need to fret, the game has some depth.  You play as a little girl who is more like a little boy (she does not hesitate to get rid of enemies in the most brutal way).  Humor mixed with serious topics such as love, loss, and death will surely leave you with a lingering aftertaste once you beat it.

In conclusion, the game ends with a powerful message.   One, in particular, is the message for the ladies: Stop asking your partner if you are pretty.  The only person who knows that answer is you.  But I am pretty sure the lady has her own story that needs to be explored.  Overall, it’s still a heartfelt game worth playing if you have a few bucks to spare. I had a few laughs with the game so it was worth the purchase.

Red Bow 7_12_2020 8_54_08 AM (2)

Tokyo Dark: Decent but Misses the Mark

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Okay, I think I was rather harsh with my assessment of what I think about Tokyo Dark, an adventure point-and-click horror video game created by Cherrymochi. I deleted my old post which I titled Tokyo Dark: Too Political It Will Make the Old Fat Pervert Cry, pointing out how the game lacks depth. But I must say the game is not as bad as I make it out to be. It’s a decent game, but definitely not mind-blowing.

What irks me about the game is the fact that Ayami Ito, the protagonist, is a “strong” weak woman. She is tough on the outside, but unstable on the inside. It’s no surprise that she has to take medicine to cope with her mental health, apart from being possessed by a mysterious mask. She so desperately cannot live without her partner to the point she chases after him into the sewer. Strong woman? Sounds like a damsel to me. She cannot survive without a man. The game is sending the wrong message to young girls and women.

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Losing a loved one is never easy. I get it. I too had to take anti-depressant pills when I lost not only my mom but a sister two years ago. With time though, you become emotionally stronger, not crazier as this game suggested. Mental illness is no laughing matter. Making a scary game based on mental illness is a touchy subject for me so that is why I am harsh with this game.

As I said before in my deleted post, the game is like a pretty face makeup Youtuber who makes a living looking pretty but has no real depth. While playing the game, I forget I am playing a horror video game as the game focused so much on how hard it is to be a girl in a man’s world. We all know perverts love young girls, especially in a maid outfit. But how do you expect to gain revenue if you disrespect your customers? Now don’t get me wrong, I am happy to see that the OLD FAT PERVERT got arrested in the game.

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At the same time, perverts come in all shapes and sizes. The ones that young girls should be wary of are the seemingly nice guy who lures young girls into having sex with him, or what is worse is a woman who gained the trust of young girls and then turned them over to the sex trade. Now that is a horror story in itself!

There are plenty of other horror games I enjoyed such as Nightcry and Cat Lady which have a stronger message about not giving up in life. Tokyo Dark tried so hard that it missed the mark.

I’m not a mean person, so I will leave this post on a positive note: one thing the game got right is that in life, it’s better to laugh than to cry.

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P.S.

If you are a young woman reading this. Stay strong. Be strong. Know your worth. You don’t need men to save you. Only you can save yourself when it comes to your mental health.

Rule of Rose Review

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Some people have the tendency to gravitate toward a tale that makes them weep instead of one that brings them joy.  If we take a step back and look at ourselves, we are strange creatures that innately want to be happy, but find comfort in the bittersweet tale.  Perhaps, some of us are attracted to such entertainment because it acts as a mere reflection of our own psyche.  We want to fix something that is bothering us so we evaluate the little things that trap us in a psychological loop.  It’s almost a never-ending loop until we find the answer that has been buried deep within us. Some painful childhood memories are better off suppressed.

Yes, I’m speaking of Rule of Rose, a psychological survival horror game released back in 2006 for the Playstation 2.  The player experiences the perspective of an orphan named Jennifer with her pet dog Brown as they unravel a suspense, sorrowful tale.  I highly do not recommend this game to those who have a deep love for animals. The game actually brought some great discomfort to me even though it has a good moral message–for those who are passive and/or those who were bullied in their youth.  It forces me to think about society in general and the relationship between children and adults. Now I understand why it did not get a release in North America (The video game store I went to never got the game. Only the case was displayed).  Some of the themes are questionably cruel and not suitable for young people.  Even the older audience might find the game hard to comprehend.  I went to bed feeling as if my heart has just gotten broken after completing the game.

The game is artistically crafted and designed in a way where all things have a purpose including the monster’s design.  Yes, gameplay and story are intertwined.  At one point, I was so frustrated with the gaming mechanics but learned to appreciate the game design as I realized the order of finding weapons in the game (e.g fork, kitchen knife, butcher knife, shovel, axe) gradually became more menacing as the undertone of the story deepened.   Gameplay-wise, it’s far from monotonous.   Exploring/investigating, in my book, is a type of gameplay.  Brown, Jennifer’s furry companion, is a great hunter and protector.  If you are the type that likes to play detective, this game is a good treat.  You get the bigger picture of the whole game in the end if you get the good ending that is.

The game overall is quite well-balanced in terms of story, gameplay, music, and visuals.  I would consider the game on par with Silent Hill 1 and Silent Hill 2, which are great games! I plan to re-play the game.  Artistically, I’m quite fond of the atmosphere and the way how the story unfolds.

Rule of Rose is the type of timeless game that is on an equal level with great books.  It is a good representation of how the medium can be viewed as a mature, artistic expression that has the ability to dive into the human soul.

P.S.

Now I really need to go find myself a pet dog–hug it and tell it: “I love you, and will always protect you until I die!”