O lămurire

   Ieri am pus o postare pe Facebook (poți să te uiți și singur, nu mai repet) și, pentru că nu cred că s-a înțeles foarte bine poziția (nici mesajul în oarecare măsură), cred că merită un articol mai lung.

   Una dintre glumele mele preferate este cea cu pedofilul care merge de mână cu o fetiță, noaptea prin pădure. Ea îi spune „Nenea, mi-e frică”, iar el îi răspunde: „Ție ți-e frică? Dar mie, că trebuie să ma întorc singur?”. Mi se pare genială; e simplă, e scurtă, are elementul de șoc și umor cât se poate de negru. O apreciez fără doar și poate, dar asta nu schimbă cu nimic faptul că nu ar rămâne nici unghie pentru analize în caz că aș întâlni un astfel de individ. Ceea ce vreau să evidențiez este că pot avea poziții diferite față de situații diferite ce implică același subiect, iar atacul meu de ieri la adresa Feministelor nu reprezintă atitudinea mea generală față de Feminism. 

   Dar dacă tot s-a ajuns aici, atunci o s-o spun negru pe alb: nu am cum să militez împotriva oricărei mișcări sau ideologii ce susține drepturile unui anumit grup de indivizi împotriva căruia, în mod flagrant, s-au comis și se comit constant abuzuri. Și spun că „nu am cum” pentru că fac parte dintr-un astfel de grup care, din păcate, nu este reprezentat în nici un fel în societate și care nu are o voce. Hai să-ți dau niște exemple, nu doar pentru a sublinia că afirmația mea nu e de dragul imaginii publice, dar și pentru a explica (dacă mi-ai mai văzut postările) de ce susțin Drepturile Omului până în pânzele albe:

1. De când mă știu, cu figura asta de nice guy și atitudinea pacifistă și diplomată = fraier, prost, cere abuz, nu știe să se apere, nu știe să se bată etc.

2. Clasa a 10-a, 15 ani, cercel în urechea stângă, blugi tăiați, tricou cu AC/DC = rebel, non-conformist, rocker dement care probabil că ne va face probleme. Rezultat: 3 ani în care directorul liceului m-a pisat să-l dau jos, atitudine beligerantă din partea anumitor profesori, priviri răutăcioase de la grupurile de maneliști.

3. Academia Navală, perioada de practică, cu același cercel în ureche, la vapor = gay, șmecheraș cu fițe, merită abuz verbal, merită frecat ca să-i iasă figurile din cap.

4. Post-absolvire, mai pe toate vapoarele, cu sau fără cercel / păr lung, vorbind liber despre poziția anti-căsnicie, ateism sau statutul apolitic = gay, satanist, alcoolic, miserupist, naiv, prost, merită abuz fizic și verbal, caracterizări proaste, lipsit de autoritate sau prea tupeist pentru că își exprimă părerile, român.

5. Prezent, cu părul albastru, sub-ponderal, prea-manierat, vorbind liber împotriva religiilor, a statului și despre absolut tot ce este stricat / greșit: gay AF deci sigur ajunge în iad, deviant, probabil cu ceva probleme psihice.

    Și exemplele ar putea continua. Unul dintre motivele principale pentru care am renunțat la marinărie este acestor scrutinuri la care am fost permanent supus, judecat și pedepsit pentru că nu am vrut să mă identific cu una dintre marile (și „de bun simț”) categorii sociale existente. Pentru că sunt independent, pentru că am principii și pentru că nu vreau să fac compromisuri, am plătit și voi continua să o fac, în ciuda faptului că rămân un individ cât se poate de decent.

  În concluzie ... E absurd să crezi că aș avea ceva împotriva celor ce nu cer decât să fie respectați și tratați ca ceea ce sunt: niște persoane ce există în aceeași societate ca și restul. La fel de stupid, însă, este să crezi că, atunci când aceste segmente de oameni se folosesc de orice pretext pentru a-și transmite mesajul, nu voi comenta, nu voi ironiza și nu voi judeca pe fiecare în funcție de caracter (sau lipsă de). 

Five awesome games

Like Bruce Banner said, I'm angry all the time. Oftentimes I'm angry about games, yet in this case I'm royally pissed off about the lack of discussion about certain relatively-recent titles who DESERVE some free promo. I don't know if all the geek websites I know are asking to be paid for reviews, but everyone is making a fuss about the bad stuff - like Fallout 76 - or the overly-inflated franchises that I've had so much of I could puke. So here we are, at the end of 2018, with some amazing games available and Facebook and friends are throwing at me Call of Duty, Mortal Kombat, Devil May Cry and so on, while there is so much more to be hyped about. Therefore here are 5 games that YOU SHOULD bloody play!

1. The Council

I'm starting with this particular jewel because I fully intend to write a review for it (and I'm reminding myself not to give away too much). The Council is an episodic adventure / puzzle game in which the decisions you make affect everything about the entire experience. It's set in 1793, in a beautiful mansion on a fictional island east of England, where you encounter (among other amazing characters) George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte. It's has everything: R.P.G. elements, exploration, tons of fascinating information about history, art, science and the occult, an almost-perfect story and a constant feel of mystery (and dread to a certain extent), excellent music and a Dishonored-esque character design! Play. It. Now.

2. Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales

If you've played the third installment of the Witcher series - Wild Hunt, you certainly know about Gwent - the in-game minigame of cards. Or perhaps, if you're a card game fan, you've heard that they went and actually made this into a separate title, trying - I guess - to attract some of the Hearthstone players that have become bored with it. Thronebreaker, however, is more than just a single-player version of Gwent - thing which kind of threw me off. Initially, I wasn't interested in this particular game because I thought exactly that, but I was so very wrong! In fact, the Gwent side of it is actually engaging and extremely fun, especially since you have to complete a lot of objectives to get your cards, but the bulk of it would describe Thronebreaker as a strategy / R.P.G. The (fantastic!) story evolves around Queen Meve of Lyria and Rivia, and it varies according to the choices she makes along the way. After being dethroned by her own son and having her lands conquered by the giant and greedy empire of Nilfgaard, she struggles to escape her native kingdom, build an army and come back to kick ass. I loved the design - that thick shadow, dark comic, Darkest Dungeon kind of style - and finding out how good of a ruler I'd be, while thoroughly enjoying being surprised by certain characters who popped in and winked at me before going their own way. To be honest, for a game fitting in this particular niche, there's no aspect to it that I could criticize. Do give it a shot - it'll be worth it!

3. Shadow of the Tomb Raider

There's not much to say about this one that has no been praised in the previous titles. This new Tomb Raider series is great and I have enjoyed all three games without having a lot to reproach. It surprises me that many have felt reticent about the new Lara Croft experience, but trust me when I say that you will definitely NOT be disappointed. S.o.t.T.R. in particular excels with its' amazing landscapes - vast and gorgeous - that demand exploration. I've spent hours just searching to find hidden caches, secrets, dungeons... It's every O.C.D.-afflicted gamer's heaven. Or hell. The only aspect that I felt could have been better was the short number of fights for which I spent said hours to prepare, gathering resources, hunting, exploring, buying guns and crafting upgrades. It was kind of a let down to have so little encounters with the bad guys, but overall it still managed to be a delightful experience. The story is great, just as with the other two installments, and even though the game doesn't feel innovative in regards to its' predecessors, it's still very much fun and exciting. I mean... just for this part I'd play it again (she's SO BADASS!):

4. Call of Cthulhu 

I couldn't tell you how I feel about this game and that's the result of playing it. Perhaps I get too involved when gaming, but there is no denying that H.P. Lovecraft is a very special kind of monster. His works, in my opinion, do not belong in the horror genre or even in the terror one, but in a particular category of its own. That said, Cyanide - the developers - have done a superb job in capturing that freaking-the-F-out nature of it, specific to Lovecraft, and quite abundant in C.o.C. It's green, it's foggy, it has sailors and mystery, it has puzzles and a similar playstyle to The Council - with R.P.G. elements and impactful decisions - and it's so daaaaamn cool. There's something palpably unnerving about this game that left me pondering the story for two days after I've finished it, and that is precisely the reason why I'm recommending it wholeheartedly. I'm not a fan of horror (games OR movies) - I don't play them because I hate getting heart attacks for no reason - but even so, even if you think the same, even if you'll hate the three jump-scares you'd have to endure, do play this game. It's not horror, it's a mystery-solving, psychological adventure game worthy of your time.

5. Darksiders 3 (and not only!)

It's past 4 A.M. and since I spent over an hour writing this so far, I'm going to have to direct you to my previous review. Still, in addition to my points there, I just have to add that D3, despite its' not-so-few flaws, has been quite good - I wouldn't add it to the list otherwise! While there are some questions left unanswered, I'm reminding myself (and you) that there is at least one more game to be had and with each new installment, we get more and more details and insight about this particular universe. In this gamer's opinion, it is a real shame that the Darksiders series hasn't caught on, being - as I've said before - a great example of an amazing fantasy franchise. Even more than that, every game has had its' own atmosphere, gameplay, identity... The protagonists, though all Horsemen, are very different and unique, with personalities that make them likable (or not), and - surprisingly - so are their games! The big picture in their story is the same, but told in different ways with different details added every time, details that feel like it is nearing its' completion without neglecting the personal aspect of the characters' own fates. At the same time, although all three games belong in the same genre and are indeed similar, unlike the Tomb Raider games, they still manage to feel new and different. As a last point, I'd like to say that D3 has a much better ending than its' predecessor, and I have absolutely loved the last second cameo appearance of... someone - NO spoilers! Get a copy, get all of them, and don't be shy about the comics either - they are awesome!

Darksiders 3 (so far)

I was almost certain my first real post would be about a game, but I didn't think I'd have to use English (yeah, there are no rules on about this blog, so hate all you want, I don't care). What I didn't think would happen though was picking Darksiders 3 as the first topic, considering I've been planning on reviewing Thronebreaker (Witcher-related) since it's related to a series of books. It seems, however, that after reading through some not-so-happy reviews of D3, some things MUST be said, so here goes!

Like many others, I've been waiting for this game ever since the first Darksiders, when it became apparent that we'll be getting to play as one of the four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in each installment. If you aren't familiar with the series, let me just say that it's GREAT and you should definitely try it! Even if you aren't a fan of the jump n' run action genre like Soulreaver or, in some respect, Tomb Raider, where you have a lot of exploration and puzzle-solving to do, the story and visuals are just worth it. Basically, as mentioned, you play as a badass Horseman (or woman in this case), facing angels and demons who want your head. But there's a lot more than that! All games take place more or less at the same time, with each character trying to make sense of the prematurely-triggered Apocalypse and what / who was behind it, the purpose of it all and the part they themselves play in it. It is so complex that I couldn't possibly detail it for you, but - trust me - you want to see it and experience it for yourself! Needless to conclude that I am a huge fan and I think that this is one of the names that prove that the fantasy genre is very much alive and kicking.

That said, and after two very successful games, it seems that the third one isn't doing so great. And I would agree in part, but not with the (I would say) stupid criticism out there. 

First of all, I'm really annoyed by the fact that even if the developers mentioned they were inspired by the Dark Souls games, this is NOT a Dark Souls-type of game (even though you die a lot). It may seem so in the beginning but, as I've progressed along, it becomes quite clearly that D3 is designed just like its predecessors (or any other game where leveling up is a thing), meaning that you SHOULDN'T go to high-level areas and just expect to beat up a monster with no difficulty. This, even if it's just common sense, I can understand to a certain degree being that D3 does neither warn you about the dangers you may face in a particular area, nor does it direct you to where you SHOULD go.

And speaking of directions, here's the other (rather big or at least frustrating) problem with this game - that, by the way, I've not seen much said about: the lack of a map being replaced by some sort of "radar" that helps you find the big baddies. While there is a fast travel system in the game to just skip to a certain location, and while the devs removed the actual traveling (like War had to do in Darksiders I), you have no idea where the checkpoints are! It is confusing for sure, and the only way to figure out vaguely which one's closer to where you want to go is a picture of the area where the checkpoint is. This wouldn't be a real issue if not for... this next part.

The said "here's where you need to go, dumbass!" indicator. Yes, there is a tracker for the bosses you must kill, yet sometimes - as areas change after certain encounters (boss fights, destroying certain items in the environment etc.) - the directions you get are basically pointless as you find yourself staring at a dead end. There is no clue, neither in dialogue or playthrough, as to what you must do to get where you need to and the fact that you must read something like this review to figure it out is certainly what got D3 on the gamers' shitlist. I do mean finding Gluttony and, without giving any spoilers, all I will say is go back to where you fought Lust and explore that area. I can understand why the developers didn't think traveling would be such a pain in the ass, but missing just one detail like that can send you - like it did me - wandering around for 2 hours and cursing the gods. 

And while you're wandering, you might remember that in the previous games, there was this thing called the Abyssal Armor. Oh yeah! That really cool set that gave great stats to both War and Death! Well, though luck with this one: it's not here. Not yet at least, 'cause the only way to get it is to wait for the DLC story pack and buy it. It will only be available in... the future. No, they didn't give a release date for it.

Another aspect of D3 that has not been mentioned is the graphics' issue. I've tried all possible combination of settings and, considering this is barely a 19GB game and while I've had no problems running Shadow of the Tomb Raider (60GB+) in a decent way, how the hell can it look like something you'd run on a Pentium II? The texture and character details look normal in the first few minutes of the game, then the settings somehow revert to something so basic, it feels you're playing an alpha version of it. If anything, D3 needs a patch to fix this A.S.A.P.

Overall though, and concluding, even if you're faced with all of these inconveniences, as a fan or not, I still think this game is worth it. Once you get the hang of it and understand the rules of the world you were thrown into, the story flows easily. The plot is as interesting as the others, and even though Fury (our protagonist) seems quite unlikable at first, she transforms gradually, understanding more about not only Creation, but herself and her purpose. Yes, the whole environment may confuse you, but isn't that the cool thing about it? You get to explore, you get to find a TON of secret areas and ingredients you can use to upgrade your weapons and powers, and I really have nothing against it. Even if the combat is quite difficult at times, the Story mode allows you to get through while still pinning you against some pretty hard opponents - enough for a bit of a challenge. So, to end, the other opinions don't matter; after 15 hours of gameplay and not even finishing it yet, I can say that  Darksiders 3 is still a kick-ass game and you should for sure play it!

Nou, dar nu foarte

   Mă bătea de-o vreme gândul să mă întorc la blogging doar pentru că simt nevoia de a scrie și altceva. Poate că e o coincidență sau poate că Universul conspiră să mă întoarcă pe meleagurile Blogspot-ului (am încercat Wordpress - e oribil de complicat!) tocmai acum, când împlinesc fix 18 ani de când am început să cochetez cu jurnalismul. Nu am de gând să mă concentrez pe mult prea numeroasele și repetitivele actualități de Facebook, de care - sunt sigur - ne-am cam săturat cu toții. Vreau să vă spun, în schimb, despre lucrurile cu care îmi ocup timpul, fie că e vorba despre jocuri, filme, cărți, muzică sau propriile mele texte. N-am idee cât timp voi dedica acestui jurnal sau cât de des voi publica sau dacă conținutul va prezenta interes, deci, așa cum nu promit o dată de lansare pentru următorul meu roman, consider că e la fel de corect să nu fac promisiuni în legătură cu spațiul ăsta.

   Și că tot veni vorba de scris, în caz că vă întrebați ce / dacă mai produc ceva, iată:

 

 

   Pe curând!